Episode 01 - The Poetry of the Past - The Imperfetto Part 1

🎙 Podcast Episode One: Impariamo l’italiano piano piano - Un impegno quotidiano

In this episode, we'll begin our exploration of one of Italian's most poetic and versatile tenses: l’imperfetto. Through vivid examples and storytelling, we’ll uncover the beauty of this tense, used to describe past habits, ongoing actions, and background details.

🌟 Highlights:

✔️ Why l’imperfetto is perfect for setting the scene in narratives.
✔️ Three key uses: habits, ongoing actions, and background descriptions.
✔️ Examples from Mariella’s story, set in the heart of Florence.

 🎯 Practice Makes Perfect:
Even before we get into the conjugation of this melodic tense, you have the opportunity to practice with me as I provide the english version of examples and give you the opportunity to say the italian before I do.

📜 Care to follow along as you listen? Check out the transcript.

📚 Want more? Click the Support the Show link below to access bonus episodes! Bonus content includes upcoming vocabulary presented in context, recall exercises, mini quizzes, and interactive flashcards to reinforce what you’ve learned.

→ Link to vocabulary flashcards ←

🎧 Take it slow, embrace the process, and immerse yourself in Italian—piano piano!

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro music
• 2:06 Examples with Italian translation
• 6:18 Introduction to podcast
• 8:04 Uses for imperfetto
• 12:13 Play the story - Chapter 1 Part 1
• 17:07 Wrap up and next steps

Transcript

Impariamo l'italiano piano piano - Un impegno quotidiano

Podcast Episode 01 - The Poetry of the Past - The Imperfetto Part 1

→ Link to vocabulary flashcards ←

•             The old bookshop always had that special scent of ancient paper... 

•             She used to feel at home among those dusty shelves... 

•             In summer, we would always go swimming at the beach... 

•             My grandmother used to bake bread every Saturday... 

•             The bells of the cathedral were ringing through the misty morning... 

•             Children were playing in the piazza while their mothers chatted nearby... 

Who can tell me, if you wanted to say these sentences in Italian, what tense would you use? How would you put it together?

If you said ‘the imperfetto’, you are correct.

Did you happen to notice that these 6 sentences fall into three main situations, describing background details, talking about habits or repeated actions and the third one, ongoing actions in the past. 

Let's hear these six examples again, but this time, I'll pause after each one. Time for you to say the Italian, or hit the pause button while you think about it. Take your time, say it and hit play again to listen back.

Myra: The old bookshop always had that special scent of ancient paper... 

Antonio: Ah, il profumo della carta antica... insostituibile!
(Ah, the scent of ancient paper... irreplaceable!)

Myra: Antonio, I know you love the smell of old books, but can I please focus?
  I need to do some translations. 

Antonio: Va bene, va bene… ma è un dettaglio importante!

Myra: Dai, su! – Come on, let’s go!

Antonio: Bene, eccomi qui, al tuo servizio! Dimmi pure, come posso assisterti, mia cara Maira? 
(Well, here I am, at your service! Tell me, how may I assist you, my dear Maira?)

Myra: Per ora? Niente.
   Allora, torniamo a noi. 
(Alright, let's get back to us." (or more naturally in context: "Alright, let's get back to the matter at hand.")) 
  The old bookshop always had that special scent of ancient paper...

Paolo: La vecchia libreria aveva sempre quel particolare profumo di carta antica...
 
   Antonio: E questo chi è?!
(And who’s this?!)

Myra: Oh, calmati, Antonio. È solo una voce registrata! – Oh, relax, Antonio. It’s just a recorded voice!

Antonio: Sì, ma di chi?
(Yes, but whose?)

Myra: È Paolo, mio marito. … He is my husband.

Antonio: Tuo marito?!
(Your husband?!)

Myra: Sì, Antonio. Dai, andiamo avanti.
(Yes, Antonio. Come on, let’s move on.)

Mh… la voce è un po’… ovattata… troppo veloce… poco chiara… 
( Mh... the voice is a bit... muffled... too fast... not very clear)

Myra: Really? muffled, too fast and not very clear? Penso che tu stia esagerando, solo un po’, Antonio. I think you're exaggerating, just a bit. 

Antonio: Va bene, va bene… allora sentiamo il prossimo! 
(Alright, alright… let’s hear the next one!)

Myra: Bene, continuiamo. Ecco un’altra frase…  
(Alright, let’s continue. Here’s another sentence)…

She used to feel at home among those dusty shelves... 

Si sentiva a casa tra quegli scaffali polverosi...
 
  Antonio: Mmm... aspetta, aspetta...

Direi… Si sentiva proprio a casa in mezzo a quegli scaffali pieni di polvere. 
(I'd say... She really felt at home among those dusty shelves)

Myra: Antonio…

Antonio: Che c’è? Lo sto solo migliorando!
(What's wrong? I'm just improving it!)

Myra: Va be, continuiamo. Ecco un’altra frase… – whatever, let’s continue. Here’s another sentence…

In summer, we would always go swimming at the beach... 

In estate, andavamo sempre a nuotare in spiaggia...

My grandmother used to bake bread every Saturday... 

Mia nonna faceva il pane ogni sabato...

The bells of the cathedral were ringing through the misty morning... 

Le campane della cattedrale suonavano attraverso la mattina nebbiosa... 

Children were playing in the piazza while their mothers chatted nearby... 

I bambini giocavano in piazza mentre le loro madri chiacchieravano vicino...

Antonio: Ma dai, che noia! Preferisco il tuo accento, Myra. 
(Come on, how boring! I prefer your accent, Myra.

Introduction 

Welcome to Impariamo l’italiano piano piano! In this episode, we’ll begin our exploration of one of the most poetic and versatile tenses in Italian, the imperfetto.

Why did I choose the Imperfetto to begin this journey into Italian tenses?

Normally the passato prossimo is the first past tense that a student of Italian generally learns. The passato prossimo focuses on completed actions. We will be getting to that one shortly. If you know the passato prossimo already or even if you already know the imperfetto, and you want to solidify further your knowledge and your skills, stay tuned. That’s the reason I am here. So why are we covering the imperfetto first? This podcast is designed around a ten part story and like any good narrative, the first thing we need to do is to set the scene. That is where the imperfetto comes in.  

Antonio: L’imperfetto è il tempo dei poeti, dei ricordi… della bellezza della vita!
(The imperfetto is the tense of poets, of memories… of the beauty of life!)

Myra: Tutto verissimo, Antonio. 
 The imperfect is the tense of poets, of memories… and the beauty of life. 
  But can we set poetry aside just for a moment?

Ma possiamo lasciare la poesia da parte per un momento?
All very true, Antonio, but can we set the poetry aside for a moment?

Antonio: Se proprio dobbiamo...
  (If we really must...)
    
Excuse us. Now, can you recall what the three main situations for using the imperfetto were?

1)           Describing Background Details

2)           Talking About Habits or Repeated Actions

3)           Ongoing Actions in the Past

Let’s take a look at some examples that you are about to encounter in our story’s first chapter. By the way you might have noticed that I do my best to provide you with the English version and allow you the opportunity to pause the playback and come up with the Italian. That way you’re not just getting the theory and an idea of how things are formed, but you are practicing the formation of the language yourself, at every turn.

Examples of the three different uses for the imperfetto:

1.       Describing Background Details: 

Use the imperfetto to describe settings, emotions, or conditions in the past.

Example: 

The apartment was on the second floor of an old building with creaking floors.

L’appartamento era al secondo piano di un vecchio edificio con pavimenti che scricchiolavano. 

A quick note: did you catch the word era in there? That’s the imperfetto of the verb essere. We have not covered that one yet but I figure, it can’t hurt to start to recognize it when we come across it, non è vero?

The verbs era (was) and scricchiolavano (creaked) give us a picture of where Mariella lived.
 
     2.       Talking About Habits or Repeated Actions: 

When describing things you used to do, the imperfetto is your go-to tense.

Example: 

Every morning, Mariella used to leave her apartment early to go to work.

Ogni mattina, Mariella usciva presto dal suo appartamento per andare a lavorare. 

The verb usciva (she used to leave) shows this was a daily routine.
 
     3.       Ongoing Actions in the Past: 

If something was happening over a period of time in the past, you’ll use the imperfetto.

Example: 

Often, during her lunch break, she would walk through the streets of Florence.

Spesso, durante la pausa pranzo, passeggiava per le strade di Firenze.

The verb passeggiava (she would stroll) evokes a sense of her leisurely walks.

What’s not to love about the Imperfetto?

I have good news for you. The conjugation of the imperfetto is straightforward and consistent. 

We will get into the nuts and bolts of the conjugation in our next episode. For now, I’d like you to sit back and relax, let the imperfetto speak to you with it’s melodic avo, evo, avi, ivi, avamo, evamo, ivamo avate, avano, evano, ivano  sounds. Are you starting to feel a little sleepy?  Then let yourself fall into this dream world of Mariella. 

I’m going to play, or rather, Antonio is going to narrate the opening scene of “The Pages of the Past – Le Pagine del Passato, Chapter One, The Ancient Library, Capitolo Uno, La Biblioteca Antica”

The first time you listen, I’ll ask that you not stress too much about understanding every word. The main thing for now, is to get a feel for the language to take what you can from the story and to try to listen out for the imperfetto and if you’ve already studied the passato prossimo, see if you can spot our one occurrence of the passato prossimo in this first excerpt.

Antonio: Chiudete gli occhi… ascoltate l’italiano… lasciatevi trasportare…
(Close your eyes... listen to Italian... let yourself be carried away...) 

**Myra: Well put Antonio, close your eyes…listen to the Italian…let yourself be transported…**

Dunque, without wasting time - Senza perdere tempo let’s listen to the opening of “The Capitolo uno -La Biblioteca Antica” as we meet our main protagonist, Mariella, her mother Anita, her best friend Zina and last but not least, the omni present grandmother, nonna Maria.

The Pages of the Past – Le Pagine del Passato. 

Chapter 1 - The Ancient Library - La Biblioteca Antica – Part 1 - Italian Only

Antonio: Mariella viveva con la madre Anita in un piccolo appartamento vicino alla Basilica di San Lorenzo, nel cuore di Firenze. 

Myra: Fermati un attimo!—Antonio... un po’ più piano, per favore!
 (Stop for a moment!—Antonio... a little slower, please!)

Antonio: Ma così rovino il ritmo poetico!
(But that ruins the poetic rhythm!)

Maira: Only for the first time thru. Solo per la prima volta…

Antonio: Va bene… se proprio insisti… Dall’inizio, allora?

Myra: From the top!

Antonio: Mariella viveva con la madre Anita in un piccolo appartamento vicino alla Basilica di San Lorenzo, nel cuore di Firenze.

L’appartamento era al secondo piano di un vecchio edificio con pavimenti che scricchiolavano e tubi che gemevano ogni volta che apriva il rubinetto. 

Dal suo balcone, poteva vedere la vivace piazza sottostante e le meravigliose Cappelle Medici. 

Ogni mattina, Mariella usciva presto dal suo appartamento per andare a lavorare in una piccola agenzia di viaggi vicino alla stazione ferroviaria. 

Il suo lavoro consisteva nel rispondere alle telefonate, prenotare tour e rispondere a un’infinità di email di turisti che chiedevano informazioni su Firenze. “E’ per questo che ho studiato storia dell’arte?” pensava spesso. 

“E’ per questo che ho studiato storia dell’arte?” 

Ahah! our first passato prossimo, as Mariella laments about a completed action that she did in the past. She studied art history. She is no longer studying art history so it is a perfect candidate for passato prossimo. 

Passato prossimo is the next tense that we will take a look at. But we’re not quite done with the imperfetto just yet.

How much of those opening paragraphs of our story did you understand?  

I’d like to play it for you one more time. I think you’ll be surprised how your brain starts to put things together. Here we go…

**replay of story opening**

Did you pick up on a little more of the meaning this time?  I hope so.  It seems to be the way things work.  

We’ll wrap up this episode here, but as you’ve likely noticed, this story has only begun. 

In the next episode I’ll provide the full translation to English. In the meantime, you might want to find a quiet place where you can feel free to speak out loud and have another listen to this episode, practicing along with us.

Antonio: Sì, magari in una biblioteca antica… con il profumo della carta antica nell’aria…

Myra: Yes, that's right Antonio; if only in an old library... with the scent of ancient paper in the air…

Or did you mean ‘maybe’ in an old library. I think both meanings of ‘magari’ would work well here. 

Before we go, I want to let you know that there’s a bonus episode available for supporters of the show—La comunità dei sostenitori? Hmm… I’ve been struggling to come up with a better nickname soprannome for you all.

Antonio: Un soprannome? Ah, tipo… Gli studiosi della lumaca? I lettori pian pianino? Gli amici della biblioteca segreta?
(A nickname? Ah, like... The scholars of the snail? The slow-and-steady readers? The friends of the secret library?) 

Myra: Hmm… Gli studiosi della lumaca? The Scholars of the Snail? That’s a bit strange…

Antonio: Ma dai, il simbolo è una lumaca, no? Simbolo di pazienza, di costanza… e del fatto che impariamo piano piano!
(Come on, the symbol is a snail, right? A symbol of patience, perseverance... and the fact that we learn step by step!) 

Myra: Okay, you have a point. But maybe our listeners have an even better idea! If you’re a supporter—or even if you haven’t made the commitment yet—I’d love to hear your suggestions. What should we call the community of supporters for the Impariamo l’italiano piano piano podcast? Click Send me a Text in the podcast description and let me know if you have any ideas!

Antonio: Sì, aspetto proposte creative!
(Yes, I'm waiting for creative suggestions!) 

Myra: Ritorniamo a noi!
(Let's get back to us!) or (Let's get back to the matter at hand!) 

In this special episode, our first bonus episode — available exclusively to supporters — we’ll review key vocabulary for the next part of the story, so you’ll be well-prepared when we continue in Episode 2. You’ll hear words in context, practice them with recall exercises, and test yourself with a mini quiz or two and interactive flashcards.

And of course… Antonio makes an appearance.

Antonio (scoffing): Una puntata solo sul vocabolario? Io non ne ho bisogno.
(An entire episode about vocabulary? I don’t need it.)

Myra: That’s what he says — until he takes over and turns it into his own dramatic challenge:

Want a preview?

Antonio (mysteriously):
Mi puoi vedere, ma solo se nessuno sa che ci sei. Spii da dietro un angolo… Che cosa stai facendo?
(You can see me, but only if no one knows you're there. You are spying from behind a corner… What are you doing?)

Myra: If you're curious — or ready to take on Antonio’s quiz — click the link in the podcast description to become a member and get access to Bonus Episode 01, Vocabulary for Dreamers, along with early access to the next flashcard set and all future bonus content.

→ Link to vocabulary flashcards ←

Once again, take your time, enjoy the journey, and remember—learning happens piano piano. Ci vediamo, alla prossima!

📘 Grammar Spotlight – Episode One (Beyond the Story)

Here are a few grammatical gems and word forms that came up in the side banter and intro segments of this episode—things you might have heard and wondered: “Wait… why is it said that way?” Let’s explore!

🎭 Expressions & Sentence Starters

🔹 Dai, su!

• An informal expression meaning “Come on!”
• Often used to urge someone to keep going, lighten up, or get over it.
  • Ex: Dai, su Antonio! → “Come on, Antonio!”

🔹 Torniamo a noi.

• Literally: “Let’s return to us”
• Idiomatic meaning: “Let’s get back on track”, or “Back to what we were doing.”

🔹 Se proprio dobbiamo...

• Translation: “If we really must…”
• A dramatic sigh of reluctant agreement. (Perfect for Antonio 😆)

🧩 Word Forms & Tense Clues

🔸 Si sentiva

• From sentirsi = to feel (reflexive)
• Imperfetto form → “she used to feel / was feeling”
• Ex: Si sentiva a casa → “She felt at home”
• Note: “sentiva” on its own means “heard” or “felt” (non-reflexive)

🔸 Faceva

• From fare = to do/make
• Imperfetto, 3rd person singular
  • Mia nonna faceva il pane ogni sabato. → “My grandmother used to bake bread every Saturday.”

🔸 Suonavano

• From suonare = to ring/play (an instrument)
• Imperfetto, 3rd person plural → “they were ringing”
  • Le campane suonavano…

🔸 Chiacchieravano

• From chiacchierare = to chat
• Imperfetto, 3rd person plural → “they were chatting”
  • Le madri chiacchieravano vicino.

🧠 Quick Grammar Peek

🔹 Era

• Imperfetto of essere = “was”
• Shows up often in setting descriptions
  • L’appartamento era al secondo piano… → “The apartment was on the second floor…”

🔹 Passeggiava

• From passeggiare = to stroll/walk
• Imperfetto, 3rd person singular
  • Lei passeggiava per le strade = “She would walk through the streets”

✨ Vocabulary You Might Have Missed

🔸 Ovatatta

• Ovatatta = “muffled”
• Describes unclear or soft sound (used by Antonio when criticizing Paolo 😄)
  • Comes from ovatta (cotton wool) → like “cottony” or “muffled”

🔸 Soprannome

• = Nickname
• Literal breakdown: sopra (above) + nome (name)

🔸 Magari

• A magical, flexible word!
  • Can mean “maybe” OR “if only!” depending on context
  • Ex: Magari in una biblioteca antica…
    • Could be: “Maybe in an old library…” or “If only it were in an old library…”

🐌 Bonus Banter Breakdown

🔹 Gli studiosi della lumaca

• The scholars of the snail 🐌
• A playful nickname idea for the community—celebrating patience and slow, steady progress!
• Fun grammar note:
  • Gli studiosi = the scholars (masc. plural)
  • Della lumaca = of the snail (feminine singular)