1. learning
  2. languages
  3. italian
  4. a1

italiana1in 67 days

From your first ciao to the A1 level: real everyday Italian for life in Bologna, one short lesson a day.

  • free, no sign-up
  • follows CEFR A1 · CILS-style exams
  • audio · grammar · practice exams
Start day 1All 738 words
  • 0 xp
  • 0 day streak
  • 0 / 738 words met
  • 0 cards due
  • 0 / 67 dots

at a glance

CEFR A1 (CILS A1 · CELI Impatto · PLIDA A1). About 20 minutes a day, in bites of one to three minutes.

  • 67days
  • 11units
  • 738words
  • 28writing & speaking tasks
  • 2practice exams

pick your pace

People who decide when and how much stick with it far more often. Pick one: you can change it any time.

No pace picked yet. Steady is a great start.

your path

67 dots in 11 units. Every lesson is open, so jump anywhere. The pink dot is your next one.

free tools

print & share

Branded PDFs to print, stick on the fridge or send to a friend who wants to learn with you.

⬇ the whole course (PDF)
One PDF per unit

questions & answers

Is it really free?

Yes. Every lesson, the audio and both practice exams are free, with no sign-up and no ads.

How long does it take?

67 days of about 20 minutes: 55 days of new words and grammar, 10 review missions and 2 practice exams. Go faster or slower as you like; nothing is locked.

Does it match the CILS, CELI or PLIDA A1 exam?

All three test the A1 level of the Common European Framework, and this course covers it. None of them publishes a word list, so our 738 words are our own selection based on the Profilo della lingua italiana (the Council of Europe reference description for Italian) and the Kelly frequency list, checked word by word, and the grammar follows the CILS A1 syllabus of the Università per Stranieri di Siena. Our two practice exams copy the CILS A1 layout. CELI Impatto (Università per Stranieri di Perugia) and PLIDA A1 (Società Dante Alighieri) test the same level in their own layouts. This is not official exam material, and the score is only a guide.

What is on the real CILS A1?

Five parts, each worth 12 points: listening (about 30 minutes, each recording played twice), reading (30 minutes), language structures (30 minutes: articles, verb forms and words in gaps), writing (30 minutes: two short texts) and speaking (about 10 minutes: a conversation and a short talk). You pass with at least 7 of 12 in every part, and a part you fail can be taken again later. Check the Università per Stranieri di Siena website for dates and the current format before you book.

How does Italian sound?

Almost exactly as it is written. A few rules do most of the work: c and g are soft before e and i (ciao, gelato) and hard before a, o, u and in ch, gh (chiave); gn sounds like the ny in canyon (Bologna); gli is close to the lli in million (famiglia); double consonants are held a little longer, and that changes the word (sete is thirst, sette is seven). Most words are stressed on the next-to-last syllable; an accent marks a stressed last vowel (città, perché). Every word has a native recording where one exists, and the daily tips take one sound at a time.

Tu or Lei?

Both, from the first week. Tu is for friends, family and classmates; Lei, the polite you, is for teachers, shop staff and people you don’t know, and takes the verb of “he/she” (come sta?). The cast shows you when to switch.

Where is my progress saved?

Only in this browser, on this device. There is no account, and clearing your browser data resets it.

after this course

Carry on with Italian A2 in 55 days: it builds on everything you learn here.

All italian levels

back up my progress

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