Choosing your Italian level

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None

This is probably the right choice if...

I have no knowledge of Italian, or only a very limited one because I speak another Romance language or have attended a short Italian course.

I have never really studied Italian grammar, or I have only worked through the first few lessons of a beginner's textbook. I know a few basic grammar rules and can use the presente of common verbs, but I still don't know when to use passato prossimo and imperfetto.

My vocabulary is still quite limited (around 300–500 words). Many of the words I know are international words or words that are similar to those in other Romance languages, such as French or Spanish.
 

Basic (A1)

I have a basic knowledge of Italian grammar. I can usually choose the right -o, -a, -i and -e endings for nouns, adjectives and articles, and I can conjugate common verbs in the presente, passato prossimo and imperfetto without too much difficulty.

I can use direct object pronouns (pronomi diretti: lo, la, li, le) and indirect object pronouns (pronomi indiretti: gli, le) in simple sentences.

My vocabulary includes around 700 words. These are not only international words such as ciao, pizza or vino, but also around 300–400 words that cannot simply be guessed from other Romance languages.
 

Elementary (A2)

I can use all the main tenses of the indicative mood: presente, passato prossimo, imperfetto and trapassato prossimo. I also know some future forms and have some experience with the conditional and the imperative.

I know direct object pronouns (pronomi diretti: lo, la, li, le), indirect object pronouns (pronomi indiretti: gli, le) and combined pronouns (pronomi doppi: glielo, gliela, me lo, te la...), although I don't use them very confidently yet.

My vocabulary includes around 1,000 words, and I can take part in everyday conversations or talk about familiar topics without too much difficulty.

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Intermediate (B1)

I know, at least in theory, all the Italian verb forms of the indicative mood (except the passato remoto), the subjunctive (congiuntivo) and the imperative, even though I still don't feel completely comfortable using them.

I can confidently choose the right -o, -a, -i and -e endings for nouns, adjectives and articles, and I can actively use direct object pronouns (pronomi diretti), indirect object pronouns (pronomi indiretti) and combined pronouns (pronomi doppi: li, glielo, me ne...), although I still make occasional mistakes.

My vocabulary includes more than 1,000 words, and I can easily take part in conversations about everyday life, familiar topics and even more demanding subjects, as long as they are not too specialised.

 

Good (B2)

I have worked through a complete Italian coursebook and have a good overall knowledge of Italian grammar. Although I still make mistakes with more complex sentence structures, I can move quite confidently among verb tenses and well-structured sentences.

I can tell a story, explain my ideas and express my opinions quite effectively, even though I am still not completely fluent. Sometimes what I say is grammatically correct, but it doesn't quite sound like natural Italian.

My vocabulary includes around 2,000–3,000 words, and I can comfortably follow conversations on complex topics. I understand most television news programmes and newspaper articles without much difficulty.

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Very good (C)

I can actively use all the main Italian verb forms and I am familiar with most of the nouns, adjectives and regular and irregular verbs included among the 3,000 most frequent Italian words.

I have no particular difficulty understanding films, newspapers or novels, but I still want to improve the way I express myself, especially by learning to use different language styles and registers more naturally.

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