We learn Italian step by step | Impariamo l'italiano piano piano
Impariamo l’italiano piano piano is a story-based podcast for B1–B2 Italian learners who want to improve their grammar and vocabulary by following an ongoing mystery, rather than studying isolated lessons. Beginners are welcome too - everything unfolds piano piano, one step at a time.
Each episode advances a serialized story, Le Pagine del Passato, allowing you to experience Italian in context as meaning builds gradually through memory, dialogue, and investigation. Grammar structures such as the imperfetto, passato prossimo, congiuntivo, and object pronouns emerge naturally through the narrative, helping you recognize how Italian works in real situations.
Hosted by Myra, an instructional designer and adult language learner, the show is joined by Antonio - a dramatic, opinionated presence who interrupts, comments, and occasionally derails things, making the learning process both human and entertaining. Together, they guide listeners toward greater confidence in Italian, step by step.
📜 Looking for full episode transcripts?
Full transcripts are shared through the Companion Series on Substack, where supporters can access episode texts and study materials:
https://welearnitalian.substack.com
🎙 Listen, learn, and improve your Italian fluency - one episode at a time!
We learn Italian step by step | Impariamo l'italiano piano piano
Episode 16 - What’s Left Unsaid: Ci and Ne in Motion
In this episode of Impariamo l’italiano piano piano, we continue the story with Chapter 2, Part 2.
Mariella is no longer just remembering the past. She’s moving through space, from the station, to the street, to the car, and finally to the lawyer’s office. As the story unfolds across different places, Italian does something very natural: it stops repeating those places and starts referring back to them.
That’s where two small but powerful words come in: ci and ne.
🎧 Listen for:
- How ci follows movement, location, and situation
- How ne replaces “of it”, “of them”, and quantities
- Why these pronouns are best learned by listening, not memorizing rules
Companion materials
This episode will be included in a combined study guide with Episode 17, where ci and ne are revisited, compared, and practiced in more structured ways.
Along the way, listen also for new imperatives, and notice how they’re formed and how they sound in context.
And finally… a small mystery remains. Paul seems to have disappeared without a trace. Or has he?
🎧 Stay curious, listen closely, and as always - piano piano.
⏳ CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
3:39 Chapter 2 Part 2: English and Italian
8:57 More Garage Drama
9:56 Ci Rules
15:19 Quick Note about Ce
16:28 Ne Rules
22:28 CI vs NE: Side by Side
23:13 Recap
23:44 Exercise 1: Ci or Ne? (And Why?)
28:01 Exercise 2: Fill in the Gaps Story
30:17 Wrap-Up
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🎙 Welcome to We learn Italian step by step / Impariamo l’italiano piano piano
🎧 Episode 16 – What’s Left Unsaid: Ci and Ne in Motion
📄 Episode Transcript & Study Materials
For this episode, the full transcript is available on Substack, where it’s easier to read, search, and follow along with the explanations.
👉 Here is a link to all of my posts on Substack.
I’ve moved transcripts there so everything can live in one place: the episode text, examples, and Companion Series materials all together.
📘 Want the Study Guide and Practice Exercises?
If you’d like to go deeper, this episode is part of the Companion Series, which includes:
- A complete study guide with clear explanations
- Progressive practice exercises
- A detailed answer key with explanations
- Episode transcripts in one organized space
How to access them:
- Click “Support the Show” in any episode description to become a supporter
- If you’re already a podcast supporter, your substack subscription already includes access to the guides.
