Enhanced Comprehensive Italian Level 2 - Lesson #10
Da quando, da quanto tempo, Italian vocabulary associated with directions
After this class you should;be able to ask since when.
be able to ask how long.
be able to ask directions.
GrammarDa quanto tempo vs da quandoThe difference between "da quanto tempo" and da "quando" is the same as the difference of "how long ...." vs "since when" Let's start by looking at "da quanto tempo"da quanto tempo Is to inquire about the duration of time in which something has been happening or has been (how long). The phrase "da quanto tempo" is followed by a verb in the present tense and any objects, etc. Therefore you could express this method as a math equation looking like this Da quanto temp + present tense verb clause = "How long have .....?" Here are some examples; Da quanto tempo aspetti l'autobus? - How long have you been waiting for the bus? Da quanto tempo ascoltate la musica? - How long have y'all been listening to music? Da quanto tempo beve il vino? - How long has he been drinking wine? In addition you can use other words representing units of time in place of the word tempo. You do need to make sure that quanto agrees with whatever you use in place of tempo. Per esempio: Da quanti anni studiano italiano? - How many years have they been studying Italian? Da quanti giorni siete in Italia? - How many days have y’all been in Italy? So how do you respond when somebody asks you "Da quanto tempo......" ? Good question and fortunately the answer is quite simple. We simply use a slightly different formula for the sentence. This time we start with verb clause in the present tense then da and the units of time needed to express "quanto tempo". Present tense verb clause + da + the units of time needed to express "quanto tempo". Here are some examples; Aspetto l'autobus da trenta minuti. - I have been waiting for the bus for thirty minutes. Ascoltiamo la musica da due ore. - We have been listening to music for two hours. Beve il vino rosso da otto anni. - He has been drinking red wine for 8 years. da quando On the other hand is to ask "since when". The phrase "da quando" is followed by a verb in the present tense and any objects, etc. Therefore you could express this method as a math equation looking like this Da quando + present tense verb clause = "Since when .....?" Here are some examples; Da quando suona la chitarra? - Since when has he been playing guitar? Da quando ti piace la carne? - Since when do you like meat? Da quando studiano italiano - Since when have they studied Italian? So how do you respond when somebody asks you "Da quando......" ? Good question and fortunately the answer is quite simple. We simply use a slightly different formula for the sentence. This time we start with verb clause in the present tense then da and when the action or state of being started. Present tense verb clause + da + the units of time needed to express "quanto tempo". Here are some examples; Suona la chitarra da tre anni fa. - He has been playing guitar since three years ago Mi piace la carne dalla prima volta l'ho mangiata. - I have liked meat since the first time I ate it. Studiano italiano dall'anno scorso. - They have studied Italian since last year. One final note. All of these phrases have been expressed as “Present Perfect” for example; “Ascoltiamo la musica da due ore” = “we have been listening to music for 2 hours”. To put these in the past conjugate the verb in the imperfect tense for example; “Ascoltavamo la musica da due ore” = “we had been listening to music for 2 hours”. | |||||||
 Printable Homework |
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 Simple Exercise about da quanto tempo vs da quando
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Printable Vocabulary Printable large flash cards (English Side) Printable large flash cards (Italian Side) Printable small flash cards (English Side) Printable small flash cards (Italian Side)
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 Downloadable Podcast
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basic online exercise Exercise (Italian to English) Exercise (English to Italian) |
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 printable crossword
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Comprehension | |||||||
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Printable Practice Sheets
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printable comprehension crossword
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Useful Italian question; Ci sei? Will you be in? |
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Class DialogLearn how to say everything below in Italian, print out and bring the printable form of this dialog and be prepared to say the dialog below for one of the persons in clasPerson #1 – Hi _________, how are you? Person #2 – Hi _________, I am fine, thank you. How are you? Person #1 – I am very well, thank you. What are you doing here? Are you on vacation? Person #2 – No, I live here now. Do you live near here? Person #1 – Yes, I live very near here. If you go straight on Rome Street, my apartment is on your right at the second traffic light. Since when do you live here? Person #2 – I have lived here since May 18th. I came to work at the Italian Table. How long have you lived here? Person #1 – I have lived here for 8 years. Are you free tonight? Do you want to come to my house for dinner? Person #2 – Yes I am free tonight and want to come for dinner. What time? Person #1 – Let’s eat at 8:00. If you want you can come early and we can visit. Person #2 – Fantastic! I can be there at 7:00. Can my wife and son come with me? Person #1 – Absolutely! We have 3 sons so it will be perfect. They can play together. Since when are you a father? Person #2 – I have been a father since 2008. It seems that time flies. Person #1 – You are right. Where do you live? Is your apartment near to here also? Person #2 – Yes! I live at 139 Tuscan Road behind the church. My house is next to the train station. Person #1 – Is that the yellow house on the hill? Person#2 – Yes it is. We want to buy it but we can speak about it tonight when I come to your house. Now I have to go to work. Person#1 – Me too! Here is my phone number. I will see you soon! Person#2 – Thank you! I will see you soon! Have a good day! printable class dialog
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You can learn more about INSERT TOPIC HERE on these pages of the following books.
120 - 121 (page #'s may vary as I have an older edition) of "Ciao" by Carla Federici & Carla Larese Riga, copyright 1986.
207 - 210 of the book "Complete Italian Grammar" by Marcel Dansesi, copyright 1976.
160 - 164 of the book "Italian Pronouns & Prepositions" by Daniela Gobetti, copyright 2006.
If you do not own these books, don't worry, it is not mandatory that you do unless you were instructed to buy them at the beginning of the class. However, they can be very useful in a lot of ways and if you would like to know more about these books and where to buy them, simply go to our online bookstore or quicker yet, just click on the appropriate book below.
Did you know?
"Sunny, lively, sassy and simply unforgettable. Naples is music, theatre, Vesuvius, coffee, pizza and the sea… all those colors, sounds and aromas that capture your attention, win you over and seduce you."While in Naples, you may want to see some or all of the following; SpaccaNapoli, Vomero, Quartieri spagnoli, Via San Gregorio Armeno, Galleria Umberto I, Posillipo Hill, Underground Naples and more.
You can find this information and more at Naples Guide Italy
You can see a just few pictures of Naples here.
Have you heard?
Another strong tradition among Italian Music Artists is the duet. It's like a badge of honor depending on who you did your duet or duets with. Some Italian Artist will have heavy hitting duets pop up on every CD they put out! Eros loves a good duet and what better duet partner for us to highlight than our very own Tina Turner! Oh ya, turn it up!|
great songs are available on ---> |
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