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For a limited time, I'm making Bonus Episode 8, our Imperativo Power Up episode, available to everyone!

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This special release is in preparation for this week's Italian Imperativo Workshop: Commands, Requests and Advice, where we'll practise using commands to make requests, offer advice, give directions, and more, with Antonio, our custom Italian tutor.

If you'd like to prepare, here are the episodes covering the imperativo. You don't need to listen to them all before joining us, but they'll give you a wonderful foundation for our practice together.

🎧 Listen to the Imperativo episodes

• Episode 9
• Episode 10
• Episode 11
• Episode 12
• Bonus Episode 8 – Imperativo Power Up (temporarily available to everyone!)

🐌 Join us for the live workshop

• European Meetup
• North American Meetup (Vancouver Chapter)

We'll explore the grammar together, practise with Antonio, and discover how the imperativo works in real conversations.

Come with your questions and curiosity. We'll learn together, piano piano.

Ci vediamo!

Myra

Originally Published: Nov. 02, 2025 in Season 3.

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I’d love to hear your thoughts on Impariamo l’italiano piano piano!
Here are a few ways you can connect with me:

• Read my blog here
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• Take the listener survey
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Email: [email protected]

Voice Credits
Special thanks to voice actor Joshua Hess for lending his voice to Impariamo l'Italiano Piano Piano. - Contact: [email protected]

All content © 2026 Impariamo l’italiano piano piano – Un impegno quotidiano

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We're returning to the mercatino for the final part of our three-part introduction to the Italian preposition SU!

In this episode of Impariamo l'italiano piano piano, we revisit Sulle Pagine della Nonna, this time hearing the complete scene in Italian without interruptions or English translations. Sara, Luca, and Carlo are still surrounded by the grandmother's treasured recipes, and a little mystery continues to unfold.

After the scene, join Myra and Antonio for a Listener Challenge exploring the many ways Italians use SU, from surfaces and directions to approximations and everyday expressions.

Listen, enjoy the story, and see how much you understand. Piano piano, una parola alla volta.

📖 EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

The complete transcript for Episode 7, Parts 1A, 1B, and 1C, including additional grammar notes, is available for show supporters.

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⏳ CHAPTERS
1:47 La Scena - Sulle Pagine della Nonna Senza Interruzioni
4:43 Listener Challenge
7:46 Wrap-up

Support the show

I’d love to hear your thoughts on Impariamo l’italiano piano piano!
Here are a few ways you can connect with me:

• Read my blog here
• -->Leave me a voice message<-- 
  You might even be featured on the show! 
• Take the listener survey
• Join us on meetup!

Email: [email protected]

Voice Credits
Special thanks to voice actor Joshua Hess for lending his voice to Impariamo l'Italiano Piano Piano. - Contact: [email protected]

All content © 2026 Impariamo l’italiano piano piano – Un impegno quotidiano

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In Part 1B of our exploration of the Italian preposition SU, we discover how this little word helps us look upward, describe a view, encourage someone, and express ourselves in everyday conversation.

We'll explore expressions such as su con la vita, su per giù, and sul serio, along with verbs that naturally pair with SU, including contare su, fare affidamento su, and riflettere su.

Then we return to the mercatino, where Paolo's nonna's handwritten recipes inspire the idea of creating a book. But there's something else waiting to be discovered in her old recipe box.

And what about Studente Saggio Paul's prediction? Could it still come true?

Listen, learn with me, and keep making your predictions!

--> Link to Post for Transcript for this episode <--

⏳ CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction
1:10 SU for looking upward or outward
4:20 SU in Commands and Expressions
6:27 Le Locuzioni Fisse
9:43 Di chi è questo verbo?
18:07 Transition to La Scena
18:48 La Scena - Sulle Pagine della Nonna
25:32 Wrap-up

Support the show

I’d love to hear your thoughts on Impariamo l’italiano piano piano!
Here are a few ways you can connect with me:

• Read my blog here
• -->Leave me a voice message<-- 
  You might even be featured on the show! 
• Take the listener survey
• Join us on meetup!

Email: [email protected]

Voice Credits
Special thanks to voice actor Joshua Hess for lending his voice to Impariamo l'Italiano Piano Piano. - Contact: [email protected]

All content © 2026 Impariamo l’italiano piano piano – Un impegno quotidiano

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One little word, three very different jobs.

In this episode of Le piccole parole, we explore three important uses of the Italian preposition SU. We start with the familiar idea of something being on a surface, then see how SU introduces a topic, and finally discover how Italians use it to express an approximation.

You'll hear examples like sul tavolo, un libro su Dante, and sui trenta euro, and we'll look at how SU combines with Italian definite articles to become sul, sullo, sulla, sull', sui, sugli, and sulle.

And before we finish, there's still a question waiting for us at the banco delle riparazioni: che ne sarà delle ricette?

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⏳ CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction
2:09 SU for surface
4:41 SU for topic
7:16 SU for approximation
11:41 Wrap-up - Part 1A

Support the show

I’d love to hear your thoughts on Impariamo l’italiano piano piano!
Here are a few ways you can connect with me:

• Read my blog here
• -->Leave me a voice message<-- 
  You might even be featured on the show! 
• Take the listener survey
• Join us on meetup!

Email: [email protected]

Voice Credits
Special thanks to voice actor Joshua Hess for lending his voice to Impariamo l'Italiano Piano Piano. - Contact: [email protected]

All content © 2026 Impariamo l’italiano piano piano – Un impegno quotidiano

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The recipes from Paolo’s grandmother are still at the banco delle riparazioni. What will happen to them next?

Studente Saggio Paul has sent us his prediction, and it involves a breeze, recipes flying across the piazza... and an unexpected encounter for Carlo.

Listen to Paul’s prediction in Italian, then send me yours! There’s still time to make a prediction before Episode 7.

Everyone who sends in a prediction will receive the promo code for next week’s Italian, Piano Piano Community Meetup, which also includes the study guides for this week’s Meetup topic.

Che ne sarà delle ricette? Fate le vostre previsioni  at https://www.speakpipe.com/WeLearnItalian

⏳ CHAPTERS
⏳ CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction
1:17 Paul's Prediction
2:53 Your Prediction: Your Reward

Support the show

I’d love to hear your thoughts on Impariamo l’italiano piano piano!
Here are a few ways you can connect with me:

• Read my blog here
• -->Leave me a voice message<-- 
  You might even be featured on the show! 
• Take the listener survey
• Join us on meetup!

Email: [email protected]

Voice Credits
Special thanks to voice actor Joshua Hess for lending his voice to Impariamo l'Italiano Piano Piano. - Contact: [email protected]

All content © 2026 Impariamo l’italiano piano piano – Un impegno quotidiano

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What happens when one little Italian word seems to be doing several completely different jobs?

Before you listen to this episode, take the poll on LinkedIn and see how much you already know. Take the poll here.

In this first Questa settimana al Meetup, we follow the questions and discoveries that came up during our weekly Italian Meetup. We look at reflexive, pronominal and reciprocal uses of si, including rendersi conto and innamorarsi, and discover why sentences that look remarkably similar can work quite differently.

Along the way, we also explore avere a che fare con, the difference between vecchio and anziano, and finish with some story practice as Zina deals with her rain-soaked jacket.

It’s the kind of conversation that doesn’t follow a straight line, which is often exactly where the interesting Italian turns up.

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⏳ CHAPTERS
1:11 Paul Puts a Podcast Phrase to Work: avere a che fare con
2:12 Un vecchio or un uomo anziano?
4:09 Rendersi conto: Why the si?
6:51 Innamorarsi: Reflexive, Pronominal or Reciprocal?
8:11 Three Jobs for SI
13:56 Story Practice: Zina's Wet Jacket
15:27 Wrap-up – Meetups Don't Follow a Straight Line

Support the show

I’d love to hear your thoughts on Impariamo l’italiano piano piano!
Here are a few ways you can connect with me:

• Read my blog here
• -->Leave me a voice message<-- 
  You might even be featured on the show! 
• Take the listener survey
• Join us on meetup!

Email: [email protected]

Voice Credits
Special thanks to voice actor Joshua Hess for lending his voice to Impariamo l'Italiano Piano Piano. - Contact: [email protected]

All content © 2026 Impariamo l’italiano piano piano – Un impegno quotidiano

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In this preview of Le piccole parole – Episodio 6 – Parte 2, we continue our exploration of the Italian preposition CON.

How does CON help us describe people more naturally? And how does this little word become part of expressions Italians use all the time?

We’ll also return to the mercatino, where Paolo’s grandmother’s handwritten recipes are beginning to reveal why they’re worth preserving.

--> Link to Post for Transcript for this episode <--

Piano piano, one little word at a time.

⏳ CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction
3:44 Comprehension Questions
5:17 Previously at the Mercatino
7:50 Comprehension Answers
10:51 Free Preview Wrap-up

Support the show

I’d love to hear your thoughts on Impariamo l’italiano piano piano!
Here are a few ways you can connect with me:

• Read my blog here
• -->Leave me a voice message<-- 
  You might even be featured on the show! 
• Take the listener survey
• Join us on meetup!

Email: [email protected]

Voice Credits
Special thanks to voice actor Joshua Hess for lending his voice to Impariamo l'Italiano Piano Piano. - Contact: [email protected]

All content © 2026 Impariamo l’italiano piano piano – Un impegno quotidiano

Send me a voicemail

CON means “with”... but that’s only the beginning.

In Parte 1B of our exploration of the Italian preposition con, we move beyond the basics and look at some of the places where this little word becomes part of everyday Italian.

--> Link to Post for Transcript for this episode <--

We’ll explore con in weather expressions, including con questo freddo and con la pioggia, the articulated forms col and coi, and fixed expressions such as con piacere, con il tempo, and con le mani in mano. We’ll also look at verbs and expressions that naturally reach for con, including parlare con, stare con, uscire con, and farcela con. 

Then we return to the mercatino estivo, where Matteo arrives carrying something old and fragile. What begins as a repair becomes something much more meaningful, approached con cura, con delicatezza, con attenzione. 

As always, listen for the patterns rather than trying to memorize a list. Little by little, con will begin to feel less like a word you have to translate and more like a natural part of the Italian you speak.

⏳ CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction
1:06 Podcast Frame – Matteo Arrives
2:55 CON in Weather Expressions
6:56 Articulated Forms of CON
9:48 Le Locuzioni Fisse
11:44 Di chi è questo verbo?
17:59 Transition to La Scena
18:56 La Scena – Con Cura
25:03 La Scena – Senza Interruzioni
27:31 Listener Challenge
30:25 Wrap-up

Support the show

I’d love to hear your thoughts on Impariamo l’italiano piano piano!
Here are a few ways you can connect with me:

• Read my blog here
• -->Leave me a voice message<-- 
  You might even be featured on the show! 
• Take the listener survey
• Join us on meetup!

Email: [email protected]

Voice Credits
Special thanks to voice actor Joshua Hess for lending his voice to Impariamo l'Italiano Piano Piano. - Contact: [email protected]

All content © 2026 Impariamo l’italiano piano piano – Un impegno quotidiano

Send me a voicemail

Studente Saggio Paul from Cold Lake, Alberta, has sent in his latest prediction. What will be the next object to arrive at the banco delle riparazioni?

Listen to Paul's prediction, make your own, and then come back for Le piccole parole – Episodio 6, Parte 1B to discover whether he was right.

And this time, there's a little incentive to join in: send me your prediction and I'll send you the study guide and answer keys for the entire Le piccole parole series, (once it is finished) including practice exercises and full episode transcripts.

Send your prediction here: https://www.speakpipe.com/WeLearnItalian 

Support the show

I’d love to hear your thoughts on Impariamo l’italiano piano piano!
Here are a few ways you can connect with me:

• Read my blog here
• -->Leave me a voice message<-- 
  You might even be featured on the show! 
• Take the listener survey
• Join us on meetup!

Email: [email protected]

Voice Credits
Special thanks to voice actor Joshua Hess for lending his voice to Impariamo l'Italiano Piano Piano. - Contact: [email protected]

All content © 2026 Impariamo l’italiano piano piano – Un impegno quotidiano

Send me a voicemail

In this episode of Le piccole parole, we begin exploring the Italian preposition CON, a little word that has a wonderful way of bringing things together.

We look at three essential uses of CON: being with someone, using a tool or instrument to do something, and describing the way something is done.

Con Marco. Con il coltello. Con cura.

Along the way, we'll explore natural expressions such as con calma, con pazienza, con attenzione and con amore, and look at why Italian sometimes gives these expressions a little extra weight with the indefinite article.

--> Link to Post for Transcript for this episode <--

⏳ CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction
1:56 Con for Accompaniment
3:58 Con for Instrument or Means
6:01 Con for Manner
10:16 Wrap-up

Support the show

I’d love to hear your thoughts on Impariamo l’italiano piano piano!
Here are a few ways you can connect with me:

• Read my blog here
• -->Leave me a voice message<-- 
  You might even be featured on the show! 
• Take the listener survey
• Join us on meetup!

Email: [email protected]

Voice Credits
Special thanks to voice actor Joshua Hess for lending his voice to Impariamo l'Italiano Piano Piano. - Contact: [email protected]

All content © 2026 Impariamo l’italiano piano piano – Un impegno quotidiano