Writing an informal text message in Italian tests your ability to share everyday plans, make arrangements, send invitations, or explain delays to friends. In the Junior Cycle examination, you must address every requested detail clearly using appropriate informal language, correct tenses, and accurate spelling.
Structure, Greetings, and Register
This note practises short, informal messages to friends. Un messaggio means a message; un SMS means a text message.
Greetings and Sign-offs
- Open with Ciao [Nome]! for one friend, or Ciao a tutti! when messaging a group.
- End with a friendly sign-off: A presto! (See you soon!) or A dopo! (See you later!).
Choosing the Right Register
- Use informal tu forms for one friend: Vuoi venire? (Do you want to come?).
- Switch to plural voi forms for a group: Volete venire? (Do you all want to come?).
Arrangements, Delays, and Times
Transport and Delays
- Use perdere l'autobus to state a missed bus: Ho perso l'autobus.
- Use the set phrase essere in ritardo for delays: Sono in ritardo.
- State specific delays: Arrivo con quindici minuti di ritardo.
- Indicate other transport simply: Prendo il treno (I am taking the train).
Meeting Points
- Ci vediamo davanti al cinema (See you in front of the cinema).
- alla fermata dell'autobus (at the bus stop).
- dentro il bar (inside the café).
- in piazza (in the square).
Expressing Times
- Use all'una for one o'clock: all'una e mezza (at half one).
- Use alle for all other hours: alle tre (at three).
- Express minutes to the hour: alle otto meno un quarto (at quarter to eight).
- Both 12-hour phrasing and 24-hour numbers (e.g. alle 18:30) are common and understood.
Invitations and Linking Connectors
Making an Invitation
- Ti invito a... (I invite you to...).
- Vi invito tutti a... (I invite you all to...).
- Sei invitato/a a... (You are invited to...).
- Siete invitati a... (You are all invited to...).
- Add event details clearly: Ti invito alla mia festa di compleanno sabato alle otto.
Linking Words
Connect your ideas using connettivi: e (and), ma (but), perché (because), quindi (so), and invece di (instead of). For example: Non posso venire perché devo studiare or Andiamo in pizzeria invece di andare al cinema.
Tenses
- The passato prossimo describes completed past actions: Ieri ho perso l’autobus (Yesterday I missed the bus).
- With essere, the past participle agrees with the subject: sono andato (male), sono andata (female).
- For future arrangements, use the present or future: La festa comincia alle otto; arriverò alle sei.
Key terms
- Un messaggio / Un SMS
- Un messaggio: a message; un SMS: a text message.
- Il saluto
- The greeting used to open a message, such as Ciao Marco!.
- Il congedo
- The sign-off used to close a message, such as A presto! or A dopo!.
- I connettivi
- Linking words such as e, ma, perché, and quindi that join sentences together.
- Il ritardo
- A delay; essere in ritardo means to be late.
- Ci vediamo
- An everyday expression meaning 'See you' or 'We'll see each other'.
Check yourself
What is the standard informal sign-off meaning 'See you later!' in Italian?
A dopo! or Ci vediamo dopo!
How do you say 'at half past seven' in Italian?
Alle sette e mezza (or alle 07:30 / alle 19:30).
Which verb forms do you use when inviting a group of friends instead of one person?
Use plural voi verb forms, such as Volete venire? or Fatemi sapere!