MICHEL THOMAS ITALIAN (ADVANCED) COURSE, 4 CDs
TRANSCRIPT
This is an approximate transcript of the course, since Michel often changed his mind in the middle of a sentence to be translated, or adapted his sentences for the students. The booklet that accompanied Michel's courses was wholly inadequate, so I have written this transcript. 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, without buying 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 2006
Transcribed by JK
CD 1 (70.14)
(1) 11.18
I am very happy to be here with you
with all of you
I would like to see it
I want it now
I want some of it now
I bought some
I didn't buy any because I didn't find any
can 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 it
I would like to see it
it would please me to see it
I like very much to travel
I am sorry about I cannot wait because I have to leave soon
I will have to leave
I would have to leave
("I would have to" is often used for "I should")
I should leave
I cannot stay
I 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 was able to")
I could, I would be able
I could, I was able
(2) 9.17
(tu "you" is used to address family and friends, and maybe also colleagues. Lei "you" is used to address everyone else)
I speak
he speaks, you speak
you speak (to a friend)
I am selling
you are selling (to a friend)
you are leaving (to a friend)
to have
I have
he has, you have
you have (to a friend)
to go
we go
I go, I am going
he is going
you are going (to a friend)
to be
I am
he is, she is, it is
you are (friend)
where are you? (friend)
to know
I know
I don't know it
he knows it
don't you know it?
you know it (to a friend)
I can
he can
can you tell me?
can you tell me, Carlo?
to want
I want it
I don't want any
do 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)
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) 6.04
to speak
I speak
(for "they" and "all of you", go from parlo to parlano. This ending is used with -are verbs; for other verbs, the ending is -ono)
to leave
I am leaving
they are leaving, you all are leaving
I am selling it
they are selling it
I have
he has
you have (friend)
they have
you have (plural)
we have
I am
they are
I am busy now
they are busy now
they are busy (all women)
you are (friend)
you are (plural)
I am going
he is going
you are going (friend)
they are going
to give
I give
he gives
you give (friend)
they give
I want
they want
I can
they can
you can (plural)
you want (plural)
we want
we can
(4) 3.32
to say, to tell
I am telling
I am telling you
I am telling him
it to him
I am telling it to him
I am giving it to her
they are not telling me
they are not telling it to me
to understand
I understand
I don't understand it
they don't understand it
I don't know him
they don't know me
I am finishing
I am finishing it
they are finishing it
they don't want to do it
they don't want to tell me
(5) 4.16
why 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 it
we are going to see it
can you please show me what you have bought? (friend)
("let me see" is often used in place of "show")
can you let me see
it is not what I want
I am preparing it
I am in the process of preparing it
I am just about to prepare it
I am staying
they are staying
he, she, it is staying
you are staying (friend)
we are staying
you are staying (plural)
(7) 5.56
I have
to leave
I will leave
he will leave
you will leave (friend)
they will leave
I will prepare it
at what time will you leave? (friend)
at what time will you leave?
you will leave (plural)
we will leave
we would leave
we will leave
we will do it
we would do it
we wouldn't do it
we won't do it
he won't tell me
we won't do it
we wouldn't do it
they will do it
I won't do it
why won't you do it? (friend)
(8) 9.52
I would do it
he would do it
they would do it
they wouldn't do it
he wouldn't tell me
they wouldn't tell me
he will be here
I will be here
they will be here soon
later
we will be here
but it wouldn't be possible that way
we would be very happy to do it
it will please me very much to do it
but I wouldn't like to do it
it would be very important for me
I will have it for you
but we won't have it today
I wouldn't have it today
I will leave
they will leave
he will leave
you will leave (friend)
you will leave (plural)
when will you leave? (plural)
we will leave soon
but we wouldn't leave today
he will leave
he would leave
they will leave
he would leave
they would leave
he told me that he won't leave
really
I really know that he wouldn't leave
I am sure that they wouldn't leave today
(the "would" ending for tu is -resti and for voi is -reste)
you would leave (friend)
you would be here (friend)
you would be here (plural)
(9) 3.15
I will have it
I would have it
I would have bought it
we would have waited for you (friend)
we would have waited for him
they wouldn't have waited for me
he would have seen me and he would have told me why he won't do it that way
(10) 3.21
I am preparing it
I will be preparing it
I am in the process of preparing it
I am just about to prepare it
I tell you tomorrow (friend)
I tell you tomorrow
it to you
I tell you it tomorrow
I will tell him
it to him
I will tell it to him
I will tell it to you tomorrow
he wouldn't tell it to me
(11) 8.27
I am preparing it
I was speaking
he was speaking
they were speaking
you were speaking (friend)
you were speaking (plural)
we were speaking
I was selling it
they were selling it
I was selling it
they were selling it
he was selling it
you were selling it (friend)
you was selling it (plural)
we were selling it
I was leaving
he was leaving
you were leaving (friend)
they were leaving
we were leaving
you were leaving
I am doing it
they are doing it
you are doing it (friend)
he is doing it
you are doing it (plural)
we are doing it
I was doing it
he was doing it
they were doing it
we were doing it
you were doing it (plural)
I did it, I have done it
(end of recording)
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 know
I knew it from
I didn't know it
I have known it, I found out
I found out that it will be ready soon
I didn't know it
to want
I wanted it
I didn't want to buy it
to look at
I was looking at it
but I didn't want to buy it
I didn't want to have it
I don't understand what you mean
to have
to be
I didn't want to do it because I didn't have the time to do it because I was very busy
I could
I couldn't find it
I didn't know where it was
I was looking for it
but I didn't find it
I 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) 7.32
to have to, to be supposed to
I must see it
you have to tell me
you have to tell me (friend)
you have to tell me (plural)
we have to buy it
I will have to do it
he will have to be here soon
he would have to be here
("would have to" is used for "should", "ought to")
you should be here
you should tell me
I think that you should do it (friend)
you should do it (plural)
we have to buy it
you would have to
you would have to (friend)
you should tell me (friend)
you should come with me (plural)
he had to wait
(4) 7.50
I 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 it
I would have
I wouldn't have
I wouldn't have been able to do it without you, I couldn't have done it without you
could 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 leave
I haven't been able to wait
to leave, to go myself away from it
I am leaving now
I had to leave
(5) 9.11
I could have told you, I would have been able to tell you
I couldn't do it now
I couldn't do it yesterday
I 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 it
I couldn't have waited for you, I would not have been able to wait for you
I could have told you, I would have been able to tell you
I am sorry but I couldn't have gone there with you last night because I was very busy
I would have to do it
I would have it
I would have to do it
(dovrei expresses not only "I would have to" but also "I should", "I ought to")
I should do it
you should tell me
you should wait for me (friend)
you have to wait for me (friend)
(6) 14.08
to be able
you 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 it
I couldn't find it, I haven't been able to find it
I had not been able to find it
I could have told you, I would have been able to tell you
I could have told you where it was
(7) 5.20
I asked you
to ask
asked
said, told
done
I have done it
I haven't done it
he didn't do it, he has not done it
to see
I saw it
(with "see", there are two ways to dive: visto or veduto)
I have seen him
I have seen her
I have seen them
I have seen them (all women)
to write
written
to speak
spoken
to leave
left
to hear
heard
to sell
sold
to see
seen
(8) 4.46
to ask
asked
he asked me
why didn't you ask me? (friend)
to say, tell
said, told
why didn't you tell me?
to do
did
I did it
I didn't do it
why didn't you do it?
I didn't do it because I didn't know that you wanted to have it
you wanted to have it (at that moment)
(9) 4.54
could you tell me, could you please tell me?
he couldn't tell me because he did not know it
I could have told you, I would have been able to tell you
he couldn't have done it that way
(end of recording)
CD 3 (76.17)
(1) 13.24
I can
they can
to leave
I am leaving
they leave
they are telling me
I know
they know
they have
they are
they give
they go
they stay
they do
they can
they don't want to do it
to understand
they understand
to finish
they are finishing
("they" always follows the form for "I", but voi "you" follows the infinitive)
you can (plural)
they can
I can
they can
you are saying, you are telling (plural)
why don't you tell me? (plural)
they cannot do it
they don't want to do it that way
they are not telling me
they don't understand it
(the only exception is with the -are verbs)
they speak
they are eating
they are selling it
they don't see it
they are finishing
they don't know him
I know him
they don't know him
at what time are you (all) leaving?
at what time are they leaving?
to have to
I must
they have to be here soon
you have to tell me (plural)
they have to
I have
they have
you have (plural)
you are doing it (plural)
why don't you tell me? (plural)
why don't they tell me?
(2) 9.53
we can
we cannot find it
I will be able to do it
I won't be able to do it that way
he won't be able to come with us
they are not coming
why don't you come with us? (plural)
you have to wait for me
you are leaving (friend)
you have to (friend)
you have to wait for me (friend)
we have to wait
we have to wait here
I will have to do it
we will have to do it
we would have to do it
("would have to" is used for "should")
we should do it
you should wait for me
you should wait for me (plural formal)
you should have to wait
they should have to wait
you should have to wait for me (plural formal)
you should tell me (friend)
you should tell me (plural)
they should tell me
could you tell me? (friend)
could you tell me? (plural)
they couldn't tell me
(3) 9.38
I have
you have (friend)
he has
they have
I will leave
he will leave
you will leave (friend)
they will leave
we will leave
we would leave
we will leave
you will leave (friend)
you will leave (plural)
we will leave
you will leave (plural)
we will tell you (friend)
we will tell you (formal)
we wouldn't tell him
we wouldn't give it to him
we will leave
we would leave
when 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 it
he wouldn't have done it
I would do it
he would do it
they would do it
we would do it
we will do it
you would do it (friend)
you would do it (plural)
(4) 7.51
to have to
I can
they can
we can
you can (friend)
can you tell me? (friend)
can you tell me?
can you tell me? (plural)
I will be able to do it
I won't be able to do it that way
he will be able to do it
they will be able to do it
you will be able to do it
he won't be able to do it
you will be able to do it (friend)
we will be able to do it
we would be able to do it
we couldn't (past)
we couldn't find it (past)
I couldn't go there last night
I couldn't go there tonight
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 me
I could have told you
(5) 5.15
I should do it, I would have to do it
you should wait for me
we should go there
they should come with us
you should wait for us (plural)
you could have told me (friend)
I could have done it
I should have told you
we should have left earlier
(6) 8.17
I went (I am gone)
I went (female)
we went
we went (all women)
where did you go? (female friend)
I am
you 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 it
he left
at what time did you leave?
at what time did you leave? (female friend)
we left
we left (all girls)
just
we have just left
he has just arrived
we went out
to go out
I am going out
they are going out
you 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)
don't tell me! (friend)
don't wait for me! (friend)
I come
come 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)
slowly
more slowly
speak 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 you
tell 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) 11.53
he has just arrived
he would have arrived earlier
(make a separation between "would", "would have" on one hand, and "should", "should have", "could", "could have" on the other)
(for "would", you have to hit the -r-)
he would do it
they wouldn't do it
I wouldn't do it
I would have done it
I wouldn't do it now
I wouldn't have done it
we wouldn't buy it because it is too expensive
he will buy it
we will buy it
we would buy it
we would have bought it
("I would have" uses either avrei... or sarei...)
I would have
I would have spoken
I would have left
he would leave
he would have left
he would buy it
he would have bought it
he wouldn't tell me
he wouldn't have told you
he wouldn't have told you (friend)
he would arrive soon
he would have arrived a long time ago
(end of recording)
CD 4 (65.56)
(1) 9.39
I couldn't find it, I wasn't able to find it
I couldn't find it, I could never find it
could you tell me?
you could have told me (friend)
you could have told me
I know that he couldn't do it, I know that he wouldn't be able to do it
he couldn't do it, he wasn't able to do it
I could do it
could you tell me?
I could have told you
I would have left earlier
I could have left sooner
and I would have arrived on time
I would have arrived in time
you have to wait for me
you will have to wait for me
you should wait for me
you should have waited for me
(2) 3.43
to go up salire
I am going up, I am coming up
they are going up
you 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 been
she has been
I was there yesterday
I have been there
I was here
there was
there are
there are many problems
many people
there are many people
there are so many people
we were there and there were many people
(3) 4.35
wait! (friend)
wait!
speak!
speak! (friend)
leave!
at what time are you leaving?
at what time do we leave?
let's leave!
let's go!
I am coming
they are coming
you are coming (plural)
we are coming
he is coming
you 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 be here", you could say "it is necessary that you be here" (the subjunctive) and not "...that you 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", you could say "it is absolutely necessary that he go"; instead of saying "he must do it", you could 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 the subjunctive)
speak!
that I speak, that you speak (friend), that he speaks
that they speak
that we speak
that you speak (plural)
I want you to speak, I want that you speak (plural)
that you speak (plural formal)
that we speak
that you speak (plural)
(that takes care of the -are verbs. Now the others)
leave!
that I leave, that you leave (friend), that he leaves
that they leave
that we leave
that you leave (plural)
I want you to leave with me (plural)
at what time are you leaving? (plural)
to sell
why don't you want me to sell it?, why don't you want that I sell it?
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 it
I want you to tell me
at what time do you want me to finish?
I want you to call me
(5) 5.05
to have (subjunctive)
that we have
that they have
that we have
that you have
to be (subjunctive)
we are
that they be
that we be
that you be
it is important that you be here
that I be here
that they be here
it is important that (almost) you be here
I need it
I don't need it
it is important...
it is important that he be here
(6) 6.55
(the past subjunctive: for -are verbs)
it was necessary that I spoke
that I spoke forth
that you spoke (friend)
that he spoke
that they spoke
that we spoke
that you spoke (plural)
it was necessary that we spoke
that we spoke
that I spoke
that you spoke (friend)
that we spoke
that he spoke
that you spoke (plural)
that they spoke
that he spoke
that you spoke (plural)
that they spoke
that I spoke
that you spoke (friend)
that we spoke
(-ere verbs)
that I sold
(-ire verbs)
that I left
that you left (friend)
that I spoke
that you spoke (friend)
that we spoke
that you left (friend)
that we left
that you left (plural)
that he left
that they left
that you left (plural)
that I left
that you left (friend)
that we left
that I sold
that you sold (friend)
that we sold
that they sold
that you sold (plural)
(7) 8.03
(past subjunctive of avere and essere)
to have
that I had
that you had (friend)
that we had
that they had
that he had
that she had
that it had
that you had
that 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 it
and I would have prepared it for you
I have been busy (I am been busy)
I have been busy (female)
if I had the time I would do it
(8) 9.49
that I had
that I were
if I were
if you were (friend)
if he were
if they were
if we were
if you were (plural)
I left
I had left
if I had left
if she had left
if we had left
if we had left (all girls)
I would have made a reservation if I had known it
I would have waited and I would have gone there with you
if you had called me and if you had told me that you wanted to have it I would have given it to you (friend)
I would have bought it
I would have given it to you
I 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 in literature. In some areas of Italy, you may hear it instead of the simple past)
I spoke
I sold
(10) 3.28
(end of recording)