Lesson 2 of 40 · win the Name Ninja badge
Io sono… — il verbo essere
Introducing yourself with the verb to be
There's a talent show in the piazza and the microphone is coming to you. Who are you, in Italian?
🎯 By the end you can…
- Say your name, where you are from and what nationality you are
- Ask someone their name and nationality
- Use all six forms of essere
🎬 Listen to the scene
Tap a line to hear it, then say it back louder than Luna barks.
Hi, I'm Giulia. And you, what's your name?
My name is Tom. I'm English. Are you Italian?
Yes, I'm from Bologna.
🔑 essere — to be
| Italian | English | |
|---|---|---|
| io | sono | I am |
| tu | sei | you are |
| lui / lei | è | he / she is |
| noi | siamo | we are |
| voi | siete | you all are |
| loro | sono | they are |
Adam's tip: Italian usually drops io, tu, lui: the ending already says who. Use the pronoun only for contrast — «Io sono inglese, lui è italiano».
🧩 Nationalities agree
- italiano / italiana · inglese / inglese · americano / americana
- Words ending in -e are the same for men and women: francese, inglese, canadese
🤯 Wow fact
Italians drop the word for «I» all the time. «Sono» already tells you who's talking.
🗣️ Say it fast, say it silly
Io sono, tu sei, noi siamo, voi siete!
Three times in a row without tripping = you win.
🧠 Puzzle time
Answer in your head first, then tap to check. 0 of 6 checked
Fill in essere.
😂 Barzelletta — Luna's joke
Why is essere the strongest verb in Italy?
🚀 Your mission today
Record yourself saying: «Ciao, io sono ___ e sono ___». Play it back and grin.
🎲 Play it with someone
Two truths and a bugia
Each student says three sentences with essere («Sono di Roma. Sono stanco. Sono professore.»). The class guesses the lie: «Non è vero!»
Passport pairs
Give each pair a made-up identity card (name, city, country). They introduce their partner to the class: «Lui è Karim, è di Napoli.»
For teachers & grown-ups
Insist on the third person è — it is the form students skip.
🧪 End-of-lesson quiz
Eight quick questions. Get 6 right to win the Name Ninja badge.
This lesson belongs to Unit 1 — Saying hello. Pass every quiz in the unit — and know 10 words — to be promoted to the next level.
💪 Keep the streak going
- Quiz, Set 1
- Type it (dictation), Set 1 — listen for è and sono
Word sets for this lesson
