đź“…Days of the Week (Giorni della Settimana)
In Italian, the days of the week are not capitalized unless they appear at the beginning of a sentence.
Vocabulary:
- Monday - lunedì
- Tuesday - martedì
- Wednesday - mercoledì
- Thursday - giovedì
- Friday - venerdì
- Saturday - sabato
- Sunday - domenica
Important Notes:
- All days except Sunday (domenica) are masculine
- Use "il" with days of the week: il lunedì, il martedì
- For "on Monday", use "di lunedì" or "il lunedì"
- The week starts on Monday in Italy
Example Calendar Week
Exercise 1: Days of the Week
Complete the sentences with the correct day in Italian:
🗓️Months of the Year (Mesi dell'Anno)
Like days of the week, months in Italian are not capitalized unless they appear at the beginning of a sentence.
Vocabulary:
- January - gennaio
- February - febbraio
- March - marzo
- April - aprile
- May - maggio
- June - giugno
- July - luglio
- August - agosto
- September - settembre
- October - ottobre
- November - novembre
- December - dicembre
Important Notes:
- All months are masculine
- Use "in" with months: in gennaio, in febbraio
- To say "in January", use "a gennaio"
- Seasons: primavera (spring), estate (summer), autunno (autumn), inverno (winter)
Exercise 2: Months of the Year
Complete the sentences with the correct month in Italian:
📆Dates and Calendar (Date e Calendario)
How to Write and Say Dates
In Italian, dates are written with the day first, followed by the month and then the year. When speaking, you use the definite article "il" before the date.
Examples:
- January 1st - il primo gennaio
- February 14th - il quattordici febbraio
- March 8th - l'otto marzo
- Today is June 5th - Oggi è il cinque giugno
Ordinal Numbers for Dates
Only the first day of the month uses an ordinal number (primo). All other days use cardinal numbers.
Italian Calendar Format
Day/Month/Year
25/12/2023
1/1/2024
14/2/2024
How to Read Dates
Written: 25 dicembre 2023
Spoken: il venticinque dicembre duemilaventitré
Written: 1 gennaio 2024
Spoken: il primo gennaio duemilaventiquattro
Exercise 3: Writing Dates
Write the following dates in Italian:
🎉Important Holidays in Italy (Feste Importanti in Italia)
Italy has many national holidays, most of which are religious in nature. Here are the most important ones:
National Holidays
- Capodanno - January 1st (New Year's Day)
- Epifania - January 6th (Epiphany)
- Pasqua - Variable date (Easter Sunday)
- Pasquetta - Day after Easter (Easter Monday)
- Festa della Liberazione - April 25th (Liberation Day)
- Festa del Lavoro - May 1st (Labor Day)
- Festa della Repubblica - June 2nd (Republic Day)
- Ferragosto - August 15th (Assumption of Mary)
- Ognissanti - November 1st (All Saints' Day)
- Immacolata Concezione - December 8th (Immaculate Conception)
- Natale - December 25th (Christmas)
- San Stefano - December 26th (St. Stephen's Day)
Regional Holidays
In addition to national holidays, each city has its own patron saint day:
- Rome - June 29th (Saints Peter and Paul)
- Milan - December 7th (St. Ambrose)
- Florence - June 24th (St. John the Baptist)
- Venice - April 25th (St. Mark)
- Naples - September 19th (St. Januarius)
Important Notes:
- On these holidays, most shops, banks, and public offices are closed
- Public transportation may run on a reduced schedule
- Many Italians take vacation in August (Ferragosto period)
Exercise 4: Holidays
Answer the questions about Italian holidays:
✏️Practice Exercises (Esercizi di Pratica)
Exercise 5: Complete the Sentences
Fill in the blanks with the correct Italian words:
Exercise 6: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct answer:
Exercise 7: Writing Practice
Write the following date in Italian:
Exercise 8: Translation
Translate the following sentence to Italian: