teach · Italian (insegnare) — Event-Structure Dictionary

Arguments

Teacher, Learner, Content · Content direct · Learner a · Italian cloth · working claim, revisable

Voice[Teacher] + low Appl(Learner) + complement of the root (Content)

insegnare · Content_ACC · Learner_DAT (a + DP · clitic gli · mi glossed a me)

insegnare a + infinitive · the person is a or a clitic, and both orders are printed

Learner as direct object · Treccani sense 4, labeled ant. · De Mauro sense 3, labeled OB, with no complement printed

absolute · the profession of teacher · a or in of a school is not the Learner

A teaching, on this reading, has a Teacher, a Learner, and a Content. They are not three equal sisters of one flat verb. Voice adds the Teacher. Low Appl introduces the Learner. The root’s complement is the Content: a noun phrase, or an a-marked infinitive where an entry prints one. Garzanti’s government note on the first sense is [+ a; + a], and the line is insegnare a qualcuno il latino, la musica. Sabatini-Coletti’s frame symbol is [sogg-v-arg-prep.arg], and the line is i. il latino ai propri alunni. Treccani’s school-matter construction is compl. oggetto (della materia o delle cose insegnate), and the person in the same articles is a clitic or a.

What is different from the English gloss. English teach someone something is two bare objects, and English also prints teach something to someone. The to-frame is the nearer gloss of insegnare qualcosa a qualcuno. The double object is not. A Learner of insegnare in the three-place frame is not a bare direct object beside a Content. Garzanti prints the person first: a qualcuno il latino. Sabatini-Coletti prints the matter first: il latino ai propri alunni. Both are a plus a direct object. Neither is two bare objects. The frame symbol does not ban a clause with no Learner. Sabatini-Coletti says the indirect argument can be left understood when the line is the profession of a subject, i. italiano, and files the profession with no object as a separate intransitive, [sogg-v].

The clitic of the a-person. Garzanti glosses the clitic in parentheses: mi (= a me) hanno insegnato a rispettare le opinioni altrui. The printed dative clitics on insegnare in the articles read are mi and m’ (Treccani mi ha insegnato qualche parola di francese, Hoepli mi ha insegnato l’inglese, Sabatini-Coletti mi insegnò a guidare), gli (Treccani la mamma gli insegnava le arie d’opera, Garzanti chi gli ha insegnato l’educazione?), ti (Treccani non ti hanno insegnato, De Mauro chi ti ha insegnato l’educazione?), vi (Treccani vi insegno io), and ci (Treccani l’asino ci insegna, insegnarci; the Crusca’s ci insegna a nuotare). Treccani also prints the cluster glielo: glielo potrebbe i. un bambino. That is dative gli plus accusative lo. Feminine le and plural loro are unprinted on insegnare in the articles opened. A full clause Gli insegno il francese is constructed on the printed gli plus a direct Content. It is not a dictionary line.

a + infinitive. The infinitive is a-marked, and a person can sit in the same clause. Garzanti prints insegnare a nuotare al proprio figlio. Hoepli prints i. a nuotare ai bambini piccoli. Treccani prints the person first: i. al cavallo a saltare gli ostacoli, i. al cane a star ritto sulle zampe di dietro. Sabatini-Coletti fills the person with a clitic: mio padre mi insegnò a guidare. An indirect question is also printed: Treccani, Dante, M’insegnavate come l’uom s’etterna, and insegnami tu come debbo fare.

Learner alone, as a direct object. Treccani sense 4 is labeled ant. and glossed Istruire, ammaestrare, costruito quindi col compl. oggetto della persona. The Bembo line is che la gioventù sopra ciò instruissero ed insegnassero. De Mauro sense 3 is the label OB and the gloss istruire, ammaestrare, with no complement printed. Garzanti, Hoepli, Sabatini-Coletti, and De Agostini, as served, do not print a direct-object Learner. A bare Learner beside a bare Content is unprinted. This page does not add a label the articles do not print. A different antique line, Treccani sense 3, is ant., i. una persona, glossed as revealing the name or denouncing. That is not the Learner of a skill.

Absolute, and place. Treccani’s absolute employment is the profession: dare lezioni in una scuola oppure privatamente, and the lines are i. al liceo, nella scuola media, alle elementari. Sabatini-Coletti files that use as v.intr. (aus. avere) [sogg-v]: insegna da due anni nella scuola dell’obbligo. Hoepli sense 5, ass., is insegna alle scuole superiori. Garzanti sense 2 is insegnare alle elementari, in un liceo. De Mauro marks spec. ass. and prints insegnare storia al liceo, insegnare alle elementari. De Agostini marks (assol.) and prints insegnare alle elementari, in un liceo. Hoepli also prints a place with a Content and no Learner: insegno danza classica in un istituto privato. That a and that in are the school. They are not the Learner of a qualcuno. Treccani’s i. a tutti and i. agli altri, with no Content, are the person.

imparare, learner-subject, and a labeled teach use. English splits learn and teach. In the standard entry, Italian does too. The subject of imparare is the Learner. The Content is a direct object (Treccani i. una lingua straniera, Sabatini-Coletti i. la storia, Garzanti imparare la matematica, De Mauro imparare le tabelline) or a + infinitive. A person one learns from is da in Treccani: da lui, abbiamo tutti qualcosa da i. The Crusca article of 15 November 2019, referring to Sabatini-Coletti, names a complemento di origine and prints Maria sta imparando il cinese da Alessandro. The Corriere page of Sabatini-Coletti, as served, does not print da. Garzanti, De Mauro, Hoepli’s skill senses, and De Agostini do not print da of a person. A teach use, Teacher subject and Learner in a or a dative clitic, is printed under a label, and the labels do not match. It is not the unlabeled subject flip of French apprendre.

istruire. The Learner is the direct object: Treccani i. i soldati nell’uso delle armi, i. le reclute, Sabatini-Coletti i. il figlio nella musica, De Mauro istruire qcn. in matematica, Hoepli i. i giovani. The Content is not a second bare object. It is in (those lines; Garzanti’s bracket is [+ in]), su (Treccani sul contegno da tenere, Sabatini-Coletti sulle cose da dire, De Mauro sul comportamento da tenere, Garzanti sull’uso degli strumenti), or a (Garzanti [+ a] al rispetto della legge and a montare i fucili, De Mauro al senso civico, Hoepli a saltare dentro il cerchio). di is unprinted on istruire in the articles opened. The law sense istruire un processo is off this frame.

Against the other languages. German beibringen, Spanish enseñar, French enseigner, Russian преподавать, Hungarian tanít with a dative Learner, and Japanese 教える with に and を match Content-direct and Learner-oblique. German lehren’s two accusatives, Russian учить’s accusative Learner, and Hungarian frame (a) do not. Italian istruire is the accusative-Learner verb. Its Content is in, su, or a. French instruire prints de as well as en and dans. That de is unprinted here.

Places · who wears which marking

Garzanti prints a full a-phrase and a nominal Content in one line, a qualcuno il latino. Sabatini-Coletti prints the other order, il latino ai propri alunni. Treccani prints gli and the Content. The clause with a name is constructed on those lines.

Printed teaching frame · a-Learner · direct Content

✓ insegnare a qualcuno il latino, la musica Garzanti · [+ a; + a] · aus. avere · a qualcuno the Learner · il latino the Content

✓ i. il latino ai propri alunni Sabatini-Coletti · [sogg-v-arg-prep.arg] · the prep.arg is ai propri alunni

to teach someone Latin, music · to teach one’s pupils Latin

Printed frame · dative clitic · direct Content

✓ la mamma gli insegnava le arie d’opera Treccani · gli dative · le arie the Content

✓ mi (= a me) hanno insegnato a rispettare le opinioni altrui Garzanti · the parenthesis glosses mi as a me · the Content here is a + infinitive

mother was teaching him opera arias · they taught me to respect other people’s opinions

Printed a + infinitive · the person is a or a clitic

✓ insegnare a nuotare al proprio figlio Garzanti · infinitive first · al proprio figlio the Learner

✓ i. a nuotare ai bambini piccoli Hoepli

✓ i. al cavallo a saltare gli ostacoli Treccani · person first · then a + infinitive

to teach one’s own child to swim · to teach small children to swim · to teach the horse to jump the obstacles

Places of Italian insegnare: introducer, marking, case status, English and German marking
Place	Introduced by (working)	Italian marking	Case status	English and German marking
Teacher	Spec,Voice	subject of insegnare	structural subject · a thing is also printed: Treccani la vita insegna molte cose · la storia, l’esperienza insegna · De Mauro la storia ci insegna che	subject of teach · subject of lehren, beibringen, and unterrichten
Learner · nominal Content	low Appl	a + DP · dative clitic gli, mi, ti, vi, ci where printed · Garzanti mi (= a me) · le and loro unprinted on this verb	indirect object · Sabatini-Coletti prep.arg · not a second direct object beside the Content	bare object of teach someone something, or to of teach something to someone · dative of beibringen · accusative of lehren in the active norm
Learner · no Content · direct	the direct object, in the line Treccani files as antique	Bembo la gioventù · sense 4 ant. · De Mauro sense 3 OB prints no complement	direct object of the person · labeled ant. in Treccani · unprinted in Garzanti, Hoepli, Sabatini-Coletti, and De Agostini as served · a bare Learner beside a Content is unprinted	bare object of teach them · accusative of the person alone on lehren, on the German page
Learner · a + infinitive	low Appl	al proprio figlio · ai bambini piccoli · al cavallo · clitic mi (Sabatini-Coletti, Garzanti)	the person of the infinitive frame, as printed · both orders are printed	object of teach someone to … · accusative Learner of jemanden … lehren · dative Learner of beibringen
Content · noun	complement of the root	direct object · il latino · la musica · le arie d’opera · l’inglese · qualche parola di francese	structural direct object · Treccani compl. oggetto della materia	bare object of something · accusative of lehren and of beibringen
Content · infinitive	a + infinitive	a nuotare · a guidare · a saltare gli ostacoli · a rispettare le opinioni altrui	the printed complement of this shape · an indirect question is also printed: come	bare infinitive of lehren · zu-infinitive of beibringen · French à + infinitive · Spanish a + infinitive
Place	not low Appl	al liceo · alle elementari · nella scuola media · in un liceo · nella scuola dell’obbligo · alle scuole superiori · in un istituto privato	a prepositional complement of place, with the absolute or with a subject-matter and no Learner · not the Learner	a place adjunct of teach · not the Learner of beibringen
imparare · subject	Voice · the Learner in the standard entry	Learner subject · Content direct or a + infinitive · Teacher da where that source is printed	the teach reading is a labeled sense, not an unlabeled flip · Treccani uso pop. (erroneo ma largamente diffuso) · Garzanti (region. merid.) · Hoepli dial., merid. · De Mauro RE centromerid. · De Agostini (pop.) · unprinted on the Corriere Sabatini-Coletti page	English splits learn and teach · French apprendre keeps one lemma and does not print this label
istruire · Learner	direct object	i soldati · il figlio · qcn. · i giovani	direct object · Content in / su / a · di unprinted · not insegnare’s a of the Learner	accusative Learner of unterrichten · the German Content is in+dative · French instruire also prints de

Marking map. One letter can belong to several heads. Read the head, then the marker.

Subject of the Teacher. The subject of insegnare is the one who transmits a skill, or, where the entry says so, a thing: life, history, experience, a book, a show. Treccani: la vita insegna molte cose. The compound in the lines read is avere: Treccani and Hoepli ha insegnato, Garzanti and De Agostini print aus. avere on the entry, Sabatini-Coletti prints aus. avere on the intransitive profession line. 501 Italian Verbs was not opened. Lo Zingarelli was not opened. No sentence from either is quoted.
Direct object of the Content. Treccani: le verità della fede, qualche parola di francese, le arie d’opera. Garzanti: il latino, la musica. Sabatini-Coletti: il latino, l’educazione. Hoepli: l’inglese, danza classica, molte cose. De Mauro: il latino, la musica, un mestiere, le tabelline under the memory note, storia beside al liceo.
a of the Learner, and the dative clitic. The person is a qualcuno, ai propri alunni, al proprio figlio, ai bambini piccoli, ai figli, ai giovani, a te, a tutti, agli altri. The clitics printed on insegnare are mi / m’, gli, ti, vi, and ci. Garzanti’s parenthesis is mi (= a me). le and loro are unprinted on this verb. Gli insegno il francese below is constructed. On the labeled teach use of imparare, Treccani prints gli in gliel’ho imparato and ti in chi ti ha imparato, and Carducci’s le is on that literary line, not on insegnare.
Clitic order. Treccani prints glielo on insegnare: glielo potrebbe i. un bambino. The same cluster is on the popular teach line of imparare: gliel’ho imparato io, and the Crusca quotes Buzzati glielo imparo io. A clause built only to show the order is not added. The order on prestare is the same pair, glielo, and that page is a geometry neighbor, not a source for this verb.
Learner as direct object. Treccani sense 4, ant., Bembo la gioventù … insegnassero. De Mauro sense 3, OB, no complement. None of the modern three-place lines also contains a bare person beside a Content. They are not starred. The starred line below is the other shape, a bare name beside a bare Content. Treccani’s separate ant., i. una persona is denunciation, not this sense.
insegnare a + infinitive. Garzanti a nuotare al proprio figlio, Hoepli a nuotare ai bambini piccoli, Treccani al cavallo a saltare, Sabatini-Coletti mi insegnò a guidare, Garzanti mi (= a me) hanno insegnato a rispettare. The two orders, person before the infinitive and infinitive before the person, are both printed. Neither is a bare name beside a bare infinitive.
Absolute, and a or in of a place. No Learner, or a subject-matter and a school: the profession. al liceo, alle elementari, in un liceo, nella scuola dell’obbligo, in un istituto privato are places. Do not read that a as the Learner of a qualcuno. a tutti and agli altri are persons.
imparare, learner-subject. Treccani sense 1: i. una lingua straniera, i. a leggere, source da lui. Sabatini-Coletti [sogg-v-arg]: i. la storia, i. a leggere, and no da on the page served. Garzanti: imparare la matematica, una lingua straniera, imparare a leggere, aus. avere, no person-da. De Mauro: imparare le tabelline, la matematica, una lingua straniera, imparare a sciare, no da. Hoepli: i. il latino, i. a leggere e a scrivere. De Agostini: imparare la matematica, una lingua straniera. The Crusca prints da Alessandro and dalla nostra collaborazione as the origin complement. A pronominal of the learn sense is Treccani mi sono già imparato le prime due strofe. The subject is still the Learner. The mi is not the Learner of insegnare.
imparare, teacher-subject, labeled. Treccani sense 3: Nell’uso pop. (erroneo ma largamente diffuso), insegnare. The lines are tutto quel che sa gliel’ho imparato io and chi ti ha imparato a rispondere così? The same sense adds a literary causative: E dolce un canto le imparava (Carducci). Garzanti sense 5 is (region. merid.) insegnare, with no example. Hoepli sense 4 is dial., merid. Insegnare, with no example. De Mauro sense 3 is RE centromerid., insegnare, with no example. De Agostini sense 5 is (pop.) insegnare, with no example. The Corriere Sabatini-Coletti page does not print the sense. The Crusca says Sabatini-Coletti registers the uso regionale centro-meridionale and quotes ha imparato a scrivere al figlio, and the Crusca’s own recommendation is that the use is improprio, restricted to regional and popular varieties. Where a frame is printed, the Learner is still a or a dative clitic, and the Content is direct or a + infinitive. The subject is the Teacher. French apprendre prints that frame with no such label.
News, not a skill. Separate from the teach label. Treccani sense 2, region.: Venire a sapere, l’ho imparato or ora. Hoepli sense 3, region.: ho imparato dalla radio che domani piove. Garzanti sense 4, (region. merid.) venire a sapere, no example. De Mauro sense 2, RE centromerid., venire a sapere, apprendere, no example. De Agostini sense 4, (region.) venire a sapere, no example. dalla radio is that news source. It is not the Teacher of a skill.
istruire, ammaestrare, addestrare, educare. istruire: Learner direct, Content in / su / a. di is unprinted. ammaestrare: Treccani a. nella religione, a. a vivere onestamente, a. i giovani, and animals a. cani, orsi, foche, delfini. De Mauro ammaestrare qcn. in qcs. Sabatini-Coletti [sogg-v-arg] a. i bambini, and [sogg-v-arg-prep.arg] a. un ragazzo al furto, a. le foche a saltare. addestrare: Treccani a. gli studenti a scrivere, nella composizione scritta, a. i cavalli alla corsa, a. un cane per la difesa, and Ortese addestrato … da una fierissima governante spagnola, a reprimere. De Mauro addestrare qcn. a, in qcs. Sabatini-Coletti a. le reclute al combattimento, a. le reclute a combattere. educare: the object is a person (Treccani e. i figli, Sabatini-Coletti e. i figli, De Mauro educare i giovani) or a faculty (Treccani e. il cuore, la mente, Sabatini-Coletti e. la fantasia, De Mauro educare la mente alla riflessione). The further phrase is a (Treccani e. al bene, e. i giovani allo studio, Sabatini-Coletti e. i giovani alla musica, e. il figlio a essere tollerante) or, in Treccani, nel timor di Dio. No dative Learner in the lines opened. The law object of istruire is the case, not the Learner.
Show, and a secret. Treccani sense 3 is Mostrare, indicare, and the modern use is labeled region. o fam.: i. la strada a un forestiero. Garzanti sense 4 is (non com.) insegnare la strada a qualcuno. Hoepli sense 3 has no register label: mi insegni la strada per raggiungere la scuola? Sabatini-Coletti sense 3 is estens. and prints può insegnarmi la strada più breve. De Mauro sense 4a is BU: insegnare la strada. De Agostini sense 4 prints insegnare la strada with no label. A secret is Treccani Non com., i. un segreto and De Mauro 4b BU insegnare un segreto. Those lines are not the school frame.

EN ⇄ IT valency strip

Each row lines up one English slot with an Italian slot, and names the German slot where the case differs. The alignment type says what happens to the slot: = (same object status), or shift (a bare English object ↔ an Italian a-phrase or dative clitic). Printed dictionary lines come first. Every other Italian sentence is constructed, modelled on a printed line. They show the working alignment, not frequency, and not a bilingual corpus.

English–Italian valency alignment for teach / insegnare, one row per argument
Slot	EN form	IT form	Align	EN example	IT example
Teacher	SUBJ of teach	subject	=	to teach someone Latin gloss of Garzanti	insegnare a qualcuno il latino Garzanti
Learner · nominal Content	bare object of teach someone something · or to of teach something to someone	a + DP · dative clitic	shift against the double object · = against to, with Italian a where English writes to	teach something to someone the English frame this a matches	a qualcuno Garzanti · ai propri alunni Sabatini-Coletti · Gli insegno il francese. constructed · gli fills the printed dative slot
Learner · direct, no Content beside it	bare object of teach them	direct object · Treccani ant.	the Italian line is labeled antique · it is not the three-place frame	teach the young gloss of the Bembo object	la gioventù … insegnassero Treccani sense 4 · ant. · Bembo
Learner · a + infinitive	object of teach someone to …	a + DP or a clitic	shift · the person is not a bare direct object beside the infinitive	teach one’s child to swim gloss of Garzanti	insegnare a nuotare al proprio figlio Garzanti
Content · noun	bare something	direct object	=	teach Latin gloss	il latino Garzanti · Sabatini-Coletti
Content · infinitive	to swim	a + infinitive	shift · Italian prints a · German lehren prints a bare infinitive	teach someone to swim gloss	a nuotare Garzanti · Hoepli · Treccani
imparare · subject	learn or teach, two verbs	standard entry: Learner subject · teach use: a labeled sense	the lemma does not flip in the unlabeled entry · French apprendre does	learn a foreign language · teach him what he knows the two English glosses	i. una lingua straniera Treccani · learner-subject · gliel’ho imparato io Treccani · uso pop. · erroneo
Person one learns from	from	da	shift · da is printed in Treccani and in the Crusca’s illustration · unprinted in Garzanti, De Mauro, Hoepli’s skill senses, De Agostini, and the Corriere Sabatini-Coletti page	learn from him gloss	da lui, abbiamo tutti qualcosa da i. Treccani
istruire	object of instruct someone	direct object · Content in / su / a	the Learner is direct · not insegnare’s a · di is unprinted	instruct the soldiers in the use of arms gloss	i. i soldati nell’uso delle armi Treccani · Garzanti · Hoepli
German lehren double accusative	two bare objects	direct Content + a-Learner	the German active norm and this Italian frame diverge · beibringen is the German match	to teach sb a language Langenscheidt gloss of lehren, on the German page	jemanden etwas lehren the German page · insegnare a qualcuno il latino Garzanti · not that second accusative
Two bare objects	the English double object has no case ending and no to	bare Learner beside a direct Content, with no a and no dative clitic	unprinted · the printed Learner of the three-place frame is a	—	* Insegno Maria il francese. constructed · not a dictionary line
Show the way	not the school frame	the labels disagree · Treccani region. o fam. · Garzanti non com. · De Mauro BU · Hoepli, Sabatini-Coletti, and De Agostini print the line without that regional label	sense split · do not collapse the labels	show a stranger the way gloss	i. la strada a un forestiero Treccani · region. o fam.

The strip below is a set of small multiples. Each card holds one frame. The subject chip is the Teacher when the clause has one, and the Learner when imparare is the learner-subject.

EN · IT · a-Learner

a qcn + direct

I teach Maria French.

Insegno il francese a Maria.

IT constructed · a Maria modelled on Garzanti a qualcuno and on Sabatini-Coletti ai propri alunni · il francese stands in the Content slot of il latino

RolesHide roles LearnerContent

Learner a Maria Content il francese

Move English double object has no to · Italian prints a

IT · dative clitic

gli

I teach him French.

Gli insegno il francese.

IT constructed · gli is Treccani’s and Garzanti’s printed dative · le and loro are unprinted on insegnare

RolesHide roles LearnerContent

Learner gli · dative Content il francese

Move the clitic replaces a + person · Garzanti glosses mi as a me

IT · a + infinitive

a nuotare al

to teach one’s own child to swim

insegnare a nuotare al proprio figlio

IT · Garzanti · infinitive a-marked · Learner al proprio figlio

RolesHide roles LearnerContent

Learner al proprio figlio Content a nuotare

Move the infinitive is a-marked · the person is not a second bare object

IT · imparare · the label

not one unlabeled flip

learn a foreign language · I taught him everything he knows

i. una lingua straniera. · tutto quel che sa gliel’ho imparato io.

IT · Treccani · learner-subject, then uso pop. (erroneo ma largamente diffuso) · Garzanti’s label on the teach use is region. merid. and has no example · the Corriere Sabatini-Coletti page does not print it

RolesHide roles SubjectLearnerContent

Subject Learner, then Teacher under a label Learner gli · second line only Content una lingua · lo in glielo

Move French apprendre prints the Teacher subject with no label · Italian prints a label, and the labels disagree

IT · istruire · Learner direct

qcn in

instruct the soldiers in the use of arms

i. i soldati nell’uso delle armi

IT · Treccani · Garzanti [+ in] · Hoepli · Learner direct · Content in · di unprinted

RolesHide roles LearnerContent

Learner i soldati · direct Content nell’uso delle armi

Move learner-direct · the Content is in, not a second bare object and not French de

DE · IT · case of the Learner

beibringen = this a

jdm etw beibringen

insegnare a qualcuno il latino

DE · PONS, on the German page · dative Learner + accusative Content · IT · Garzanti a-Learner + direct Content · lehren’s double accusative is the other German frame

RolesHide roles LearnerContent

Learner jdm · a qualcuno Content etw · il latino

Move English teach someone something has two bare objects · the matching pair is oblique Learner + direct Content

IT · two bare objects

a ≠ a bare name

—

* Insegno Maria il francese.

IT constructed · starred · the printed Learner of the three-place frame is a or a dative clitic

RolesHide roles LearnerContent

Learner Maria · no a, no gli Content il francese

Move English has no to in the double object · Italian does not print that bare Learner beside a Content

Examples

Argument difference. English teach someone something is one gloss with two bare objects, and English also allows teach something to someone. Italian insegnare, in the three-place frame, puts the Content in the direct object and the Learner in a, or in the dative clitic of that phrase. German beibringen is that same case frame. German lehren’s active norm is two accusatives. Spanish enseñar is dative Learner and accusative Content. French enseigner is direct Content and à-Learner. Russian преподавать matches; Russian учить reverses the cases. Hungarian tanít prints both. Japanese 教える puts the Learner in に and the Content in を. The best match for insegnare is the oblique Learner, not the English double object, and not lehren’s second accusative. istruire is the Italian direct-Learner verb, and its Content is a preposition.

The fine difference on imparare. The standard entry keeps the Learner as subject. A teach use is printed, and it is labeled. Treccani’s label is uso pop. (erroneo ma largamente diffuso), with the lines gliel’ho imparato io and chi ti ha imparato a rispondere così, and with Carducci’s literary le imparava in the same sense. Garzanti’s label is region. merid., with no example. Hoepli’s is dial., merid., with no example. De Mauro’s is RE centromerid., with no example. De Agostini’s is pop., with no example. The Corriere Sabatini-Coletti page does not print the sense. The Crusca says that dictionary registers ha imparato a scrivere al figlio as regionale centro-meridionale, and calls the use improprio. French apprendre prints the Teacher subject in the ordinary entry, with no one of these labels.

Senses kept off the teaching frame, or flagged inside it. The show reading of insegnare stays on the page, and the register labels are quoted as each entry prints them. The news reading of imparare stays on the page and off the skill gloss. The law sense of istruire stays off. Treccani’s antique denunciation i. una persona stays off the Learner.

Dictionary frames and lines · checked · quoted as printed

insegnare a qualcuno il latino, la musica · insegnare a nuotare al proprio figlio · mi (= a me) hanno insegnato a rispettare le opinioni altrui · chi gli ha insegnato l’educazione? Garzanti · aus. avere · [+ a; + a] · mi glossed a me · gli beside the direct object

i. il latino ai propri alunni · mio padre mi insegnò a guidare · i. italiano · i. l’educazione ai figli · i. ai giovani che la libertà è un diritto · insegna da due anni nella scuola dell’obbligo Sabatini-Coletti · [sogg-v-arg-prep.arg] · the indirect argument can be left understood · the profession with no object is v.intr. [sogg-v] · aus. avere on that line · nella scuola is the place

mio fratello mi ha insegnato qualche parola di francese · la mamma gli insegnava le arie d’opera · glielo potrebbe i. un bambino · i. al cavallo a saltare gli ostacoli · i. io a te Treccani · clitic or a · glielo is dative plus accusative · the horse line stacks a + person and a + infinitive

mi ha insegnato l’inglese · i. a nuotare ai bambini piccoli · insegno danza classica in un istituto privato · insegna alle scuole superiori Hoepli · clitic plus direct Content · a + infinitive plus a-Learner · in of the institute and alle scuole are places · sense 5 ass.

insegnare il latino, la musica · farli imparare a qcn. · insegnare storia al liceo, insegnare alle elementari · chi ti ha insegnato l’educazione? · la storia ci insegna che De Mauro · the definition names a qcn. · the examples of sense 1a do not fill that person · spec. ass. · al liceo is the place

insegnare il latino, la musica · (assol.) insegnare alle elementari, in un liceo · chi t’ha insegnato l’educazione? De Agostini · aus. avere · no a qualcuno in the lines served · the school is the place

i. al liceo, nella scuola media, alle elementari · ha la mania d’i. a tutti · vuol sempre i. agli altri Treccani · absolute = the profession · the school a / in is a place · a tutti and agli altri are persons, with no Content

che la gioventù sopra ciò instruissero ed insegnassero Treccani sense 4 · ant. · Bembo · the person is the direct object · De Mauro sense 3 is OB and prints no complement

i. una lingua straniera · da lui, abbiamo tutti qualcosa da i. · tutto quel che sa gliel’ho imparato io · chi ti ha imparato a rispondere così? · E dolce un canto le imparava Treccani · imparare · learner-subject and da · then uso pop. (erroneo ma largamente diffuso) · Carducci is the literary causative inside that sense · le is on imparare, not on insegnare

(region. merid.) insegnare · (region. merid.) venire a sapere Garzanti · imparare senses 5 and 4 · no example on either

dial., merid. Insegnare · region. … ho imparato dalla radio che domani piove Hoepli · sense 4 the teach label, no example · sense 3 the news sense · dalla radio is not a Teacher

RE centromerid., insegnare · RE centromerid., venire a sapere, apprendere De Mauro · imparare senses 3 and 2 · no example · no da in the skill sense served

(pop.) insegnare · (region.) venire a sapere De Agostini · imparare senses 5 and 4 · no example

i. la storia · i. a leggere Sabatini-Coletti · Corriere page · [sogg-v-arg] · learner-subject · no teach sense and no da on the page served

ha imparato a scrivere al figlio · Maria sta imparando il cinese da Alessandro · Il prof. Bianchi insegna la storia romana ai suoi alunni Crusca · Cimaglia · 15 November 2019 · the first line is what the article says Sabatini-Coletti registers as regionale centro-meridionale · the article calls the use improprio · da Alessandro and the Bianchi line are the article’s illustrations

i. i soldati nell’uso delle armi · i. il figlio nella musica · istruire qcn. in matematica · sul contegno da tenere · sulle cose da dire · al rispetto della legge · a montare i fucili Treccani · Sabatini-Coletti · De Mauro · Garzanti [+ in], [+ a] · Learner direct · Content in / su / a · di unprinted

a. i giovani · a. nella religione · a. a vivere onestamente · ammaestrare qcn. in qcs. · a. i bambini · a. un ragazzo al furto · a. le foche a saltare Treccani · De Mauro · Sabatini-Coletti · ammaestrare · person direct · Content in or a

a. gli studenti a scrivere in modo corretto · a. i cavalli alla corsa · a. un cane per la difesa · addestrato … da una fierissima governante spagnola, a reprimere ogni genere di emozioni · addestrare qcn. a, in qcs. · a. le reclute al combattimento · a. le reclute a combattere Treccani · Ortese · De Mauro · Sabatini-Coletti · addestrare · person direct · a / in / per · da of the trainer in the Ortese line

e. i figli · e. al bene, alla virtù · e. i giovani allo studio · e. i figli nel timor di Dio · e. il cuore, la mente · e. i giovani alla musica · e. il figlio a essere tollerante · educare la mente alla riflessione Treccani · Sabatini-Coletti · De Mauro · educare · the object is the person or a faculty · no dative Learner

i. la strada a un forestiero · insegnare la strada a qualcuno · mi insegni la strada · può insegnarmi la strada più breve · insegnare la strada Treccani region. o fam. · Garzanti non com. · Hoepli no register label · Sabatini-Coletti estens. · De Mauro BU · De Agostini no label · show · not the school frame

Strings below are constructed, modelled on the printed lines. They are not spontaneous-speech citations and not dictionary lines. Maria continues a named a-object of the a qualcuno / ai propri alunni shape. il francese fills the direct Content. gli fills the dative clitic of that a. le and loro are not constructed. 501 Italian Verbs was not opened. Lo Zingarelli was not opened. No sentence from either is quoted.

✓ Insegno il francese a Maria.

RolesHide roles TeacherLearnerContent

Teacher the subject of insegno Learner a Maria Content il francese

constructed · a modelled on Garzanti a qualcuno and on Sabatini-Coletti ai propri alunni · direct Content modelled on il latino · both orders are printed

✓ Gli insegno il francese.

RolesHide roles LearnerContent

Learner gli · dative Content il francese

constructed · gli is Treccani’s gli insegnava le arie and Garzanti’s gli ha insegnato l’educazione · le and loro stay unprinted on this verb

* Insegno Maria il francese.

RolesHide roles LearnerContent

Learner Maria Content il francese

constructed · two bare objects · the three-place Learner is a or a dative clitic · Treccani’s ant. person-object has no Content beside it, and it is not this star

✓ insegnare a qualcuno il latino Garzanti · a-Learner · direct Content
✓ il latino ai propri alunni Sabatini-Coletti · the other order · same two markings
✓ gli insegnava le arie d’opera Treccani · dative gli · direct Content
✓ mi (= a me) hanno insegnato Garzanti · the clitic is glossed as a
✓ insegnare a nuotare al proprio figlio Garzanti · a + infinitive · a-Learner
✓ insegna alle elementari Garzanti · De Agostini · Treccani · Hoepli alle scuole superiori · place · not the Learner
✓ la gioventù … insegnassero Treccani sense 4 · ant. · person direct · no Content in the clause
✓ gliel’ho imparato io Treccani · uso pop. · erroneo · Teacher subject · not the unlabeled French flip
✓ i. una lingua straniera Treccani · learner-subject · same lemma, other sense
✓ da lui … qualcosa da i. Treccani · person-source da
✓ i. i soldati nell’uso delle armi Treccani · Learner direct · Content in
✓ la strada a un forestiero Treccani · region. o fam. · show · not the school frame

Voice

No promotion of the Learner, and no promotion of the Content, is printed as a clause of insegnare in the articles read. Hoepli’s header lists the participle insegnàto beside insegnànte. That is a form in the paradigm line, not a clause. Treccani’s present participle is the noun and adjective insegnante. Nothing further is constructed. German lehren prints both promotions of its two accusatives. That German question is not opened here.

istruire prints the participle as an adjective of the person: Treccani è un uomo istruito, Garzanti part.pass. istruito. That is not a ranking of which object of insegnare promotes. The pronominal istruirsi and mi sono già imparato are the subject learning, not a passive of a Teacher clause. Ortese’s era stato addestrato … da una … governante promotes the person of addestrare, and the trainer is da. It is not a clause of insegnare.

Derivations · working sketches, revisable

Each sketch is a working drawing, not a locked analysis. The drawing gives the Teacher to Voice, the Learner to low Appl, and the Content to the root. Open one sketch at a time. Which theta role is the object is the revisable note Causative templates and argument selection. This page does not edit that note.

Voice · the Teacher is the external argument

Constructed · one external argument · on standard imparare the same head is the Learner

[TP [insegna]
  [VoiceP Voice                     ← Teacher = Spec,Voice
    … insegnare … ]]

✓ Insegno il francese a Maria. constructed

The external argument of insegnare is the Teacher. On imparare that head is the Learner in the standard entry. It is the Teacher only in the labeled teach use, where the Learner is a or a dative clitic. Italian does not keep the Learner as a second bare object under the Teacher.

Low Appl · the Learner · the root takes the Content

Nominal Content · a-Learner · istruire’s direct Learner is the other verb, not this tree

[VoiceP Voice
  [ApplP_LOW [a Maria]_DAT Appl       ← Learner · a / gli / mi
    [VP √insegn-
       [Content il francese ]_ACC ]]]  ← Content · direct object

The a-infinitive is the other printed complement. The person under it is a or a clitic, and both orders are printed.

[VoiceP Voice
  [ApplP_LOW [al proprio figlio]_DAT Appl
    [VP √insegn-
       [Content a nuotare ]]]]         ← a + infinitive · Garzanti

✓ a qualcuno il latino Garzanti · a + direct object

✓ insegnare a nuotare al proprio figlio Garzanti · a-infinitive + a-person

* Insegno Maria il francese. constructed · the three-place Learner is not a bare object

English and German · one gloss, not one case frame

Working · no English teach page is opened · German is teach-de.html

[VoiceP Voice                                  ← Teacher
  [ApplP_LOW someone Appl                     ← EN bare object
    [VP √TEACH                                · IT a / gli
       [Content something ]]]]                · IT direct object
                                              · DE beibringen: jdm etw
                                              · DE lehren: jdn etw
                                              · IT istruire: qcn in / su / a

The English double object spells no a and no dative clitic. The English to-frame is the nearer gloss, and it is still not a bare Learner. PONS, on the German page, prints jdm etw beibringen under the same English gloss as jdn etw lehren. The Italian three-place frame matches the first of those, the dative, and not the double accusative.

Layer-by-layer parallel: English teach, Italian insegnare, two German lemmas, Italian istruire
Layer	teach (EN) · no page	insegnare	beibringen	istruire
Spec,Voice	Teacher	Teacher	Teacher	Teacher
Learner	bare object, or to	a / dative clitic in the three-place frame · direct only in Treccani’s ant. line, with no Content	dative	direct object
Content	bare object, or an infinitive	direct object, or a + infinitive	accusative, a wie-clause, or a zu-infinitive	in / su / a · di unprinted
imparare	learn is another verb	learner-subject in the standard entry · a teach use is labeled	not this lemma	not this lemma

Languages of teach: German · lehren / beibringen / unterrichten · Spanish · enseñar · Russian · учить / научить · Hungarian · tanít · Japanese · 教える · French · enseigner · Italian · insegnare · Polish · uczyć / nauczyć · Dutch · leren · Norwegian · lære · Bulgarian · уча / науча · Mandarin · 教 · Portuguese · ensinar. imparare, istruire, ammaestrare, addestrare, and educare are this page’s notes, not further pages. Closest siblings: lend · Italian · prestare · rent · Italian · affittare. No English teach page.

Notes

Working paper · October 2026 · Italian micro-entry · Beyond Index 2

Teaching in Italian is not the English double object, and imparare is not an unlabeled second subject for teach. Teacher (Voice, subject of insegnare), Learner (low Appl), Content (complement of the root). On insegnare the Content is the direct object and the Learner is a, clitic gli, and Garzanti glosses mi as a me. A bare Learner beside a Content is unprinted. imparare keeps the Learner as subject in the standard entry. A teach use is printed under a label, and the labels do not match. istruire takes the Learner as direct object. German beibringen matches the oblique Learner. German lehren’s double accusative does not.

IT micro-entry live Beyond Index 2 imparare teach use is labeled DE lehren live ES enseñar live RU учить live HU tanít live JA 教える live FR enseigner live PL uczyć live NL leren live NO lære live BG уча live ZH 教 live PT ensinar live

Sense × language: teach · Italian (insegnare). The teaching sense is the page. The show sense of insegnare, and the news sense of imparare, stay flagged and off the skill gloss. imparare, istruire, ammaestrare, addestrare, and educare stay notes. No English teach hub. German: teach · lehren / beibringen / unterrichten. Spanish: teach · enseñar. Russian: teach · учить / научить. Hungarian: teach · tanít. Japanese: teach · 教える. French: teach · enseigner. Polish: teach · uczyć / nauczyć. Dutch: teach · leren. Norwegian: teach · lære. Bulgarian: teach · уча / науча. Mandarin: teach · 教. Portuguese: teach · ensinar. Geometry neighbors: lend · prestare · rent · affittare. Index 2 Italian Transfer cites scambiare, dare — not insegnare.

Places
EN ⇄ IT strip
Examples
Voice
Derivations
Hierarchy
Geometry
Open items
Corpus and sources

Working paper. Italian-only micro-entry. Frames were checked on Treccani (insegnare, imparare, istruire, ammaestrare, addestrare, educare), on Sabatini-Coletti as served by Corriere (the same six), on Il Nuovo De Mauro as served by Internazionale (the same six), on Garzanti linguistica as served by numerosamente.it (the three teaching lemmas insegnare, imparare, istruire), on Hoepli as served by dizionari.repubblica.it (the same three), on De Agostini as served by sapere.it (insegnare, imparare), and on the Crusca article of 15 November 2019.

Constructed examples. Dictionary lines are marked as printed. Insegno il francese a Maria, Gli insegno il francese, and the starred bare double object are marked constructed. Treccani’s ant. person-object is quoted, not starred. le and loro on insegnare are unprinted and are not constructed.

Arity. Index 2 does not list insegnare. Surface count can name a teacher, a learner, and a content. The lexicon does not list three co-arguments of one flat V, and it does not list the English double object as the Italian frame. Voice adds the Teacher. Low Appl adds the Learner. The root takes the Content. The object inside an infinitive is not a further sister of insegnare.

What this page does not do. It does not give the teach use of imparare one label. The entries do not. It does not treat Sabatini-Coletti’s prep.arg as a ban on the absolute. It does not copy French de onto istruire. It does not open a page for imparare, istruire, ammaestrare, addestrare, or educare. It does not map the show lines onto teach. It does not quote Lo Zingarelli or 501 Italian Verbs.

Hierarchy

Not a flat grid of three sisters, and not the English double object copied onto one Italian verb. Voice adds the Teacher. Low Appl adds the Learner. The root takes the Content.

What Italian changes, against teach someone something, is the Learner’s marking. The three-place frame is a direct Content and an a-Learner. When that person is a direct object, Treccani labels the line ant. and prints no Content beside it. When the Content is a + infinitive, the person in the printed lines is a or a clitic. imparare does not flip the subject in the unlabeled entry. A teach use is printed, and each dictionary’s label is quoted on its own line. German beibringen is the dative match. German lehren’s two accusatives are a different frame. istruire keeps the Learner direct and moves the Content into in, su, or a.

Geometry · insegnare beside the other teaching lemmas

English teach. Two bare objects in teach someone something, and to in teach something to someone. No English page is opened. The to-frame is the nearer gloss. The double object is unprinted in Italian.
insegnare. Direct Content, a-Learner, dative clitic gli and mi (glossed a me). a + infinitive, stacked with the person. Person as direct object only in Treccani’s ant. line. Absolute is the profession. Place-a and place-in are not the Learner.
imparare. Learner-subject, source da where that phrase is printed. Teacher-subject only under a label, and the labels disagree: Treccani uso pop. and erroneo, Garzanti region. merid., Hoepli dial., merid., De Mauro RE centromerid., De Agostini pop., Crusca’s report of Sabatini-Coletti regionale centro-meridionale, and the Corriere page does not print it. The news sense is a different regional label.
istruire. Learner direct. Content in, su, or a. di unprinted. The direct-Learner cloth. Not insegnare.
ammaestrare, addestrare, educare. The object is the person, or, for educare, a faculty. The further phrase is in, a, or, on addestrare, per. No dative Learner in the lines opened.
beibringen. Dative Learner, accusative Content. The case match. lehren’s double accusative is not this frame. unterrichten is nearer istruire: accusative Learner, Content in a preposition.
enseñar. Dative Learner, accusative Content. Spanish aprender is the learner-side verb, not a teacher-subject of the same lemma.
enseigner. Direct Content, à-Learner. The case match. apprendre is one lemma, and the Teacher subject is the ordinary factitive, with no popular or regional label. That is the split.
преподавать. Accusative Content, dative Learner. учить reverses that.
tanít. Frame (b) is accusative Content and dative Learner. Frame (a) is accusative Learner and sublative Content.
教える. Learner に, Content を. The Learner is を only with no Content. Italian prints that person as a direct object only in Treccani’s ant. line.

Open items

le on insegnare. Unprinted. gli is printed. Carducci’s le is on imparare, inside Treccani’s literary causative. Not constructed on insegnare.
loro. Unprinted on insegnare and on the imparare lines read. Not constructed.
glielo as a full finite clause of the school frame. Treccani prints glielo potrebbe i. un bambino. The popular line prints gliel’ho imparato. A separate Glielo insegno is not added.
A direct-object Learner beside a Content. Unprinted. Treccani’s person-object is ant. and has no Content in the clause. De Mauro’s OB sense prints no complement. Not constructed as a modern frame.
da of a teacher on imparare. Printed in Treccani (da lui) and in the Crusca’s illustrations (da Alessandro, dalla nostra collaborazione). Unprinted in the skill senses of Garzanti, De Mauro, Hoepli, De Agostini, and the Corriere Sabatini-Coletti page. Not constructed beyond those lines. Hoepli’s dalla radio is the news sense.
One label for the teach use of imparare. Not given. Treccani prints uso pop. and erroneo ma largamente diffuso. Garzanti prints region. merid. Garzanti does not print erroneo. Hoepli prints dial., merid. De Mauro prints RE centromerid. De Agostini prints pop. The Crusca, quoting Sabatini-Coletti, prints regionale centro-meridionale and recommends improprio. The Corriere page does not print the sense. This page does not pick one.
di on istruire. Unprinted in Treccani, De Mauro, Sabatini-Coletti, Garzanti, and Hoepli. in, su, and a are printed. Not copied from French de.
Show-sense labels. They disagree. Treccani region. o fam. Garzanti non com. De Mauro BU. Hoepli, Sabatini-Coletti estens., and De Agostini do not print the regional label. Not collapsed.
Passive of the Learner. Unprinted for insegnare. Not constructed. Hoepli’s insegnàto is a paradigm header.
Lo Zingarelli and 501 Italian Verbs. Not opened. No sentence from either is quoted.

Corpus filenames and sources checked

Dictionary frames: Treccani insegnare, imparare, istruire, ammaestrare, addestrare, educare; Sabatini-Coletti on the Corriere pages of the same six; Il Nuovo De Mauro on Internazionale, the same six; Garzanti linguistica, as the numerosamente.it page prints the Garzanti block, for insegnare, imparare, and istruire; Hoepli, as dizionari.repubblica.it prints it, for those three; De Agostini on sapere.it for insegnare and imparare; Accademia della Crusca, Riccardo Cimaglia, 15 November 2019. Literary lines are quoted only as those entries print them. Constructed clauses put a printed a on a named Learner, or gli in the printed dative slot. Lo Zingarelli and 501 Italian Verbs were not opened. Index 2 does not list insegnare. Italian Transfer in Index 2 is scambiare, dare.

Treccani · insegnare treccani.it/vocabolario/insegnare · direct Content · gli / mi / glielo · a + infinitive stacked with a + person · absolute = the profession · place-a · sense 4 ant. person-object · sense 3 region. o fam. show
Garzanti linguistica · insegnare dict.numerosamente.it · Garzanti block · aus. avere · [+ a; + a] · a qualcuno il latino · a nuotare al proprio figlio · mi (= a me) · gli · place alle elementari, in un liceo · show non com.
Sabatini-Coletti · insegnare dizionari.corriere.it · [sogg-v-arg-prep.arg] · il latino ai propri alunni · mi insegnò a guidare · v.intr. nella scuola dell’obbligo
Hoepli · insegnare dizionari.repubblica.it · mi ha insegnato l’inglese · a nuotare ai bambini piccoli · in un istituto privato · sense 5 ass.
De Mauro · insegnare dizionario.internazionale.it · farli imparare a qcn. · spec. ass. al liceo · sense 3 OB with no complement · show BU
De Agostini · insegnare sapere.it · aus. avere · (assol.) alle elementari, in un liceo · no a qualcuno in the lines served
Treccani · imparare treccani.it/vocabolario/imparare · learner-subject · da lui · sense 3 uso pop. (erroneo ma largamente diffuso) · gliel’ho imparato · Carducci le imparava · sense 2 region. news
Garzanti · imparare dict.numerosamente.it · Garzanti block · sense 5 (region. merid.) insegnare · no example · no person-da in the skill senses
Hoepli · imparare dizionari.repubblica.it · sense 4 dial., merid. Insegnare · no example · sense 3 dalla radio
De Mauro · imparare dizionario.internazionale.it · sense 3 RE centromerid., insegnare · no example
De Agostini · imparare sapere.it · sense 5 (pop.) insegnare · no example
Sabatini-Coletti · imparare dizionari.corriere.it · [sogg-v-arg] · learner-subject · teach sense unprinted on this page · da unprinted
Crusca · imparare / insegnare accademiadellacrusca.it · 15 November 2019 · attributes to Sabatini-Coletti ha imparato a scrivere al figlio as regionale centro-meridionale · calls the use improprio · da Alessandro
Treccani · istruire treccani.it/vocabolario/istruire · Learner direct · in · su · law sense off the frame
Garzanti · istruire dict.numerosamente.it · Garzanti block · [+ in] · [+ in, a] · [+ a] · su · di unprinted
Sabatini-Coletti · istruire dizionari.corriere.it · i. il figlio nella musica · sulle cose da dire
De Mauro · istruire dizionario.internazionale.it · istruire qcn. in matematica · al senso civico · sul comportamento
Hoepli · istruire numerosamente.it · Hoepli block · nell’uso delle armi · a saltare · su come
Treccani · ammaestrare treccani.it/vocabolario/ammaestrare · in · a + infinitive · a. i giovani · animals
De Mauro · ammaestrare dizionario.internazionale.it · ammaestrare qcn. in qcs.
Sabatini-Coletti · ammaestrare dizionari.corriere.it · a. i bambini · al furto · a saltare
Treccani · addestrare treccani.it/vocabolario/addestrare · a · in · per · Ortese da of the trainer
De Mauro · addestrare dizionario.internazionale.it · addestrare qcn. a, in qcs.
Sabatini-Coletti · addestrare dizionari.corriere.it · al combattimento · a combattere
Treccani · educare treccani.it/vocabolario/educare · person or faculty · a · nel timor di Dio · no dative Learner
De Mauro · educare dizionario.internazionale.it · educare i giovani · educare la mente alla riflessione
Sabatini-Coletti · educare dizionari.corriere.it · e. i figli · alla musica · a essere tollerante
German sibling teach-de.html · beibringen dative Learner + accusative Content · lehren double accusative · unterrichten accusative Learner + in+dative
French sibling teach-fr.html · enseigner direct Content + à-Learner · apprendre unlabeled subject flip · instruire prints de

Records the direct Content and the a-Learner of insegnare, the dative clitic of that phrase, the labeled teach use of imparare, and the direct Learner of istruire. Does not open imparare.