mt italian advanced (eng only)

7/28/2019 MT Italian Advanced (Eng Only)

1/22

MICHEL THOMAS ITALIAN (ADVANCED) COURSE, 4 CDs

TRANSCRIPT

This is an approximate transcript of the course, since Michel often changed his mind inthe middle of a sentence to be translated, or adapted his sentences for the students. Thebooklet that accompanied Michel's courses was wholly inadequate, so I have written thistranscript. I have found it useful, so maybe other people will, too.

Naturally, it would be foolish to try to learn the language using this transcript, withoutbuying the recordings.

Note that English is my native language, so I don't guarantee that there are no mistakes.Tracks and track times in the recording are shown in brackets.

Version 2, August 4th 2006Transcribed by JK

CD 1 (70.14)(1) 11.18I am very happy to be here with youwith all of youI would like to see itI want it nowI want some of it nowI bought someI didn't buy any because I didn't find anycan you tell me where it is?can you tell me where one can find it?how does one say it in Italian?I like to see itI would like to see itit would please me to see itI like very much to travelI am sorry about I cannot wait because I have to leave soonI will have to leaveI would have to leave("I would have to" is often used for "I should")I should leaveI cannot stayI cannot remain

can you tell me?when will you be able to do it?when would you be able to do it?("I would be able" is often used for "I could", but "I could" in English also means "I wasable to")


2/22

I could, I would be ableI could, I was able(2) 9.17(tu "you"is used to address family and friends, and maybe also colleagues. Lei"you" isused to address everyone else)I speakhe speaks, you speakyou speak (to a friend)I am sellingyou are selling (to a friend)you are leaving (to a friend)to haveI havehe has, you haveyou have (to a friend)to gowe go

I go, I am goinghe is goingyou are going (to a friend)to beI amhe is, she is, it isyou are (friend)where are you? (friend)to knowI knowI don't know ithe knows itdon't you know it?you know it (to a friend)I canhe cancan you tell me?can you tell me, Carlo?to wantI want itI don't want anydo you want any?do you want it? (to a friend)

("you" plural is voi. To build the right word, start from the whole verb, and change the-r- into a -t-: -ate, -ete, -ite)you speak (plural)you are leaving (plural)you are selling it (plural)can you see it? (plural)can't you see it?don't you want to do it? (plural)


3/22

why don't you tell me? (plural)why don't you do it? (plural)why don't you know where it is? (plural)why don't you know where it is? (to a friend)(3) 6.04to speakI speak(for "they" and "all of you", go fromparlo toparlano. This ending is used with -areverbs; for other verbs, the ending is -ono)to leaveI am leavingthey are leaving, you all are leavingI am selling itthey are selling itI havehe hasyou have (friend)

they haveyou have (plural)we haveI amthey areI am busy nowthey are busy nowthey are busy (all women)you are (friend)you are (plural)I am goinghe is goingyou are going (friend)they are goingto giveI givehe givesyou give (friend)they giveI wantthey wantI canthey can

you can (plural)you want (plural)we wantwe can(4) 3.32to say, to tellI am tellingI am telling you


4/22

I am telling himit to himI am telling it to himI am giving it to herthey are not telling methey are not telling it to meto understandI understandI don't understand itthey don't understand itI don't know himthey don't know meI am finishingI am finishing itthey are finishing itthey don't want to do itthey don't want to tell me

(5) 4.16why don't you tell me? (plural)why can't you do it? (plural)why can't they do it?why don't they do it?why don't you do it?why don't you do it? (friend)why don't you do it? (plural)why don't you tell me? (plural)why don't you tell me?why don't you tell it to me? (plural)why don't you do it? (plural)why don't you want to do it? (plural)why can't you tell it to me now? (plural)(6) 4.56(for "we", you always use the ending -iamo)we cannot do it because we don't want to do itwe are going to see itcan you please show me what you have bought? (friend)("let me see" is often used in place of "show")can you let me seeit is not what I wantI am preparing it


5/22

I am in the process of preparing itI am just about to prepare itI am stayingthey are stayinghe, she, it is stayingyou are staying (friend)we are stayingyou are staying (plural)(7) 5.56I haveto leaveI will leavehe will leaveyou will leave (friend)they will leaveI will prepare itat what time will you leave? (friend)

at what time will you leave?you will leave (plural)we will leavewe would leavewe will leavewe will do itwe would do itwe wouldn't do itwe won't do ithe won't tell mewe won't do itwe wouldn't do itthey will do itI won't do itwhy won't you do it? (friend)(8) 9.52I would do ithe would do itthey would do itthey wouldn't do ithe wouldn't tell methey wouldn't tell mehe will be here

I will be herethey will be here soonlaterwe will be herebut it wouldn't be possible that waywe would be very happy to do itit will please me very much to do itbut I wouldn't like to do it


6/22

it would be very important for meI will have it for youbut we won't have it todayI wouldn't have it todayI will leavethey will leavehe will leaveyou will leave (friend)you will leave (plural)when will you leave? (plural)we will leave soonbut we wouldn't leave todayhe will leavehe would leavethey will leavehe would leavethey would leave

he told me that he won't leavereallyI really know that he wouldn't leaveI am sure that they wouldn't leave today(the "would" ending fortu is -restiand forvoiis -reste)you would leave (friend)you would be here (friend)you would be here (plural)(9) 3.15I will have itI would have itI would have bought itwe would have waited for you (friend)we would have waited for himthey wouldn't have waited for mehe would have seen me and he would have told me why he won't do it that way(10) 3.21I am preparing itI will be preparing itI am in the process of preparing itI am just about to prepare itI tell you tomorrow (friend)I tell you tomorrow

it to youI tell you it tomorrowI will tell him


7/22

it to himI will tell it to himI will tell it to you tomorrowhe wouldn't tell it to me(11) 8.27I am preparing itI was speakinghe was speakingthey were speakingyou were speaking (friend)you were speaking (plural)we were speakingI was selling itthey were selling itI was selling itthey were selling ithe was selling it

you were selling it (friend)you was selling it (plural)we were selling itI was leavinghe was leavingyou were leaving (friend)they were leavingwe were leavingyou were leavingI am doing itthey are doing ityou are doing it (friend)he is doing ityou are doing it (plural)we are doing itI was doing ithe was doing itthey were doing itwe were doing ityou were doing it (plural)I did it, I have done it

(end of recording)


8/22

CD 2 (68.57)

(1) 9.49(here are a handful of verbs whose nature is to express a straight line in the past)I knowI knew it fromI didn't know itI have known it, I found outI found out that it will be ready soonI didn't know itto wantI wanted itI didn't want to buy itto look atI was looking at itbut I didn't want to buy itI didn't want to have itI don't understand what you mean

to haveto beI didn't want to do it because I didn't have the time to do it because I was very busyI couldI couldn't find itI didn't know where it wasI was looking for itbut I didn't find itI was looking for it but I couldn't find it(2) 5.27("could" expresses two different tenses in English)he couldn't do it (now)(he tried and) he couldn't do it (yesterday)could you tell me where it is?can you tell me where it is?could you tell me where it is?he was looking for it and he couldn't find it(3) 7.32to have to, to be supposed toI must see ityou have to tell meyou have to tell me (friend)you have to tell me (plural)

we have to buy itI will have to do ithe will have to be here soonhe would have to be here


9/22

("would have to" is used for "should", "ought to")you should be hereyou should tell meI think that you should do it (friend)you should do it (plural)we have to buy ityou would have toyou would have to (friend)you should tell me (friend)you should come with me (plural)he had to wait(4) 7.50I won't be able to do it without you("I couldn't have done it" is the same as "I wouldn't have been able to do it" in English)I wouldn't have been able to do itI would haveI wouldn't have

I wouldn't have been able to do it without you, I couldn't have done it without youcould you wait for me now?could you wait for me now? (friend)could you wait for me now? (plural)I am sorry but I couldn't wait for you because I had to leaveI haven't been able to waitto leave, to go myself away from itI am leaving nowI had to leave(5) 9.11I could have told you, I would have been able to tell youI couldn't do it nowI couldn't do it yesterdayI have not been able to do it("I could have done it" is the same as "I would have been able to do it")I would have been able to do itI couldn't have waited for you, I would not have been able to wait for youI could have told you, I would have been able to tell youI am sorry but I couldn't have gone there with you last night because I was very busyI would have to do itI would have itI would have to do it(dovreiexpresses not only "I would have to" but also "I should", "I ought to")

I should do ityou should tell me


10/22

you should wait for me (friend)you have to wait for me (friend)(6) 14.08to be ableyou can (plural)can you come with me? (plural)can you tell me? (plural)can you tell me? (friend)could you tell me? (friend)could you tell me?I was looking for it but I couldn't find itI couldn't find it, I haven't been able to find itI had not been able to find itI could have told you, I would have been able to tell youI could have told you where it was(7) 5.20I asked you

to askaskedsaid, tolddoneI have done itI haven't done ithe didn't do it, he has not done itto seeI saw it(with "see", there are two ways to dive: visto orveduto)I have seen himI have seen herI have seen themI have seen them (all women)to writewrittento speakspokento leaveleftto hearheardto sell

soldto seeseen(8) 4.46to askaskedhe asked mewhy didn't you ask me? (friend)


11/22

to say, tellsaid, toldwhy didn't you tell me?to dodidI did itI didn't do itwhy didn't you do it?I didn't do it because I didn't know that you wanted to have ityou wanted to have it (at that moment)(9) 4.54could you tell me, could you please tell me?he couldn't tell me because he did not know itI could have told you, I would have been able to tell youhe couldn't have done it that way

(end of recording)


12/22

CD 3 (76.17)

(1) 13.24I canthey canto leaveI am leavingthey leavethey are telling meI knowthey knowthey havethey arethey givethey gothey staythey dothey can

they don't want to do itto understandthey understandto finishthey are finishing("they" always follows the form for "I", butvoi"you" follows the infinitive)you can (plural)they canI canthey canyou are saying, you are telling (plural)why don't you tell me? (plural)they cannot do itthey don't want to do it that waythey are not telling methey don't understand it(the only exception is with the -are verbs)they speakthey are eatingthey are selling itthey don't see itthey are finishingthey don't know him

I know himthey don't know himat what time are you (all) leaving?at what time are they leaving?to have toI mustthey have to be here soonyou have to tell me (plural)


13/22

they have toI havethey haveyou have (plural)you are doing it (plural)why don't you tell me? (plural)why don't they tell me?(2) 9.53we canwe cannot find itI will be able to do itI won't be able to do it that wayhe won't be able to come with usthey are not comingwhy don't you come with us? (plural)you have to wait for meyou are leaving (friend)

you have to (friend)you have to wait for me (friend)we have to waitwe have to wait hereI will have to do itwe will have to do itwe would have to do it("would have to" is used for "should")we should do ityou should wait for meyou should wait for me (plural formal)you should have to waitthey should have to waityou should have to wait for me (plural formal)you should tell me (friend)you should tell me (plural)they should tell mecould you tell me? (friend)could you tell me? (plural)they couldn't tell me(3) 9.38I haveyou have (friend)

he hasthey haveI will leavehe will leaveyou will leave (friend)they will leavewe will leavewe would leave


14/22

we will leaveyou will leave (friend)you will leave (plural)we will leaveyou will leave (plural)we will tell you (friend)we will tell you (formal)we wouldn't tell himwe wouldn't give it to himwe will leavewe would leavewhen will you leave? (plural)when will you do it? (plural)when will you do it?when will you do it? (friend)when will they do it? when will you all do it? (plural formal)he told me

he told me that he wouldn't do ithe wouldn't have done itI would do ithe would do itthey would do itwe would do itwe will do ityou would do it (friend)you would do it (plural)(4) 7.51to have toI canthey canwe canyou can (friend)can you tell me? (friend)can you tell me?can you tell me? (plural)I will be able to do itI won't be able to do it that wayhe will be able to do itthey will be able to do ityou will be able to do it

he won't be able to do ityou will be able to do it (friend)we will be able to do itwe would be able to do itwe couldn't (past)we couldn't find it (past)I couldn't go there last nightI couldn't go there tonight


15/22

can you tell me?can you tell me? (friend)can you tell me? (plural)could you tell me?could you tell me? (friend)could you tell me? (plural)you could have told meI could have told you(5) 5.15I should do it, I would have to do ityou should wait for mewe should go therethey should come with usyou should wait for us (plural)you could have told me (friend)I could have done itI should have told you

we should have left earlier(6) 8.17I went (I am gone)I went (female)we wentwe went (all women)where did you go? (female friend)I amyou are (friend)where did you go? (female friend)where did you go? (a few girls)where did you go? (mixed group)we went to see ithe leftat what time did you leave?at what time did you leave? (female friend)we leftwe left (all girls)justwe have just lefthe has just arrivedwe went outto go out

I am going outthey are going outyou are going out (plural)(7) 10.06(giving commands: use the first person, but change the ending from -o to -a)go out!don't go out!don't go out! (friend)


16/22

don't tell me! (friend)don't wait for me! (friend)I comecome with me!don't go there! (friend)don't come!don't tell me! (friend)tell me!don't tell me!(however, with -are verbs, change the endings from -o to -i)slowlymore slowlyspeak more slowly!speak! (friend)leave!leave! (friend)speak Italian with me! (friend)

speak Italian!don't speak Italian with me! (friend)(there are a few exceptions with a command to friend)I am telling youtell me!don't tell me! (friend)don't tell me what you want to buy! (friend)tell me! (friend)do it! (friend)don't do it! (friend)give me! (friend)don't give me! (friend)(8) 11.53he has just arrivedhe would have arrived earlier(make a separation between "would", "would have" on one hand, and "should", "shouldhave", "could", "could have" on the other)(for "would", you have to hit the -r-)he would do itthey wouldn't do itI wouldn't do itI would have done itI wouldn't do it now

I wouldn't have done itwe wouldn't buy it because it is too expensivehe will buy itwe will buy itwe would buy itwe would have bought it("I would have" uses eitheravrei... orsarei...)I would have


17/22

I would have spokenI would have lefthe would leavehe would have lefthe would buy ithe would have bought ithe wouldn't tell mehe wouldn't have told youhe wouldn't have told you (friend)he would arrive soonhe would have arrived a long time ago

(end of recording)


18/22

CD 4 (65.56)

(1) 9.39I couldn't find it, I wasn't able to find itI couldn't find it, I could never find itcould you tell me?you could have told me (friend)you could have told meI know that he couldn't do it, I know that he wouldn't be able to do ithe couldn't do it, he wasn't able to do itI could do itcould you tell me?I could have told youI would have left earlierI could have left soonerand I would have arrived on timeI would have arrived in timeyou have to wait for me

you will have to wait for meyou should wait for meyou should have waited for me(2) 3.43to go up salireI am going up, I am coming upthey are going upyou are going up (friend)you are going up (plural)I went up(to dive with essere, use sono stato etc)I have been (I am been)he has beenshe has beenI was there yesterdayI have been thereI was herethere wasthere arethere are many problemsmany peoplethere are many peoplethere are so many people

we were there and there were many people(3) 4.35wait! (friend)wait!speak!


19/22

speak! (friend)leave!at what time are you leaving?at what time do we leave?let's leave!let's go!I am comingthey are comingyou are coming (plural)we are cominghe is comingyou are coming (friend)come!come! (friend)tell me! (friend)don't tell me! (friend)tell me!

tell it to me now!(4) 12.42(subjunctive tense: not used much in English, but used often in Italian)(in English, you might say " if I were" and not "if I was". Instead of saying, "you must behere", you could say "it is necessary that you be here" (the subjunctive) and not "...thatyou are here". Instead of saying "at what time do want me to be here?", you could say"at what time do you want that I be here"; instead of saying "he must go there", youcould say "it is absolutely necessary that he go"; instead of saying "he must do it", youcould say "it is necessary that he do it")(in English, you can usually avoid the subjunctive. In Italian, to say "I want him to do it"you must say "I want that he does it", and "that" is followed by "does it" in thesubjunctive)speak!that I speak, that you speak (friend), that he speaksthat they speakthat we speakthat you speak (plural)I want you to speak, I want that you speak (plural)that you speak (plural formal)that we speakthat you speak (plural)(that takes care of the -are verbs. Now the others)leave!

that I leave, that you leave (friend), that he leavesthat they leavethat we leavethat you leave (plural)I want you to leave with me (plural)at what time are you leaving? (plural)to sellwhy don't you want me to sell it?, why don't you want that I sell it?


20/22

I don't want you to sell it(the subjunctive is a mood, and expresses an element of doubt or uncertainty)I want you to do itI want you to tell meat what time do you want me to finish?I want you to call me(5) 5.05to have (subjunctive)that we havethat they havethat we havethat you haveto be (subjunctive)we arethat they bethat we bethat you be

it is important that you be herethat I be herethat they be hereit is important that (almost) you be hereI need itI don't need itit is important...it is important that he be here(6) 6.55(the past subjunctive: for -are verbs)it was necessary that I spokethat I spoke forththat you spoke (friend)that he spokethat they spokethat we spokethat you spoke (plural)it was necessary that we spokethat we spokethat I spokethat you spoke (friend)that we spokethat he spoke

that you spoke (plural)that they spokethat he spoke


21/22

that you spoke (plural)that they spokethat I spokethat you spoke (friend)that we spoke(-ere verbs)that I sold(-ire verbs)that I leftthat you left (friend)that I spokethat you spoke (friend)that we spokethat you left (friend)that we leftthat you left (plural)that he left

that they leftthat you left (plural)that I leftthat you left (friend)that we leftthat I soldthat you sold (friend)that we soldthat they soldthat you sold (plural)(7) 8.03(past subjunctive ofavere andessere)to havethat I hadthat you had (friend)that we hadthat they hadthat he hadthat she hadthat it hadthat you hadthat you had (plural)(the subjunctive is used after "if", for example in English "if I were here", but usually you

don't recognise it)if I had known it I would have done itand I would have prepared it for youI have been busy (I am been busy)I have been busy (female)if I had the time I would do it(8) 9.49that I had


22/22

that I wereif I wereif you were (friend)if he wereif they wereif we wereif you were (plural)I leftI had leftif I had leftif she had leftif we had leftif we had left (all girls)I would have made a reservation if I had known itI would have waited and I would have gone there with youif you had called me and if you had told me that you wanted to have it I would have givenit to you (friend)

I would have bought itI would have given it to youI would have given it you (friend)(9) 1.57(the "historic past" is not used much in the spoken language, but is used more often inliterature. In some areas of Italy, you may hear it instead of the simple past)I spokeI sold(10) 3.28

(end of recording)

mt italian advanced (eng only)

Documents