Italian for studying and exchanges

Enrolment, lectures, exams and a shared flat: Italian for a semester at an Italian university.

37 sentences · 3 dialogues · 17 words

Why this field

Italian universities are among the oldest in Europe, and many take in exchange students every year. If you learn Italian beforehand, you follow the lectures, find a room more easily and get out of the exchange-student bubble.

University life has its own words and its own procedures: oral exams, exam sessions, marks out of 30. If you know them, you lose less time in the first weeks.

What you will be able to do

Goals by level. Tick what you can already do — the tick stays in this browser only.

A1I can say what and where I study.
A2I can ask about rooms, courses and exams.
A2I can talk about my subjects and marks.
B1I can enrol and deal with formalities at the student office.
B1I can ask for help or an extension during office hours.
B2I can argue for a view in a presentation and respond to objections.

Core vocabulary

17 words from the word lists, ordered by level. A coloured edge shows what you have already practised.

l’universitàthe universityA2
la lezionethe lessonA2
il corsothe courseA2
la materiathe subjectA2
l’esamethe examA2
il votothe markA2
studiareto studyA2
superare l’esameto pass the examA2
la facoltàthe facultyB1
iscriversito enrolB1
l’appellothe examination sittingB1
la borsa di studiothe grantB1
il seminariothe seminarB1
la tesithe dissertationB1
la bibliografiathe bibliographyB1
il coinquilinothe flatmateB1
l’appartamento condivisothe shared flatB1

Practise as flashcards Card box Mixed round

Typical situations

Short dialogues to read along and repeat. Say one part first, then the other.

A room in a shared flat

You are viewing a room in a shared flat.

Jana
Ciao, sono qui per la stanza. È ancora libera?Hi, I’m here about the room. Is it still free?
Davide
Sì, entra pure. Siamo in tre nell’appartamento.Yes, come on in. There are three of us in the flat.
Jana
Come vi organizzate con le spese?How do you sort out the bills?
Davide
Luce e gas li dividiamo tra tutti.We split electricity and gas between all of us.
Jana
E la cucina è in comune?And is the kitchen shared?
Davide
Sì, e la domenica facciamo le pulizie insieme.Yes, and on Sundays we clean together.

At the student office

You have just arrived at your host university and are enrolling.

Student
Buongiorno, sono una studentessa di scambio e devo fare l’iscrizione.Good morning, I’m an exchange student and I need to enrol.
Student office
Benvenuta. Ha il piano di studi firmato?Welcome. Do you have your signed study plan?
Student
Sì, eccolo. Serve altro?Yes, here it is. Do you need anything else?
Student office
Una copia del passaporto e una fototessera.A copy of your passport and a passport photo.
Student
E fino a quando posso cambiare un corso?And until when can I change a course?
Student office
Fino alla fine della seconda settimana di lezione.Until the end of the second week of lectures.

In office hours

You were ill and need more time for an essay.

Student
Buongiorno, professoressa. Ha un minuto?Good morning, Professor. Have you got a minute?
Lecturer
Sì, prego, si accomodi.Yes, please, have a seat.
Student
La settimana scorsa sono stato male e non ho finito la tesina.I was ill last week and didn’t finish the essay.
Lecturer
Ha un certificato medico?Do you have a doctor’s note?
Student
Sì, eccolo. Sarebbe possibile consegnarla lunedì?Yes, here it is. Would it be possible to hand it in on Monday?
Lecturer
D’accordo, ma lunedì senz’altro.All right, but Monday for certain.

Sentences to say aloud

The label says where a sentence belongs. The speaker next to it reads it aloud.

Studio medicina a Heidelberg.I’m studying medicine in Heidelberg.
A1neutral
Quest’anno abito a Bologna.This year I’m living in Bologna.
A1neutral
Dov’è la biblioteca?Where is the library?
A1neutral
Puoi parlare più piano, per favore?Could you speak more slowly, please?
A1casual
Abito con due ragazze spagnole.I live with two Spanish girls.
A1neutral
Come si dice questo in italiano?How do you say this in Italian?
A1neutral
Che cosa vuol dire?What does that mean?
A1neutral
Sono qui per un semestre di scambio.I’m here for an exchange semester.
A2neutral
Ho lezione alle nove.I have a lecture at nine.
A2neutral
In che aula è la lezione di storia?Which room is the history lecture in?
A2neutral
Quest’anno seguo cinque corsi.This year I’m taking five courses.
A2neutral
Domani ho un esame molto difficile.Tomorrow I have a very difficult exam.
A2neutral
Quando escono i voti?When do the marks come out?
A2neutral
Ho superato tutti gli esami tranne statistica.I’ve passed all my exams except statistics.
A2neutral
Se non passo l’esame, lo ridò a luglio.If I don’t pass the exam, I’ll retake it in July.
A2neutral
Studiamo insieme in biblioteca?Shall we study together in the library?
A2casual
Ieri siamo andati a una festa di studenti.Yesterday we went to a student party.
A2neutral
Cerco una stanza vicino all’università.I’m looking for a room near the university.
A2neutral
Divido l’appartamento con due ragazzi.I share the flat with two guys.
A2neutral
Devo consegnare la relazione lunedì.I have to hand in the report on Monday.
B1neutral
Mi presti gli appunti di ieri?Can I borrow your notes from yesterday?
B1casual
Devo iscrivermi all’esame entro venerdì.I have to register for the exam by Friday.
B1neutral
Mi serve un certificato degli esami per la mia università.I need a transcript of my exams for my university.
B1neutral
A che ora è il ricevimento della professoressa Neri?When are Professor Neri’s office hours?
B1neutral
Sarebbe possibile consegnare la tesina una settimana dopo?Would it be possible to hand in the essay a week later?
B1polite
Quando finirà il semestre, tornerò in Germania.When the semester ends, I’ll go back to Germany.
B1neutral In Italian the subordinate clause after quando also takes the futuro for future events — English uses the present.
Nella mia facoltà ci sono molti studenti stranieri.There are a lot of foreign students in my faculty.
B1neutral
Per il seminario dobbiamo preparare una presentazione in gruppo.For the seminar we have to prepare a group presentation.
B1neutral
La bibliografia deve stare alla fine del lavoro.The bibliography has to go at the end of the paper.
B1neutral
Mi hanno dato la borsa di studio per il secondo semestre.I’ve been given the grant for the second semester.
B1neutral
È importante che tu frequenti le lezioni; la frequenza conta.It’s important that you attend lectures; attendance counts.
B1neutral
Il mio coinquilino cucina benissimo.My flatmate is a brilliant cook.
B1neutral
Se avessi cominciato a studiare prima, avrei superato l’esame.If I’d started revising earlier, I’d have passed the exam.
B2neutral
Nella tesi analizzo come è cambiato il turismo sulla costa.In my dissertation I analyse how tourism on the coast has changed.
B2formal
Vorrei precisare quanto ha appena detto la mia collega.I would like to clarify what my fellow student has just said.
B2formal
Da un lato i dati sono chiari, dall’altro il campione è piccolo.On the one hand the data are clear, on the other the sample is small.
B2formal
Anche se il voto non è quello che speravo, ho imparato moltissimo.Even though the mark isn’t what I was hoping for, I’ve learnt a great deal.
B2neutral

What matters here

Exams are often oral. You sign up for an appello, an exam session; there are several a year.
Marks go up to 30; 18 is a pass, and the top mark is trenta e lode.
Lecturers are addressed with Lei and often by title: Professoressa, Professore. Students use tu with each other straight away.
A lecturer’s office hours are called ricevimento.

Quick quiz

6 questions on the words and sentences of this field. The word questions count in your progress like any other exercise.

Try it yourself

Read the meaning, say the sentence aloud in Italian, then open it to compare.

I’m studying medicine in Heidelberg.
Studio medicina a Heidelberg.
Which room is the history lecture in?
In che aula è la lezione di storia?
I share the flat with two guys.
Divido l’appartamento con due ragazzi.
For the seminar we have to prepare a group presentation.
Per il seminario dobbiamo preparare una presentazione in gruppo.

Keep learning

The grammar behind it

Word lists that go with it

Practise

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Every sentence on this page was written for EveryLingua. There are no quotations from films, series, books or songs here, and no titles or names of artists — the page shows how people talk in this field, not what somebody once said.