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The Italian reading room
The first 100 Italian words
Ordered by how many whole sentences each word makes readable, not by raw frequency — the reason that matters, and the reason the list opens with a cry. «Sentences opened» is how many of the shelf's 1,571 sentences have nothing unknown left in them by the time you reach that rung; it is a running total, not a score for the single word.
| # | Italian | English | As it appears in the text | Sentences opened |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | chicchirichì | cock-a-doodle-doo! (interj.) | 9 | |
| 2 | billi | chick, chick! (call to fowls) (Tuscan) (interj.) | 15 | |
| 3 | come | like, as; how; come se — as if (conj.) | com’ | 19 |
| 4 | calma | calm; Calma! — keep calm! (n., f.) | 23 | |
| 5 | pss | psst! (interj.) | 27 | |
| 6 | dire | to say, to tell; aver da dire — to have dealings (v.) | disse, diceva, di’, dirgli | 30 |
| 7 | ah | ah!, oh! (interj.) | 33 | |
| 8 | don | Don, title for a gentleman (Sicilian) (n., m.) | 37 | |
| 9 | ahi | ouch, alas (interj.) | 40 | |
| 10 | mio | my, mine; i miei — my own (adj.) | mia, mie, miei | 42 |
| 11 | aprire | to open; aperto — open; all’aperto — in the open air (v.) | aprì, aperse, apriva, aperti | 45 |
| 12 | rispondere | to answer; rispondere di — to answer for (v.) | rispose, rispondeva, rispondesse, rispondi | 47 |
| 13 | nulla | nothing (pron.) | 49 | |
| 14 | maestà | majesty; Maestà — Your Majesty (n., f.) | 52 | |
| 15 | bene | well; verrà bene — it will turn out well (adv.) | ben | 54 |
| 16 | andare | to go; andarsene — to go away; va’ — go! (v.) | andò, va, andava, vado | 56 |
| 17 | venire | to come; verrà concessa — will be granted (v.) | venne, verrà, venite, venuto | 58 |
| 18 | ma | but (conj.) | 60 | |
| 19 | che | that, which, who; what (che cosa); than (conj.) | 62 | |
| 20 | guardare | to look at; guardarsi — to watch out; to look after one’s own (v.) | guarda, guardate, guardò, guardarlo | 64 |
| 21 | sì | yes (adv.) | 66 | |
| 22 | toc | knock, tap (sound of knocking) (interj.) | 68 | |
| 23 | nossignore | no, sir (interj.) | 70 | |
| 24 | coricino | little heart, sweetheart (diminutive of cuore) (n., m.) | 72 | |
| 25 | gallettina | little hen, dear hen (affectionate diminutive) (n., f.) | 74 | |
| 26 | gallinetta | little hen (diminutive of gallina) (n., f.) | 76 | |
| 27 | e | and (ed before a vowel) (conj.) | ed | 77 |
| 28 | via | away (andare via — to go away); la via — the way, road, street; via! — off you go! (adv.) | 79 | |
| 29 | rimestare | to stir (v.) | rimestava | 81 |
| 30 | essere | to be; c’è, c’era — there is, there was (son, saran — clipped forms of sono, saranno) (v.) | era, è, fu, son | 82 |
| 31 | chi | who; whoever; some… others (pron.) | 85 | |
| 32 | quello | that; those (quei, quella); quello che — what, that which (adj.) | quel, quella, quell’, quelle | 87 |
| 33 | cosa | thing; qualche cosa — something; per prima cosa — first of all (n., f.) | cose | 89 |
| 34 | volere | to want; (n.) will, goodwill; voler bene — to love (v.) | voleva, vuole, voglio, vuol | 92 |
| 35 | fare | to do, to make; farsi — to become; far fare — to have something made; fo — old form of faccio (v.) | fece, fa, fatto, far | 94 |
| 36 | uscire | to go out, to get out; uscirne — to get out of it (v.) | uscì, uscirne, uscir, uscito | 97 |
| 37 | vedere | to see; vedersi — to find oneself; visto che — seeing that (v.) | vide, vedi, visto, veder | 99 |
| 38 | non | not (adv.) | 101 | |
| 39 | lo | him, it (object); the (m. before s + consonant, z) (pron.) | 103 | |
| 40 | esclamare | to exclaim (v.) | esclamò | 106 |
| 41 | altro | other; che altro — what else; un altro — another (adj.) | altra, altri, altre | 108 |
| 42 | bello | beautiful, handsome, fine; bel, bell’, begli — forms before a noun; bella cosa! — a fine thing! (adj.) | bel, bella, begli, bell’ | 110 |
| 43 | così | so, thus; in this way (adv.) | 112 | |
| 44 | tu | you (singular, familiar) (pron.) | 114 | |
| 45 | dove | where (dov’ before a vowel) (adv.) | dov’ | 116 |
| 46 | morto | dead; il morto — the dead man, the dead boy (past participle of morire) (adj.) | morti, morta | 118 |
| 47 | figliuola | daughter, girl (older spelling of figliola) (n., f.) | 120 | |
| 48 | piangere | to weep, to cry; to mourn (v.) | piangeva, piange, piangendo, piangerlo | 122 |
| 49 | perché | why; because; so that (with the subjunctive); perchè — old spelling (conj.) | perchè | 124 |
| 50 | avere | to have (avea, aveano — old forms of aveva, avevano) (v.) | aveva, ho, avea, avrebbe | 126 |
| 51 | figliuolo | son, child (older spelling of figliolo) (n., m.) | figliuoli, figliuol | 128 |
| 52 | ridere | to laugh (v.) | rideva, risero, ridendo, ridi | 130 |
| 53 | moglie | wife; prender moglie — to take a wife (n., f.) | 132 | |
| 54 | dunque | so, then, therefore (conj.) | 134 | |
| 55 | giurare | to swear (v.) | giurate, giuro | 136 |
| 56 | a | to, at; in (a before a vowel: ad) (prep.) | ad | 137 |
| 57 | stare | to stand, to stay, to be (stette — stood; stare a guardare — to stand looking) (v.) | stava, sta, stette, star | 139 |
| 58 | sinistra | left, left-hand side (a sinistra — to the left) (n., f.) | 141 | |
| 59 | le | the (feminine plural); to her; them (f.) (art.) | 142 | |
| 60 | tutto | all, whole; tutti — everyone; tutto solo — all alone; tutt’a un tratto — all at once (adj.) | tutti, tutte, tutta, tutt’ | 143 |
| 61 | con | with (prep.) | 144 | |
| 62 | reginotta | young princess, the king’s daughter (n., f.) | 145 | |
| 63 | la | the (feminine); her, it (object); she (Tuscan subject) (art.) | 149 | |
| 64 | ora | now; ora… ora — now… now, by turns; also hour (le ore) (adv.) | ore, or | 153 |
| 65 | zitto | silent, quiet; stare zitto — to keep quiet (adj.) | zitta, zitti | 157 |
| 66 | mula | she-mule (n., f.) | mule | 159 |
| 67 | ne | of it, of them; from there (se ne stava — he stood there) (pron.) | 160 | |
| 68 | io | I (pron.) | 161 | |
| 69 | contento | glad, happy, content (adj.) | contenti, contentissimi | 163 |
| 70 | giara | large earthenware jar (for oil) (n., f.) | giare | 164 |
| 71 | pagare | to pay; pagarla — to pay for it (v.) | pago, pagherai, pagando, pagandomi | 166 |
| 72 | dovere | to have to, must (dovea, dee — old forms) (v.) | doveva, debbo, dovea, dovuto | 168 |
| 73 | o | or; O — oh (calling someone, or opening a question) (conj.) | 169 | |
| 74 | ci | there; us, ourselves; ci vuole — it takes, one needs (pron.) | ce | 170 |
| 75 | colpa | fault, blame (n., f.) | 173 | |
| 76 | regina | queen (n., f.) | 174 | |
| 77 | domandare | to ask, to ask for (v.) | domandò, domanda, domandar, domandava | 176 |
| 78 | quando | when; a quando a quando — now and then (conj.) | 177 | |
| 79 | sentire | to hear; to feel; chi lo sente — who will bear his fury (v.) | sentì, sentiva, sento, sente | 178 |
| 80 | ti | you, to you, yourself (singular object) (pron.) | 179 | |
| 81 | più | more; non … più — no longer, no more (adv.) | 181 | |
| 82 | conciare | to fix, to settle (someone); to treat roughly (v.) | concio | 183 |
| 83 | sapere | to know; to be able (sapresti dirmi — could you tell me) (v.) | sapeva, sapete, so, sai | 184 |
| 84 | poi | then, afterwards; e poi — besides (adv.) | 185 | |
| 85 | zio | uncle; zi’ — honorific for an old man (Sicilian) (n., m.) | zi’ | 186 |
| 86 | gridare | to shout, to cry out (v.) | gridò, gridando, gridava, gridavano | 188 |
| 87 | coraggio | courage; farsi coraggio — to take heart (n., m.) | 190 | |
| 88 | vincere | to win; la vinse — he won the day (v.) | vince, vinse, vinta | 192 |
| 89 | ebbene | well then (interj.) | 194 | |
| 90 | gli | to him; the (m. pl. article before a vowel or s + consonant); gli è — it is (Tuscan) (pron.) | glie, glieli | 195 |
| 91 | vecchio | old; old man; vecchia — old woman (adj.) | vecchia, vecchie | 197 |
| 92 | qui | here (adv.) | 199 | |
| 93 | ecco | here is, there; ecco, è finita — there, it is over (adv.) | eccolo | 201 |
| 94 | sposare | to marry; to marry off (v.) | sposò, sposar, sposerei | 203 |
| 95 | importare | to matter; non m’importa — I don’t care (v.) | importa, importava | 205 |
| 96 | cardellino | goldfinch (n., m.) | 206 | |
| 97 | davvero | really, truly (adv.) | 209 | |
| 98 | il | the (masculine singular) (art.) | 211 | |
| 99 | cantare | to sing; cantare in culla — to foretell at the cradle (v.) | canta, cantava, canti, cantò | 215 |
| 100 | re | king (n., m.) | 218 |
Download all 100, with the printed forms (CSV, opens in Anki or Excel) No account, no address, nothing to sign. Columns are Anki's import order.
The fourth column
An Italian verb is printed in more shapes than any list has room for, and the shapes are where a beginner stalls: essere is on every list, while the page says «era», «è», «fu». The column carries the commonest shapes each word takes in these eight tales, counted under the word they belong to, and a shape printed with an apostrophe keeps it. A verb with a pronoun fastened to its end — «dirgli» — is listed as a shape of the verb.
Learning them in sentences works better than learning them in a list
In the reading room every one of these words is glossed where it stands, inside a real sentence of one of the eight tales, and the English sits under the line rather than in a column. «Cappuccetto Rosso» is free and entire, with no account.