Italiano con MartinVocabulary A1–A2
Observe the scene and discover each word through the image and three example Italian sentences.
to go to the seaside
to open the beach umbrella
to spread out your towel
to get a tan
to get sunburnt, to burn yourself
to build a sandcastle
to collect shells
to bury in the sand
to play beach tennis (with wooden paddles)
to blow up the air mattress
to relax
to get your feet wet, to paddle
to splash
to float on your back
to jump over the waves
to go snorkelling
to go out on a pedalo
to go canoeing, to go kayaking
to save, to rescue
to go sailing
to set sail, to leave port
to sail, to navigate
to drop anchor
to dock, to moor
to disembark, to get off (a boat)
to fish, to go fishing
to be seasick
to break, to crash (of waves)
to set (of the sun)
to sink
You say andare al mare (to go to the seaside), like andare in montagna; on the sand you are in spiaggia (on the beach). At the sea fare il bagno means going in the water for a swim, not having a bath. Many sea verbs are reflexive and take essere in the passato prossimo: mi sono abbronzata (I got a tan, said by a woman), ti sei scottato (you got burnt), ci siamo bagnati i piedi (we got our feet wet), le onde si infrangono (the waves break). Salpare, sbarcare and affondare also take essere when nobody does anything to the boat: siamo salpati all’alba (we set sail at dawn), la nave è affondata (the ship sank). Fare il morto (literally “to play dead”) is nothing scary: it just means floating on your back. Sea words (beach, umbrella, boat, anchor…) are in the lesson The sea.
Drag-and-drop exercise
Drag a verb onto the photo it describes. Sometimes several verbs fit (a boat leaving the harbour is setting sail, but it is also sailing: navigare): one is enough, but you can add as many as you like. On a phone: tap the verb, then tap the photo.
Verbs: drag them onto the photos or tap them
Verbs: drag them onto the photos or tap them
Verbs: drag them onto the photos or tap them
Free production
Write your version and compare it with the proposed solution. These activities remain saved on the device, but non modificano il punteggio.
Translate freelyIn August we go to the seaside with our grandparents.
Proposed solution: Ad agosto andiamo al mare con i nonni.
Translate freelyDad opens the beach umbrella and I spread out the towel.
Proposed solution: Papà apre l’ombrellone e io stendo l’asciugamano.
Translate freelyPut on some sun cream, otherwise you’ll get burnt instead of tanned.
Proposed solution: Metti la crema, se no ti scotti invece di abbronzarti.
Translate freelyThe children build a sandcastle and collect shells.
Proposed solution: I bambini fanno un castello di sabbia e raccolgono le conchiglie.
Translate freelyThe water is cold: I’m only getting my feet wet.
Proposed solution: L’acqua è fredda: mi bagno solo i piedi.
Translate freelyI can’t swim well, but I can float on my back.
Proposed solution: Non so nuotare bene, ma so fare il morto.
Translate freelyThe lifeguard saved a boy who couldn’t get back to the shore.
Proposed solution: Il bagnino ha salvato un ragazzo che non riusciva a tornare a riva.
Translate freelyThe ferry leaves at eight and docks in Capri at nine.
Proposed solution: Il traghetto salpa alle otto e attracca a Capri alle nove.
Translate freelyI always get seasick on a boat.
Proposed solution: Sulla barca ho sempre il mal di mare.
Translate freelyIn the evening we watch the sun setting over the sea.
Proposed solution: La sera guardiamo il sole che tramonta sul mare.
Italiano con Martin
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