Italian Language Trivia Quiz

Answer: Vai

"Vada" is the present subjunctive (1st, 2nd, 3rd person singular) of the verb "andare" (to go); "andato" is the past participle, while "andarono" is the 3rd person plural od the past indicative (passato remoto, in Italian).

Answer: Nasciate

"Nacquero" is the 3rd person plural of the past indicative (passato remoto, in Italian) of the verb "nascere" (to be born). "Nato" is the past participle and "nascendo" is the present gerund.

Answer: Leggemmo

"Leggendo" is the present gerund of the verb "leggere" (to read); "letto" is the past participle and "lessi" is the first person singular of the simple past indicative.

Answer: Divenimmo or Diventammo

First of all, in Italian there are two verbs that mean "to become", namely: "divenire" and "diventare". "Diveniate" is the 2nd person plural of the present subjunctive of "divenire"; "diventare" is the present infinitive of "diventare", while "divenissi" is the imperfect subjunctive (1st and 2nd person singular).

Answer: Dove stai andando? or Dove vai? or Dove state andando? or Dove andate?

While in English the 2nd person singular and the 2nd person plural are the same, i.e. "YOU", in Italian "stai andando"( vai) is the 2nd person singular, while "state andando (andate) is the 2nd person plural. Moreover in Italian you can use either the verb "stare" + the gerund "andando" (in this case) or simply the verb "andare" (or any other verb).

Answer: gatto

"Quando il gatto non c'è, i topi ballano" is a proverb meaning
"When the cat is away, the mice will play", i.e. "When someone in charge is away, subordinates will take advantage of it".
This Italian proverb is similar to the Latin: "Dum felis dormit, mus gaudet et exilit antro ("When the cat falls asleep, the mouse rejoices and leaps from the hole").

Answer: Avrebbero visto

"Avrei visto" is the 1st person singular of the past conditional of the verb "vedere" (to see). "Vedrei" is the 1st person singular of the present conditional, while "vedano" is the 3rd person plural of the present subjunctive.

Answer: Se non fossi Cesare, vorrei essere Alessandro

"Se non fossi Cesare, vorrei essere Alessandro" is a conditional sentence - contrary to fact - and then you must use the subjunctive in the protasis, i.e. in the subordinate clause, and the conditional in the apodosis, i.e. in the principal clause.

Answer: duole

"La lingua batte dove il dente duole" means "The tongue ever turns to the aching tooth", i.e. "We keep dwelling on our worries", and the verb "duole" is the 3rd person singular of the present indicative of the verb "dolere" (to ache).

Answer: Appena finito il concerto, dovettero andarsene

"As soon as" is "appena" in Italian, i.e. a subordinate conjunction for a time clause. This conjunction is often followed by the past participle ("finito" in this case).