Italian · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 40
Mi può aiutare?Can you help me?
The traveler's most useful sentence: Mi può aiutare? — polite with Lei, direct as Mi puoi aiutare? And with it a puzzle begun in chapter 3 completes: mi chiamo, mi piace, mi fa male, mi alzo, mi può aiutare — little mi was always the same person, «me», in different trades. The chapter assembles the full family, adds the helping answers (Certo! Subito! Ti aiuto io) and the returning thanks: mi hai aiutato — which CILS tests in its cloze as «mi ha aiutata».
Dialogue
i
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La valigia pesante— The heavy suitcase
- MikeProfessoressa, la valigia è pesantissima… Mi può aiutare?Professoressa, the suitcase is really heavy… Can you help me?
- SofiaCerto che ti aiuto, subito. …Ecco fatto.Of course I'll help you, right away. …There, done.
- MikeGrazie, professoressa: mi ha aiutato!Thank you, professoressa: you helped me!
Dialogue
i
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Scusi, un aiuto?— Excuse me, a little help?
- GiuliaGuarda quella turista: «Scusi… non parlo bene l'italiano. Mi può aiutare? Cerco la stazione».Look at that tourist: «Excuse me… I don't speak Italian well. Can you help me? I'm looking for the station».
- MarcoE il signore risponde: «Certo! La aiuto io. Parla bene, tranquilla. Deve andare dritto e girare a destra — cinque minuti».And the gentleman answers: «Of course! I'll help you. You speak well, don't worry. You need to go straight and turn right — five minutes».
- GiuliaChe gentile! Aiutare è facile: bastano due parole — e chi chiede aiuto oggi, domani aiuta qualcun altro.How kind! Helping is easy: two words are enough — and whoever asks for help today, helps someone else tomorrow.
- MarcoVero. E le due parole più forti dell'italiano restano le prime che hai imparato: per favore e grazie.True. And Italian's two strongest words are still the first ones you learned: per favore and grazie.
Vocabulary
i
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- aiutare
verbto help (mi può aiutare?, ti aiuto io — the receiver rides in front; «mi ha aiutata» is the attested CILS cloze line)
- l'aiuto
n.m.the help (also the shout: Aiuto! = Help!; grazie dell'aiuto = thanks for the help)
- certo
adverbof course, sure (the warmest yes: Certo! — certo che ti aiuto «of course I'll help you»)
- subito
adverbright away (SUbito — first-syllable stress, P5; the answer that makes help feel like help)
- mi / ti / La
pronounme / you / you-polite (the receiving forms — mi aiuti, ti aiuto, La aiuto; the mi-family's official portrait)
- la valigia
n.f.the suitcase (fare la valigia = to pack; the -gia plural drops the i: le valige/valigie — both seen)
- pesante
adjectiveheavy (-e class; leggero is its light twin — una valigia pesante, uno zaino leggero)
- il turista / la turista
n.m.the tourist (-ista like il barista: same -a for both; i turisti, le turiste)
- grazie mille
phrasethanks a million (literally «a thousand thanks» — gratitude counted in chapter-12 numbers)
- imparare
verbto learn (ho imparato l'italiano; imparare A parlare — learning a skill takes a)
- facile
adjectiveeasy
- chiedere
verbto ask for (chiedere aiuto = to ask for help)
- forte
adjectivestrong
Grammar
i
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The mi family — five trades, one person
Explanation
For forty chapters one particle has worked everywhere: mi. Today the puzzle closes — it was always «me», the person RECEIVING the action, in five trades: 1) the name: mi chiamo Mike (I call ME — chapter 3); 2) taste: mi piace la pizza (pizza pleases ME — chapter 27); 3) pain: mi fa male la testa (it hurts ME — chapter 29); 4) routine: mi alzo, mi lavo (the action returns onto ME — chapter 31); 5) help: mi può aiutare? (the help reaches ME — today). The receiving forms' full team: mi, ti, La (polite with Lei). The seating rules are already yours: before the conjugated verb (mi aiuti), attached to the infinitive after a modal (può aiutarmi = mi può aiutare — both correct), and non before the whole block (non mi può aiutare). The error to burn: using the subject form where the receiving one belongs — «può aiutare io» — io does, mi receives. A1 note: this is a kit of FORMULAS, not the complete pronoun grammar — lo/la/li/le and the rest of the table arrive at level two. But the five formulas already cover name, tastes, health, routine and rescue: half of daily life.
Examples
- Mi chiamo, mi piace, mi fa male, mi alzo, mi può aiutare.I'm called, I like, it hurts me, I get up, can you help me.
- Mi puoi aiutare? Certo, ti aiuto subito!Can you help me? Sure, I'll help you right away!
- Può aiutarmi, per favore? = Mi può aiutare, per favore?Can you help me, please?
- Grazie mille: mi hai aiutato! Figurati!Thanks a million: you helped me! Don't mention it!
- Mi può aiutare?Can you help me?
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