Speak and Write Language Series
Unit II — Vita quotidiana · Unit II — Everyday Life
7

La giornata quotidiana

Volume I, Chapter 7: Daily Routines · Speak and Write Italian: Foundations of Practical Communication

Chapter Overview and Objectives

Chapter 7 continues Unit II by moving from the home you described in Chapter 6 into the daily life that happens inside it. You will learn the present tense of regular -are, -ere, and -ire verbs, tell time, and describe a typical day from morning to night. By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. Use the present tense of regular -are, -ere, and -ire verbs to describe everyday actions.
  2. Tell time and use time expressions such as alle, di mattina, di pomeriggio, and di sera.
  3. Name the days of the week and describe a weekly schedule.
  4. Use a small set of formulaic reflexive expressions, such as mi alzo and mi lavo, to describe your morning.
  5. Say what you usually do and what you do not do, using non before the verb.
  6. Read and write a connected description of a daily routine.

Communication Scenario

A week has passed since Marco helped Aisha unpack her books. Classes have started, and Aisha calls Marco to compare their weekday routines before their first study session together. Aisha explains that she wakes up early, works at the café near her apartment, and studies in the evening. Marco, on the other hand, prefers to sleep later, but he studies at the library every afternoon and does not work in the evenings. As they talk, they agree on the best time in the week to meet and study together.

  1. This chapter teaches you to describe a typical day and compare routines with someone else.
  2. You will practice this through Aisha and Marco's phone call, then apply it to your own weekly schedule.

Where This Chapter Fits

Chapter 7 continues Unit II. It builds on the home and neighborhood vocabulary from Chapter 6 and introduces the first full present-tense verb system of the course.

Coming Into This Chapter

You can describe a home and neighborhood, state what is present or absent with c'è and ci sono, and locate objects and places using prepositions (Chapter 6).

New in This Chapter

The present tense of regular -are, -ere, and -ire verbs; clock time and time-of-day expressions; days of the week; and a small set of formulaic reflexive routine expressions.

Looking Forward

Chapter 8, Cibo e bevande, uses the mealtimes from your daily routine as the setting for talking about food, drink, and ordering.

Vocabolario chiave — Core vocabulary

Core Vocabulary

Learn these verbs and time expressions in the phrases where you will actually use them.

ItalianEnglishType
lavorareto work-are
studiareto study-are
tornareto return, come back-are
cenareto have dinner-are
prendereto take, have (food/drink)-ere
leggereto read-ere
scrivereto write-ere
dormireto sleep-ire
partireto leave, depart-ire
finireto finish-ire (-isc-)
ItalianEnglishNote
mi alzoI get upformulaic — not analyzed as a full reflexive system yet
mi lavoI wash upformulaic
mi preparoI get readyformulaic
ItalianEnglish
Che ore sono?What time is it?
È l'una.It's one o'clock.
Sono le due, le tre...It's two o'clock, three o'clock...
alle setteat seven o'clock
di mattinain the morning
di pomeriggioin the afternoon
di serain the evening
semprealways
di solitousually
ogni giornoevery day
ItalianEnglish
lunedìMonday
martedìTuesday
mercoledìWednesday
giovedìThursday
venerdìFriday
sabatoSaturday
domenicaSunday

Receptive only at this stage: informal time expressions and additional workplace or school schedule vocabulary. You are not expected to produce these independently yet.

Pronunciation Focus

Pronunciation Focus — Verb endings

Present-tense verb endings carry the meaning of who is doing the action, so they must be pronounced clearly and distinctly: lavoro, lavori, lavora. Do not let the final vowel disappear or blur into a schwa sound — each ending is a full, clear Italian vowel.

7.1 Days of the week and stress

Notice that lunedì, martedì, mercoledì, giovedì, and venerdì all carry stress on the final syllable, marked with a written accent: lu-ne-DÌ. Sabato and domenica do not follow this pattern — their stress falls earlier in the word: SA-ba-to, do-ME-ni-ca.

Grammar and Sentence Patterns

Language Focus — Present tense of -are verbs

Form: remove -are from the infinitive and add -o, -i, -a, -iamo, -ate, or -ano depending on the subject. This chapter focuses productively on io, tu, lui/lei/Lei, and noi; voi and loro forms are receptive for now.

Meaning: these endings tell the listener who is performing the action without needing a separate subject pronoun.

Use: Io lavoro in un caffè. (I work in a café.) Tu studi molto. (You study a lot.) Marco studia in biblioteca. (Marco studies at the library.) Noi studiamo insieme. (We study together.)

Subjectlavorarestudiare
iolavorostudio
tulavoristudi
lui / lei / Leilavorastudia
noilavoriamostudiamo
Language Focus — Present tense of -ere and -ire verbs

Form: -ere verbs add -o, -i, -e, and -iamo to the stem; most -ire verbs add -o, -i, -e, and -iamo as well, but some, like finire, insert -isc- before the ending in most singular and third-person plural forms.

Meaning and use: Leggo un libro. (I read a book.) Marco dorme fino a tardi. (Marco sleeps until late.) Finisco di studiare alle nove. (I finish studying at nine.) You only need to control the forms in the table below at this stage; the full range of irregular -ere and -ire verbs is developed later in the volume.

Subjectprenderedormirefinire
ioprendodormofinisco
tuprendidormifinisci
lui / lei / Leiprendedormefinisce
noiprendiamodormiamofiniamo
Language Focus — Telling time

Form: use È l'una for one o'clock and Sono le + number for all other hours. Use alle + hour to say at a given time.

Meaning and use: Sono le sette di mattina. (It's seven in the morning.) Mi alzo alle sette. (I get up at seven.) Ceno alle otto di sera. (I have dinner at eight in the evening.) Combine time expressions with di mattina, di pomeriggio, and di sera when the hour alone could be ambiguous.

Language Focus — Negation with a verb

Form: place non directly before the conjugated verb.

Meaning and use: Non lavoro la domenica. (I don't work on Sundays.) Marco non si alza presto. (Marco doesn't get up early.) non always comes immediately before the verb, never after it.

ItalianEnglish
Mi alzo alle sei e mezza.I get up at six thirty.
Mi lavo e mi preparo velocemente.I wash up and get ready quickly.
Marco si alza più tardi.Marco gets up later.

Treat mi alzo, mi lavo, and mi preparo as fixed morning-routine expressions for now. The full reflexive-verb system, including other subjects and other reflexive verbs, is developed in later chapters.

Model Dialogue

Setting: Aisha calls Marco to compare their weekday routines, described in the Communication Scenario above.

Aisha Ciao Marco! Com'è la tua giornata di solito? Chow Mar-ko! Ko-MEH la TOO-a jor-NA-ta dee SO-lee-to? Hi Marco! What's your day usually like?
Marco Mi alzo alle otto e mi preparo con calma. Poi studio in biblioteca di pomeriggio. Mee AL-tso AL-leh OT-to eh mee pre-PA-ro kon KAL-ma. Po-ee STOO-dyo een bee-blyo-TEH-ka dee po-meh-REEJ-jo. I get up at eight and get ready calmly. Then I study at the library in the afternoon.
Aisha Io invece mi alzo presto, alle sei e mezza. Lavoro al bar di mattina e studio di sera. EE-oh een-VEH-che mee AL-tso PREH-sto, AL-leh say eh MED-dza. La-VO-ro al bar dee mat-TEE-na eh STOO-dyo dee SEH-ra. I, on the other hand, get up early, at six thirty. I work at the café in the morning and study in the evening.
Marco Non lavori mai la sera? Non la-VO-ree MAH-ee la SEH-ra? Do you never work in the evening?
Aisha No, il bar chiude alle sei. Dopo il lavoro, prendo un caffè e leggo un po'. No, eel bar KYOO-deh AL-leh say. DO-po eel la-VO-ro, PREN-do oon kaf-FEH eh LEG-go oon poh. No, the café closes at six. After work, I have a coffee and read a little.
Marco E quando finisci di studiare? Eh KWAN-do fee-NEE-shee dee stoo-DYA-reh? And when do you finish studying?
Aisha Finisco verso le dieci. Poi ceno e dormo presto. Fee-NEE-sko VEHR-so leh DYEH-chee. Po-ee CHEH-no eh DOR-mo PREH-sto. I finish around ten. Then I have dinner and go to sleep early.
Marco Allora, studiamo insieme mercoledì pomeriggio? Al-LO-ra, stoo-DYA-mo een-SYEH-meh mer-ko-le-DEE po-meh-REEJ-jo? So, shall we study together Wednesday afternoon?
Aisha Perfetto, non lavoro mercoledì pomeriggio! Per-FET-to, non la-VO-ro mer-ko-le-DEE po-meh-REEJ-jo! Perfect, I don't work Wednesday afternoon!

Domande di comprensione — Comprehension questions:

  1. What time does Marco get up, and what does he do afterward?
  2. What time does Aisha get up, and when does she work and study?
  3. What day and time do Aisha and Marco agree to study together?

Guided Practice

Esercizio 1 — Complete with the correct present-tense form:

  1. Io ______ (studiare) in biblioteca.
  2. Tu ______ (lavorare) al bar?
  3. Marco ______ (dormire) fino a tardi.
  4. Noi ______ (prendere) un caffè insieme.
  5. Aisha ______ (finire) di studiare alle dieci.

Esercizio 2 — Write the time shown, using È l'una or Sono le...:

  1. 1:00 → ______
  2. 3:00 → ______
  3. 7:00 di mattina → ______

Esercizio 3 — Rewrite each sentence in the negative:

  1. Lavoro la domenica.
  2. Marco studia di sera.

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 giornata di Sara — Sara's day:
"Di solito mi alzo alle sette di mattina. Mi lavo e mi preparo, poi prendo un caffè in cucina. Studio all'università di mattina e lavoro in biblioteca di pomeriggio. Non lavoro il sabato e la domenica. Di sera leggo un libro o scrivo messaggi agli amici. Ceno alle otto e dormo presto, verso le undici."

Compito di ascolto — Listening task:

ActivityTime or day
Si alza______
Studia all'università______
Lavora in biblioteca______
Non lavora______
Cena______

Speaking Practice

Pratica controllata — Controlled practice: my morning

Say three sentences about your morning routine, including one time expression and one formulaic reflexive expression from this chapter.

Compito comunicativo — Communicative task: compare your week

With a partner, ask and answer about your weekly schedule: when you work or study, which days you are free, and what time you usually finish your day. Use at least four present-tense verbs.

Pratica da solo — Solo alternative

Record a description of a typical weekday lasting sixty to ninety seconds, including at least four verbs and two time expressions, then listen back and check your description against a list you prepared beforehand.

Reading Practice

Read the schedule note below aloud, sounding out each Italian word slowly.

L'orario di Luca — Luca's schedule
Lunedì, mercoledì e venerdì lavoro di mattina e studio di pomeriggio. Martedì e giovedì non lavoro; studio tutto il giorno in biblioteca. Il sabato dormo fino a tardi e non studio. La domenica scrivo messaggi alla famiglia e leggo per piacere.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I work in the morning and study in the afternoon. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I don't work; I study all day at the library. On Saturdays I sleep until late and don't study. On Sundays I write messages to my family and read for pleasure.

Domande di comprensione — Comprehension questions:

  1. On which days does Luca work?
  2. What does Luca do on Tuesdays and Thursdays?
  3. What does Luca do on Sunday?

Writing Workshop

Write a short description of your own daily routine, combining what you learned this chapter with earlier material from Unit I and Chapter 6.

Compito di scrittura — Writing task: Write six to eight sentences that include: at least four present-tense verbs from this chapter; one formulaic reflexive expression; at least two time expressions; and one negative sentence with non.

  1. Describe your morning. Use a formulaic reflexive expression and a time expression.
  2. Describe your day. Use present-tense verbs for work, study, or other activities.
  3. Mention something you don't do. Use non before the verb.
  4. Describe your evening. Use at least one more time expression.

Lista di controllo — Editing checklist:

  • Each verb ending matches its subject: -o, -i, -a/-e, or -iamo.
  • non comes directly before the conjugated verb.
  • Time expressions use alle, di mattina, di pomeriggio, or di sera correctly.
  • Days of the week are lowercase and spelled correctly, with accents on lunedì through venerdì.
  • Every sentence ends with correct punctuation.

Culture and Communication

Culture in Context — Daily schedules vary

Work hours, school hours, and mealtimes vary considerably across Italy and other Italian-speaking regions, and also depend on profession, household, and personal circumstance. Avoid assuming that any single description in this chapter represents "the" Italian day.

Culture in Context — The 24-hour clock

Italian often uses the 24-hour clock in schedules, transportation timetables, and official documents, even though everyday conversation frequently uses the 12-hour system with di mattina, di pomeriggio, and di sera for clarity. Both systems are normal, and context tells you which is being used.

Common Mistakes

Common Mistake — Wrong verb ending

Error: Saying Io studia instead of the correct form.

Correction: The io form always ends in -o: Io studio.

Common Mistake — Placing non after the verb

Error: Saying Lavoro non la domenica.

Correction: non comes directly before the verb: Non lavoro la domenica.

Common Mistake — Dropping the accent on days of the week

Error: Writing lunedi instead of lunedì.

Correction: lunedì through venerdì carry a required final accent that marks the stressed syllable.

Chapter Summary

In this chapter you learned the present tense of regular -are, -ere, and -ire verbs, told time, and named the days of the week. You used a small set of formulaic reflexive expressions to describe your morning, and you practiced negation with non. You applied this new language to describe a full day, continuing to use the home and neighborhood vocabulary from Chapter 6.

Chapter Review

Parte A — Comprensione (Comprehension)

1. Return to the model dialogue and answer in English:

  1. What time does Aisha get up?
  2. Why doesn't Aisha work in the evening?

Parte B — Grammatica (Grammar)

1. Complete with the correct present-tense form:

  1. Noi ______ (leggere) di sera.
  2. Tu ______ (finire) di lavorare a che ora?

2. Translate: "I don't study on Saturdays."

3. Write out in words: 2:00 and 9:00 in the morning.

Parte C — Lettura (Reading)

1. Return to Luca's schedule note above and answer:

  1. What does Luca do on Tuesdays and Thursdays?
  2. What does Luca do on Saturday?

Parte D — Scrittura (Writing)

1. Write a short description of your own daily routine, following the writing workshop steps above.

Parte E — Parlato (Speaking)

1. With a partner or recorded solo, describe your typical day, including at least two time expressions.

Practical Performance Task

Chapter 7 Performance Task

Describe Your Day

Complete the following four connected tasks in order.

  1. Listen to the model dialogue or listening passage above and complete the listening table.
  2. Read Luca's schedule note above and answer the comprehension questions.
  3. Write a short description of your own daily routine.
  4. Speak by describing your day to a partner or recording a solo description, including at least two time expressions and one negative sentence.
CriterionWhat is assessed
Verb accuracyThe learner correctly conjugates regular -are, -ere, and -ire verbs for the subjects taught.
Time expressionsThe learner tells time and uses time-of-day expressions accurately.
NegationThe learner correctly places non before the verb.
Grammar in contextThe learner combines this chapter's grammar with earlier material from Unit I and Chapter 6 in connected use.
Task completionAll four tasks are completed and connect clearly across listening, reading, writing, and speaking.

This task assesses only what Chapter 7 has taught. It does not require the full reflexive-verb system, the past tense, the progressive system, or all irregular present-tense verbs.

Answer Key

Model Dialogue — Comprehension

  1. Marco gets up at eight and gets ready calmly, then studies at the library in the afternoon.
  2. Aisha gets up at six thirty; she works at the café in the morning and studies in the evening.
  3. They agree to study together on Wednesday afternoon.

Guided Practice

Esercizio 1: (1) studio (2) lavori (3) dorme (4) prendiamo (5) finisce

Esercizio 2: (1) È l'una. (2) Sono le tre. (3) Sono le sette di mattina.

Esercizio 3: (1) Non lavoro la domenica. (2) Marco non studia di sera.

Listening

  • Si alza: alle sette di mattina.
  • Studia all'università: di mattina.
  • Lavora in biblioteca: di pomeriggio.
  • Non lavora: sabato e domenica.
  • Cena: alle otto.

Reading — Comprehension

  1. Luca works on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
  2. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Luca studies all day at the library and does not work.
  3. On Sunday, Luca writes messages to his family and reads for pleasure.

Chapter Review — Parte B

  1. (a) leggiamo (b) finisci
  2. Non studio il sabato.
  3. Sono le due. / Sono le nove di mattina.

Looking Ahead

Cosa sai fare ora — What you can do now

You can describe a daily routine from morning to night, tell time, name the days of the week, and say what you usually do and do not do, using the present tense of regular verbs and a small set of formulaic reflexive expressions.

Andando avanti: Capitolo 8 — Continuing on: Chapter 8

Chapter 8, Cibo e bevande, uses the mealtimes from your daily routine as a starting point for talking about food, drink, preferences, and ordering politely.