Parlo inglese al lavoro.

I speak English at work.

Breakdown of Parlo inglese al lavoro.

• parlare: to talk
• al: at
• il lavoro: the work
• inglese: English (language or adjective)

Questions & Answers about Parlo inglese al lavoro.

Why is parlo used here?

Parlo is the first-person singular form of parlare (to speak) in the present tense. It means I speak.

• parlo = I speak
• parli = you speak
• parla = he/she speaks

So Parlo inglese al lavoro literally starts with I speak...

Why isn’t the subject pronoun io included?

In Italian, subject pronouns are often left out because the verb ending already shows who is doing the action.

• Parlo already means I speak
• So Io parlo inglese al lavoro is possible, but usually unnecessary

You would add io only for emphasis or contrast, for example:

• Io parlo inglese, ma lui parla italiano.
  I speak English, but he speaks Italian.

Why is it inglese and not l’inglese?

After parlare, Italian often uses the name of the language without an article when talking about speaking a language in general.

• Parlo inglese. = I speak English.
• Parla italiano. = He/She speaks Italian.

Using an article here would usually sound unnatural in this basic meaning.

Why is inglese not capitalized?