La casa e il quartiere
Chapter Overview and Objectives
Chapter 6 opens Unit II, Vita quotidiana, by moving your Italian out of the introductions of Unit I and into the spaces where daily life happens. You will learn to say what is and is not present in a place, describe rooms and household objects, and locate people, things, and neighborhood places in relation to one another. By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Name common rooms, household objects, and neighborhood places.
- State what is present using c'è and ci sono, and what is absent using non c'è and non ci sono.
- Locate objects and places using prepositions such as a, in, su, sotto, vicino a, davanti a, and dietro.
- Use the expanded article system, including lo, gli, and l', with familiar household and neighborhood nouns.
- Ask and answer basic questions about a home and neighborhood.
- Read a short housing note, simple map, or neighborhood description.
- Write a short description of a home and neighborhood.
Communication Scenario
Aisha has just moved into a new apartment near the university, and Marco is coming over to help her set up her desk before classes start. As Marco arrives, Aisha shows him around: the kitchen, the small balcony, and the living room where a box of books is still waiting to be unpacked. Afterward, they walk around the block so Aisha can learn what is nearby — a café, a pharmacy, and a small park across the street. Marco asks a few practical questions: what is on the desk, whether there is a supermarket close by, and where the nearest bus stop is.
- This chapter teaches you to describe what is present in a home and where things and places are located relative to one another.
- You will practice this through Aisha and Marco's visit, then apply it to your own home and neighborhood.
Where This Chapter Fits
Chapter 6 begins Unit II. It builds directly on the identity, family, and description language from Unit I and introduces the first grammar systems centered on place: existence, location, and an expanded article system.
Coming Into This Chapter
You can greet people, introduce yourself and others, describe family members with gender, articles, and simple adjective agreement, and use essere and avere in familiar patterns (Chapters 1–5).
New in This Chapter
c'è and ci sono for existence and their negative forms; location prepositions; and the expanded definite and indefinite article system, including lo, gli, and l'.
Looking Forward
Chapter 7, La giornata quotidiana, introduces the present tense of regular verbs and daily routines, using the home you describe in this chapter as a starting point.
Core Vocabulary
Learn these words in the phrases where you will actually use them. Gender is marked so you can pair each noun with the correct article.
| Italian | English | Gender | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| la cucina | kitchen | f. | — |
| il soggiorno | living room | m. | — |
| la camera da letto | bedroom | f. | — |
| il bagno | bathroom | m. | — |
| il balcone | balcony | m. | — |
| la finestra | window | f. | — |
| la porta | door | f. | — |
| il tavolo | table | m. | — |
| la sedia | chair | f. | — |
| il letto | bed | m. | — |
| lo scaffale | bookshelf | m. | takes lo — starts with s + consonant |
| l'armadio | wardrobe/closet | m. | takes l' — starts with a vowel |
| lo specchio | mirror | m. | takes lo — starts with s + consonant |
| i libri | books | m. pl. | — |
| gli scaffali | bookshelves | m. pl. | takes gli |
| Italian | English | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| il quartiere | neighborhood | m. |
| la strada | street | f. |
| il supermercato | supermarket | m. |
| la farmacia | pharmacy | f. |
| il bar | café/bar | m. |
| il parco | park | m. |
| la fermata dell'autobus | bus stop | f. |
| l'università | university | f. |
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| a | at/in (with cities) |
| in | in |
| su | on |
| sotto | under |
| vicino a | near |
| davanti a | in front of |
| dietro | behind |
| c'è | there is |
| ci sono | there are |
Receptive only at this stage: additional housing types across Italian-speaking regions, and less common urban or rural location terms. You are not expected to produce these independently yet.
Pronunciation Focus
Words like quartiere, supermercato, and università are longer than most vocabulary you have met so far. Keep every vowel clear and full — do not let unstressed vowels collapse into an English-style "uh" sound. Say each word slowly first, then at a natural pace, keeping the stressed syllable slightly longer and louder: quar-ti-È-re, su-per-mer-CÀ-to, u-ni-ver-si-TÀ.
6.1 Phrase grouping in descriptions
When you describe a home, Italian groups words into short breath-phrases rather than reading each word separately: C'è una cucina, / c'è un soggiorno, / e c'è una camera da letto. Practice saying this sentence with a small pause at each slash, keeping your voice smooth within each phrase.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
Form: c'è (there is) is used with singular nouns; ci sono (there are) is used with plural nouns. Both come from ci + essere, but at this stage you should treat them as fixed expressions rather than analyzing ci separately.
Meaning: they state that something exists or is present in a place.
Use: C'è un tavolo in cucina. (There is a table in the kitchen.) Ci sono due sedie. (There are two chairs.) To say something is absent, add non before c'è or ci sono: Non c'è un armadio. (There isn't a closet.)
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| C'è un balcone. | There is a balcony. |
| Ci sono due camere da letto. | There are two bedrooms. |
| Non c'è un giardino. | There isn't a garden. |
| Non ci sono negozi qui. | There aren't any shops here. |
Form: a, in, su, sotto, vicino a, davanti a, and dietro combine with a noun to show where something is.
Meaning and use: Il libro è sul tavolo. (The book is on the table.) Lo scaffale è vicino alla finestra. (The bookshelf is near the window.) Il bar è davanti al parco. (The café is in front of the park.) At this stage, you only need to recognize and use these combined forms — such as sul and alla — in fixed, high-frequency phrases. The complete system of articulated prepositions is developed later in the volume.
Form: most masculine nouns take il (singular) or i (plural). Masculine nouns beginning with s + consonant, z, gn, ps, or a few other combinations take lo (singular) or gli (plural) instead. Any noun beginning with a vowel takes l' in the singular, regardless of gender.
Meaning and use: lo scaffale → gli scaffali; l'armadio → gli armadi; l'università (feminine, singular only in this context). These forms are not exceptions to be memorized in isolation — they follow the sound of the noun's first letters, not the noun's meaning.
| Noun | Definite article | Indefinite article |
|---|---|---|
| tavolo | il tavolo | un tavolo |
| scaffale | lo scaffale | uno scaffale |
| armadio | l'armadio | un armadio |
| finestra | la finestra | una finestra |
| università | l'università | un'università |
You are not expected to master every possible article combination this chapter. Focus on the household and neighborhood nouns above, and continue noticing the pattern as new nouns appear in later chapters.
Model Dialogue
Setting: Marco visits Aisha's new apartment, described in the Communication Scenario above.
Domande di comprensione — Comprehension questions:
- What three rooms does Aisha mention first?
- Where are Aisha's books right now?
- Name two neighborhood places Aisha mentions and where they are located.
Guided Practice
Esercizio 1 — Choose c'è or ci sono:
- ______ un tavolo in cucina.
- ______ due sedie vicino alla finestra.
- Non ______ un armadio in questa camera.
- ______ molti negozi nel quartiere.
Esercizio 2 — Choose the correct article: il, lo, la, or l':
- ______ scaffale
- ______ armadio
- ______ finestra
- ______ balcone
- ______ università
Esercizio 3 — Complete with a location preposition (su, sotto, vicino a, davanti a, dietro):
- I libri sono ______ il tavolo. (under)
- Il bar è ______ il parco. (in front of)
- Lo scaffale è ______ la finestra. (near)
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a study partner, or a fluent Italian speaker to read the passage below aloud, at a natural pace, twice.
If no speaker is available, this is a Listening Script for Independent Use. Read the passage aloud yourself, slowly at first, then at a more natural pace. Any spoken model should be verified by a fluent Italian speaker before being treated as a pronunciation standard.
La casa di Luca — Luca's home:
"Il mio appartamento è piccolo. C'è una cucina, c'è un soggiorno e c'è una camera da letto. Non c'è un balcone, però c'è una bella finestra vicino al letto. Nel quartiere c'è un supermercato davanti a casa mia, e c'è anche un parco dietro il palazzo. Non c'è una farmacia vicino, ma c'è una fermata dell'autobus proprio davanti alla porta."
Compito di ascolto — Listening task:
| Place or object | Present or absent? | Location detail |
|---|---|---|
| Balcone | ______ | ______ |
| Finestra | ______ | ______ |
| Supermercato | ______ | ______ |
| Parco | ______ | ______ |
| Farmacia | ______ | ______ |
Speaking Practice
Pratica controllata — Controlled practice: describe a room
Choose one room in your home and say, using c'è and ci sono, three things that are in it and one thing that is not.
Compito comunicativo — Communicative task: home and neighborhood interview
With a partner, ask and answer about each other's home and neighborhood: how many rooms there are, what is nearby, and where key objects or places are located, using at least three location prepositions.
Pratica da solo — Solo alternative
Record a description of your home and neighborhood lasting sixty to ninety seconds, including at least four objects or places and two location prepositions, then listen back and check your description against a list you prepared beforehand.
Reading Practice
Read the neighborhood note below aloud, sounding out each Italian word slowly.
Domande di comprensione — Comprehension questions:
- Where does Sara live in relation to the university?
- What is in front of Sara's building, and what is behind it?
- Is there a supermarket close by? What is nearby instead?
Writing Workshop
Write a short description of your home and neighborhood, combining what you learned this chapter with earlier material from Units I.
Compito di scrittura — Writing task: Write six to eight sentences that include: at least three rooms or household objects using c'è or ci sono; one thing that is not present, using non c'è or non ci sono; at least two neighborhood places; and at least two location prepositions.
- Describe your rooms. Use c'è and ci sono with correct articles.
- Mention something missing. Use non c'è or non ci sono.
- Locate an object. Use su, sotto, vicino a, davanti a, or dietro.
- Describe your neighborhood. Name at least two nearby places and their location.
Lista di controllo — Editing checklist:
- Singular nouns use c'è; plural nouns use ci sono.
- Each noun is paired with the correct article, including lo, gli, and l' where the noun requires them.
- Location prepositions match the intended meaning (su vs. sotto vs. vicino a, etc.).
- The apostrophe in c'è and the accent on è are both present.
- Every sentence ends with correct punctuation.
Culture and Communication
Housing arrangements in Italy vary considerably by region, city size, income, and family structure. An apartment in central Rome, a house in a small Sicilian town, and student housing near a university in Bologna can look very different from one another. Avoid assuming that any single description in this chapter represents "the" Italian home.
In many Italian buildings, the ground floor is called il pianterreno and is not counted as the "first floor" the way it often is in the United States; il primo piano is one level up. Street addresses and apartment numbering conventions can also differ from what English-speaking learners may expect. These details become more relevant in later volumes when you write more formal addresses.
Common Mistakes
Error: Saying C'è due sedie for a plural noun.
Correction: Use ci sono with plural nouns: Ci sono due sedie. Reserve c'è for singular nouns.
Error: Saying il scaffale instead of the correct form.
Correction: Masculine nouns beginning with s + consonant take lo, not il: lo scaffale.
Error: Writing ce instead of c'è.
Correction: The apostrophe marks elision, and the accent on è is required: c'è.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter you learned to state what is present in a home using c'è and ci sono, and what is absent using their negative forms. You located objects and places with su, sotto, vicino a, davanti a, and dietro, and expanded your article system to include lo, gli, and l'. You practiced this new language while continuing to use greetings, identity, and family description from Unit I.
Chapter Review
Parte A — Comprensione (Comprehension)
1. Return to the model dialogue and answer in English:
- Where are Aisha's books right now?
- Is there a garden in Aisha's apartment?
Parte B — Grammatica (Grammar)
1. Complete with c'è or ci sono:
- ______ un tavolo in soggiorno.
- ______ tre sedie in cucina.
2. Choose il, lo, la, or l':
- ______ armadio
- ______ scaffale
- ______ finestra
3. Translate using a location preposition: "The books are under the table."
Parte C — Lettura (Reading)
1. Return to Sara's neighborhood note above and answer:
- What is in front of Sara's building?
- Where does Sara often study?
Parte D — Scrittura (Writing)
1. Write a short description of your own home and neighborhood, following the writing workshop steps above.
Parte E — Parlato (Speaking)
1. With a partner or recorded solo, describe your home and neighborhood, including at least two location prepositions.
Practical Performance Task
Chapter 6 Performance Task
Describe and Locate
Complete the following four connected tasks in order.
- Listen to the model dialogue or listening passage above and complete the listening table.
- Read Sara's neighborhood note above and answer the comprehension questions.
- Write a short description of your own home and neighborhood.
- Speak by describing your home and neighborhood to a partner or recording a solo description, locating at least two objects or places.
| Criterion | What is assessed |
|---|---|
| Existence and absence | The learner correctly uses c'è, ci sono, and their negative forms. |
| Location language | The learner locates at least two objects or places using scheduled prepositions. |
| Article accuracy | The learner selects the correct article, including lo, gli, and l' where required. |
| Grammar in context | The learner combines this chapter's grammar with earlier material from Unit I in connected use. |
| Task completion | All four tasks are completed and connect clearly across listening, reading, writing, and speaking. |
This task assesses only what Chapter 6 has taught. It does not require comprehensive articulated prepositions, all demonstrative forms, or advanced relative clauses.
Answer Key
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- Aisha mentions a kitchen, a living room, and a bedroom.
- Her books are in a box, under the table.
- The supermarket and pharmacy are in the neighborhood; the café is in front of the park, and the bus stop is behind the building. (Any two with correct location.)
Guided Practice
Esercizio 1: (1) C'è (2) Ci sono (3) c'è (4) Ci sono
Esercizio 2: (1) lo scaffale (2) l'armadio (3) la finestra (4) il balcone (5) l'università
Esercizio 3: (1) sotto (2) davanti a (3) vicino a
Listening
- Balcone: absent.
- Finestra: present — near the bed.
- Supermercato: present — in front of the house.
- Parco: present — behind the building.
- Farmacia: absent (not nearby).
Reading — Comprehension
- A café is in front of Sara's building.
- Sara often studies in the park behind the building.
- There is no supermarket very close by; there is a pharmacy on the corner instead.
Chapter Review — Parte B
- (a) C'è (b) Ci sono
- (a) l'armadio (b) lo scaffale (c) la finestra
- I libri sono sotto il tavolo.
Looking Ahead
Cosa sai fare ora — What you can do now
You can describe a home and its rooms, state what is and is not present, locate objects and neighborhood places, and use an expanded article system that includes lo, gli, and l'.