Learn Italian with Lisa

Introduction to Italian Language.

Benvenuti a tutti nella lingua di Dante, dell’opera e della dolce vita: Italian!
Italy is celebrated worldwide for its art, food, design, and history, but it is equally a treasure trove of linguistic heritage. While “Italian” is often imagined as a single, unified language, it hosts in reality a mosaic of regional languages and dialects. Standard Italian, based primarily on the Tuscan variety, more specifically the Florentine dialect, emerged as the national standard only in the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, it is spoken by more than 68 million speakers worldwide, including 64 million natives.

Italian is the official language of Italy, San Marino, Vatican City, and parts of Switzerland, and it also holds minority status in regions of Croatia, Slovenia, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a few municipalities in Brazil. Beyond its borders, it remains widely spoken in Malta, Albania, Monaco, and by large diaspora communities across the Americas and Australia. As a Romance language descended from Latin, Italian shares roots with Spanish, Catalan, and Portuguese, yet stands apart for its clear phonetics, consistent spelling, and melodic rhythm.

Its structure is highly inflected: nouns have gender and number, verbs conjugate across seven simple tenses and multiple compound forms, and word order remains flexible. Features such as open vs. close vowels and doubled consonants give Italian its distinct sound. Culturally, Italian draws on centuries of literature and regional diversity, enriched by influences from French, Spanish, Arabic, and English. Alongside standard Italian, a vibrant mosaic of local languages: Sicilian, Neapolitan, Venetian, Sardinian, Friulian, and many more shape the country’s linguistic identity.

Get to know Lisa!

👩🏫 @theitalianlizard
🇮🇹 Italian Teacher
⭐ 518.000 followers

On her Instagram, you’ll find many short videos to learn everyday Italian vocabulary and expressions, and start improving your speaking right away!

A Phonecall a day keeps Bad Italian away.

Jump into a fun phone-call simulation and boost your Italian speaking confidence!

Plot Twist : You Already Speak Italian!

English speakers, rejoice: your vocabulary is already part Italian. Time to unlock it! These words convert from English to Italian, the secret is to just change the ending!

The Endless Italian Goodbye.

Because mastering Italian isn’t just grammar… it’s perfecting the endless, enthusiastic farewell.

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