Italian A1: 300 Core Words With Grammar and Examples

Knowing that casa means house is not the same as being able to use it in a sentence.

300 cardsLast updated 2026-08-30

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Beginners in Italian usually stall in the same place. The English meaning is easy to recall, and then the sentence falls apart because the noun's gender was never learnt with it, or the verb turned out to be irregular exactly where it mattered. La mano ends in o and is feminine. Il braccio has a feminine plural. Piacere puts the thing you like in the subject position, which is why mi piacciono i film has a plural verb. So every card here carries three lines instead of a translation. "Meaning" gives the English sense. "Grammar" gives what you need to use the word: gender and plural for a noun, conjugation class and irregularity for a verb, agreement for an adjective. "Example" is a short Italian sentence with its English translation, so the word is never learnt alone. Nouns always appear with their article, because in Italian the article is part of knowing the word. The 300 words are cut into six sections: people and daily life, food and shopping, places and travel, core verbs, describing and connecting, and time, numbers and everyday phrases. The verb section covers essere and avere, the three regular conjugations, the common irregulars, reflexives and modals, plus the basics of how tenses are formed. That is the level the Council of Europe describes as A1: personal information, routine situations and memorised phrases. Once the deck is on a spaced-repetition schedule, the words that have stuck stop appearing and the irregular ones keep coming back until they do not need thinking about.

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What's inside

Showing 100 representative cards from the full 300-card deck.

Front	Back
la famiglia	Meaning: the family Grammar: Feminine noun, plural le famiglie. Example: Ho una famiglia numerosa. — I have a large family.
il figlio	Meaning: the son Grammar: Masculine noun, plural i figli, which also means children in general. Example: Hanno due figli. — They have two children.
la sorella	Meaning: the sister Grammar: Feminine noun, plural le sorelle. Example: Ho una sorella più grande. — I have an older sister.
il marito	Meaning: the husband Grammar: Masculine noun, plural i mariti. Example: Suo marito è italiano. — Her husband is Italian.
il nome	Meaning: the name, first name Grammar: Masculine noun, plural i nomi. Example: Il mio nome è Anna. — My name is Anna.
l'età	Meaning: the age Grammar: Feminine noun, invariable in the plural because of the final stressed vowel. Example: Quanti anni hai? — How old are you?
la nazionalità	Meaning: the nationality Grammar: Feminine noun, invariable in the plural. Example: Di che nazionalità sei? — What nationality are you?
lo studente	Meaning: the student, male Grammar: Masculine noun, plural gli studenti. Feminine la studentessa. Example: Sono uno studente universitario. — I am a university student.
la testa	Meaning: the head Grammar: Feminine noun, plural le teste. Example: Mi fa male la testa. — I have a headache.
la mano	Meaning: the hand Grammar: Feminine despite the ending in o. Irregular plural le mani. Example: Dammi la mano. — Give me your hand.
la gamba	Meaning: the leg Grammar: Feminine noun, plural le gambe. Example: Ho le gambe stanche. — My legs are tired.
i capelli	Meaning: the hair on the head Grammar: Masculine, normally used in the plural. Example: Ha i capelli lunghi. — She has long hair.
i vestiti	Meaning: the clothes Grammar: Masculine plural of il vestito, which also means dress or suit. Example: Metto i vestiti nell'armadio. — I put the clothes in the wardrobe.
le scarpe	Meaning: the shoes Grammar: Feminine plural of la scarpa. Example: Ho comprato scarpe nuove. — I bought new shoes.
la casa	Meaning: the house, the home Grammar: Feminine noun, plural le case. A casa means at home or home. Example: Torno a casa alle sei. — I get home at six.
la cucina	Meaning: the kitchen, also cooking Grammar: Feminine noun, plural le cucine. Example: Mangiamo in cucina. — We eat in the kitchen.
il letto	Meaning: the bed Grammar: Masculine noun, plural i letti. Example: Vado a letto presto. — I go to bed early.
la sedia	Meaning: the chair Grammar: Feminine noun, plural le sedie. Example: Prendi una sedia. — Take a chair.
svegliarsi	Meaning: to wake up Grammar: Reflexive verb of the first conjugation. Mi sveglio, ti svegli, si sveglia. Example: Mi sveglio alle sette. — I wake up at seven.
lavarsi	Meaning: to wash oneself Grammar: Reflexive verb of the first conjugation. Example: Mi lavo le mani prima di mangiare. — I wash my hands before eating.
andare a scuola	Meaning: to go to school Grammar: Fixed expression with the irregular verb andare and the preposition a. Example: I bambini vanno a scuola alle otto. — The children go to school at eight.
dormire	Meaning: to sleep Grammar: Regular verb of the third conjugation. Dormo, dormi, dorme. Example: Dormo otto ore ogni notte. — I sleep eight hours every night.
la colazione	Meaning: the breakfast Grammar: Feminine noun, plural le colazioni. Used with the verb fare. Example: La colazione è alle otto. — Breakfast is at eight.
il pane	Meaning: the bread Grammar: Masculine noun, usually used in the singular. Example: Compro il pane ogni mattina. — I buy bread every morning.
la carne	Meaning: the meat Grammar: Feminine noun, plural le carni is rare. Example: Non mangio carne. — I do not eat meat.
la frutta	Meaning: the fruit Grammar: Feminine collective noun, used in the singular. Example: Vorrei della frutta fresca. — I would like some fresh fruit.
l'uovo	Meaning: the egg Grammar: Masculine noun with the irregular feminine plural le uova. Example: Ho comprato sei uova. — I bought six eggs.
l'acqua	Meaning: the water Grammar: Feminine noun, plural le acque. Example: Un bicchiere d'acqua, per favore. — A glass of water, please.
il caffè	Meaning: the coffee Grammar: Masculine noun, invariable in the plural because of the stressed final vowel. Example: Prendo un caffè al bar. — I have a coffee at the bar.
mangiare	Meaning: to eat Grammar: Regular first conjugation. The i is kept before endings starting with e. Example: Dove mangiamo stasera? — Where shall we eat tonight?
il ristorante	Meaning: the restaurant Grammar: Masculine noun, plural i ristoranti. Example: Conosci un buon ristorante? — Do you know a good restaurant?
il cameriere	Meaning: the waiter Grammar: Masculine noun, plural i camerieri. Feminine la cameriera. Example: Il cameriere porta il menù. — The waiter brings the menu.
il conto	Meaning: the bill Grammar: Masculine noun, plural i conti. Example: Il conto, per favore. — The bill, please.
il negozio	Meaning: the shop Grammar: Masculine noun, plural i negozi. Example: Il negozio apre alle nove. — The shop opens at nine.
il mercato	Meaning: the market Grammar: Masculine noun, plural i mercati. Example: Il mercato è il sabato mattina. — The market is on Saturday morning.
comprare	Meaning: to buy Grammar: Regular verb of the first conjugation. Example: Vorrei comprare un regalo. — I would like to buy a gift.
costare	Meaning: to cost Grammar: Regular first conjugation, usually used in the third person. Example: Quanto costa questo? — How much does this cost?
i soldi	Meaning: the money Grammar: Masculine, used in the plural in Italian. Example: Non ho soldi con me. — I have no money on me.
la carta di credito	Meaning: the credit card Grammar: Feminine phrase, plural le carte di credito. Example: Accettate la carta di credito? — Do you take credit cards?
il chilo	Meaning: the kilogram Grammar: Masculine noun, plural i chili. Example: Un chilo di pomodori, per favore. — A kilo of tomatoes, please.
molto	Meaning: much, many, very Grammar: As an adjective it agrees with the noun. As an adverb it does not change. Example: Ho molti amici qui. — I have many friends here.
la città	Meaning: the city, the town Grammar: Feminine noun, invariable in the plural because the final vowel is stressed. Example: Vivo in una piccola città. — I live in a small city.
la piazza	Meaning: the square Grammar: Feminine noun, plural le piazze. Example: Ci vediamo in piazza. — Let us meet in the square.
il museo	Meaning: the museum Grammar: Masculine noun, plural i musei. Example: Il museo è chiuso il lunedì. — The museum is closed on Mondays.
l'ospedale	Meaning: the hospital Grammar: Masculine noun, plural gli ospedali. Example: L'ospedale è vicino alla stazione. — The hospital is near the station.
dove	Meaning: where Grammar: Question word. Combines with è to give dov'è. Example: Dov'è la stazione? — Where is the station?
lontano da	Meaning: far from Grammar: Followed by the preposition da, which combines with the article. Example: La casa è lontana dal centro. — The house is far from the centre.
a sinistra	Meaning: on the left, to the left Grammar: Fixed adverbial phrase. Example: Il bagno è a sinistra. — The bathroom is on the left.
qui	Meaning: here Grammar: Adverb of place. Qua is an equally common variant. Example: Il libro è qui. — The book is here.
il treno	Meaning: the train Grammar: Masculine noun, plural i treni. Example: Il treno parte alle nove. — The train leaves at nine.
la macchina	Meaning: the car Grammar: Feminine noun, plural le macchine. L'auto is a synonym. Example: Vado in macchina. — I go by car.
la stazione	Meaning: the station Grammar: Feminine noun, plural le stazioni. Example: Ci vediamo alla stazione. — See you at the station.
partire	Meaning: to leave, to depart Grammar: Third conjugation. Parto, parti, parte. Takes essere in compound tenses. Example: Parto domani mattina. — I am leaving tomorrow morning.
l'albergo	Meaning: the hotel Grammar: Masculine noun, plural gli alberghi with an h to keep the hard sound. Example: Abbiamo prenotato un albergo in centro. — We have booked a hotel in the centre.
la chiave	Meaning: the key Grammar: Feminine noun, plural le chiavi. Example: Ho perso la chiave della camera. — I have lost my room key.
l'Italia	Meaning: Italy Grammar: Feminine country name, used with the article in most contexts. Example: L'Italia è un bel paese. — Italy is a beautiful country.
la Francia	Meaning: France Grammar: Feminine country name. Example: Vado in Francia in estate. — I go to France in the summer.
il paese	Meaning: the country, also a small village Grammar: Masculine noun, plural i paesi. Context decides which sense applies. Example: Di che paese sei? — What country are you from?
viaggiare	Meaning: to travel Grammar: First conjugation. The i is kept before endings starting with e. Example: Mi piace viaggiare in treno. — I like travelling by train.
essere	Meaning: to be Grammar: Highly irregular. Sono, sei, è, siamo, siete, sono. Example: Sono di Napoli. — I am from Naples.
avere fame	Meaning: to be hungry Grammar: Fixed expression using avere where English uses to be. Example: Ho fame, mangiamo qualcosa. — I am hungry, let us eat something.
avere freddo	Meaning: to be cold, of a person Grammar: Fixed expression with avere. For the weather use fa freddo. Example: Ho freddo, chiudi la finestra. — I am cold, close the window.
avere ragione	Meaning: to be right Grammar: Fixed expression with avere. The opposite is avere torto. Example: Hai ragione, mi sono sbagliato. — You are right, I was wrong.
parlare	Meaning: to speak, to talk Grammar: Model verb of the first conjugation. Parlo, parli, parla, parliamo, parlate, parlano. Example: Parli italiano? — Do you speak Italian?
guardare	Meaning: to watch, to look at Grammar: Regular first conjugation. It takes a direct object with no preposition. Example: Guardo la televisione la sera. — I watch television in the evening.
chiamare	Meaning: to call Grammar: Regular first conjugation. The reflexive chiamarsi means to be called. Example: Come ti chiami? — What is your name?
amare	Meaning: to love Grammar: Regular first conjugation. Example: Amo la musica classica. — I love classical music.
credere	Meaning: to believe Grammar: Model verb of the second conjugation. Credo, credi, crede, crediamo, credete, credono. Example: Credo di sì. — I think so.
chiudere	Meaning: to close Grammar: Second conjugation. The past participle is the irregular chiuso. Example: Chiudo la porta. — I am closing the door.
servire	Meaning: to serve, also to be needed Grammar: Regular third conjugation. Mi serve means I need. Example: Mi serve una penna. — I need a pen.
capire	Meaning: to understand Grammar: Third conjugation with the isc pattern. Capisco, capisci, capisce, capiamo, capite, capiscono. Example: Non capisco, può ripetere? — I do not understand, can you repeat?
andare	Meaning: to go Grammar: Irregular. Vado, vai, va, andiamo, andate, vanno. Example: Vado al cinema stasera. — I am going to the cinema tonight.
stare	Meaning: to stay, to be in a state Grammar: Irregular. Sto, stai, sta, stiamo, state, stanno. Used for health and location. Example: Come stai? — How are you?
potere	Meaning: can, to be able to Grammar: Irregular modal. Posso, puoi, può, possiamo, potete, possono. Followed by the infinitive. Example: Posso entrare? — May I come in?
il presente	Meaning: the present tense Grammar: Used for current actions, habits and near future plans. Example: Domani parto per Roma. — Tomorrow I leave for Rome.
il verbo riflessivo	Meaning: the reflexive verb Grammar: Ends in si in the infinitive and takes a reflexive pronoun. Example: Mi chiamo Marco. — My name is Marco.
grande	Meaning: big, large, also great Grammar: Adjective ending in e, so it has one form for both genders. Plural grandi. Example: Roma è una grande città. — Rome is a big city.
giovane	Meaning: young Grammar: Ends in e, so one form for both genders. Plural giovani. Example: È ancora molto giovane. — He is still very young.
lungo	Meaning: long Grammar: Four forms. The masculine plural is lunghi with an h. Example: Il film è troppo lungo. — The film is too long.
difficile	Meaning: difficult Grammar: Ends in e. Plural difficili. Example: È una lingua difficile. — It is a difficult language.
rosso	Meaning: red Grammar: Four forms: rosso, rossa, rossi, rosse. Example: Vorrei del vino rosso. — I would like some red wine.
verde	Meaning: green Grammar: Ends in e, so one form for both genders. Plural verdi. Example: Il semaforo è verde. — The light is green.
sempre	Meaning: always Grammar: Adverb, placed after the verb in simple tenses. Example: Bevo sempre il caffè la mattina. — I always drink coffee in the morning.
adesso	Meaning: now Grammar: Adverb. Ora is an equally common synonym. Example: Adesso non posso parlare. — I cannot talk right now.
di	Meaning: of, from, about Grammar: Combines with the article: del, dello, della, dei, degli, delle. Example: Il libro di Marco. — Marco's book.
con	Meaning: with Grammar: Usually stays separate from the article in modern Italian. Example: Vado con te. — I am going with you.
e	Meaning: and Grammar: Becomes ed before a word starting with e. Example: Pane e vino. — Bread and wine.
anche	Meaning: also, too Grammar: Placed directly before the element it refers to. Example: Anche io vado a Roma. — I am going to Rome too.
come	Meaning: how, like, as Grammar: Combines with è to give com'è. Example: Come stai? — How are you?
uno	Meaning: one Grammar: Also the indefinite article. It shortens to un before most masculine nouns. Example: Ho un fratello. — I have one brother.
otto	Meaning: eight Grammar: Invariable. Example: La lezione comincia alle otto. — The lesson starts at eight.
lunedì	Meaning: Monday Grammar: Masculine. Days are not capitalised in Italian. The article makes it habitual. Example: Il lunedì vado in palestra. — On Mondays I go to the gym.
luglio	Meaning: July Grammar: Masculine. Months are not capitalised and take in or a for dates. Example: In luglio fa molto caldo. — In July it is very hot.
la primavera	Meaning: the spring Grammar: Feminine. Used with in for the season. Example: In primavera i giorni si allungano. — In spring the days get longer.
oggi	Meaning: today Grammar: Adverb, invariable. Example: Oggi è lunedì. — Today is Monday.
la sera	Meaning: the evening Grammar: Feminine noun, plural le sere. Example: La sera guardo un film. — In the evening I watch a film.
ciao	Meaning: hi, bye Grammar: Informal greeting used both on meeting and on leaving. Example: Ciao, come stai? — Hi, how are you?
per favore	Meaning: please Grammar: Fixed phrase. Per piacere is an equally common variant. Example: Un caffè, per favore. — A coffee, please.
scusi	Meaning: excuse me, formal Grammar: Formal imperative of scusare. The informal form is scusa. Example: Scusi, dov'è la stazione? — Excuse me, where is the station?
va bene	Meaning: all right, that works Grammar: Fixed phrase used to agree or to confirm. Example: Alle otto? Va bene. — At eight? That works.

Frequently asked

What is on the back of each card?

Three labelled lines. "Meaning" gives the English sense, "Grammar" gives the gender and plural for nouns or the conjugation and irregularities for verbs, and "Example" gives a short Italian sentence followed by its English translation. Nouns are always shown with the definite article, so you learn la casa rather than casa.

Do I need to know any Italian to start?

No. The deck starts from the most basic vocabulary and includes the grammar terms you need as cards of their own, such as the present tense, the compound past, the choice between avere and essere, and how reflexive verbs work. It is written for English speakers, so every explanation and example is glossed in English.

How is this different from a word list?

A list gives you a translation pair, which is enough to recognise a word and not enough to produce one. Each card here adds the grammatical information that decides whether your sentence is correct and an example that shows the word in use. That is why the deck is 300 words rather than 3,000: each one is learnt in a usable form.

Can I import the whole deck on the free plan?

Yes. Importing a saved deck runs no new AI generation and spends no AI credits, so the free plan imports all 300 cards. You can study, edit and delete them afterwards.

Will importing it twice create duplicates?

No. Cards you already have are skipped and only cards added in a revision come through. Including re-imports after deleting it, one official deck can be imported three times per account.

Can I use it on the web and in the mobile app?

Yes. The deck is added to your account rather than to a device, so the same cards and the same progress are there on the web, on iOS and on Android.

Can I edit the cards after importing?

Yes. Imported cards are yours: you can edit both sides, delete cards you do not need, change tags, and move cards to another deck.