At school

School subjects and school life in Italian

In Italy, the school system has its own vocabulary for everyday activities. Understanding school-related terms is essential at the A2 level.

Essential school verbs

• studiare — to study: Ho studiato tutta la sera. (I studied all evening.)
• interrogare — to test orally: L'insegnante mi ha interrogato in storia. (The teacher tested me orally in history.)
• consegnare — to hand in: Devi consegnare i compiti domani. (You must hand in the homework tomorrow.)
• prendere un voto — to get a grade: Ho preso sette in matematica. (I got a seven in maths.)
• superare un esame — to pass an exam: Ho superato l'esame di scienze! (I passed the science exam!)
• bocciare / essere bocciato — to fail / to be failed: Non voglio essere bocciato. (I don't want to fail.)

The grading system

In Italy, grades go from 1 to 10. A 6 is the minimum passing grade (sufficiente). Common expressions:

• Ho preso un bel voto. — I got a good grade.
• Ho preso un brutto voto. — I got a bad grade.

The school schedule

Italian schools often start in the morning and finish around noon or early afternoon. Use official time:

• La scuola inizia alle otto. — School starts at eight.
• Le lezioni finiscono alle due. — Lessons end at two.
• I compiti sono per domani. — Homework is for tomorrow.

Talking about subjects

To express your favourite or least favourite subject:

• Mi piace la matematica. — I like maths.
• Non mi piace la storia. — I don't like history.
• La mia materia preferita è l'arte. — My favourite subject is art.

Esempio: "Oggi ho un'interrogazione di italiano. Ho studiato molto, spero di prendere un bel voto." — "Today I have an Italian oral test. I studied a lot, I hope to get a good grade."