« Chi la fa l'____ »
ASPETTI
A cloze on a proverb. The setter assumes you know "chi la fa, l'aspetti", roughly: every action has its consequence. Learning Italian proverbs is learning Italian by inference.
Special issueN. 0 For Italian language learners
Leggi in italiano Italian, by puzzle
Learn Italian, one crossword at a time.
The same daily puzzle native Italian solvers do, written in the register they would use over coffee. Idioms, abbreviations, regional references. Now with native-Italian audio pronunciation and one-click clue translations in English, Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese.
Why it works
Three things a language app cannot give you.
- I.
Real Italian, not textbook Italian.
Every clue is written in the register Italians actually use. Over dinner, on the bus, in line at the post office. It is the spoken language as it shows up in print, not the grammar-book version.
- II.
One short ritual, every day.
Five, ten, fifteen minutes. Coming back each morning teaches you by spaced repetition without the flashcards. Vocabulary settles when it resurfaces tomorrow, not when you study it once.
- III.
No fake gamification.
When you finish a grid in Italian, you know it. No app needs to confirm with confetti and fanfare. The satisfaction is the lesson.
Three specimens
What you'll pick up, in practice.
Three real clues, taken from puzzles published on Cruciverba Lab.
« Pasta romana con guanciale e pecorino »
CARBONARA
Food clues teach by setting. You pick up the dish, the region (Roman), and its typical ingredients in one sweep. Italian cuisine is half-vocabulary, half-geography.
« (sigla) Servizio sanitario nazionale »
SSN
Italian abbreviations are everywhere: newspapers, mail, hospital paperwork, train tickets. When a clue starts with (sigla), expect an institutional shortcut.
New for learners
With audio. In 5 languages.
Every learner pack now ships with native-Italian audio for the answer of every clue, plus one-tap translations of the clues themselves into English, Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese.
Clue translations
Read the clue in your language. Then go back to Italian.
ITENESFRDEPT
Italian stays the default. The toggle is one click away when a clue is opaque, and another click brings you back to the original.
Native audio pronunciation
Hear the answer, said by a native speaker.
Unlocks per word, after you solve it.
One tap on the speaker icon plays the answer in a native-Italian voice. Audio is locked until you've solved the word, so the sound never spoils the puzzle.
Available now on Imparare I, Imparare II, and Imparare III.
The lessons
Three lessons, one step at a time.
Start with the five. Each step is a bigger grid, richer vocabulary. The first lesson is free. The others are part of Premium.
- N. I
5×5 · Free
Tre cruciverba 5×5 per chi sta imparando l'italiano. Vocabolario di base, definizioni dirette.
3 / 3 published
- N. II
6×6 · Premium
Tre cruciverba 6×6. Vocabolario quotidiano, sostantivi e verbi al presente.
3 / 3 published
- N. III
7×7 · Premium
Tre cruciverba 7×7. Cucina, geografia e monumenti italiani per chi è già a B1.
3 / 3 published
Pick your level
Three difficulties, three stages of your Italian.
The calendar rotates the three levels through the week, so you are tested without ever being stuck.
Facile
A2 → B1
Everyday nouns, present-tense verbs, basic geography. Vocabulary within reach after a few months of study.
Examples: PASTA, ROMA, MARE, AMICO
Medio
B1 → B2
Idioms, recurring abbreviations, cultural references. The language as newspapers and TV use it.
Examples: SSN, ANSA, ASPETTI, COMUNE
Difficile
B2 → C1
Literature, Italian history, specialist registers. For the depth-of-vocabulary test.
Examples: CALVINO, RISORGIMENTO, MOLTITUDINE
Start
Learn Italian, one crossword at a time.
Three 5×5 crosswords for beginners. Core vocabulary, direct clues. Free, no account.
Start with Imparare IQuestions
Frequently asked.
- Can I really learn Italian from crosswords?
- Yes, if you are already at roughly a B1 level. The crossword gives you Italian as Italians actually write it: idioms, abbreviations, regional references, set phrases. It is reading practice, not a structured course. It works best alongside other inputs.
- What level of Italian do I need to start?
- Easy puzzles are accessible from A2 with a dictionary open in another tab. Medium and hard puzzles start to make sense from B1. Today's puzzle is free and needs no account, so you can size up your level with no commitment.
- Are the clues translated?
- Yes, optionally. Each clue in the learner packs (Imparare I, II, III) carries a translation in English, Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese. The default view is Italian, since reading the language you're learning is the whole point. A one-click toggle reveals the translation when you get stuck, and another click brings you back to the original.
- Can I hear the answers pronounced?
- Yes. After you correctly solve a word, a small speaker icon next to its clue unlocks. One tap plays a native-Italian audio recording of the answer. Available on every learner pack puzzle.
- Why is the audio locked until I solve the word?
- The answer is the spoiler. Hearing it before you solve would shortcut the learning loop and make it too easy to guess by elimination. Solve first, then hear how a native speaker pronounces it: that is when the audio is most useful as a pronunciation reference.
- What will I pick up beyond vocabulary?
- Noun gender (the article often shows up in the clue), everyday verb tenses, common Italian idioms, regional geography, recurring abbreviations like SSN or ANSA, and references to Italian literature and history.
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