Breakthrough Italian

Breakthrough Language Series
ITALI AN
Giovanni Carsaniga
Professor of Italian Studies,
La Trobe University (Melbourne)
General editor Brian Hill

Head of the Language Centre, Brighton Polytechnic
Series advisers
Janet Jenkins International Extension College, Cambridge
Duncan Sidwell Principal Modern Languages Adviser, Leicestershire LEA
Al Wolff Producer, BBC School Radio
Acknowledgements
The task of collecting recordings in Italy was made easy by the cooperation
of many casual acquaintances, whom I must necessarily thank collectively.
Several shops gave me permission to eavesdrop on the conversations
between their staff and customers, both of whom managed to carry on with
their business as if I had not been there.
My particular thanks go to Dr Giuseppe Deluca, Aldo Visco-Gilardi, Dr
Dino Bressan, Dr Attilio Cernuschi, Osvaldo Grassi, Professor and Mrs T.
Bolelli, the directors and staff of the Ente Provinciale del Turismo in
Milano and Pisa, the station managers and staff of Domodossola and Pisa
railway stations, the comptroller and staff of the passenger terminal, Galilei
Airport, the manager and staff of the Ristorante II Balanzone, Milano, and
the Royal Victoria Hotel, Pisa.
The author and publisher would also like to thank the Polytechnic of
Central London for the studio recordings, Mr Kym Horsell of the
Computer Centre, LaTrobe University, and the author's wife for help in
preparing the vocabulary list, and the following for permission to use
copyright material:
Marco and Paride Bruzzone for the photographs on pages 8, 18, 33, 47, 51,
62, 66, 67, 75, 76, 80, 89, 96, 102, 103, 104, 107, 118, 121, 129, 145, 146,
163, 173, 174, 178, 189, 191, 194, 195,201,213,214 and 215.
J. Allan Cash Ltd for the photographs on pages 47, 70 and 187.
The Italian Trade Centre for the photographs on pages 139 and 157.
The Italian State Tourist Office for the photographs on pages 185 and 207.
Tape production: Gerald Ramshaw

Acting: Marisa Dillon-Weston, Gigi Gatti, Giancarlo Ciccone
Book design: Gillian Riley
Illustrations: Rowan Barnes-Murphy
© Giovanni Carsaniga and Brian Hill 1982
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission

of this publication may be made without written permission.
No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or
transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with
the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988,
or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying
issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court
Road, London W1P 9HE.
Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to
this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and
civil claims for damages.
First published by Pan Books Ltd 1982
This edition published 1988 by

THE MACMILLAN PRESS LTD
Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 2XS
and London
Companies and representatives
thtoughout the world
ISBN 978-0-333-48178-3 ISBN 978-1-349-10563-2 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-10563-2
10 9 8 7 6 5 4
00 99 98 97 96 95 94 93 92
Contents
How to use this course 4

1 Ciao! Tutto bene? (Talking about yourself) 7
2 Arrivi e partenze (Travel information) 21
3 Ci sono camere libere? (Accommodation- more about yourself) 35
4 Che cosa prende? (Ordering drinks and snacks) 49
5 Come faccio per andare in centro? (Directions) 63
6 Scusi, che ora e? (Time) 77
7 Bene, lo compro! (Shopping- part 1) 91
8 Che tipo consiglia? (Shopping- part 2) lOS
9 Due, seconda, andata e ritorno (Making travel arrangements) 119
10 Ci abbiamo tante specialita (Food and drink) 133
11 Che cosa preferisce? (Likes and dislikes) 147
12 Gia che ci sei, fai anche i1 pieno (Car travel - the weather) 161
13 Tanti anni fa ... (More about yourself) 175
14 Si potrebbe andare al cinema (Entertainment - health) 189
15 Un piccolo incidente (Solving problems) 203
Revision Units 1-3 217
Units 4-6 219
Units 7-9 221
Units 10-12 222
Units 13-15 224
Answers to revision sections 226
Grammar summary 227
Vocabulary 231
Index 239
List of grammar in course 240
How to use this course
Following this course will help you understand, speak and read most of the
Italian you are likely to need on holiday or on business trips. The course is
based on recordings made in Italy of ordinary Italian people in everyday
situations. Step by step you will learn first to understand what they are
saying and then to speak in similar situations yourself.
Before producing the course we talked to hundreds of people about why
and how they learn languages. We know how important it is for learning to
be enjoyable - and for it to be usable as soon as possible. Again and again
people told us that there was not much point in knowing all the grammar if
you were unable to ask simple questions. In this course you will learn to
ask simple questions very early on - and the only explanations of grammar
will be those that actually help you understand and use the language.
General hints to help you use the course

• Have confidence in us! Real language is complex and you will find certain
things in every unit which are not explained in detail. Don't worry about
this. We'll build up your knowledge slowly, selecting only what is most
important to know at each stage.
• Try to study regularly, but in short periods. 20-30 minutes each day is
usually better than 31/2 hours once a week.
• To help you learn to speak, say the words and phrases out loud whenever
possible.
• If you don't understand something, leave it for a while. Learning a
language is a bit like doing a jigsaw or a crossword: there are many ways to
tackle it and it all falls into place eventually.
• Don't be afraid to write in the book and add your own notes.
• Do revise frequently. (There are revision sections after every three units.) It
helps to get somebody to test you - and they don't need to know Italian.
• If you can possibly learn with somebody else you will be able to help each
other and practise the language together.
• Learning Italian may take more time than you thought. Just be patient and
above all don't get angry with yourself.
Suggested study pattern

Each unit of the course consists of approximately fourteen pages in the
book and ten minutes of tape. The first page of each unit will tell you what
you are going to learn and suggest what we think is the best method for
going about it. As you progress with the course you may find that you
evolve a method of study which suits you better - that's fine, but we
suggest you keep to our pattern at least for the first two or three units or
you may find you are not taking full advantage of all the possibilities offered
by the material.
The book contains step-by step instructions for working through the
course: when to use the book on its own, when to use the tape on its own,
when to use them both together, and how to use them. On the tape the
presenter Marisa will guide you through the various sections. Here is an
outline of the study pattern proposed.
Dialogues Listen to the dialogues, first without stopping the tape, and get a feel for
the task ahead. Then go over each one bit by bit in conjunction with the
vocabulary and the notes. You should get into the habit of using the PAUSE/
STOP and REWIND buttons on your cassette recorder to give yourself time to
think, and to go over the dialogues a number of times. Don't leave a
dialogue until you are confident that you have at least understood it.
(Symbols used in the notes are explained on p. 6).
4
Key_ words Study this list of the most important words and phrases from the dialogues.
If possible, try to learn them by heart. They will be practised in the rest of
and phrases the unit.
Practise This section contains a selection of exercises which focus your attention on
the most important language in the unit. To do them you will need to work
what you closely with the book and often use your tape recorder - sometimes you are
have learnt asked to write an exercise and then check the answers on tape: other times
to listen first and th!;ll fill in answers in the book. Again, use your PAUSE/
STOP and REWIND bu.ttons to give yourself time to think and to answer
questions. Pauses have been left to help you to do this.
Grammar At this stage in a unit things should begin to fall into place and you are
ready for the grammar section. If you really don't like grammar, you will
still learn a lot without studying this pan, but most people quite enjoy
finding out how the language they are using actually works and how it is
put together.
Read and In these sections you will be encouraged to read the kind of signs, menus,
brochures, and so on you may come across in Italy and you will be given
understand some practical background information on Italian customs and culture.
and Did you
know?
Your turn to Finally, back to the tape for some practfce in speaking the main words and
phrases which you have already heard and had explained. The book only
speak gives you an outline of the exercises, so you are just listening to the tape
and responding. Usually you will be asked to take pan in a conversation
where you hear a question or statement in Italian followed by a suggestion
in English as to how you might reply. You then give your reply in Italian
and listen to see if you were right. You will probably have to go over these
spoken exercises ?. few times before you get them absolutely correct.
Answers The answers to all the exercises (except those given on tape) can be found
on the last page of each unit.
If you haven't learned languages using a tape before, just spend five
minutes on Unit I getting used to the mechanics; practise pausing the tape,
and see how long the rewind button needs to be pressed to recap on
different length phrases and sections.
Don't be shy- take every opportunity you can to speak Italian to Italian
people and to listen to real Italian. Try listening to Italian broadcasts on the
radio or tuning in to the excellent BBC radio and television broadcasts for
learners.
Buona fortuna e buon lavoro!
At the back of the book

At the back of the book is a reference section which contains:
p. 217 the written part of the revision sections which occur after every third unit
on the tape
p. 227 a short grammar summary with definitions of grammatical terms (noun,
adjective, etc.). The section also covers the main rules of Italian grammar
p. 231 an Italian-English vocabulary list containing all the words in the course
p. 239 a brief index to enjible you to look things up in the book.
5
The Italian language
Each language has its own peculiarities and character. Here are a few points
to remember when learning Italian.
• The spelling of Italian is much simpler than the spelling of English. By and
large an Italian letter will always correspond to one sound only. Similarly an
Italian sound will always be spelled in the same way. Of course correct
pronunciation (of single sounds or words) and intonation (of whole
sentences) cannot be taught through a book: that's why it is so important
that you should listen to, and imitate, the speakers recorded on your
cassette tape.
• Italian is an inflected language: one, that is, where the endings of certain
classes of words, and changes in their endings, indicate the role those words
play in the sentence, and consequently help to understand the meaning of
that sentence. In English that is mostly indicated by word order. In Italian,
on the other hand, word order is relatively flexible: mi piace il caffe nero,
il caffe nero mi piace, il cafle mi piace nero all mean (admittedly with
slightly different emphasis) 'I like black coffee'.
There are easy rules to predict word endings and their change, and we
shall be giving the most important ones. Do not worry too much however if
you get some endings wrong: your Italian listeners will be able to
understand you all the same in most cases, and that's surely more important
at this stage than one' hundred per cent accuracy.
• In English if you put different personal pronouns (such as 'I, you, we, they'
etc.) before a verb you get different verb forms. In Italian verb forms
change their endings according to the person: parlo I speak, parli you
speak, parliamo we speak, parlate you (pl.) speak, parlano they speak.
That's why in Italian personal pronouns are rarely used, mostly for
emphasis. Verb endings change according to fixed and mostly predictable
patterns: you'll see they are quite easy to memorize.
• Italian has only recently become a viable national spoken language. Even
today about one third of the Italian population are native speakers of a
dialect (which may be as different from the standard language as English is
from French) and learn Italian at school. Bear that in mind if you hear,
while in Italy, something totally different from what you have been taught
to expect in this course. Many Italians ar_e_jl,!st_~~ likely as you are to speak
'substandard' Italian, but that does not stop them from speaking and
communicating effectively, nor should it hinder you!
Symbols and abbreviations
D If your cassette recorder has a counter, set it to zero at the start of each unit
and then fill in these boxes with the number showing at the beginning of
each unit dialogue. This will help you to find the right place on the tape
quickly when you want to wind back.
• This indicates a key word or phrase in the dialogues.
m. masculine pl. plural
f. feminine lit. literally
sing. singular adj. adjective
6
1 Ciao! Tutto bene?
What you will learn

• how to greet people
• how to say where you're from
•• how to say where you live
• how to introduce someone
• how to answer a customs officer
Before you begin

The dialogues on tape are divided into three groups. First listen carefully to
each group, without looking at the book. Marisa, on tape, will tell you what
the dialogues are about, and that should enable you to get the gist of what
is being said. After listening to each group rewind your tape. Listen again
to the dialogue(s) in the group one by one, at the same time reading the
text. Then study the vocabulary and notes. To do that, you must use the
stop or pause buttons on your cassette recorder. Do not move on to the next
dialogue unless you have understood what you are studying.
Finally rewind your tape and listen to all the dialogues once more, trying
to remember as much as possible of their meaning without referring to the
notes. If necessary, repeat the procedure until you know what they are
about. These instructions apply to all lessons in this course.
After studying the dialogues move on to the next two sections, while the
language of the dialogues is still fresh in your mind. Check your progress
through the various sections by ticking off the items in the following
checklist:
Study guide
Dialogues 1, 2: listen straight through without the book
Dialogues 1, 2: listen, read and study one by one
Dialogues 3-5: listen straight through without the book
Dialogues 3-5: listen, read and study one by one
Dialogue 6: listen straight through without the book
Dialogue 6: listen, read and study notes
Learn the Key words and phrases
Do the exercises in Practise what you have learnt
Study Grammar and do the exercises
Do Read and understand
Read Did you know?
Do the tape exercises in Your turn to speak
Finally, listen to all the dialogues again without the book
UNIT I 7
Dialogues
If you have a cassette recorder with a counter put it to zero as you begin
playing the tape, and note the counter reading for each dialogue in the box.
This iway you'll be able to find the dialogue more quickly when you want to
listen to it again.
Dt Gianni and Emma exchange greetings on the telephone
<;lAo t
Emma Pronto.
Gianni Pronto. - - -
Emma Ciao, sono Emma.
Gianni Ciao Emma.
Emma Ciao Gianni.
Gianni Tutto bene?
Emma Tutto bene.
tutto bene everything's OK (lit. all well)
Gianni a shortened form of Giovanni, John
Giovanni meets Marcella and her mother

Giovanni Ciao. Chi sei?
Marcella Sono Marcella.
Giovanni Di dove sei?
Marcella Sono di Milano.
Giovanni E dove abiti?
Marcella Abito a Lurago Marinone. Questa e lamia mamma.
Sisa Io sono Ia mamma di Marcella.
Giovanni Buon giorno, signora.
di Milano from Milan
e dove abiti? and where do you live?
abito a . . . I live in . _ .
Lurago Marinone a village some 20 miles north of Milan
Ia mamma di Marcella Marcella's mum
8 UNIT I
The most important expressions are marked with a t; these are the ones
you should try to remember. They will be listed again on p. 13.
1 t pronto This is what you say when you begin a telephone conversation. It
normally means 'ready' but in English you would say 'hallo'. Note that the
same Italian word may have different English translations in different
contexts.
t ciao hi! hallo! bye bye; used both on meeting and on parting by people
who are on first-name terms (including adults talking to children), or by
people who know each other very well. For a more formal greeting see
dialogue 2.
t sono Emma I'm Emma. Sono is a form of the verb essere (to be). For the
whole verb, seep. 17.
2 chi sei? who are you? Note that ch- is always pronounced 'k-'.
t di dove sei? where are you from? If you are talking to a person you don't
know well you should ask di dove e? using the polite form for 'are you?'
which is the same as the 'he/she' form. (See Grammar p. 17.)
t questa e 1a mia mamma this is my mum. Questa e Marcella this is
Marcella; but, when introducing or pointing to a boy or a man you say
questQ e Gianni this is Gianni.
Note the use of io (I) for emphasis when Marcella's mother introduces
herself. It would not normally be necessary.
t huon giomo good day, but used for good morning and good afternoon.
From late afternoon on say buona sera good evening. Before retiring at
night say huona notte good night. All three may be written as one word:
huongiorno, huonasera, huonanotte. Note that, when addres.sing a 13-
year-old girl like Marcella you use the informal ciao: but use the more
formal greeting when talking to adults you don't know well, or with whom
you are not on first name terms, like Marcella's mother.
signora is the word used to address a married or an elderly woman (even if
unmarried). Unlike 'Mrs' in English, signora does not have to be followed
by the woman's name. The same applies to signorina (Miss). Signore is
used for men. If you know the man's surname you must add it and shorten
signore to signor: huon giorno signor Gilardi.
UNIT I 9
The following three dialogues are all about going through
customs.
A customs officer asks a train passenger a few questions

Guardia di finanza Buon giorno signora. Passaporto, passaporto prego.
Grazie.
V iaggiatrice Prego.
Guardia di finanza Qualcosa da dichiarare?
Viaggiatrice No.
Guardia di finanza Valuta? Titoli di credito? Oro?
V iaggiatrice No.
Guardia di finanza Sigarette? Tabacco? Superalcoolici?
V iaggiatrice No.
Guardia di finanza Valigia?
Viaggiatrice E qui.
Guardia di finanza. Va bene. Tutto bene. Grazie.
V iaggiatrice Prego.
Guardia di finanza Buon giorno.
Viaggiatrice Buon giorno.
guardia di finanza customs officer sigarette cigarettes
viaggiatrice female passenger, tabacco tobacco
traveller superalcoolici spirits
passaporto passport valigia suitcase
valuta currency qui here
titoli di credito bonds, securities va bene it's OK
oro gold
More questions from a customs officer at the airport

Guardia di finanza Buon giorno. Che ha da dichiarare?
Turista Non ho niente da dichiarare.
turista tourist (man or woman)
Ds This time the tourist has something to declare: he has more cigarettes
than he is allowed to take duty-free
Guardia di finanza Che ha da dichiarare?
Turista Delle sigarette.
Guardia di finanza Quanti pacchetti?
Turista Venti pacchetti. Quanti pacchetti si possono portare? ...
Guardia di finanza Si possono portare due pacchetti. Uno aperto.
Turista Due pacchetti soltanto?
Guardia di finanza Due pacchetti.
delle sigarette some cigarettes due two

venti twenty uno aperto one open
si possono portare one can bring soltanto only
10 UNIT I
3 • prego please. This is also used as the standard reply to grazie (thanks)
when it would be translated as 'it's alright' or 'don't mention it'.
• qualcosa da dichiarare? anything to declare?
• no no. The opposite is si yes.
4 che ha da dichiarare? what have you got to declare?

• non ho niente da dichiarare I have nothing to declare. A useful phrase,
also in conjunction with other verbs:
non ho niente da studiare I have nothing to study
non ho niente da fare I have nothing to do.
non ... niente is 'nothing' or 'not ... anything': non dichiaro niente I'm
not declaring anything, non e niente it's nothing.
ho and ha come from the verb avere (to have). The whole verb is on p. 17.
Note that h is never pronounced in Italian. When it is found between c and
e or i, as in che, dichiarare, pacchetti (packets), it indicates that the c has a
'hard' sound (like ch- in chemistry or k- in kit, as opposed to a 'soft' sound
as in cheese).
The customs officer addresses the tourist in the polite form:
che ha da dichiarare? what have you got to declare? (Seep. 17.)
5 • quanti pacchetti? how many packets? but

quante sigarette? how many cigarettes?
quanto tabacco? how much tobacco?
quanta valuta? how much currency?
(See Grammar p. 16.)
UNIT I II
Five Italian students, taking summer courses in English, introduce
themselves to Giovanni.
Lorena Io mi chiamo Lorena. Sono una studentessa dell'universita di
Bologna.
Enrico Io mi chiamo Enrico. Studio anch'io a Bologna.
Giovanni E da dove vieni Enrico? Sei di Bologna?
Enrico No, non sono di Bologna. Vengo dall' Abruzzo.
Giovanni Come ti chiami?
Cesarina Mi chiamo Cesarina. Vengo dalla provincia di Mantova. Abito in
un paese chiamato Suzzara.
Annamaria lo mi chiamo Annamaria. Sono studentessa all'universita di
Bologna.
Enza Sono Enza. Vengo da Leece. Studio a Bologna. Sono qui per
imparar l'inglese.
studentessa female student Mantova Mantua
Abruzzo a region in central Italy Leece a town in South-East Italy
6 deU'universita di Bologna of Bologna university (lit. of the university of

Bologna). In this dialogue you will also find the phrases aU'universita at
the university, daU'Abruzzo from the Abruzzi, daDa provincia from the
province. DeU', aU', daU' and daDa will be explained further on p. 30.
io mi chiamo Lorena my name is Lorraine (lit. I call myself Lorraine). Io
can be omitted: mi chiamo Cesarina my name is Cesarina.
studio anch'io a Bologna I too study at Bologna.
• da dove vieni? where do you come from? Da is the normal translation of
'from', see also vengo da Leece I come from Leece. If you ask a person
you don't know well where he/she is from, you must say da dove vien.!:?
• non sono di Bologna I'm not from Bologna. Note the following:
- to deny something, place non before the verb: non mi chiamo Enrico my
name is not Henry, non vengo da Leece I don't come from Leece.
- di normally means 'of' as in l'universita di Bologna the university of
Bologna. In phrases like sono di Milano, non sono di Bologna, the
Italians use di because they mean being a citizen of a particular place.
• come ti chiami? what's your name? If you are talking to a person you don't
know well you should ask come si chiam_!?
• abito in un paese chiamato Suzza.-a I live in a small town called Suzzara.
In is used in most cases to indicate location: e in ltalia he is in Italy,
studio in lnghilterra I'm studying in England, abito in un paese I live in a
small town. The exception is with names of towns: abito a Suzzara I live in
Suzzara, abito a Londra I live in London. Paese can mean both 'town' and
'country' i.e. Italy, England etc.
sono qui per imparar l'inglese I'm here to learn English. lmparar is short
for imparare, to learn. Inglese means 'English' - the language and the
nationality:
• sono inglese I'm English. Italians usually refer to everyone from Great
Britain as inglese, even if they come from Scotland, Wales or Ireland.
I2 UNIT I
Key words and phrases
Here are the most important words and phrases that you have met in this
unit. First are those you may need to know how to say: try to learn them
by heart.
To learn
buon giomo good morning, good afternoon
buona sera good evening
ciao! hi! hallo! 'bye
SODO I am
sono Emma/Enrico I'm Emma/Henry
SODO inglese I'm English
sono di Londra I'm from London
abito I live
abito in Inghilterra I live in England
abito a Londra I live in London
vengo I come
vengo da Manchester I come from Manchester
DOD not
DOD SODO inglese I'm not English
non vengo da Londra I don't come from London
non ho niente da dichiarare I've nothing to declare
questo e ... this is ...
questo e Enrico this is Henry
questa e Cesarina this is Cesarina
si yes
DO no
grazie thank you
prego don't mention it
Now practise saying these aloud- they're on tape after the dialogues. You
will need to pause the tape after each phrase to give yourself time to speak.
To understand
tutto bene? everything 0 K?
chi e? who are you?
di dove e? where are you from?
da dove viene? where do you come from?
qualcosa da dichiarare? anything to declare?
You will find a summary of the key words and phrases in every unit,
immediately after the dialogues. They will not be recorded on tape from
now on.
UNIT I 13
Practise what you have learnt
This part of the unit is designed to help you cope more confidently with the
language you have met in the dialogues. You will need both the book and
the cassette to do most of the exercises but all the necessary instructions are
in the book. You will have an opportunity to speak at the end of the unit.
1 Who comes from where and who lives or studies where? Listen to the
questions and answers on tape, and write the appropriate name, chosen
from the people on the right after each location. (Answers p. 20.)
a. Abruzzo ........................................... .
b. Bologna ............................................ .
c. Leece ................................................ .
d. Milano .............................................. .
e. Suzzara
f. Lurago
2 Listen to our actress introducing herself, then answer the following

questions by ticking the correct box. (Answers p. 20.)
1. Come si chiama? a. D Marina

b. D Gina
c. D Laura
2. :E italiaD.a? a. D si
b. D no
3. Di dove e? a. 0Rapallo
b. D Ravenna
c. D Ragusa
4. Dove abita? a. D in Italia
b. D in lnghilterra
I4 UNIT I
3 Listen to the dialogue on tape. When you are sure you have understood it
answer the following questions by ticking the correct box. (Answers on
p. 20.)
1. What time of day is it? a. D morning

D evening b.
2. Why is the girl here? a. D as a tourist
b. D to learn English
3. Where does she come from? a. D Venice
b. D the Abruzzi
c. D Rome
4. Does she want to smoke? a. D yes
b. D no
4 Write in the appropriate greeting, ciao or buon giomo before the names of
the people below. When you have finished, check your answers by listening
to the recorded greetings on tape. At a later stage, when you are quite sure
of your answers, you may use this exercise as a speaking exercise, and say
the greetings aloud before each recorded phrase. You will need to stop the
tape to give yourself time to speak.
a ...................................... b ...................................... c .................................... ..

signora Giraldi. Marcella. signor Giraldi.
d ...................................... e ...................................... f ...................................... .
signorina. Enrico. Enza.
UNIT I 15
Grammar
Gender and number

In the notes to dialogues 2 and 6 you have learned that words like questo
this, and quanto how much, change their ending according to the noun
they refer to. Here is the complete pattern for questo:
questo e Enrico this is Henry
questa e Cesarina this is Cesarina
questi sono Enrico e Giovanni these are Henry and John
queste sono Cesarina e Lorena these are Cesarina and Lorena
questo refers to one male individual (masculine singular)
questa to one female individual (feminine singular)
questi to more than one individual, either both males or of both sexes
(masculine plural)
queste to more than one female (feminine plural).
Masculine and feminine are distinctions that apply to all Italian nouns, for
instance:
questo e oro this is gold
queste sono sigarette italiane these are Italian cigarettes
Exercise 1 Write the appropriate forms of questo in the dotted spaces below. (Answers
p. 20.)
a. e Gianni
.. ......................
b ......................... e Enza
c. .. ...................... sono Marcella e la mamma di Marcella
d. .. ...................... sono Enrico e Annamaria
e. .. ...................... sono studenti italiani
f. ........................ sono studentesse italiane
The explanation about questo (above) also applies to quanto:

stng.
m. quanto oro? how much gold?
f. quanta valuta? how much currency?
pl.
m. quanti passaporti? how many passports?
f. quante valigie? how many suitcases?
Note that some nouns have the same endings as questo and quanto, that is,
they belong to the same pattern.
stng. pl.
m. pacchetto pacchetti
f. sigaretta sigarette
Italian nouns which end in -o are nearly always masculine, and those which
end in -a are nearly always feminine. Their plurals are formed as shown
above.
r6 UNIT I
Verbs
Italian verbs fall into three main classes according to the ending of their
infinitive (the dictionary entry word). Verbs ending in -are, like abitare to live in,
chiamare to call, dichiarare to declare, imparare to learn, studiare to study,
belong to the first class (or first conjugation). Normally the endings of verbs
belonging to the same class are the same.
impar2 I learn impari.ilm2 we learn
imparl you (informal) learn imparm you (pl.) learn
impar.!l he/she learns or you (polite) impar!mQ they learn
learn
There is no difference in Italian between 'I learn' and 'I am learning'.

Exercise 2 Taking imparare as a model, fill in the missing forms of abitare in the
following dialogue. (Answers p. 20.)
Clelia Filippo, dove ................................. ?

Filippo ................................. a Bologna. E tu, Clelia, dove
................................. ?
Clelia ................................. a Milano.
Filippo Marcella e la mamma dove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ?
Clelia ................................. a Lurago.
Filippo E Cesarina dove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ?
Clelia ................................. a Suzzara.
Here are two very important verbs which don't fit the same pattern as
imparare- they are irregular. Try to learn them by heart.
Essere to be
sono I am siamo we are
sei you (informal) are siete you (pl.) are
e he/she is or you (polite) are sono they are
A vere to have
ho I have abbiamo we have
hai you (informal) have avete you (pl.) have
ha he/she has or you (polite) hanno they have
have
UNIT I 17
Read and understand
Here are a few simple Italian notices. See how they relate to the points you
have learned so far.
This is just one of the various ways of signposting toilets. The words are
the plurals of SIGNORA and SIGNORE respectively.
• VIETATO FUMARE
Legge 11-11-1975n 584
Sanzione amministrativa da l.1000 a
This is one of the signs that light up in aircrafts before take-off and
landing. Vietato (forbidden) comes from the verb vietare to forbid, in the
same way as chiamato (dialogue 3) comes from chiamare. You may also
find this sign in theatres, cinemas, public offices and public transport.
--------·-·
ent rata con
o tcsser1no
bigli~tto ·
1 ' '. ~ ·, .... ~;)

This comes front entrare to enter. This comes from uscire to go out.
18 UNIT I
Did you know?
Regions
Italy is divided into nineteen regioni which have a certain degree of
administrative autonomy from central government (see map on p . 20). Some
120 years ago many of these regioni (Piemonte, Lombardia, Veneto,
Toscana, Lazio, Campania) were either independent states or the seats of
government of larger independent states. Earlier on in Italian history
political fragmentation was even greater: at some stage nearly all important
Italian towns were capital towns in their own right, which explains their
individual variety and unparalleled artistic richness. Regional dialects, much
different from the standard language and from each other, are still in
widespread use, and often impart a characteristic flavour (accento) to the
standard language.
....
·-
Common Italian names
The vast majority of Italians still bear a 'Christian' name hallowed in the
Catholic tradition as the name of a saint. The giving of non-traditional
names was discouraged in the past, or even forbidden. Many common
names have English equivalents: no need to translate Adriano, Alberto,
Alessandro, Anna, Bernardo, Carlo, Caterina, Cristina, Elisabetta, Elena,
Emilia, Franco, Laura, Lorenzo, Marco, Maria, Michele, Paolo, Riccardo,
Susanna, Teresa, Vincenzo, etc. Some names are reminiscent of Italy's
Roman past, like Attilio, Mario, Fabio, Tullio (often with a feminine
counterpart in -a). Many others have no English counterpart, e.g. Mauro.
Note that a few names ending in -a are masculine: Andrea and Nicola in
Italy are always given to boys, never to girls. (The letters in italics show
where you should stress these words.) In stating their identity, Italians often
place their surname before their name, e.g. Rossi Carlo.
Titles
Titles are used more frequently in Italian than in English. All university
graduates, not only medical ones, are entitled to call themselves dottore-
men, and dottoressa- women (though the actual use of titles is generally
less common in addressing women). Engineering graduates are called
ingegnere (no feminine form). All secondary and tertiary teachers are called
professore - men or professoressa - women. Cavaliere and
commendatore, corresponding to two grades in the Italian honours system,
are common courtesy titles often given to males (whether they have actually
received an honour or not).
UNIT I 19
Your turn to speak
This section contains exercises for which you will have to work only with
your cassette recorder. You will be practising the most important language
in the unit. Try not to refer to the book. Instructions and checks will be
given on tape. Read the paragraph on Your turn to speak, p. 5, before you
start.
1 In the first exercise you will practise giving negative answers - saying no to
a customs officer. ·
New word: French, francese
2 In the second exercise you will say who you are and introduce yourself. You
will also learn the Italian for:
Scottish scozzese
Welsh gallese
Irish irlandese
R£&10N f}) 1 I TAL-lA
Answers
Practise what you have learnt p. 14 Exercise 1 (a) Enrico (b) Lorena
(c) Enza (d) Marcella (e) Cesarina (f) Marcella.
p. 14 Exercise 2 (1) b (2) a (3) c (4) b.
p. 15 Exercise 3 (1) b (2) b (3) b (4) b.
Grammar p. 16 Exercise 1 (a) questo (b) questa (c) queste (d) questi
(e) questi (f) queste.
p. 17 Exercise 2 abiti!abito/abiti/abito/abitano/abitano/abita!abita.
20 UNIT I
2 Arrivi e partenze
What you will learn

• how to understand simple train and flight announcements
• how to ask where someone is going and understand the reply
• numbers 1-20
• how to ask the way to places in the station
• how to ask about trains leaving and arriving
• about the Italian railways, Italian officials and the Italian language today
Before you begin

Points to remember from Unit 1:
1 Pointing words
questo e ... , questa e.... , questi sono... , queste sono ...
2 -are verbs e.g. abitare to live
abitQ, abiq, abit;!, abitiJ!!!!!!, abitate, abitano
3 Two genders: masculine and feminine, with different endings for the
singular and plural
pacchetto pacchen!
valigia valigi!:_
Study guide
You will be following the same study pattern as in Unit 1 and if you want
to remind yourself of the best way to work, why not read the introduction
to the course again on p. 4?
Remember to check your progress through the various sections by ticking
off the items in the study guide below as you complete them. It will also
give you a guide to the order to follow.
Announcements 1, 2: listen straight through without the book

Announcements 1, 2: listen, read and study one by one
Read Did you know?
UNIT 2 21
Dialogues
Dt First, two announcements recorded in an Italian railway station

Treno locale per Treglia, Varzo, Iselle, Briga, e in partenza dal
binario numero cinque.
Treno espresso per Milano centrale, Venezia, delle ore nove, e
pronto sui binario numero tre.
treno locale local train (i.e. one that stops at every station)
per for
Treglia, Varzo etc. places where the train stops
treno espresso fast train
Milano Centrale Milan Central (Station)
pronto ready, waiting
More station announcements

Locale per Livorno e in partenza dal binario sei. Locale per
Livorno e in partenza dal binario sei. Ferma a Tombolo.
Diretto da Roma Termini per Genova, Torino, e in arrivo al
binario sei.
Rapido da Roma Termini per Genova, Torino, e in arrivo al
binario sette.
sei six
da from
Roma Termini main station in Rome
sette seven
Giovanni is talking to two travellers on a train

V iaggiatore Va a Pisa, no?
Giovanni Si, vado a Pisa.
Viaggiatore Dopo Pisa dove va?
Giovanni Vado forse a Siena, a ... a Firenze, e poi torno a Milano. E Leiva
soltanto a Roma? . . .
Viaggiatore . . . soltanto a Roma, e domani sera rientriamo di nuovo in
Alessandria.
Giovanni (to another passenger) E Lei dove va?
zo V iaggiatore Vado aRoma.
viaggiatore male passenger, traveller
dopo after
forse perhaps
Firenze Florence
poi then
Lei you (polite)
domani sera tomorrow evening
di nuovo again
22 UNIT 2
1 • e in partenza is departing. On train timetables look for partenze
(departures). Note the verb partire (to leave).
• dal binario numero cinque from platform number 5. The numbers 1-20
are very important and can be found listed on p. 27.
deUe ore nove 9 a.m. (lit. of the hours nine).
sui binario numero tre at platform number 3.
2 locale the stopping train; diretto the semi-fast train; rapido the non-stop
(intercity) train. Note that these words can all either be adjectives describing
treno (as in dialogue 1) or can be used by themselves, as in this dialogue, as
nouns.
ferma a Tombolo it stops at Tombolo.
• e in arrivo al binario sei is arriving at platform 6. Look for arrivi
(arrivals) on train timetables. Note the verb arrivare (to arrive).
3 va a Pisa, no? you're going to Pisa, aren't you?

• vado I go, I'm going, and va you're going, are both parts of the verb
andare (to go). This is one of the important verbs you will need to learn
and it can be found in Grammar on p. 31.
• dove va? where are you going? You should also learn the phrase dov'e?
where is? which is a combination of dove and e.
• tomo a Milano I'm going back to Milan. Torno is from the verb tomare
(to go back, to return).
rientriamo .•. in Alessandria we're going back to Alessandria.
UNIT 2 23
D 4 Airport announcements
ATI arrivo volo tre sette quattro da Alghero.
ATI partenza per Milano volo tre quattro zero, imbarco all'uscita
sei.
British Airways partenza per Londra volo BA cinque due nove,
imbarco dall'uscita numero sei. Volo BA cinque due nove per
Londra, uscita numero sei.
Chiamata finale per il volo BA cinque due nove per Londra.
Imbarco immediato uscita numero sei.
ATI initials of Aero Trasporti ltaliani, Italian national airline

volo flight
quattro four
uscita exit, channel
chiamata finale final call
immediato immediate
Ds And now Giovanni is checking in at the airport. He is worried in case

he has to pay excess weight for his suitcase
Impiegata Buon giorno.
Giovanni Vado a Londra e ... ho questa valigia.
Impiegata Benissimo. Quanti chili pesa?
Giovanni Non lo so.
Impiegata Pesa venti chili. Allora, il peso consentito e di venti chili.
Benissimo.
Giovanni Non c'e eccedenza.
Impiegata Non c'e eccedenza.
Giovanni Molte grazie.
/mpiegata A Lei.
impiegata female employee

benissimo very good, OK
peso consentito weight allowance
24 UNIT 2
4 tre sette quattro as in English, numbers of three figures and above are
often spelled out figure by figu.e: 'three seven four' instead of 'three
hundred and seventy-four'.
imbarco boarding (lit. embarkation). Announcements are often given in
Italian in telegraphic style, omitting verbs which would be used in
corresponding British announcements.
5 ho questa valigia I have this suitcase. The word for 'this' is quest,!! because
valigi,!! is feminine. The plural is quest!; valigi!; these suitcases. With trenQ
it wo).lld be questQ trenQ this train, plural, quesq tre~ these trains.
• quanti chili pesa? how many kilos does it weigh? She could also have said
quanto pesa? how much does it weigh? Remember that you can ask a lot of
useful questions using quanto, e.g. quanti voli per Londra? how many
flights to London?, quanto costa? how much does that cost?
• non lo so I don't know (lit. I don't know it).
• non c'e eccedenza there's no excess. Non c'e is a very useful expression,
e.g. non c'e treno there's no train, non c'e uscita there's no way out.
The plural is non ci sono, e.g. non ci sono treni there are no trains, non
ci sono voli per Londra there are no flights to London. C'e and ci sono
will be practised in Unit 3. .
a Lei thank[ing] you (lit. to you). This is short for grazie a Lei.
UNIT 2 25
Information on hotels from the tourist office
Impiegato Pronto, mi dica signora. L'Ente del Turismo parla. Buona sera.
Si, dunque: qualche numero telefonico.
Allora, I' Ariston, due quattro due cinque cinque.
California: otto nove zero sette due sei.
L'albergo Capitol: quattro nove cinque nove sette. Cinque nove
sette.
La Pace: cinque zero due due sei sei.
L'albergo Roma: due due sei nove otto.
Pronto. Segnato? Va bene. Prego, le pare. Buona sera.
impiegato male employee

dunque right
allora right, so
Ariston, California etc. names of hotels
otto eight
nove nine
6 • mi dica (or simply dica) tell me, is the standard expression used by shop
assistants, waiters, public employees etc., and corresponds to 'can I help
you?'.
l'Ente del Turismo parla the Tourist Office speaking. Parla may be
translated both as 'he/she speaks' and 'he/she's speaking'.
qualche numero telefonico a few telephone numbers.
l'albergo Capitol, Ia Pace the Capitol Hotel, the Peace (Hotel). L' and Ia
both mean 'the' (see Grammar p. 30).
segnato? have you taken it down? (lit. marked?).
le pare has no precise equivalent in English. The whole expression prego,
le pare (which is in reply to thanks from the inquirer) may be loosely
translated as 'no trouble at all'.
26 UNIT 2
To learn
dov'e ... ? where is ... ?
vado a (Roma) I'm going to (Rome)
tomo a (Londra) I'm going back to (London)
non lo so I don't know
non c'e ... there's no ...
treno train
uscita way out
non ci sono ... there are no . . .
voli per (Londra) flights to (London)
treni per (Roma) trains to (Rome)
quanti (treni)? how many (trains)?
quante (valigie)? how many (suitcases)?
quanto costa? how much does that cost?
To understand
dove va? where are you going?
(il treno) e in partenza (the train) is departing
dal binario numero (sei) from platform (6)
(il volo) e in arrivo (the flight) is arriving
mi dica can I help you?
Numbers from 1 to 20
0 zero 11 undici
1 uno 12 dodici
2 due 13 tredici
3 tre 14 quattordici
4 quattro 15 quindici
5 cinque 16 sedici
6 sei 17 diciassette
7 sette 18 diciotto
8 otto 19 diciannove
9 nove 20 venti
10 dieci
You can also hear these pronounced on tape straight after dialogue 6.
UNIT 2 27
The answers for all these exercises are on p. 34.
1 Listen to the train announcements on tape. Write the platform numbers

from the boxes below next to the origin or d,,~tination announced for the
trains arriving at or leaving from each of them.
a. ROMA ...................................................................................................................
b. EMPOLI, PONTEDERA, PISA ...................................................................
c. MILANO, BOLOGNA ....................................................................................
d. BOLOGNA, VERONA, BRENNERO ...................................................... .

e. SIENA, EMPOLI ...............................................................................................
f. PRATO, PISTOIA
2 4 7 11 18
2 Listen once more to the same train announcements. This time for every
platform number specify the type of train (locale, rapido, diretto,
espresso), and tick whether it's arriving or leaving.
Tipo di treno Binario In arrivo In partenza
11
18
UNIT 2
3 Look at the following pieces of luggage being checked in at the airport.
Listen to the baggage handler's voice on tape giving their weight, and write
the weight on the appropriate label.
a. la valigia
c. la cartella d. il portabiti e. il carrello

portavaligie
4 Listen to the airport announcements on tape. For every one of the

destinations on the board below write down the three-figure flight number.
Destinazione Volo numero
a. Rom a
b. Palermo
c. Napoli
d. Londra Gatwick
e. New York
5 On your cassette the Tourist Office employee is giving another caller the
telephone numbers of a few local hotels. Take down the numbers, writing
them after each hotel's name.
a. Albergo Aurora ................................ .
b. Hotel Continentale ................................ .
c. Albergo Lido ................................ .
d. Albergo Internazionale ................................ .
e. Albergo dei Viaggiatori ................................ .
f. Albergo del Sole ................................ .
UNIT 2 29
Grammar
Translation of 'the' in the singular

In Italian there are different words for 'the' with masculine and feminine
nouns, in the singular and in the plural.
• il is used before all singular masculine nouns beginning with a consonant,
e.g. il treno the train, il rapido the fast train; but
• lo is used before masculine nouns beginning with z- and s- + another
consonant, e.g. lo studente the student, lo zucchero sugar. (Lois also used
before words beginning with ps- and gn-, but you will come across very few
examples.)
• Ia is used before feminine singular nouns beginning in a consonant, e.g. Ia
valigia the suitcase, Ia bilancia the weighing scales.
• I' is used before any singular noun, masculine or feminine, beginning with a
vowel, e.g. l'albergo (m.) the hotel, l'uscita (f.) the way out.
It is important to try to remember the gender of Italian nouns, but don't
worry too much if you make mistakes with 'the'. You will still be
understood, and the most important thing is to speak confidently, even at
the cost of a few mistakes. (You will learn the plural forms of 'the' in Unit 4.)
Exercise 1 Write the correct translation of 'the' before the following singular nouns.
Treat all nouns ending in -o as masculine, in -a as feminine. (Answers p. 34.)
a ........................ espresso e. ...................... .imbarco

b ........................ uscita f. ....................... partenza
c. ....................... pacchetto g........................ arnvo
d ........................ numero h. ....................... telefono
Dal, al, sul etc.

Certain prepositions, a (to, at), da (from), di (of), su (on), in (in) combine
with il, lo, Ia and I' producing the following forms:
a al allo all' all a to the

da dal dallo dall' dalla from the
di + il del + lo dello + 1' dell' + la della of the
su sul sullo sull' sulla on the
in nel nello nell' nella in the
e.g. dal binario from the platform sui treno on the train
allo studente to the student sullo sgabello on the stool
della casa of the house dall'uscita from the exit
nell'albergo in the hotel nella birra in the beer
If you find this list daunting, there's no need to learn it by heart. Just note
it so that you can recognize the forms later.
UNIT 2
You will often find these combinations in Italian where 'the' would not be
used in English, e.g. in arrivo al binario sette arriving at platform seven,
imbarco daU'uscita numero sei boarding from gate six, etc.
Here are two important irregular verbs in the present tense:
Venire to come Andare to go
vengo I come vado I go

vieni you come vai you (pl.) go
viene he/she/it comes va he/she/it goes
you (polite) come you (polite) go
veniamo we come andiamo we go
venite you (pl.) come an date you go
vengono they come vanno they go
Look at the following questions:

dove vai? dove va? dove andate?
They all translate 'where are you going?' but they mean three different
kinds of 'you'. You use dove vai? when talking to a child, a friend or a
relation. You use dove va? (the polite form) when talking to a person you
don't know very well, whom you would address by his/her family name
and/or title. You use dove andate? in the plural, with more than one
person, whether friends or strangers.
Exercise 2 Here we'll concentrate on the polite form. Fill in the verbs in the following
dialogue about where people come from (venire) and where they are going
(andare). Remember that da means 'from'. (Answers p. 34.)
a. E Lei da dove .............................. ?
b. . ............................. da Alessandria.
c. E dove .............................. ?
d ............................... aRoma.
e. . ............................. soltanto a Roma?
f. No, .............................. anche a Firenze, forse a Siena.
g. (addressing another traveller) Anche Lei .............................. da
Alessandria?
h. No, .............................. da Torino.
i. Dove .............................. ? A Roma?
j. No, .............................. a Napoli.
UNIT 2 31
Read and understand
Look at the noticeboard below. See whether you can answer the following
questions. (Answers on p. 34.)
l At what time does the flight from Alghero arrive in Pisa?
2 Where does it go on to?
3 How many flights do not use Pisa airport as a stopover, but

originate and terminate there?
4 If you arrived at Pisa airport at about eight p.m. (or 20.00), would
you be able to catch a flight to Rome?
32 UNIT 2
Did you know?
Italian railways
The Italian railway system Ferrovie deUo Stato (or FS), is largely
nationalized, with only a few surviving privately owned narrow-gauge Jines
mostly over short distances. It is generally acknowledged to be one of the
most efficiently run public services in the country, and good value for
money. If you travel to Italy by railway (and, even if you don't, you may
consider using railways bnce you're there), you can usually get discounts for
return trips, for students, and for family groups. Reduced fares also apply
to 'rover' tickets, allowiil.g you unlimited travel over short periods, also to
special occasions (such as International Trade Fairs), package tours and rail-
drive combinations.
It is worth using express trains, paying the supplemento rapido (express
train surcharge) where applieable, and booking seats in advance if possible.
Avoid international express trains between Northern Europe and Southern
Italy at peak holiday times: they will be overcrowded and late. Remember
that porters are a fast disappearing race and station trolleys hard to come
by: luggage with wheels or a collapsible trolley can be extremely useful.
Information about your journey is usually available from prominently
displayed noticeboards and electronic panels, often including the sequence
of carriages in the trains. Through coaches are clearly labelled: look out for
them.
People in uniform
You may be surprised at the variety of uniformed officers you will see while
in Italy. Apart from railway officials (if you travel by train), your papers
will be checked at the frontier by a plain-clothes police inspector, usually
accompanied by a Carabiniere in navy-blue uniform with red collar badges.
Carabinieri are a special corps of the Italian Army performing police duties.
You may also see grey-uniformed State Police (Pubblica Sicurezza) or
Railway Police officers (Polfer or Polizia Ferroviaria), and Customs and
Excise officers (Guardia di Finanza) in battle green with bright yellow
collar badges. In towns you will see Vigili Urbani members of the local
traffic police force, and an increasing number of armed security guards
mostly stationed outside banks.
Italian 'as she is spoken'

Even today about one third of the Italian population (some 20 million
people) are nor native speakers of Italian, but were brought up in one of the
various local 'dialects' (languages as different from each other and from
Standard Italian as Italian differs from French or Portuguese) and learned
Italian at school. A few old people in remote areas may speak only their
dialect. The majority speak Standard Italian with a more or less marked
regional accent, often with a few minor departures from the accepted
grammatical standard.
UNIT :Z 33
Your turn to speak
This is the section where you get a chance to speak and you'll be working
alone with your cassette recorder.
Here are a few of the things you should now be able to say by using and
re-combining together words and expressions you have just learned:
Questions dov'e ... ? where is ... ?
da dove ... ? where from ... ?
Statements non c'e . . . there is no ...
non lo so I don't know (it)
non so ... I don't know ...
vengo da . . . I come from . . .
vado a . . . I'm going to ...
By the way, vado a ... can mean 'I'll go' as well as 'I go' and 'I'm going'.
1 The first exercise on tape practises the expressions above, so read them
several times before you start. You should then try to do the exercise
without looking at your book. Marisa will tell you what to do.
2 In this second exercise you'll be using the same expressions but this time
you'll be taking part in a conversation. Imagine you're on holiday and want
to go somewhere by train. You see a railwayman at the local railway station
and ask him some questions. You'll need a new and important phrase per
piacere, please.
Answers
Practise what you have learnt p. 28 Exercise 1 (a) 2 (b) 4 (c) 18 (d) 1
(e) 7 (f) 11.
p. 28 Exercise 2 binario 1: diretto, in partenza; binario 2: rapido, in
partenza; binario 4: locale, in partenza; binario 7: locale, in arrivo; binario
11: locale, in partenza; binario 18: espresso, in arrivo.
p. 29 Exercise 3 (a) 12k (b) 6k (c) 2k (d) 4k (e) 1k.
p. 29 Exercise 4 (a) 459 (b) 275 (c) 310 (d) 528 (e) 764.
p. 29 Exercise 5 (a) 32-78-61 (b) 36-54-24 (c) 45-20-17 (d) 43-00-72
(e) 76-33-41 (f) 53-25-48.
Grammar p. 30 Exercise 1 (a) I' (b) I' (c) il (d) il (e) I' (f) Ia (g) I'
(h) il.
p. 31 Exercise 2 (a) viene (b) vengo (c) va (d) vado (e) va (f) vado
(g) viene (h) vengo (i) va (j) vado.
Read and understand p. 32 (1) 7.55 (2) Milan (3) 2 (4) no.
34 UNIT 2
3 Ci sono camere libere?
What you will learn

• how to tell other people about your profession or occupation
• how to book a room in a hotel
• how to ask for information about what is, or is not, available
• numbers 20-1000
• about tourist accommodation in Italy
Before you begin

1 verbs venire and andare
vengo vieni viene veniamo venite vengono
vado vai va andiamo andate vanno
2 negative statements
non c'e ... non c'e eccedenza, non c'e uscita
non ci sono ... non ci sono treni, non ci sono voli per
Londra
3 saying one doesn't know
non so, non lo so, non so da dove viene questo treno
Study guide
Study Grammar
Read Did you know?
Do the tape exercise in Your turn to speak
Listen to all the dialogues again without the book
Do the Revision section for Units 1-3 on p. 217.
UNIT 3 ~5
Dialogues
1 Giovanni meets a lady on a train. They discuss the work they do

Giovanni Io sono un insegnante. Sono professore di italiano. Insegno
l'italiano in Inghilterra. E Lei?
Signora Io sono una segretaria. Lavoro in una ditta di Milano.
Giovanni E suo marito?
Signora Mio marito e commerciante.
insegno I teach (from insegnare, to teach)

lavoro I work (from lavorare, to work)
ditta firm
mio my
commerciante (m.) businessman, dealer
A member of a group of bee-keepers tells Giovanni where they are

gotng.
Giovanni Io sono un turista inglese che va a Pisa.
Signore Noi andiamo aRoma a un congresso, un congresso di apicultura.
Giovanni E Lei e un apicultore?
Signore Si, eh, sono un vecchio apicultore, ecco ..
Giovanni Da quanti anni fa l'apicultore?
Signore Eh, trentacinque anni adesso.
il turista (m.), Ia turista (f.) tourist

che who
congresso conference, congress
apicultura bee-keeping; apicultore (m.) bee-keeper; ape (f.) bee
vecchio old
ecco there you are
adesso now
UNIT 3
1 • io sono un insegnante I'm a teacher. There are two simple ways of stating
your profession or occupation. You either say: sono !m insegnante, sono
una segretaria (I'm a secretary) (see Grammar p. 45), or you say sono
insegnante, sono segretaria. You will find the Italian for some other
occupations in Key words and phrases on p. 42.
insegnante is the general word for 'teacher' of all categories, both male and
female; professore is the title appropriate to secondary and tertiary male
teachers (female teachers are called professoressa).
• e Lei? what about you? e suo marito? what about your husband? When
addressing people in the polite form, the feminine pronoun Lei is used
whenever necessary. To make it clear that it means 'you' and not 'she' the
capital L is often used. Here suo means 'your' (in other contexts it means
'his', 'her(s)': see Grammar p. 45).
2 • da quanti anni fa l'apicultore? how many years have you been a bee-
keeper? Another way of stating one's occupation or trade, particularly if it
involves some form of manual work, is to use the verb fare, to do, to make
(which has an irregular present: see Grammar p. 45):
che co~a fa? what do you do?
che lavoro fa? what work do you do? what's your work?
faccio l'apicultore I'm a bee-keeper
faccio Ia segretaria I'm a secretary
Note that in this case the name of the profession or trade must be preceded
by the word for 'the'.
•
• trentacinque thirty-five. You should learn the numbers 20-1000 which are
explained in Key words and phrases on p. 42.
UNIT 3 37
Giovanni iS-bo6king in at a hotel. The receptionist tells him that the
hotel is rather full, but he may be able to accommodate him
Portiere Buona sera.
Giovanni Buona sera.
Portiere Buona sera:~i dica, signore. Desidera qualcosa?
Giovanni Ha delle camere libere?
Portiere Sl.. Quante persone sono?
Giovanni Siamo in quattro.
Portiere Che camera desidera? A un letto, due letti .
Giovanni Una camera con due letti, e due camere a un letto. Una camera a
due letti con bagno, e le due camere a un letto anche senza bagno.
Portiere Anche senza bagno? Va bene. Per quanti giorni si trattiene?
Giovanni Cinque giorni.
Portiere Cinque notti, eh. Ma vediamo ... Ci ho l'albergo un po' completo.
Ci ho poco posto ... Va bene, posso ... posso sistemarli. Una a
due letti con bagno . . .
Giovanni Sl..
Portiere ... e due a un letto senza bagno. Si, si, posso sistemarlo.
Giovanni Va bene.
portiere (m.) receptionist
che camera desidera? what (sort of) room do you want?
letto bed
anche even, (in other contexts: also)
vediamo let's see, let's have a look
posso sistemarlillo I can accommodate you
A shop assistant is unable to supply a very shy customer with the black
jumper she requires
Commessa Una maglia nera? No, signora, mi dispiace. L'abbiamo finite in
nero. Ce l'ho colorate.
Signora Mmm ... allora ...
Commessa Mi dispiace proprio, rna non ho altro dinero ... Grazie, buona
sera.
maglia a word used to describe anything knitted: a jersey, a jumper,
a pullover, a vest
nero, nera black
l'abbiamo finite in nero we're out of black ones
ce I'ho colorate I've got them in other colours
UNIT 3
3 • desidera qualcosa? do you want anything? You could answer using
desidero ... I want, or simply by stating what you want and adding
please, per pia cere
• ha delle camere libere? have you (got) any rooms free? Delle and dei are
the plurals of della and del (see also Units 2 and 4) used .with the meaning
'some' or 'any': ha delle valigie? have you got any luggage? ci sono dei
treni per Roma? are there any trains for Rome?
• siamo in quattro there are four of us: siamo in sei there are six of us.
• con with; senza without: con bagno o senza? with or without bath? con
doccia with shower; con colazione e cena, ma senza pranzo with breakfast
and evening meals, but without midday meals; con un letto matrimoniale
with a double bed.
• per quanti giomi si trattiene? how many days are you staying? Two things
to note here:
-the forms of trattenere are similar to those of venire:
vengo/trattengo, vieni/trattiene etc. For a full list, see p. 31.
- trattenere actually means 'to retain', 'to detain' or 'to entertain',
according to the context. To mean 'I'm staying' the Italians actually say
'I'm detaining myself- mi trattengo. For mi, si, etc., see Grammar p. 45.
The receptionist might have simply asked per quanti giomi?, and the short
reply would be cinque giomi.
ci ho l'albergo un po' completo the hotel is rather full. Un po' is short for
un poco, a little. Poco on its own means 'very little', 'hardly any', e.g. in
the phrase ci ho poco posto I have hardly any space.
4 • no, signora, mi dispiace no, Madam, I'm sorry; mi dispiace proprio I'm
really sorry. This is a very useful phrase which you should learn both to
recognize and to use (but not as a translation of 'sorry!' when you have just
trodden on someone's toes, when you should say scusi, excuse me).
non ho altro di nero I've nothing else in black. This phrase could also be
used by a hotel receptionist: non ho altro I've nothing else, non ho altre
camere I've no other rooms, I've no more rooms.
UNIT 3 39
rL-----______.1 s Giovanni asks a lady in the tourist office whether there are any
department stores nearby
Giovanni Signora, ci sono dei grandi magazzini qui vicino?
Signora Vicino a Piazza Duomo c'e l' ... Ia Rinascente, e in via Torino
c'e sia Ia ST ANDA che Ia UPIM.
Piazza Duomo (or: Piazza del Duomo) Cathedral Square

La Rinascente, STANDA, UPIM names of three well-known chains
of department stores (the last is an abbreviation)
sia . . . che . . . both . . . and . . .
Giovanni is asking another tourist office employee where public

telephones can be found
Giovanni Ci sono dei telefoni pubblici qui vicino?
Signorina C'e l'ufficio dei telefoni in mezzo alia Galleria, Galleria Vittorio
Emanuele.
Giovanni E si puo telefonare anche all'estero?
Signorina Si, puo telefonare anche all'estero.
in mezzo a in the middle of, in the centre of

si puc) ... ? can one ... ?
all'estero abroad
puc) you can
Giovanni asks another hotel receptionist where the telephone office is

Giovanni Dov'e l'ufficio dei telefoni?
Portiere In piazza Facchini, piazza Facchini. Sulla sinistra c'e questa
piazza, e sotto Ia torre dove c'e l'orologio trova l'ufficio.
Portiere Prego.
piazza square
sotto underneath, below
torre (f.) tower
trova you'll find (from trovare, to find)
UNIT 3
5 • c'e there is; ci sono there are. This dialogue, and the next, concentrate
on these expressions, which are very commonly used in Italian:
ci sono dei grandi magazzini qui vicino? are there any department stores
nearby?
c'e Ia Rinascente there is Rinascente
ci sono Ia STANDA e l'UPIM there are STANDA and UPIM
ci sono dei telefoni pubblici? are there any public telephones?
c'e l'ufficio del telefono in piazza Facchini there's the telephone office
in Facchini square.
ci there, can be used only in conjunction with a verb; with essere, as in
the above examples, or with other verbs:
ci andiamo we are going there
ci lavoro I work there
It is often used when there is no equivalent in English, especially with
avere, as in the examples in dialogue 3:
ci ho l'albergo un po' completo
ci ho poco posto.
6 l'ufficio dei telefoni is a special office where one can make trunk and
international telephone calls. It is often more convenient than using
payphones which require large quantities of coins or gettoni (telephone
tokens).
Galleria is the name given to two huge glass-covered arcades in the centre
of Milan and Naples, which enclose elegant marble-paved pedestrian
precincts with luxury shops, restaurants, bars, public offices etc.
7 • sulla sinistra on the left;

sinistra, a destra.
sulla destra on the right. You can also say: a
orologio clock or watch: the same word is used in Italian for any sort of
timepiece irrespective of size.
UNIT 3 41
Your profession or occupation

sono ... I am ...
(un) dottore/(una) dottoressa/ a doctor (man/woman)
(un) medico
(unluna) negoziante a shopkeeper
(uno) studente/(una) studentessa a student
in pensione retired
faccio ... I am ...
l'operaio (m.)/l'operaia (f.) a factory worker
il dattilografolla dattilografa a typist
il!la telefonista a switchboard operator
e Lei che cosa fa? and what about you? and what's
your work?
che lavoro fa? what work do you do?
At the hotel
ha delle camere libere? have you got any rooms free?
desidero una camera . . . I want a room ...
a due letti with twin beds
a un letto with one bed (i.e. a single)
con un letto matrimoniale with a double bed
con bagno with bath
senza bagno without bath
con doccia with shower
siamo in (quattro) there are (four) of us
mi trattengo (sette) giorni I'm staying (seven) days
c'e un bagno? is there a bathroom?
c'e una doccia? is there a shower?
ci sono (dei) telefoni pubblici qui are there (any) public telephones
vicino? nearby?
ci sono (dei) grandi magazzini are there (any) department stores
qui vicino? nearby?
Now the phrases you need mainly to understand.

desidera qualcosa? do you want anything?
mi dispiace I'm sorry
quanti giorni si trattiene? how many days are you staying?
sulla sinistra/a sinistra on the left
sulla destra/a destra on the right
non ho altro I've nothing else
Numbers from 20 to 1000

(See also Grammar summary p. 227.)
20 venti 60 sessanta 100 cento
30 trenta 70 settanta 200 duecento
40 quaranta 80 ottanta 300 trecento etc.
50 cinquanta 90 novanta 1000 mille
All other numbers in between are formed, as in English, by combining
hundreds, tens and units in that order:
34 trentaquattro 276 duecento settantasei
thirty-four two hundred (and) seventy-six
The final vowel of the tens is omitted before uno and otto:
21 ventuno 358 trecento cinquantotto
(but not the final vowel of cento: 101 centouno, 308 trecento otto).
UNIT 3
1 For each of the various people illustrated below choose the appropriate
profession or occupation from those in the box. Then listen to the tape to
check your answers.
a. b..... ............ c .................................... .
d.................................... e. f.··························
i.nsegnante .
negoz1ante
relefonisra erai.a
op
dorrore
segretaria \es•;;~
~~en
st portiere
g ...................................... h ................... .
2 All the following questions may be asked both as they are printed below,
and by placing the appropriate form of del, della etc. before the noun.
Check back to the list on p. 30, then write the required form in the dotted
space. You won't need your cassette recorder, the answers are on p. 48.
a. Ha ........................ camere, per favore?

b. Ci sono ........................ telefoni pubblici qui vicino?
c. Avete ........................ docce in questo albergo?
d. Ci sono ........................ grandi magazzini qui vicino?
e. Ha ........................ maglie nere, per favore?
3 Listen to the hotel receptionist sending various visitors to their· rooms, and
write the number allotted to each visitor, choosing it from the box below,
after each name. (Answers on p. 48.)
a. Signor Jones .................... . d. Signora e signorina Rossi ..... .

b. Signor e signora Smith e. Dottor White ............. .
c. Signor Gilardi ................................ . f. Professor Bianchi .................... .
320 79 102 227 35 412

UNIT 3 43
4 In the three short dialogues on tape, Signor A, Signorina B and Signora C
regret that they haven't got what they are being asked for, or say that it is
not available. Identify what it is they do not have or cannot direct their
questioner to, and put a cross in the appropriate box below. (Answers
®
p. 48.)
Signor A 0 a. two bedrooms
0 b. a twin-bedded room
Signorina B ~a. 0 a telephone
~b. 0 the public telephone office
Signora C ~ a. 0 luggage trolleys
~ b. 0 railway porters
5 In the following dialogue the traveller's part has been omitted. Her replies
are jumbled, together with other incorrect replies, after the dialogue.
Choose the correct ones, and write them in the appropriate place.
Portiere Buongiorno, signora. Dica.

Signora
Portiere Vediamo ... Si, signora. Una camera a un letto?
Signora
Portiere Si, l'abbiamo. Come la desidera, con bagno o senza?
Signora
Portiere Si, l'abbiamo anche con doccia. Per quante notti?
Signora
Portiere Allora: una camera a due letti con doccia per tre notti. Va bene.
Posso sistemarla.
Signora
Portiere La trecentocinque.
..,\. h 0")
U e ~ '~~ _.....et ·
0
~OJ-''
yet M" e Ia che ""'·-
1 trattengo solo un giorno. calll
era?
Due cam
ereaunJ
etto.
s. Ha una camera libera?
e~a6
~~o. No, una camera a due letti per me e per mio marito.
And now check your answers by listening to the dialogue on tape. Then
listen to it a second time, this time stopping the tape after the receptionist's
questions, so that you can take the part of the traveller.
44 UNIT 3
Grammar
Nouns ending in -e, -t

sing. negoziante pl. negozianti
insegnante ins-rgnanti
Unlike the nouns studied in Unit 1, where one can guess the gender from
their endings (e.g. lettQ, lett;im.; earner!, c~er~ f.), these nouns have no
separate masculine and feminine endings. Some, like lo studente, are
masculine; some, like l'ape (bee), are feminine; and others, like those in the
example above, can be both (il negoziante m., Ia negoziante f.). The
gender of all these nouns will be given in the vo,cabulary lists ..
A number of adjectives, e.g. inglese English, scozzese Scottish, locale
local, intemazionale international etc., follow the same pattern and end in
-e in the singular and -i in the plural, whether masculine or feminine. Note
that in phrases like treno locale, studente italiano, signore scozzesi noun
and adjective 'agree', even though they don't have the same ending.
Translation of 'a', 'an'

un l=:s;:a~te I
segretano
before all masculine nouns
uno studente before masculine nouns beginning with s followed by

another consonant (st, sp, sch, etc) gn-, ps-, z-
una j turista . t before feminine nouns beginning with a
l segretana f consonant
un' universita before feminine nouns beginning with a vowel
Fare to do Sapere to know

faccio I do so I know
fai you do sai you know
fa he/she/it does sa he/she/it knows
you (polite) know
facciamo we do sappiamo we know
fate you do sapete you know
fanno they do sanno they know
Like many verbs in common everyday use, fare and sapere have irregular
present tenses. Remember also the verb trattenere (to detain, to stay),
which follows the same pattern as venire (see Unit 2).
M i, ti, si, ci, vi

mi trattengo cinque giorni 1('11) stay five days
dove si trova? where is it?
come si chiama? what's his/her name?
Some Italian verbs like chiamare to call, trovare to find, and trattenere to
detain, may be preceded by the words mi (me), ti (you), si (him-/her-/itself,
themselves), ci (us), vi (you, pl.). These have a 'reflexive' meaning, that is,
they refer back to the subject of the verb (as if mi trattengo meant 'I detain
myself'). In English, however, it is mostly unnecessary to translate them
literally: in other words, you don't translate si chiama as 'he calls himself',
but simply as 'he's called'.
UNIT 3 45
Read and understand
Here is a registration form, such as you may be asked to complete when
you book in at an Italian hotel.
Cognome ............................................................................................
Nome
Luogo e data di nascita .................................................................
Nazionalita .......................................................................... .
Passaporto N°
Abitante a ...........................................................................................
in .............................................................................................................
Data d'ingresso in ltalia .................................................................
Answer the following questions. (Answers p. 48.)
1 Which should you fill in first?

a. 0 your first name
b. 0 your family name
2 Which should you fill in first?
a. 0 your place of birth
b. D your date of birth
3 Supposing you are British, which would the correct word be, after
nazionalita?
a. 0 britannica
b. 0 britannica
4 What would you write after abitante a?
a. 0 the town where you live
b. 0 the street where you live.
Learn to recognize these notices.
RICEVIMENTO reception (ricever~ to receive)
CASSA cashier, cash desk
TELESELEZIONE paypl).one with STD
UNIT 3
Did you know?
Tourist accommodation
The terms albergo and hotel (which the Italians pronounce without the h-)
are interchangeable. Less luxurious types of establishment are called
pensione, guest house, and locanda or aUoggio roughly corresponding to
simple bed-and-breakfast type accommodation. The term ostello is reserved
for youth hostels (also called albergo della gioventil).
A particularly useful type of establishment, without a counterpart in
Britain, is the albergo diurno, or simply diurno, 'day-time hotel' . As its
name suggests it does not have overnight accommodation, but it does offer
most services available in hotels, such as toilets, baths, showers, hairdresser,
manicure, laundry and valet service, etc., but not a restaurant service nor a
room for the night.
In many Italian towns you can find alberghi and pensioni, often of a
quite respectable standard, occupying only a part of a block of flats, with
the reception on the third or fourth floor of the building.
Hoteliers are required by law to display in every room, usually behind
the door, the cost of the accommodation, inclusive of IVA (VAT) and tassa
di soggiomo (local tourist tax). Unless the cost is specified as being per
persona it refers to the charge for the room, which may be occupied by
more than one person. Breakfast is seldom included in the price, though the
habit of making an inclusive charge is spreading. Anyway it is often better
and cheaper to have breakfast in a nearby cafe. Full board is called
pensione completa, and half board mezza pensione. Not all hotels have a
restaurant, and in those which do, the standard of accommodation is no
reliable guide to the standard of catering.
Tourists travelling with caravans, motor-homes or tents will find a
bewildering variety of campsites of all sizes and standards. It's difficult to
generalize but on the whole those recommended by well-known tourist
organizations are usually reliable and it i• possible to find quite satisfactory
campsites that have not been included in any list or noted on any map. The
Italian word campeggio tends to be superseded by the international word
'camping'.
UNIT 3 47
Your turn to speak
In this exercise you'll be asked to book a room in a hotel, using the phrases
you've learned in this unit. Follow the instructions on tape.
HOTEL "DO POZZI"

s. Mam> . Vro XXll M•no 2J73
Telef. (041) 707.8"
Tela ~102n AUHOTEL
(Attectim Hord Do POZli)
I • }0124 VENEZIA
Slg. _ m·tMAcki
Camara N" --~:---- -----'-
Prezzo glorn. Lit. 3 Z. · tTlJi)

Nottl - - - - ~--------
Revision
Next you should do a short revision section which goes over the language
you have studied in Units 1-3. Turn top. 217 for the written part of the
exercises. The tape exercises follow straight after this unit on your cassette.
Answers
Practise what you have learnt p. 43 Exercise 2 (a) delle (b) dei (c) delle
(d) dei (e) delle.
p. 43 Exercise 3 (a) 320 (b) 227 (c) 102 (d) 412 (e) 79 (f) 35.
p. 44 Exercise 4 Signor A (b)
Signorina B (a)
Signora C (a)
Read and understand p. 46 (1) b: cognome = family name

(2) a: luogo = place (3) b: britannica (4) a: you would put the street
where you live after the word in ...
UNIT 3
4 Che cosa prende?
What you will learn

• how to ask how much something costs
• how to order breakfast
• how to order drinks and snacks
• how to understand what is available
• numbers from 1001 onwards
Before you begin

1 verbs
chiamare
mi chiamo ti chiami si chiama
ci chiamiamo vi chiamate si chiamano
fare sapere
faccio facciamo so sappiamo
fai fate sai sapete
fa fanno sa sanno
2 nouns and adjectives in -e
negoziante scozzese
negozianti scozzesi
3 how to ask 'is there?' 'are there?'
c'e un te1efono? ci sono camere libere?
Study guide
Dialogues 4-6: listen read and study one by one
Study Grammar and do the exercise
Read Did you know?
UNIT 4 49
Dialogues
1 Giovanni asks the hotel receptionist how much the rooms cost
Giovanni Quanto costano queste camere? Mi dica solo la camerae mezza
pensione.
Portiere Mezza pensione? Io le posso dire tutti i prezzi ... (va bene) ..
poi Lei puo vedere ...
Giovanni Mm, mi dica ... mi dica allora tutti i prezzi.
Portiere Dunque, la doppia, cioe quella a due letti con bagno, con la
colazione del mattino, con pane, burro, marmellata, o cioccolata, o
te, quello che Lei desidera, ventinovemila quattrocento lire per
due persone, tasse, servizio, tutto incluso. Ventinovemila
quattrocento. Mentre invece le singole, cioe le singole senza bagno,
con la colazione del mattino, tredicimila e quattrocento cinquanta
per camera.
Giovanni Va bene, va benissimo, allora le prendo.
solo only
mezza pensione half board
le posso dire . . . I can tell you . . .
poi Lei puo vedere . . . then you can see . . .
dunque well, then
doppia double (room)
cioe that is
quello che Lei desidera what you want
ventinove twenty-nine
tasse taxes
servizio service
tutto incluso all included
mentre invece while on the other hand
singole single (rooms)
tredicimila quattrocento cinquanta 13,450
Giovanni asks the hotel receptionist about methods of payment

Giovanni E peril pagamento Lei accetta travellers' cheques e anche carte di
credito?
Portiere Si, si, qualsiasi tipo di pagamento.
Giovanni Io ho una carta di credito VISA.
Portiere VISA va benissimo.
Giovanni VISA va benissimo.
Portiere Si, si, va bene, si, si.
Giovanni Allora ...
Portiere VISA, o anche American Express, o Eurocard. Qualsiasi carta.
Giovanni Va bene.
Portiere Grazie.
carte di credito credit cards
50 UNIT 4
1 t quanto costano queste camere? how much do these rooms cost? And , for
only one room: questa camera quanto costa? Quanto costa/quanto
costano can go either at the beginning or at the end.
mi dica here has its literal meaning of 'tell me'.
tutti i prezzi all the prices. I is the plural of ii (see Grammar p. 59).
t Ia colazione (del mattino) (morning) breakfast. The standard Italian
colazione consists of a hot drink: caffe (black coffee), caffe e latte or
caffellatte (white coffee, lit. coffee and milk) - called cappuccino when
made using an espresso coffee machine- te (tea), cioccolata or cioccolato
(chocolate), with pane (bread), burro (butter) and marmellata (jam). If you
want marmalade ask for marmellata d'arance , lit. orange jam. The word
colazione can also mean 'lunch' .
t ventinovemila quattrocento lire twenty-nine thousand four hundred lire .
To understand prices in Italian it is important to know the numbers over
1000 (see p . 56).
t va bene it's OK ; va benissimo it's excellent . This extremely frequent
expression may also be used in conjunction with a noun , e.g. questa
camera va bene this room is OK; queste camere vanno bene these rooms
are OK ; Ia cioccolata va benissimo the chocolate will do fine.
allora le prendo I'll take them, then.
2 t accetta travellers' cheques? do you accept travellers' cheques? Accetta is

from accettare , to accept.
qualsiasi tipo di pagamento any type of payment. Qualsiasi, meaning 'any
whatever' , always stays the same and can only be followed by a singular
noun: qualsiasi carta any (credit) card; qualsiasi documento va bene any
document will do.
allora . . . You will find transcribed in these dialogues many words like be'
(bene), dunque, ecco, allora, senta etc., which carry no real meaning.
They are used merely as sentence openers or stopgaps and are consequently
difficult or impossible to translate. They are the equivalent of 'really',
'right', 'OK', etc . used in English conversation.
UNIT 4 51
The receptionist gives Giovanni the hotel's address and telephone
number, and asks him for his identity papers
Portiere L'indirizzo e: Albergo Vittoria, Lungarno Pacinotti numero
dodici. 11 telefono ... eh ... se chiama di fuori Pisa, zero
cinquanta, due trentatre otto due. E poi con comodo quando
scendono, mi faun favore semi portano i loro passaporti, o carte
d'identita. Qualsiasi documento va bene.
Giovanni Abbiamo carte d'identita. Va bene lo stesso?
Portiere Va bene lo stesso, si, si.
Portiere Prego.
con comodo at your convenience
quando scendono when you (pl.) come down (from scendere)
carte d'identita identity cards
Giovanni asks a waiter what he can have for breakfast

Giovanni Mi dica che cosa c'e per colazione?
Cameriere Eh, caffe collatte, oppure del te o del cioccolato con pane, burro,
e marmellata. Se poi vuole anche qualche cos'altro si puo fare delle
uova a Ia coque, o omelette, o qualche cos'altro del genere.
Giovanni Va bene, molte grazie.
Cameriere Prego, niente.
cameriere (m.) waiter • qualche cos'altro something else
collatte with milk (col = con il) si puo fare one can make
oppure or uova a Ia coque soft boiled eggs
se poi vuole if you then want del genere like that (lit. of the
kind)
Ds Signor Gabrielli, Signor Ranieri and Giovanni order drinks at the bar
Giovanni Io prendo un Campari soda. E Lei che cosa prende, signor
Gabrielli?
Gabrielli Un Bitter Campari.
Giovanni Signor Ranieri, che cosa prende Lei?
Ranieri A me un analcoolico.
Giovanni Senza alcool . . .
Ranieri Benissimo.
Giovanni E io prendo un Campari soda.
Ranieri (to the barman) A me un analcoolico.
Gabrielli Un Bitter Campari. Collimone.
Ranieri Dico analcoolico, eh?
Giovanni E un Campari soda.
analcoolico alcohol-free (aperitif)
a me for me (lit. to me)
col limone with lemon
dico I say
52 UNIT 4
3 l'indirizzo e . . . the address is ... In Italian addresses the number always
comes after the street name. Lungamo in Pisa and Florence are river walks
(lit. 'along the Arno').
se chiama di fuori Pisa if you call from outside Pisa.
• mi fa un favore se . . . you('ll) do me a favour if ... This useful phrase
may be completed in any number of ways: ... se mi portano i loro
passaporti ... if you bring me your passports; ... se mi porta un caffe
. . . if you bring me a coffee; ... se mi cambia venti sterline ... if you
change me £20. The simpler expression per favore or per piacere is much
more common: mi porta un caffe per favore, per piacere mi cambia venti
sterline etc.
• lo stesso all the same; va bene lo stesso it's fine all the same; passaporto
o carta d'identitii e lo stesso passport or ID card it makes no difference.
4 • che cosa c'e per colazione? what is there for breakfast? (... per
pranzo? for lunch? ... per cena? for dinner?). Che cosa? (lit. what
thing?) is a very useful and common way of starting a question.
• prego, niente don't mention it: it's nothing. Niente (nothing) is often used
as a negative before a noun, e.g. niente uova! no eggs; niente latte nel te
no milk in the (my) tea, etc.
5 • io prendo ... I'm having (lit. I take); che cosa prende? what will you
have? (lit. what do you take?). Other examples of che cosa questions: che
cosa desidera? what do you want? can I help you? (in shops); che cosa
fa? what do you do? what are you doing? In all these questions che can be
omitted.
un Bitter Campari etc. Some aperitifs are alcohol-free (analcoolici) but all
of them are bitter. Aperitifs known by their brand name followed by the
word soda are sold in small one-glass bottles, already mixed with soda
water. Digestive liqueurs, normally drunk after meals, are even more
fiercely bitter, and are collectively know as amari, plural of amaro bitter.
There are more names for drinks in dialogue 6 and in Key words and
phrases.
UNIT 4 53
Giovanni asks the buffet trolley attendant in a train about the drinks
and snacks he sells
Giovanni Allora, Lei che cosa ha sui suo carrello?
Venditore Spuntini, panini, biscotti, dolci. Poi da bere c'e ... c'e succo di
frutta, limonata, Cam pari soda, Bitter, chinotto .
Giovanni Ci ha anche il caffe caldo?
Venditore Si.
Giovanni In queste bottigliette qui che cosa c'e?
V enditore Whisky.
Giovanni Ah, queste sono bottigliette di Iiquori.
V enditore Si.
Giovanni Quanto costa una di queste bottigliette?
Venditore Millecinquecento.
Giovanni Millecinquecento. E il caffe a quanto lo vende?
Venditore Trecentocinquanta lire.
Giovanni Quanto costa un panino?
Venditore Vn panino ... di che gusto? ... Col salame, oppure col tonno e
pomodoro, o frittatina?
Giovanni Frittatina?
Venditore Costa ottocento.
Giovanni Ottocento.
venditore (m.) vendor, salesman limonata lemonade

sui suo carrello on your trolley chinotto a sort of bitter orange
spuntini snacks caldo, -a hot
biscotti biscuits bottigliette small bottles
dolci cakes Iiquori liqueurs
succo di frutta fruit juice millecinquecento 1500
6 panini filled bread rolls, the Italian equivalent of sandwiches. They come in
all shapes and sizes and with a variety of fillings.
• da bere to drink. Used in phrases like: che cosa c'e da bere? what is
there to drink? da bere c'e ... to drink there is ... Similarly: che cosa
c'e da mangiare? what is there to eat? non c'e niente da mangiare there's
nothing to eat. This is basically the same use of da as in non ho niente da
dichiarare I've nothing to declare (Unit 1).
ci ha ... Ci means 'there' and need not be translated into English in this
case.
in queste bottigliette qui in these little bottles. Italian speakers, especially
when pointing to objects, often reinforce questo, -a by adding qui (here).
a quanto lo vende? for how much do you sell it?
• di che gusto? how do you want your roll? (lit. what taste?). The vendor
then offers a choice between salame (no need to translate this!) tonno e
pomodoro tuna fish and tomato, or frittatina omelette. Other possibilities
are: formaggio cheese, prosciutto ham.
UNIT 4
Those you may wish to say.

Paying for things
quanto? how much?
quanto e?/quant'e? how much is it?
quanto costa? how much does it cost?
quanto costano? how much do they cost?
accetta (travellers' cheques)? do you accept (travellers' cheques?)
Breakfast
che cosa c'e per colazione? what is there for breakfast?
per me . . . caffe for me ... black coffee
caffellatte white coffee
cappuccino white espresso coffee
te - col latte tea- with milk
collimone with lemon
cioccolato/cioccolata chocolate (drinking and
eating)
pane bread
burro butter
marmellata jam
Drinks and snacks

che cosa prende? what will you have?
che cosa c'e da bere? what is there to drink?
che cosa c'e da mangiare? what is there to eat?
prendo . . . una birra I'll have . . . a beer
un 'aranciata an orangeade
un aperitivo an aperitif
dell'acqua some water
un succo di frutta a fruit juice
un panino a roll
al salame a salami roll
al prosciutto a ham roll
al formaggio a cheese roll
niente, grazie nothing, thanks
Other expressions
va bene it's OK, OK
va benissimo it's excellent, excellent
va bene lo stesso it's fine all the same
Those you may need to understand.

vuole qualcos'altro? do you want something else?
di che gusto? what filling? what flavour?
And learn the numbers on the next page, p. 56.
UNIT 4 55
Numbers
After mille one thousand, the word for -thousand is -mila:
duemila two thousand
seimila six thousand
ventimila twenty thousand
centotrentasettemila one hundred and thirty-seven thousand etc.
Numbers are formed as in English, e.g.
348.932 trecentoquarantottomila novecento trentadue
three hundred (and) forty-eight thousand nine hundred and
thirty-two
• Note that no number above one thousand is ever counted in hundreds,
therefore eighteen hundred and forty-eight is: milleottocentoquarantotto
(one thousand eight hundred and forty-eight).
• Groups of more than three figures are separated by a point: 1.486.
• The decimal point is indicated by a comma: 6,81.
• One million is un milione, two million due milioni etc. With present-day
inflation, prices using these high figures are within the scope of oMinary
tourists, since, at the time of writing (early 1982) un milione di lire is
worth about £450.
For summary list of numbers, see p. 230.
To practise numbers ask someone to give you a number in English and you
try and say it in Italian. You should aim to get faster and faster at working
it out.
UNIT 4
1 Listen to an employee of the Ente del Turismo giving some hotel prices
over the 'phone, and pair the name of the hotel with the price given.
(Answers p. 62.)
Albergo dei Cavalieri
Albergo Duomo
Lire 83.00o
~ Albergo Ariston ....................................... . Lire 46.000
Lire 24.000
1i~~~T Albergo Arno ............................................. L , __ _ _ __ _ .
What do these prices relate to?

D a single room without bathroom
D a double bedroom with bathroom and breakfast
D a double bedroom with bathroom, no breakfast
2 A marr1ed couple is ordering breakfast. Listen to the dialogue on tape and
write in the space provided the items each of them has ordered. Be careful -
the words in the bubble contain a few items neither of them has ordered.
(Answers p. 62.)
Husband
Wife
caffeUatte
marmeUata
3 Draw lines to link the following questions and answers so that they make
sense together. You don't need your cassette, the answers are on p. 62.
Questions Answers
Sigarette, liquori, valuta Mi dispiace: non c'e niente

estera? da mangiare.
Ha panini, o biscotti? E un aperitivo senza
alcool.
Che cos'e un analcoolico? Non ho niente da
dichiarare.
Che cosa c'e da bere? Cinquantamila lire, camera
e colazione.
Per favore, quant'e? Aranciata, birra, chinotto,
quello che vuole.
4 For each of the following items choose the appropriate form:

quanto costa . . . ? or quanto costano . . . ?
You don't need your cassette, the answers are on p. 62.
a. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . la colazione?
b. Questi biscotti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ?
c. . ......................................... il caffe caldo?
d. Questi dolci .......................................... ?
e. . ......................................... un chinotto?
f. . ......................................... queste bottigliette di liquore?
g. I panini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ?
h. . ......................................... un succo di frutta?
58 UNIT 4
Grammar
Translation of 'the' in the plural

(For singular see Unit 2, p. 30.)
The plural of il is i: il treno i treni
The plural of I' (m.) and lo is gli: l'albergo gli alberghi
lo studente gli studenti
The plural of I' (f.) and Ia is le: Ia camera le camere
l'aranciata le aranciate
Dal, al, sui etc.

The combination of certain prepositions with the plural of 'the' gives the
following forms (for singular see Unit 2, p. 30.)
a ai agli aile
da dai dagli dalle
di + i dei +gli degli + le delle
su sui sugli sulle
in nei negli neUe
e.g. agli studenti to the students dagli albergbi from the hotels
neUe camere in the rooms sui treni on the trains
Exercise 'Not just one ... but all ... !' Complete the following sentences- the first
one has been done for you as an example. (Answers p. 62.)
a. Non solo una bottiglietta, rna tutte le bottigliette.

b. Non solo una sigaretta, rna
c. Non solo uno studente, rna
d. Non solo un treno, rna .......... ·-········································ ·····················
Potere to be able to, can Volere to want

posso I can voglio I want
puoi you can vuoi you want
puo he/she/it can vuole he/she/it wants
you (polite) can you (polite) want
possiamo we can vogliamo we want
potete you can volete you want
possono they can vogliono they want
Mi, ti, Ct, Vt, St
Apart from the translations 'myself, 'yourself etc. mentioned in Unit 3
p. 45 these words can also have the following meanings:
mi me mi dica tell me
ti you (informal) ti telefono questa sera I'll call you tonight
ci us ci puo sistemare? can you accommodate us?
vi you (pl.) vi porto Ia colazione I'll bring you breakfast
si corresponds to 'one' in phrases like:
si puo fare one can do (it) si prende il treno one takes the train
UNIT 4 59
Read and understand
r - - - - - - - - - --- ----------- - - - - - - - - - - r - - - - - - - - - - .
DITTA, RESIDENZA 0 DOMICI LIO RICEVUTA

UBICAZIONE ESERCIZIO, CODICE FISCALE FISCALE
n. 304
At,tfJZGo JJiA:NA-
!;'ia f.4l/t?t£R !28.vlt-?A J".kJAR-7/NO
~- k. £r1ffi - 381 (i lf.f/·J/
OUANTITA, NATURAE OUALITA DEl SERVIZI CORRISPETTIVO
I.V.A. INCLUSA
~-----------------------------------1
i f u-wfitMUM'Vfo / 41/tut-ra ta-t httgtw

I w-6 P5'0
! -+ Clfl;1Jrf(JU{!. 3 ~ :; 5"0 i .;
I
5. 1-(JD
I Bt1Yl 3~. j ~0
1 £f/if;,,%tv~ 12- {,?;0
I /.auu~M'ttr 2. . 4-00
~~ TOTALEL.
This is the sort of bill you will receive from an Italian hotel. It's called
ricevuta fiscale (statutory receipt) and you are obliged by law to keep it,
since it is evidence that both you and the esercizio, a general word for any
business or concern, have complied with IVA (VAT) legislation. Look
carefully at the bill and see whether you can answer the following questions.
1 What is the date of the receipt? a. D 3rd April

b. D 17th September
2 How many rooms were booked? a. D one
b. D three
3 Was breakfast included? a. D yes
b. D no
4 Was any meal taken at the hotel restaurant? a. D yes
b. D no
5 How were drinks paid for? a. D by charging them to the account
b. D cash
6 What was the laundry charge? a. D 5,200 lire
b. D 12.630 lire
7 Was VAT included in the total? a. D yes
b. D no
6o UNIT 4
Did you know?
Paying your bills

Nearly all Italian hotels will accept one or more of the international credit
cards. They will also accept assegni di viaggio, which most Italians call by
their English name of 'travellers' cheques', and foreign currency, but often
at a less favourable rate of exchange than can be had through a bank. Don't
be surprised if the rates of exchange vary slightly from bank to bank.
One way of ensuring that you are supplied with the money you need, and
can draw as much as you need at short notice, is to use a Eurocheque cash
card, which you can obtain from your bank. This allows you to use your
cheque book to obtain foreign currency.
In Italian hotels, banks and nearly all bars, restaurants and shops, money
matters are dealt with by a cassiere (m.) or cassiera (f.), and not by the
receptionist, waiter or employee who has been attending you. In bars you
often have to pay the cashier first, get a receipt and then go to the counter.
In banks, bars, etc. listen for the phrase prego, si accomodi alia
cassa please go to the cash till.
Drinks and snacks

The place to go to for drinks and snacks is the ubiquitous bar, which you
~ will find at almost every street corner. Bars come in all sizes, shapes and
~ degrees of luxury. As there are no licensing laws in Italy, you are free to
enjoy any drink you fancy, from milk to strong alcoholic concoctions, at
any time of day and often of night.
Italian beer is a palatable but mostly undistinguished lager, with low
alcoholic content. A glass of acqua minerale (mineral water, sometimes not
much more than good quality tap water in fancy bottles), may cost as
much, and occasionally even more than, a glass of wine. If you like your
acqua minerale fizzy, say you like it gasata, otherwise ask for liscia or
naturale. If you like bitter lemon drinks you may wish to try aranciata
amara bitter orange, or chinotto, made from citrus fruit peel: both drunk
straight and never used as mixers. There is a bewildering variety of
aperitivi, of various degrees of bitterness, some made up by the barman
(aperitivo della casa), others pre-mixed with soda water bearing familiar
brand names.
Caffe: made with the espresso machine consists of a few drops of scalding
black coffee. If you want more than a few drops ask for cam: lungo (lit.
long coffee). White coffee is called cappuccino, if made on the espresso
machine, or cafre e latte. You will never be served instant coffee except on
trains, or if you specifically ask for it (caffe solubile). Most bars have a
mouthwatering selection of fresh cakes, buns, biscuits and confectionery.
Fresh cakes are called paste. Note that the crema with which some of them
are filled is not cream but a sort of rich custard: the Italian for cream is
panna.
If your taste is for savoury snacks you may choose between panini, soft
rolls with a variety of fillings; tosti, toasted sandwiches; and pizzette, small
pizzas to be re-heated in a microwave oven.
UNIT 4 61
Your turn to speak
1 You'll practise ordering breakfast for yourself at your hotel.
You'll need to understand pane tostato - toast.
2 You'll be ordering drinks at a bar for yourself and a friend.

You'll need to say aranciata amara- bitter orange.
Answers
Practise what you have learnt p. 57 Exercise 1
Albergo dei Cavalieri 83.000 The prices relate to a double
Albergo Duomo 46.000 bedroom with bathroom and no
Albergo Ariston 24.000 breakfast.
Albergo Arno 25.000
p. 57 Exercise 2 Husband caffellalte, pane, burro, omelette
Wife succo di frutta, te, pane, burro, marmellata.
p. 58 Exercise 3
Sigarette, Iiquori, valuta estera? Non ho niente da dichiarare.
Ha panini, o biscotti? Mi dispiace: non c'e niente da
mangiare.
Che cos'e un analcoolico? E un aperitivo senza alcool.
Che cosa c'e da bere? Aranciata, birra, chinotto, quello
che vuole.
Per favore, quant'e? Cinquantarnila lire, camera e
colazione.
p. 59 Exercise 4 (a) quanto costa? (b) quanto costano? (c) quanto costa?
(d) quanto costano? (e) quanto costa? (f) quanto costano? (g) quanto
costano? (h) quanto costa?
Grammar p. 59 (b) tutte le sigarette (c) tutti gli studenti (d) tutti i treni.
Read and understand p. 60 (1) b (2) a (3) a (4) a (5) a (6) b (7) a.
6z UNIT 4
5 Come faccio per andare in
centro?
What you will learn
• how to ask where various places are: a bank, a department store etc.
• how to ask the best way to get to these places
• how to ask where you can change money, telephone etc.
• how to understand simple street directions
• how to understand information about public transport
• how to apologize for not knowing a direction, if asked
Before you begin

1 verbs
potere posso, puoi, puo, possiamo, potete, possono
volere voglio, vuoi, vuole, vogliamo, volete, vogliono
2 questions
che cosa c'e per colazione?
che cosa prende? che cosa vuole?
quanto? quanto e? quanto costa?
3 'the'
il bagno i bagni Ia colazione le colazioni
1'aperitivo gli aperitivi l'acqua minerale le acque minerali
lo spuntino gli spuntini
Study guide
Dialogues 5, 6: listen read and study one by one
Study the Grammar section
Do the exercise in Read and understand
Read Did you know?
Do the tape exercises in Your tum to speak
Finally, listen to all the dialogues again straight through
UNIT 5
Dialogues
Where is the department store?

Signorina I Scusa, sai dov'e la Rinascente?
Signorina 2 Si, guarda, e la.
It's very close

Giovanni Scusi, dov'e la Rinascente?
Signore E proprio di fronte a Lei. Attraversa la strada.
Giovanni Grazie.
proprio just
• attraversa cross (from attraversare)
strada street
Where is this bank?

Giovanni Scusi, dov'e la Banca Commerciale?
Signore E a sinistra: venti metri avanti.
Turn left for the nearest bank

Signora Buon giorno.
Giovanni Mi sa dire dov'e la banca pili vicina?
Signora Guardi, quando esce qui dal negozio va a sinistra e quando arriva al
semaforo attraversa la strada e sul marciapiede di fronte c'e il
Banco di Napoli.
Giovanni Molte grazie, signora.
Signora Prego.
• piii vicina nearest

guardi look (Lei form)
negozio shop
semaforo traffic lights
marciapiede (m.) pavement
UNIT 5
1 • scusa excuse me (informal tu form); otherwise scusi (Lei form), as in the
next dialogue.
guarda look (tu form).
• e Ia there it is. Also: e ll.
Similarly there are two words for 'here' : qua
and qui. There is no difference at all in their use.
2 • di fronte opposite; di fronte a Lei opposite you; di fronte alia

stazione opposite the station; di fronte all'albergo opposite the hotel.
3 venti metri (piu) avanti 20 metres further on. Also avanti! come in!
forward! move on! Do not confuse this with davanti opposite: davanti alla
banca opposite the bank.
4 • mi sa dire . . . can you tell me . . .

quando esce when you go out. Uscire to go out, to come out, has an
irregular present, see Grammar p . 73.
• va a sinistra you go left. You will also hear expressions like: alla sua
sinistra on your left; sulla sinistra on the left.
Ia banca is the modern Italian word for 'bank', but in older times it used
to be il banco, the counter. Some old-established banks use the masculine
form in their name: il Banco di Napoli the Bank of Naples, il Banco di
Roma the Bank of Rome.
UNIT 5
Where can I change foreign money?
Giovanni Signorina, vorrei cambiare della valuta straniera. Dove posso
cambiare?
Signorina Be', qui fuori del nostro ufficio ci sono differenti banche e uffici
cambio. Dunque, c'e la Banca Ponti in Piazza Duomo, ci sono
altre banche visibili subito fuori qui del nostro ufficio. Anche alia
fine di via Dogana e via Mazzini trova delle bane he.
vorrei cambiare I'd like to change

be' well (short for bene)
ufficio office
ufficio (pl. uffici) cambio bureau de change
altro, -a other
visibile (pl. visibili) visible
alia fine at the end
Where is the bureau de change?

Giovanni Scusi, dov'e l'ufficio cambio?
Signore E li a destra.
Taking the underground

Giovanni Buon giorno. Come faccio per andare da qui a Piazzale Lima?
Signore Dunque, prende una metropolitana in direzione Marelli e scende
alia quarta fermata .
Piazzale Lima name of an underground station; piazzale = type of square

Marelli name of an underground terminus
• scende get off (a bus, a train etc.), from scendere
66 UNIT 5
5 • dove posso cambiare? where can I change (money)? Here are some
examples of this phrase with other verbs: dove posso telefonare? where
can I telephone? dove posso trovare un albergo? where can I find a
hotel? dove posso fare colazione? where can I get breakfast?
• fuori outside, out; vado fuori I'm going out; qui fuori out(side)
here; fuori del nostro ufficio outside our office.
Ia banca pl. le banche bank; the plural form of feminine words ending in
-ca is -che: see Grammar p. 73.
dunque like be' this is one of those words often used at the beginning of a
sentence, with no real translation.
6 • a destra right, on the right, on your right. Also: sulla destra, sulla sua
destra.
7 • come faccio per andare .. . how do I get (lit. go) .. . This is another
phrase that can be used with a variety of verbs: come fac& per
telefonare? how do I (use the) telephone? come faccio per uscire? how
do I get out? (i.e. where's the exit?).
• prende una metropolitana you take an underground train (prendere = to
take). The word metropolitana is often shortened to metro, changing its
gender to masculine: il metro. In Italy Milan, Rome and Naples have
embryo underground networks.
• Ia quarta fermata the fourth stop. Fermare to stop; ferma a Piazzale
Lima? does it stop at Piazzale Lima? ferma a tutte le stazioni it stops at
all stations. Note the following numerals: primo first, secondo second,
terzo third, quinto fifth, sesto sixth. They are all adjectives which have the
usual pattern of endings, e.g. primQ, prim,!!, prim.!, prim_!<. See list on
p . 230.
UNIT 5
._____.I s How much is the ticket and how long is it valid?
Giovanni Buon giorno. Per andare in via Francesco Sforza da qui come devo
fare?
Signore Si, si va sulla ... sulla piazza, si prende il tram tredici, Via
Cappellari, tredici, si scende alla seconda fermata, Corso di Porta
Romana, angolo via Francesco Sforza.
Giovanni Quanto costano i biglietti del tram?
Signore Il biglietto del tram costa duecento lire. Si timbra la prima volta su
un mezzo di superficie o in metro, e vale settanta minuti da quel
momento.
Giovanni Settanta minuti? Quindi posso prendere piu di un tram sempre
con lo stesso biglietto.
Signore Si, il tram piu di uno. Il metro una volta soltanto. Una volta
uscito dal metro non e piu possibile riprendere il metro. I mezzi
di superficie invece son liberi. Si puo prendere piu di una volta lo
stesso mezzo.
Giovanni Grazie.
sulla piazza into the square minuto minute
corso wide, main street da quel momento from that
• angolo (at the) corner (of) moment
biglietto ticket quindi so
mezzo di superficie surface lo stesso the same
transport riprendere to re-take, to take again
vale it's valid for
9 Going by public transport to the park

Giovanni C'e un giardino pubblico a Pisa?
Signore Si, c'e il Giardino Scotto. Si trova dall'altra parte dell' Arno, nei
pressi del Ponte della Fortezza, circa a due chilometri da Piazza del
Duomo.
Giovanni Ci si puo andare con un mezzo di trasporto? ...
Signore Si, c'e un pullman diretto, che parte ogni dieci minuti circa da
Piazza del Duomo, il numero tre.
Giovanni Il numero tre. Grazie.
giardino pubblico public park (lit. garden)
Scotto name of a park in Pisa
Arno name of the river flowing through Pisa and Florence
Ponte deUa Fortezza Fortress Bridge
chilometro kilometre
ci si puo andare? can one go there?
pullman diretto non-stop coach
Oto Here is a young lady who cannot give directions

Giovanni Come si fa per andare in Piazza della Scala?
Signorina Mi dispiace, non lo so perche non sono di Milano.
68 UNIT 5
8 • come devo fare? what (lit. how) must I do? Also: come devo fare per
timbrare il biglietto? how do I stamp the ticket? Devo (I must or I have to)
comes from dovere which has an irregular present tense: see Grammar
p. 73.
si prende il tram tredici you take (lit. one takes) the number 13 tram; si
scende alla seconda fennata you get off (lit. one gets off) at the second
stop; si puo prendere ... you can take (lit. one can take) ... Note that si
timbra il biglietto Ia prima volta may be translated both 'you stamp the
ticket the first time' and 'the ticket is stamped the first time'. Where
Italians use si (one) very frequently, in English you would say 'you', 'we'
and, less commonly, 'one'.
• Ia prima volta the first time. Other useful expressions: una volta
soltanto once only; una volta uscito dal metro once out of the tube;
due volte twice, tre volte three times etc.; questa volta this time. Note
that volta means 'time' only in the sense of 'occasion' and has nothing to
do with clocks.
• piu di un tram more than one tram; piu di una volta more than once;
non e piu possibile it's no longer possible. Note that the ending -bile in
Italian often corresponds to -ble in English: visibile visible,
mangiabile edible, scusabile excusable etc.
son liberi are free, i.e. unrestricted. Son is short for sono and is often used
in speech.
9 • dall'altra parte di ... on the other side of ... ; nei pressi di ... or: nelle
vicinanza di ... in the vicinity of ... ; circa about, approximately.
ogni dieci minuti every ten minutes. Ogni is invariable (keeps the same
form) and corresponds to 'every', 'each': da qui ogni tram va alia
stazione from here every tram goes to the station.
• mezzo di trasporto public transport (lit. means of transport). Only a few

Italian towns have managed to keep trams (il tram pl. i tram). The bulk of
public transport is by bus (l'autobus, gli autobus), and taxi (il tassi, i
tassi). Private coaches and long-distance coaches are called il pullman, i
pullman. Note that all nouns ending in a consonant (mostly borrowed from
foreign languages) are invariable. For more information on public transport
see Did you know? p. 75.
1Q Piazza della Scala (or Piazza Scala) the square in Milan where the Scala
Theatre is.
• mi dispiace, non lo so perche non sono di Milano I'm sorry, I don't
know because I'm not from Milan. Also ... perche non sono di qui
... because I'm not from here, I don't live here.
To learn
scusi excuse me
mi sa dire ... can you tell me .
dove posso cambiare? where I can change money?
dov'e Ia banca piu vicina? where is the nearest bank?
come faccio per . . . how I can ...
andare aUa stazione? get to the station?
andare in centro? get to the town centre?
mi dispiace, non sono di qui I'm sorry, I'm not from here
Public transport
l'autobus bus
il tram tram
il tassi taxi
Ia metropolitana l
underground railway
il metro f
To understand
prende/deve prendere ... you take/you must (have to) take . . .
attraversa!deve attraversare ... you cross/you must cross . . .
Ia prima strada a destra the first street on the right
Ia seconda via a sinistra the second street on the left
Ia piazza di fronte the square opposite
scende/deve scendere ... you get off/you must get off . . .
aUa terza fermata at the third stop
davanti aUa stazione in front of the station
dall'altra parte del fiume on the other side of the river
Hilla ... it's there ...
all'angolo di via Roma on the corner of Rome Street
fuori (deU'ufficio/della banca) outside (the office/the bank)
questa volta this time
Ia quarta volta the fourth time
piu di ... more than . . .
70 UNIT 5
1 On tape you will hear Giovanni asking for directions to a particular place.
Listen to the conversation and then tick the correct box. (Answers p. 76.)
1. Giovanni wants to go to· a. 0 the Galleria

b. 0 Piazza del Duomo
2. The bus stop is a. 0 across the street
b. 0 at the end of the street
3. Which buses go there? a. 0 No. 60 b. 0 No. 65
c. 0 No. 606 d. 0 No. 705
4. After how many stops should Giovanni get off the bus?
a. 0 1
b. 0 2
c. 0 3
2 There is an alternative to going by bus: andare a piedi going on foot.

Listen to the next dialogue on tape and tick the correct directions below.
(Answers p. 76.)
1. On foot you should walk a. 0 in the same direction

b. 0 in a different direction
2. At the traffic lights you should turn a. 0 left
b. 0 right
3. How many squares do you have to cross? a. 0 one
b. 0 two
4. How long does it take to get there on foot? a. 0 5 to 6 minutes
b. 0 8 to 9 minutes
3 Now Giancarlo wants to get to the centre of the town. Listen to the tape
and answer as before. (Answers p. 76.)
1. Where should he look for the tram? a. 0 on his left going out of
the station
b. 0 on his right
2. Which tram should he take? a. 0 No. 1
b. 0 No.3
3. Where should he get off? a. 0 Via Redi
b. 0 Piazza Scala
UNIT 5 71
4 Look at this section from an imaginary town map. Complete the following
sentences which describe what is shown in the map, inserting expressions
from the box below. (Answers p. 76.)
a. La banca e ................................. di via Diaz e di via Roma.

b. I Magazzini Generali sono ................................. alia Galleria.
c. Quando ................................. dalia Posta Centrale, via Rossini
e ·································
d. Per andare da piazza Redi a largo Galleria ........................ 0 0 ••• 0
la Galleria.
traversare
deve at
esce all'angolo
5 Look again at the map, and tick those among the following statements that
appear to you to be true. (Answers p. 76.) Magazzini Generali = name of
department store.
a. D L'Ente del Turismo e in piazza Stazione.

b. D La Galleria ha soltanto due uscite.
c. D La Posta Centrale e di fronte alia Galleria, in Corso ltalia.
d. D I) cinema Augusteo e in via Giusti.
e. D Per andare dalla Stazione Centrale all'ufficio dei telefoni, si
attraversa la piazza della Stazione, e, quando si e in corso
ltalia, si prende la seconda strada a sinistra, via Rossini.
f. D La banca e in via Rossini.
g. D I Magazzini Generali sono all'angolo di via Roma e di via
Diaz.
h. D Per andare dai Magazzini Generali all'ufficio dei telefoni si
attraversa la Galleria.
72 UNIT 5
Grammar
Dovere to have to Uscire to go out
devo I must/have to esco I go out

de vi you must/have to etc. esci you go out
deve he/she/it must esce he/she/it goes out
you (polite) must you (polite) go out
dobbiamo we must usciamo we go out
dovete you (pl.) must uscite you (pl.) go out
devono they must escono they go out
More plurals
There are various exceptions to the general rules that follow, but you are
unlikely to need to know them at this stage.
Most masculine words ending in -ico form their plural in -ici:
giardino pubblico park giardini pubblici
amico friend amici
Note that -c- followed by -i- or -e- is pronounced 'soft', as in 'chit' and
'cheese', and therefore the sound changes from singular to plural.
In all other cases words with a -c- or a -g- in their ending keep in the plural
the 'soft' or 'hard' sound they have in the singular. If there is an -i- in the
singular ending, it tends to disappear in the plural (but not always).
l'ufficio office gli uffici

l'orologio watch, clock gli orologi
Ia valigia suitcase le valigie or valige
Ia faccia face le facce
Words ending in -co, -ca, -go and -ga add an -h- in the plural to keep the
-c- and -g- sounds 'hard' (as in English '£ot' and 'got').
il banco counter i banchi
Ia banca bank le banche
lo spago string gli spaghi
Ia paga pay le paghe
Exercise Choose from the box the appropriate words to insert in each uncompleted
sentence below. You should use the plural form of the word you choose.
(Answers p. 76.)
a. Il Gorgonzola e il Parmigiano sono due ........................ italiani.
b. In italiano i giardini .................. si chiamano anche
c. Queste due ..................... pesano venti chili. Non c'e eccedenza.
d. "Signori, che cosa prendono?" "Due ........................ "
e. Il Ponte della Fortezza ha quattro ....................... .
anat'coo\ico formaggio
arco (arch)
UNIT 5 73
Read and understand
Here are various public transport tickets. They display all or most of the
following indications:
a. name and/or logo of transport company
b. name of town where service operates
c. serial number
d. type of journey for which ticket is valid
e. period during which ticket is valid
f. price
g. basic instructions and/or regulations
h. edge to be inserted in stamping machine
1 Which of these indications can you see on:

a. the ATM Milan ticket? ................................................ ... .. .......................... .
b. the ATAF Florence ticket? ... .. ... ............................................................... ..
2 How much does the ATAF ticket cost? ................................................... .
74 UNIT 5
Did you know?
Urban transport
Public transport in Italian towns is no more, and probably no less efficient
and convenient than in Britain, but it is certainly cheaper. Urban transport
operates on the flat rate principle: you can go from one end of Milan or
Rome to the other for less than one half of what it costs to travel across
central London (at 1982 rates). Taxis are often less easy to find . Stick to
official taxi-cabs, with taxirnetres, and steer clear of taxi touts at railway
stations and air terminals.
Almost all Italian urban transport companies have gone over to one-man
operation, and conductors have been replaced by machines. In most cases
all these machines do is to stamp your ticket with the date and time of
issue: that is called convalida validation, or obliterazione cancellation, two
words you may see on notices displayed in the vehicle or printed on the
ticket itself. You must therefore buy the ticket before you board your bus
or tram.
Tickets, often in blocks of ten, can be bought in tobacconists' shops,
espresso bars or newspaper kiosks during shop opening times, after which it
may be practically impossible to obtain them. On some routes you may find
coin-operated ticket vending machines, for which you are supposed to have
the appropriate coins ready.
In some towns surface transport tickets are valid for one hour and ten
minutes from cancellation: within that time you may use as many trams and
buses as you like. In Milan surface tickets are interchangeable with metro
tickets, but on the underground they are valid only for one journey,
however short.
This sign is self-

explanatory, and is found
on buses with coin-
operated ticket machines.
Some towns have private narrow-gauge railway systems linking them with
the surrounding region; like the Ferrovia Circumvesuviana operating
between Naples and the towns at the foot of the Vesuvius; and the Ferrovia
Nord Milano, linking Milan with the 'Lake District' towns.
You will see the following signs on most buses:
SALITA way in, from the verb satire to climb on
DISCESA way out, from the verb discendere to step down
Street names
Italian street names are more obviously 'meaningful' than English ones.
They are usually chosen from the names of other towns or regions; names
of famous men and women from national, local or world history; and
include a few historical dates (like via Venti Settembre, commemorating
the fall of Rome to the Italian army in 1870). Via corresponds to 'street' in
English; viale is wider than a via and is usually tree-lined; vico or vicolo is
a narrow alleyway; corso is a main street, usually of particular architectural,
historical or commercial importance. Piazza, piazzale and largo all refer to
squares of different sizes. In Venice small urban squares are called campo
or campiello; and a rio tera is a filled-in canal.
UNIT 5 75
Your turn to speak
In this section you work with your cassette only. Marisa will prompt you.
1 You want to go to the tourist office; and so ask a passer-by for directions.
Remember the expression: a piedi, on foot .
2 This time, you will be asked the questions- about buses.
PIAZZA
'
REPUBBLICA
CORSO
BERNARDINO
TELESIO
1.· 1509 t588
Answers
Practise what you have learnt p. 71 Exercise 1 (1) a (2) a (3) a and b
(4) c.
p. 71 Exercise 2 (1) b (2) b (3) b (4) a.
p. 71 Exercise 3 (1) b (2) a (3) b.
p. 72 Exercise 4 (a) all'angolo di (b) di fronte (c) esce/la prima a destra
(d) deve attraversare.
p. 72 Exercise 5 a, e, and h are true.
Grammar p. 73 (a) formaggi (b) pubblici, parchi (c) valigie
(d) analcoolici (e) archi.
Read and understand p . 74 Exercise 1 (a) a, b, c, d , g, (back) h (b) a,
b, c, e, f, g, (back) h .
Exercise 2 200 lira.
U NIT 5
6 Scusi, che ora e?
What you will learn
• how to ask 'when' in simple statements
• how to ask what time it is
• how to tell the time
• how to understand announcements concerning delays
• days of the week
• some expressions of time
Before you begin

Remember some of the things you learned in Unit 5:
1 verbs
dovere must, ought to
devo, devi, deve, dobbiamo, dovete, devono
uscire to go out
esco, esci, esce, usciamo, uscite, escono
2 questions
scusi, come faccio per andare a ... ?
dove posso cambiare . . . ?
dove posso telefonare?
3 locations
a destra, a sinistra, di fronte, davanti, dall'altra parte, fuori, all'angolo
Study guide
Dialogues S-7: listen straight through without the book
Dialogues S-7: listen, read and study one by one
Learn the Key words and phrases and how to tell the time
Read Did you know?
Do the Revision section for Units 4--6 on p. 219.
UNIT 6 77
Dialogues
1 A traveller asks an information office employee at what time the train

leaves
Viaggiatore 11 treno per Firenze ache ora parte?
Impiegato Aile quattro e diciassette.
Viaggiatore Quattro e diciassette?
I mpiegato Si.
Viaggiatore A che binario?
Impiegato Cinque.
Viaggiatore Grazie.
Impiegato Prego.
Firenze Florence
Trains can be delayed, as this station announcement indicates

Treno diretto proveniente da Roma Termini, Milano Centrale, per
Briga, Losanna, Ginevra, Berna, atteso aile ore 7,50, viaggia con 60
minuti circa di ritardo.
proveniente da coming from (from provenire, same pattern as venire)

Briga, Losanna etc. Brig, Lausanne, Geneva, Bern
atteso expected (from attendere to expect)
viaggia is travelling (from viaggiare to travel)
An airport announcement: the flight to London will be delayed

La partenza del volo BA 529 per Londra sara ritardata di circa 30
minuti a causa condizioni meteorologiche suil'aeroporto di Pisa.
• sara ritardata will be delayed (from ritardare, to delay)
condizioni meteorologiche weather conditions
Giovanni asks the hotel receptionist when breakfast is served

Giovanni Ache ora e la colazione?
Portiere Senta, la colazione al mattino e daile sette aile dieci, dieci e un
quarto. E il ristorante e aperto daile dodici aile due, e la sera daile
sette aile nove.
senta well (lit. listen)

• aperto open
UNIT 6
1 • a che ora parte? what time does it leave? The word for 'train', 'bus' etc.
can also come after this phrase: a che ora parte il treno per Firenze? ache
ora parte l'autobus per Roma?
alle quattro e diciassette at 4. 17.
Note the feminine plural form alle because ore ,hours) is understood.
parte leaves, is leaving; from partire, to leave. (See Grammar p. 86.)
2 • circa about, approximately. Circa can be placed before or after the word to
which it refers: con 60 minuti circa/con circa 60 minuti di ritardo about 60
minutes late. u treno e in ritardo the train is late.
3 • a causa because of; also: a causa di ...
4 • dalle sette alle dieci from seven o'clock to ten o'clock.

• dieci e un quarto a quarter past ten (lit. ten and a quarter). Minutes past
the hour are also counted in this way: le dieci e diciassette 10,17; le dieci
e trenta 10,30 or le dieci e mezza half past ten. After le dieci e trentanove
10,39 you could also count the minutes to the next hour; le undici meno
venti twenty to eleven (lit. eleven less twenty), le undici meno un quarto a
quarter to eleven etc.; but only when using the 12-hour clock. To ask the
time say: che ore e? or che ore sono?
UNIT 6 79
Giovanni asks a lady how far away the famous Chartreuse of Pavia is
from Milan
Giovanni Signorina, quant'e lontana la Certosa di Pavia?
Signorina La Certosa di Pavia non e molto lontana. Sono venti minuti di
autobus da qui. E gli autobus sono frequentissimi, con la frequenza
di ogni mezz'ora, all'ora e alla mezz'ora, in partenza da Piazza
Castello.
Giovanni Piazza Castello e vicina a qui?
Signorina Dieci minutia piedi. Allora, Piazza Castello, ogni mezz'ora, ci sono
i pullman che vanno a Pavia, e fermano vicino alla Certosa. La
Certosa e chiusa il lunedi, mentre e aperta in giorno normale
dalle 10 alle 12,30, dalle 14 alle 17.
frequentissimo very frequent

frequenza frequency
• chiuso closed (from chiudere, to close)
mentre while
in giorno normale on normal days
6 In the next two dialogues Giovanni is given bank and shop opening
times
Giovanni Quali sono gli orari di apertura delle banche?
Signorina Le banche qui a Milano sono aperte dalle otto e trenta alle- euh-
tredici.
Giovanni Dalle 8,30 alle 13. E i negozi quando sono aperti?
Signorina Dalle 9 alle 12,30, 15,30-19,30 circa, con piccole variazioni.
_
Giovanni C'e un giorno di riposo alia settimana?
Signorina Illunedi mattina i negozi sono chiusi peril riposo, poi la domenica
.........__ ................
e chiuso tutto il giorno.
....... ...
~
- ... . . ...,,_,; ...

orari di apertura opening times
negozi shops IAIID
............
FEIIA~E
con piccole variazioni with small variations
giorno di riposo closing day (lit. day of rest)
~
• tnattino
Signorina Illunedi hanno orari diversi, perche, appunto, la mattina i negozi

di generi alimentari sono aperti, mentre sono chiusi gli altri negozi.
E il contrario: il pomeriggio i negozi di generi alimentari sono
chiusi; sono aperti invece i supermercati e poi tutti gli altri negozi.
Cioe lunedi hanno le !oro chiusure, mattina o pomeriggio; mentre
il sabato hanno una regolare apertura: 9-12,30, 15-19,30.
Domenica chiusi, chiaramente.
orari diversi different times invece instead

appunto precisely, in fact, as a supermercati supermarkets
matter of fact chiaramente clearly, of course
il contrario the other way round
8o UNIT 6
5 • quant'e lontana Ia Certosa? how far is the Chartreuse? Other ways of
asking the same question are: quanto e distante Ia Certosa? a che
distanza e Ia Certosa? (lit. at what distance is the Chartreuse?).
sono venti minuti di autobus it's a twenty minute bus ride: but note that
in Italian you use the plural form of the verb essere, sono, because it refers
to the plural minuti.
all' ora e alia mezz'ora on the hour and on the half hour. Other similar
expressions: ai venti twenty minutes past the hour; ai quaranta forty
minutes past the hour etc.; ogni ora every hour; ogni tre quarti d'ora every
three quarters of an hour.
• illunedi on Mondays; il venerdi on Fridays; Ia domenica on Sundays.

Note that days of the week have a small initial letter in Italian: for a full list
see Key words and phrases, p. 83.
6 • quali sono? which/what are? (See Grammar p. 86.)

alle tredici . . . quindici e trenta . . o diciannove e trenta o . o Many
Italians also use the 24-hour clock, particularly in official notices (e.g. train
stations) or announcements. Remember that the expressions e un quarto, e
mezza, meno venti etc. are NOT used with the 24-hol,lr clock. You have to
use the full form and say le quindici e trenta. 1
• Of the names of the days of the week lunedi Monday, martedi Tuesday,
mercoledi Wednesday, giovedi Thursday and venerdi Friday are all
masculine and invariable (like all other nouns stressed on the last vowel). II
sabato and Ia domenica have plural forms: i sabati and le domeniche
respectively. Note the following useful expressions: lunedi this Monday; il
lunedi or di lunedi on Monday (in general); tutti i lunedi, ogni lunedi
every Monday; lunedi prossimo next Monday (counting from today); il
lunedi successivo or illunedi seguente next Monday (counting from any
other date). Workdays are called giomi feriali and Sundays and other
holidays called giomi festivi. See also Grammar p. 87.
7 • Ia mattina in the morning; il pomeriggio in the afternoon; also Ia sera in

the evening. The word for 'morning' can also be masculine: il mattinoo
hanno le !oro chiusure they close (lit. they have their closures).
Chiusura = closure, being closed.
hanno una regolare apertura they have regular opening times. Apertura =
opening, being open.
UNIT 6 8r
8 A/do tells Giovanni about his plans for a week's holiday abroad
Giovanni Dimmi un poco che cosa fai - euh - sabato prossimo.
A/do Sabato ho intenzione di partire per - euh - fare una settimana di
vacanza. La sera partiamo da Milano, poi ci fermiamo a Venezia e
- euh - dormiamo la notte ll. Ripartendo il mattino dopo,
arriviamo a Vienna, e,- euh- dopo qualche giorno di permanenza
a Vienna, tappa a Budapest- euh- per tre giorni, e poi
direttamente da Budapest ancora a Venezia.
Giovanni Come andate, andate in treno o .
A/do Andiamo in automobile.
Giovanni E chi viene con voi?
Aldo Viene con - euh - con me viene Floriana e un altra coppia di
amici, Paolo e Marcella.
dimmi un poco tell me (a little); dire = to tell

prossimo next
dormiamo we sleep; dormire to sleep (see Grammar p. 86)
ripartendo leaving again
permanenza sojourn, stay
tappa stop, stage in a journey
direttamente straight
ancora once more
un'altra coppia another couple
8 • ho intenzione di partire I intend to leave, I'm going to leave; a useful

phrase which you can combine with other verbs, e.g. ho intenzione di
andare in Italia I'm going to go to Italy; ho intenzione di prendere il
treno I'm going to take a train; che intenzioni hai? what are you going to
do? (lit. what are your intentions?).
per fare una settimana di vacanza for a week's holiday (lit. in order to take
a week's holiday).
ci fermiamo we stop. When the verb fermare is used to mean that people
themselves stop, as opposed to stopping someone or something else, it takes
a 'reflexive' form (see Unit 3, p. 45) which in the prese,nt is as follows: mi
fermo, ti fermi, si ferma, ci fermiamo, vi fermate, si fermano.
This can also happen with 'non-human' subjects: l'autobus ferma/si ferma
proprio davanti al negozio the bus stops right opposite the shop.
• The verbs aprire, to open, and chiudere, to close, behave in the same way:
a che ora apre/si apre il museo? what time does the museum open? il
negozio chiude/si chiude alle sette the shop closes at seven.
• il mattino dopo the morning after; dopo illavoro after work; dopo un po'
after a little while. When dopo is followed by a verb, it is interchangeable
with poi: dopo/poi ci fermiamo a Venezia then we stop in Venice.
in automobile in the car, by car. A more common, colloquial word for 'car'
is macchina. Note in treno, by train; in autobus, by bus.
82 UNIT 6
To learn
Time
che ora e? che ore sono? what time is it?
ache ora ... at what time 0 0 0
parte il treno? does the train leave?

e Ia colazione? is breakfast?
che intenzioni hai? what are your intentions? what are
you going to do?
ho intenzione di . . . I intend to/l'm going to . o o
dopo after, afterwards, later

dopo Ia colazione after breakfast
parto dopo I'm leaving later
il giomo dopo the following day
dopo un po' after a little while
oggi today
domani tomorrow
dopodomani the day after tomorrow
Ia mattina morning/in the morning
il pomeriggio afternoon/in the afternoon
Ia sera evening/in the evening
i giomi della ;;ettimana the days of the week
lunedi Monday
martedi Tuesday
mercoledi Wednesday
giovedi Thursday
venerdi Friday
saba to Saturday
domenica Sunday
Also, learn how to tell the time- look again at the note to dialogue 4,
Po 790
Distance
e lontano/lontana? is it far?
e vicino/vicina? is it near?
ache distanza e? how far is it?
To understand
il negozio e aperto/chiuso the shop is open/closed
il museo apre/chiude aile ... the museum opens/closes at . 0 •
dalle (due) aile (cinque) from (two o'clock) to (five) o'clock

il treno e in ritardo the train is late
ritarda di 50 minuti it's SO minutes late
Ia partenza e ritardata a causa the departure has been delayed
delle condizioni meteorologiche because of the weather conditions
UNIT 6
1 On tape Giovanni asks five people what time it is. Number the five clock
faces below in the order of the times mentioned. (Answers p. 90.)
a ..................................... b ..................................... c ..................................... .
d. ..................................... e ..................................... .
2 Listen to the dialogue on tape about museum opening times in Milan. Tick
those of the statements below you think are true. (Answers p. 90.) Note the
word quando (when) is introduced in this dialogue (see Grammar p. 86).
a. D All museums are closed at lunch-time.

b. D Some museums close between 12.30 and 2.30 p.m.
c. The Brera Museum opens
D (i) between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m.
D (ii) between 9 and 2 p.m.
d. D The Pinacoteca (Picture Gallery) Ambrosiana can be visited
during the lunch-time when other museums are closed.
UNIT 6
3 The printer scrambled the programme of your week's holiday in Northern
Italy. Listen to the tape, where the programme is given correctly and match
the various visits and activities with the day reserved for them. (Answers
p. 90.)
a. Escursione ai laghi di Como e Maggiore
b. Libero
c. Partenza da Londra (Gatwick) per Milano Malpensa, ore 14.10.
Arrivo e sistemazione in albergo. Sera libera
d. Escursione alla Certosa di Pavia. Visita della citta di Pavia
e. Visita guidata dei musei della citta. Sera: opera al Teatro alla Scala
f. Mattino: visita della citta in pullman. Pomeriggio libero. Sera:
cena in un ristorante caratteristico
g. Escursione a Bergamo. Ore 19.30: partenza da Milano Malpensa
per Londra (Gatwick)
mercoledi ................... .
giovedi .......................... .
venerdi
sabato ........... .
domenica .......................... .
lunedi ............................... .
martedi ............................ .
4 The printer has again scrambled the sentences in the following dialogue.
Can you write them out on the dotted lines below in the right order? When
you have done so, check by listening to the correct dialogue on your tape.
- Che autobus vuole prendere?
- Prego.
- La fermata del 63 e venti metri a destra all'angolo della strada.
-II 63.
- Buon giorno, signorina. Scusi, dov'e la fermata dell'autobus pili
vicina?
- Molte grazie.
UNIT 6
Grammar
Partire to leave Dormire to sleep

parto I leave dormo I sleep
parti you leave dormi you sleep
parte he/she/it leaves donne he/she/it sleeps
you (polite) leave you (polite) sleep
partiamo we leave dormiamo we sleep
partite you (pl.) leave dormite you (pl.) sleep
partono they leave dormono they sleep
The verb ripartire to leave again, to start again, follows the same pattern as
partire.
Quanto, quale, quando

qu- for 'question'! These two initial letters characterize a group of Italian
question words (much in the same way as wh- are the initials of a similar
English group: which?, where?, when?, what?).
You are already familiar with quanto how much, how many. When
followed by a noun it behaves like a normal adjective:
quanti chili pesa? how many kilos does it weigh?
quante camere vuole? how many rooms do you want?
When it means 'how much' it does not change its form:
quanto pesa? quanto costa?
When it refers to an adjective indicating a dimension (time, length, distance
or size) you translate it simply as 'how':
quanto e distante? how far is it?
quanto sono pesanti? how heavy are they?
quanto e grande? how big is it? etc.
quale what, which, which one:
quale camera vuole? which room do you want?
a quali ore? at what times?
qual'e? which one is it?
quali sono i musei piil importanti? which are the most important
museums?
quando when, is not to be confused with quanto:
quando apre il museo? when does the museum open?
quando parte il treno? when does the train leave?
86 UNIT 6
Exercise 1 Fill in the gaps in the following questions with the appropriate qu- question
word quale, quando, quanto. (Answers on p. 90.)
a. . ....................... arriva il treno? -Aile 12,10.

b. A ........................ binario arriva? -Al binario 6.
c. . ....................... valigie ha? -Ho due valigie.
d. . ....................... pesano queste valigie? -Pesano venti chili.
e. Mi puo dire ........................ parte l'autobus? -Parte aile nove.
f. . ....................... autobus devo prendere per andare in centro?
-Deve prendere il numero 63.
g. . ....................... e lontano il centro della citta? -Dieci minuti
in autobus.
h. . ....................... mezzi posso prendere per andare in centro?
-Puo prendere l'autobus e la metropolitana.
Other expressions of time

oggi today; ~
domani tomorrow; are all invariable
dopodomani the day after tommorrow
Oggi pomeriggio this afternoon: of the words specifying the periods of day,
pomeriggio is the only one that may accompany oggi; domani and
dopodomani can combine with mattina and sera, e.g. domani mattina
tomorrow morning, domani pomeriggio tomorrow afternoon, dopodomani
sera the day after tomorrow in the evening.
(Expressions indicating past time will be studied in Unit 13, p. 181.)
Exercise 2 Assuming that today is giovedi 18, how would you indicate the following
times using one of the expressions above. (Answers p. 90.)
a. venerdi 19, ore 19,30 ..

b. sabato 20, ore 10,00
c. venerdi 19, ore 9,30
d. giovedi 18, ore 15 ............................................................................................ .
e. sabato 20, ore 20 .............................................................................................. .
f. venerdi 19, ore 14,30
UNIT 6
Read and understand
This is a page from the Lake Maggiore Passenger Boat Service timetable.
Study it carefully and answer the following questions. (Answers on p. 90.)
170
1] .UONA •• p.
_ IAnettO.... ..
!101........... ,
lsp.ro~ .......... .
lao ...••.....
S.ll)ratt •.•..
nuu........•.
-mu.C: .... P.
1141> Sell• .•.. j
hob Sa~t•afc'
IAY£NO ••••.
r.llob ••...•••
11011 fd.J-jrl .•. )
SgN, ••••••••
'AUAHZA •••.
vm. ra.o~.nto ..
IHru ......... .
I.AV!No...... p.
~lfto ......... ,
Porto VtUt., .. .
Ogollblo .... ..
C..nneto .•..•..
...............
w~o ......... .
WINO....:: .. ..-.
CA...OIIO ... I.
c.4NNoaao... p.
M!UAOO.... I.
MllSAOO .... p.
1:D·~ -_
~-·
hole M•uro.
PorloR~ •.•
Ita........... .
ltUI.,,,., ,,,
&I
AlCON •.••••..
S. Haturo. ....
Vlro...........
~=c;:::: •. 6150'
Ohru Ul Zl VI
+h,... Ml t·ono fo uvol> I forao II -ttl!
1. Supposing you are in Angera for the weekend and wish to meet a
friend in Baveno at 11 a.m., which is the latest time you can leave?
2. At what time does the Sunday service to Locarno leave Brissago?
3. Supposing you wish to travel from Angera to Meina on a Monday.

Is there any service you can use between 8.50 and lunch-time?
4. You are in Stresa and wish to visit the famous botanical gardens at
Villa Taranto on a Sunday. Which is the earliest boat you can take?
5. Does the 14.00 boat from Stresa to Laveno stop at Suna?
6. How long does the 10 a.m. boat from Arona to Locarno stop at
Luino on Fridays?
7. How long is the shortest journey from Cannero to Cannobio?
88 UNIT 6
Did you know?
Business and leisure times

Italian shops and offices have, with very few exceptions, an orario spezzato
(lit . broken timetable), which allows for a lunch-time closure, generally
from 12 ,30 to 3 p .m. In Southern Italy shops may re-open as late as 4 or
4.30 in the afternoon , and may stay open until 8 p.m. Some offices in the
North are tentatively moving towards orario continuo, with no lunch-time
closure, but they are the exception. One of the consequences of the orario
-
spezzato is that Italian towns have four ore di punta , rush hours, instead of
two.
W EDI Meal times tend to be later in the South than in the North . 11 pranzo, or
midday meal , can start as late as 1.30 or 2 p.m. in the south. La cena,
evening meal, ranges from 7 p.m. in the North to 9 p.m. in the South .
Concerts, theatrical performances and last cinema shows begin much later
than in Britain: about 8.30 p.m. for theatres and concerts, and 10.30 for
cinemas. It is not uncommon for theatre or concert-goers to dine out after
the performance ends: there will be plenty of restaurants still open.
Holidays
The following days are public holidays in Italy:
Capodanno New Year's Day
lunedi in Albis, or lunedi dell'angelo or lunedi di Pasqua Easter
Monday
Anniversario della Liberazione to celebrate the freedom from Fascist rule
achieved at the end of World War II , on April 25
Festa dellavoro May Day, on May 1st
Proclamazione della Repubblica to celebrate the proclamation of the
Republic of Italy, on the 1st Sunday in June
Ferragosto August Holiday , on August 15
Ognissanti, or Tutti iSanti All Saint's Day, on November lst
lmmacolata Concezione the religious festival of the Immaculate
Conception of the Virgin Mary, on December 8
Natale Christmas
Santo Stefano Boxing Day, or the feast of St . Stephen.
Whenever one of these public holidays falls on a Friday or a Tuesday,
firms and public offices often grant their employees an extra day's holiday,
called il ponte , bridge.
There is also a number of local and regional holidays, often centering on
the festivity of the patron Saint of the town, or of a particular church : like
the Festa del Redentore, the Feast of the Redeemer, in Venice (3rd
Sunday in July), or the Festa dei Ceri (May 15), when heavy decorative
structures symbolizing ceri , church candles, are paraded in a colourful
procession through Gubbio.
There are also plenty of non-religious pageants, some of which , like the
Patio of Siena the horse-race in Siena (which takes place twice a year, on
July 2 and August 16); il Gioco del Ponte- lit. the Game on the Bridge, in
Pisa (last Sunday in May), or the Partita a scacchi, the chess game played
with live chessmen in a square in Marostica (September 9-10) are nationally
and internationally famous.
UNIT 6
Your turn to speak
1 In the first exercise you will practise asking questions about train departure
and arrival times.
2 For this exercise, first look at the clocks below. You will be asked five
questions about what time it is. Say the five times in the order shown on
the clock faces. Use the 12-hour clock. The correct answers will be given on
tape.
Revision
Next you should do a short revision section which goes over the language
you have studied in Units 4-6. Turn top. 219 for the written part of the
exercises. The tape exercises follow straight after this unit on your cassette.
Answers
Practise what you have learnt p. 84 Exercise 1 (a) 3 (b) 2 (c) 5 (d) 1
(e) 4.
p. 84 Exercise 2 You should have ticked b, c (ii) and d.
p. 85 Exercise 3 mercoledi c, giovedi f, venerdi a, sabato b, domenica d,
lunedi e, martedi g.
Grammar p. 87 Exercise 1 (a) quando (b) quale (c) quante (d) quanto
(e) quando (f) quale (g) quanto (h) quali.
p. 87 Exercise 2 (a) domani sera (b) dopodomani mattina (c) domani
mattina (d) oggi pomeriggio (e) dopodomani sera (f) domani pomeriggio.
Read and understand p. 88 (1) 8.50 because the 10 a.m. service from
Angera stops at Baveno only on Wednesday (2) 13.10 (3) No, because the
11.05 stops at Meina only on Tuesdays (4) 9.05 because the 7.15 stops
there only on schooldays (5) No (6) 10 minutes (7) 9 minutes.
si effettua is a formal way of saying 'runs'; scuola = school.
UNIT 6
7 Bene, lo compro!
What you will learn

• how to buy things in shops:
a baker's shop - various types of bread
a newspaper kiosk - local and national newspapers
a perfumery - perfumes
a tobacconist's shop - Italian cigarettes.
• how to make simple comparative statements e.g. 'this is better, that's not so
strong', etc.
• how to state prices in a shorter way
Before you begin

1 verbs
partire to leave
parto, parti, parte, partiamo, partite, partono
ripartire, dormire and aprire are conjugated in the same way.
2 qu- words 3 Expressions of time
quanto how much oggi today
quale which domani tomorrow
quando when dopodomani the day after
tomorrow
Study guide
Dialogues 5, 6: listen read and study one by one
Learn the Key words and phrases and the list of foods
Read Did you know?
UNIT 7 91
Dialogues
A woman buys a loaf of white bread from the baker

Fornaio Buon giorno, signora. Mi dica.
Cliente Mezzo chilo di pane di quello Ia in fondo.
Fornaio Nero o bianco?
Cliente No, no, bianco, pen) di quello normale.
Fornaio Tipo toscano, proprio.
Cliente Tipo toscano, hmm ...
Fornaio Quattrocento, signora. Desidera altro?
Cliente No.
Fornaio Buon giorno, signora. Grazie signora. Buon giorno.
fornaio baker (man) pero but, however
nero black (see notes) proprio in fact
bianco white
Another customer asks the baker for wholemeal bread

Cliente Un pane integrale, se non ti dispiace.
Fornaio Intero o mezzo?
Cliente Intero.
Fornaio Intero. Desidera altro, signora?
Cliente No.
Fornaio (to his assistant) Paolo, mi dai diecimila lire, per favore?
Paolo Eh?
Fornaio Mi dai 10.000 lire, per favore?
Ecco cinquanta di resto alla signora.
Buon giorno, signora. Grazie.
integrate wholemeal (speaking of bread)
intero (or intiero) whole, the whole piece
At the newsstand (edicola) Giovanni inquires whether they sell any

English newspapers and magazines
Giovanni Signorina, ha dei giornali stranieri?
Giornalaia Si, alcuni.
Giovanni Che giornali inglesi ha?
Giornalaia Giornali inglesi ci abbiamo il Time, Newsweek, Express .
Giovanni Mi da il Times?
Giornalaia Si.
Giovanni Cioe, ha il Time o il Times?
Giornalaia Abbiamo il Time, la rivista e il Times il quotidiano.
Giovanni E il Times quotidiano.
Giornalaia Si.
Giovanni Quanto costa il Times quotidiano?
Giornalaia Novecento lire.
Giovanni Novecento lire. Bene, lo compro.
Giornalaia Grazie.
Giovanni Grazie.
giornalaia newsagent (woman) alcuni some, a few
stranieri foreign cioe that is, I mean
92 UNIT 7
1 • di queUo Ia in fondo that one there on the end/at the back. In fondo can
mean both 'at the end', i.e. of a row, or 'at the back'.
mezzo chilo di pane half a kilo (about one pound) of bread. Bread in Italy
is often bought by the weight.
nero o bianco? lit. black or white? Any bread not made of white flour
(farina bianca), e.g. wholewheat, wholemeal, rye etc. is called pane nero.
tipo toscano Tuscan type, which unlike bread made in most other regions
of Italy is unsalted.
• desidera altro? do you want anything else? Desidera? is sometimes used by
shopkeepers as an opening, instead of (mi) dica. Customers can also use the
verb desiderare in reply: desidero mezzo chilo di pane nero.
2 • un pane lit. a bread, is the way to ask for 'a loaf in Italian.
• se non ti dispiace if you don't mind. Note the colloquial ti instead of the
formalle for 'you' (se non le dispiace). Longstanding customers of food
shops often address the shop-keepers with the informal tu; but the shop-
keeper tends to answer in the polite Lei form, particularly when talking to
female customers.
intero o mezzo? a whole (loaf) or half? Larger loaves can be cut in half by
the baker. There is a wide variety of types of bread in Italy, with names
and shapes varying from region to region. Panini, rolls, are popular, as is
focaccia a fiat pizza-like bread coated with olive oil or with other savoury
seasonings - usually eaten as a snack. If you want focaccia you would
usually ask for un pezzo, a piece.
mi dai 10.000 lire per favore? (can you/will you) give me 10,000 lire,
please? In Italian you simply use the present tense for 'can you/will you' in
this type of sentence. The baker addresses his assistant in the tu form. Dai
is from dare (to give).
• ecco cinquanta di resto here's SO (lira) change. Besides being a stop-gap
word, ecco is used when showing or pointing to something: ecco il
pane here's the bread; ecco il fornaio here's the baker; ecco le
sigarette here are the cigarettes, or simply ecco here you are.
3 • il giornale (from giorno, day) is the standard word for daily paper. A less
common word is quotidiano (lit. daily) which, unlike giornale, can be used
as an adjective (il pane quotidiano daily bread). Riviste, magazines,
reviews, can be settimanali weekly, or mensili monthly: these adjectives
can also be used as nouns, e.g. Newsweek e un settimanale americano. If
you want to talk in general terms about periodical publications use Ia
stampa periodica or i periodici.
ci abbiamo we have. Often ci is used with forms of avere but it may be
ignored in translation: ci ha del pane? have you got any bread? (lit. have
you got any bread there?).
• mi da ... (can you/will you) give me ... Note the difference between this
polite form and the tu form expression in the previous dialogue: mi dai.
lo compro I'll buy it (but note the use of the simple present tense in
Italian). Comprare (occasionally comperare) = to buy. For lo see Grammar
p. 101.
UNIT 7 93
At the post office: Giovanni wants'to buy a stamp for a letter to
England
Giovanni Quanto costa un francobollo per l'Inghilterra, signorina?
Signorina Centocinquanta lire.
Giovanni Questo per lettera?
Signorina Per cartolina.
Giovanni E per lettera?
Signorina Duecentoventi.
Giovanni Me ne da uno, per favore?
Signorina Certo.
Signorina Prego.
francobollo postage stamp
per for
lettera letter
cartolina postcard (cartolina illustrata picture postcard)
Ds The assistant in a perfumery tries to convince a customer to buy a

perfume
Commessa Senta un attimo questo. Questo e un bel profurnino, eh? E non e
eccessivamente caro ... questo qui viene seirnilatre.
Cliente E caro.
Commessa E caro? No, non e caro. Normale va sulle dieci, dodicimila lire.
Cliente Prendo questo. Qual'e meglio, questo o quello?
Commessa Questo prenda! E piu buono.
commessa shop assistant (woman)
eccessivamente excessively
• caro expensive, dear
normale used instead of normalmente normally
• questo prenda! (or prenda questo!) take this one! (polite)
94 UNIT 7
4 • me ne da uno? may I have one (lit. you give me one of them?) Mi, ti, ci,
vi etc. (see p. 59) followed by ne and lo, Ia etc. (see Grammar p. 101)
change their final -i to -e. Ne, meaning 'of ... whatever has just been
mentioned' is generally not translated into English, but is often found in
Italian particularly in conjunction with numbers: ne voglio tre I want
three; ne compro uno I'll buy one.
• If you want to ask for a stamp of a given value, use da before its value: un
francoboUo da trecento lire a 300 lira stamp. Da is also used before the
face value of banknotes, coins etc., and the rating of appliances etc., e.g. un
biglietto da diecimila a 10,000 (lira) bill; una lampadina da 240 volt a 240
volt bulb; un motore da trenta cavalli a 30 HP engine (lit. cavallo =
horse).
5 • senta un attimo questo just smell this one. Senta is from sentire with the
general meaning of 'to sense' and so it can be translated in more than one
way according to the context, e.g.
to hear - sente Ia musica? can you hear the music?
to listen - senta (polite) or senti (informal) listen (as opening to a
conversation)
to feel (reflexive)- non mi sento bene I don't feel well.
un bel profumino a nice little perfume. Profumo = perfume. Some Italian
nouns may combine with one of a number of special endings which tend to
• slightly modify their meaning: -ino and -etto usually indicate smallness e.g.
pezzo piece, pezzetto small piece; pane (loaf of) bread, panino bread roll.
Sometimes two such endings may be combined: pezzo --> pezzetto ......
pezzettino a very small piece.
In this dialogue profumino doesn't indicate size but is used because it's
more emphatic.
viene seimilatre it comes to 6300 (lire). Note the use of venire and andare
when talking about prices: quanto viene questo? how much does this cost
(come to)? a quanto va? how much is it going for? va sulle dieci,
dodicimila lire it's about 10-12,000 lire. Sulle . . . followed by a price (lire
is understood) indicates approximation. For seimilatre instead of seimila
trecento see Practise what you have learnt, Exercise 3, p. 100.
• qual'e meglio? also qual'e migliore? which one is better? Meglio is
invariable, migliore has a plural: questi sono migliori these ones are better.
Alternatively, 'better', when speaking of things that can be tasted or
smelled, can be piu buono: questi formaggi sono piu buoni.
UNIT 7 95
A tobacconist tells Giovanni about the various types of Italian cigarettes
Giovanni Allora, come sigarette italiane abbiamo le ...
Tabaccaia Le Nazionali, prima base. Dopo le Esportazioni, le Super, cos! .
Giovanni Queste sono piuttosto forti.
Tabaccaia ... noo ... rna non tanto, perche ci sono anche queUe col filtro,
son meno forti. Dopo ci sono queste Nazionali qui col filtro, N80,
vede. Costan quattrocencinquanta queste, e non sono molto forti.
Giovanni Non sono molto forti .
Tabaccaia No.
Giovanni E queUe leggere, ha detto che sono le ... le Lido.
Tabaccaia Le Lido, molto leggere, le Lido e le Gala.
Giovanni E le Gala.
Tabaccaia Le Lido, e Gala.
Giovanni Le Gala hanno il doppio filtro.
Tabaccaia S!, sl doppio filtro.
tabaccaia tobacconist (woman)
Nazionali, Esportazioni, Super, N80, Lido, Gala all names of Italian
cigarettes
dopo then, afterwards
cosi and so on
filtro filter
quattrocencinquanta Tuscan dialect for quattrocentocinquanta
leggere mild, light
doppio double
6 • sono piuttosto forti they're rather strong.

Note also the following expressions:
non tanto not so much e.g. non sono tanto forti they're not so strong
non moho not much, not too ... e.g. non sono molto forti they're not
too strong
queste sono meno forti these are less strong
sono molto leggere they're very mild
(For more about comparisons see Grammar p . 101.)
Note son and costan instead of sono and costano: the final -o is often
dropped from the 'they' form, in speech.
ha detto che sono . . . you said that they are ...
To learn
desidero .. . I'd like ...
mida ... ? will you give me . . . ?
un chilo/mezzo chilo di . . . a kilo/half a kilo of . .
un pezzo/pezzetto di . . . a piece/small piece of ...
pane bianco white bread
pane integrate wholemeal bread
un francobollo da 300 lire a 300 lira stamp
per l'Inghilterra for England
per una lettera for a letter
per una cartolina for a postcard
un giomale inglese an English newspaper
un quotidiano a daily
un settimanale a weekly
una rivista a magazine
me ne da uno/due? will you give me one/tw<J of'those?

se non le dispiace (polite) t
se non ti dispiace (informal) r if you don't mind
quanto viene? how much does it come to?

qual'e meglio? which one is better/best?
e caro? is it expensive?
piu more, -er
meno less
ecco here you are
To understand
desidera altro? do you require anything else?
ecco cinquanta di resto here's fifty (lira) change
va sulle died, dodici mila lire it's about ten to twelve thousand lira
prenda questo! take this one!
Remember some of the vocabulary you have already met for food.
le uova (sing. l'uovo) it formaggio
it prosciutto it salame
UNIT 7 97
Other useful words for food
Most fruit and vegetables are bought at the market (mercato), as they are
cheaper and often fresher than in the shops. You can usually select what
you want yourself and give it to the stallholder to weigh. Make sure you
take your own shopping bag.
Verdura (vegetables)
l'insalata
pomodori (il pomodoro)
)
zucchini (lo zucchino) patate (Ia patata)
finocchi (il finocchio)

~
carciofi (il carciofo)
fagiolini (il fagiolino)

carote (Ia carota)
F~
banane (Ia banana)
mele (Ia mela)
i){j il melone
~
uva bianca (always sing.)
QQ -~
pesche (Ia pesca)
uva nera albicocche (l'albicocca)

UNIT 7
1 Giovanni asks the owner of a bread shop in Milan what types of bread she
has for sale. Listen to your tape and tick the ones she mentions from the
following list (you'll find that in other regions different names may be
used). (Answers p. 104.)
a. D francese, francesini (French bread)

b. D ferrarese (Ferrara type bread)
c. D pane di pasta dura (crusty bread)
d. D pane integrale (wholemeal bread)
e. D michette (round bread rolls)
f. D banane (banana-shaped rolls)
g. D tartine (sliced white bread)
h. D fogliette (a type of bread roll)
i. D grissini (bread sticks)
j. D focaccia (flat savoury bread)
2 Listen to the short passage on tape about Italian newspapers and magazines.
Try to get the gist of it, and tick the statements below you think are true.
(Answers p. 104.)
a. D Il Coniere della sera is a Milan evening paper.

b. D La Stampa is a national paper published in Turin.
c. D Il Mattina is a well-known national paper.
d. D Il Resto del Carlino is published in Bologna.
e. D La Repubblica is a weekly.
f. D L'Europeo is a daily published in Naples.
g. D Panorama and L'Espresso are two of the most important
weeklies.
UNIT 7 99
3 When quoting prices Italian shop assistants often omit -mila and -cento.
Seimila trecento may become seimila tre or even sei e tre. Listen to the
prices given on tape and write the appropriate price in the tag appended to
each object depicted below. (Answers p. 104.)
4 Write in the gaps in the sentences below the appropriate form for 'will you
give me ... if you don't mind', i.e.
informal - mi dai . . . se non ti dispiace
formal - mi da . . . se non le dispiace
Then check your answers by listening to the tape.
a. Paolo, ........................ cinquemila lire

.................................................................................... ?
b. Signorina, ........................ la rivista Time,
.................................................................................... ?
c. Ha delle sigarette americane? - Si, abbiamo Camel, Lucky
Strike, Marlboro. - Allora ........................ un pacchetto di
Camel, ........................................................................ ?
d. Rosanna, ........................ un pezzetto di focaccia,
.................................................................................... ?
100 UNIT 7
Grammar
Lo, Ia, li, le

These words are used as a translation of 'him', 'her', 'it' and 'them', e.g.
lo compro (lo replacing .il. giornale) l
I'll buy it
Ia compro (Ia replacing Ia rivista) f
li com pro (li replacing .i biglietti) t
le com pro (le replacing le sigarette) r I'll buy them
Note that they come in front of the verb.
Exercise 1 Fill in the appropriate word (lo, Ia, li or le) in the following dialogues.
(Answers p. 104.)
a. - Signorina, ha dei giornali inglesi? - Ho solo il Daily Express
......... vuole? - Si, ......... prendo.
b. - Ha sigarette americane? - Si. -A quanto ......... vende?
c. - Ha maglie nere? -No signora, mi dispiace. Non ........ .
abbiamo nere, ......... abbiamo solo colorate.
d. - Dove sono i telefoni pubblici? -Non ......... vede? Sono
proprio di fronte.
e. - Prende Ia colazione in camera? - Si, ......... prendo in camera.
Comparisons
You will need the following expressions to make graded judgements. Study
this basic sentence: questo profumo e caro this perfume is expensive.
meno less questo profumo e meno caro
non ... cosi l non e cosi caro
non . . . tantofnot so questo profumo { non e, t an t o caro
non . . . molto not very questo profumo non e molto caro
piuttosto rather questo profumo e piuttosto caro
piii more, -er questo profumo e piii caro
molto very questo profumo e molto caro
tan!o l so e tanto
questo profumo { , ,
caro
COSJ f e cos1 caro
troppo too (much) questo profumo e troppo caro
Exercise 2 The following adjectives have opposite meanings:

forte strong caro expensive grande large
leggero light, mild economico cheap piccolo small
For each of the following sentences write another having the same meaning,
but with the opposite adjective e.g. questo profumo e piu economico ->
questo profumo e meno caro.(Answers p. 104.)
a. Queste sigarette sono meno forti.

b. Questa camera e piu cara. . ................. .
c. Questo albergo e meno grande.
d. Questo profumo e meno leggero.
UNIT 7 101
Read and understand
1 There are on this photograph two shops
whose signs you should be able to
understand. What are they and what do
they sell? (Answers p. 104.)
2 Here are more shop signs. Their English translations or explanation are
given in the box below. By combining some judicious guessing with a
process of elimination you should be able to understand all of them.
(Answers p. 104.)
a. I ARTICOLI REGALO I
b. I FRUTTERIA 1 .... ...... .... .... ............. ..... ... .. .. ... ...... .. . ..... ... ... .... .... .. ....... .
c. I POLLERIA I
d. I BOTTIGLIERIA I
e. I FARMACIA I
f. I SUPERMERCATO I
g. I PANIFICIO 1 .............. ..
h. I ALIMENTARI 1 .. .
wine shoP o<J. ba\r.e~

bottle shop, l food store ~ a<l shoP•
genera ·~ bre
supenn r...,l$i Po,l/tr
chemist arket souvenirs, gift shop :Jr S/Jop
102 UNIT 7
Did you know?
Shops
Like the England of old, Italy is still very much a nation of small
shopkeepers, who somehow manage to resist the onslaught of supermarkets,
with their greater purchasing power and consequently lower prices, by
giving a really ex~ellent personal service to their regular customers. Shop
owners are often found behind the counter: unlike wage earners they have a
real personal interest in gaining and retaining your custom, and are able to
advise you on what will best suit your needs. They will also charge you
what they think your purse will stand, which may not necessarily be the
lowest possible price. That leaves a lot of scope for bargaining- mainly for
regular customers. If you want prezzi fissi , fixed prices, you have to go to
department stores or supermarkets.
If you pay by travellers' cheques, some shops will give you a discount:
but make sure their rate of exchange is not less than that in the banks.
Foreign currencies are rarely acceptable outside frontier towns. The
acceptance of personal cheques is minimal, but the use of credit cards is
slowly gaining ground. Customers in Italy do not enjoy as full a legal
protection as in Britain: so the rule is still very much 'buyer beware!'
A few shop signs may be misleading to English-speaking tourists.

CONFEZIONI is not a confectioner's but a clothes shop. In a
PASTICCERIA you will find cakes and confectionery, not pasta. Spices,
not drugs, are sold in a DROGHERIA together with the range of goods
you would find at a grocer's. Chemists (FARMACIA) sell medical drugs,
but they do not normally develop films: for that you will have to go to a
specialized shop (FOTO , FOTOGRAFIA or OTTICO) dealing in cameras,
films and optical goods (including spectacles). Tobacco goods, salt and
postage stamps are a state monopoly, and they are sold from specially
licensed outlets marked by the standard T sign illustrated opposite. These
outlets are often combined with espresso bars: the advantage for the tourist
is that stamps and cigarettes can be bought practically at every street
corner. You can, of course, buy stamps at the post office, but this is less
convenient as there are often long queues.
Watch out for sales, advertised by a variety of signs: SALDI ,
SVENDITA, LIQUIDAZIONE, OCCASIONI, RIBASSI , PREZZI
ECCEZIONALI.
In many shops, and in all food shops (for reasons of hygiene) you do not
pay the person who serves you, but the cashier. You either go to the cash
till with your purchase and pay before going out, or get a stamped receipt,
which you then show the attendant to obtain your purchase.
UNIT 7 103
Your turn to speak
1 In the two exercises on tape you will practise ordering things in shops: first
you are at a tobacconist's where you ask for stamps.
2 Here you are in a baker's shop, where you ask for a piece of focaccia.
Answers
Practise what you have learnt p. 99 Exercise 1 All except d, i, j. Grissini
are the popular Italian breadsticks.
p. 99 Exercise 2 (a) false, it's a national paper (b) true (c) false, it's a 'local
paper (d) true (e) false, it's a national paper (f) false, it's a weekly
(g) true.
p. 100 Exercise 3 (a) 950 lire (b) 630 lire (c) 7500 lire (d) 1200 lire.
Grammar p. 101 Exercise 1 (a) lo .. . lo (b) le (c) le .. . le (d) li (e) Ia.

p. 101 Exercise 2 (a) Queste sigarette sono piu leggere (b) Questa camera
e meno econornica (c) Questo albergo e piu piccolo (d) Questo profumo
e piu forte0
Read and understand p . 102 Exercise 1 PROFUMERIA (perfumery);

SALI E TABACCHI (tobacconist's shop, also known simply as a
T ABACCAIO).
p. 102 Exercise 2 (a) souvenirs, gift shop (b) fruit shop (c) poultry shop,
poUo = chicken (d) bottle shop, wine shop (e) chemist (f) supermarket
(g) bread shop, bakery (h) general food store.
UNIT 7
8 Che tipo consiglia?
What you will learn

• more about shopping and comparing values
• how to ask for, and understand, advice on what to buy
• how to say you like something
• packaging
• weights and measures
Before you begin

1 verbs
mi da ... ? (polite)
mi dai ... ? (informal)
}c .11) you give
WI
. ,
me · · · ·
ha ... ? (polite) } d h ,
hai ... ? (informal) 0 you ave · 0
•
0
2 pronouns
lo prendo, Ia prendo I'll take it (m./f. sing.)
li prendo, le prendo I'll take them (m./f. pl.)
ne prendo due, tre etc. I'll have two, three (of them)
3 adverbs
meno less
piu more
motto very
tanto so (much)
troppo too (much)
piuttosto rather
Study guide
Learn the Key words and phrases and clothes vocabulary on p. 1100
Study Grammar
Read Did you knuw?
UNIT 8 105
Dialogues
D 1 At a bread shop in Milan, Giovanni asks the manageress whether she

has any jam
Fornaia Buon giorno.
Giovanni Ha marmellata?
Fornaia Sl.
Giovanni Che tipo ha?
Fornaia Fichi, prugna, ciliegie, pesche e . . marroni.
Giovanni E quanto costa?
Fornaia Millecento.
Giovanni Me ne da una di ... fichi, per favore.
Fornaia Va bene.
fichi figs
prugna plum
ciliegie cherries
pesche peaches
marroni chestnuts (also: castagne)
Giovanni asks a grocer's advice on the most suitable kinds of pasta

Giovanni Che tipo di pasta consiglia?
Droghiere Dipende quale ... qualita preferisce, se pasta da minestrone,
pasta per fare pastasciutta, o pasta al forno.
Giovanni Per fare della ... della pastasciutta.
Droghiere A Milano usan gli spaghetti, pen) ... va molto bene la pasta un po'
piu grossa: bucatini, e ... tipo maccheroni, e ... Cosi, dipende
dal ... dai gusti, dal cliente.
Giovanni E come pasta al forno, forse le ... le penne.
Droghiere Pasta al forno, vanno ... No, la ... lasagne va di piu. Le penne
devono essere molto grosse.
Giovanni Hm ... grazie.
Droghiere Prego.
droghiere (m.) grocer (man)
preferisce you prefer (polite) (See Grammar p. 115)
usa it's customary to use
grosso large, thick
spaghetti, bucatini, penne, lasagne types of pasta
dipende dai gusti it's a matter of taste (lit. it depends on the tastes)
Io6 UNIT 8
1 • che tipo ha? what kind do you have? This question could also be asked in
the plural: che tipi ha? or che gusti ha? (remember Unit 4, dialogue 6).
Similarly the manageress could have answered prugne in the plural.
'1\ I
1
\
\ W\ li
~~~ jl ![It
\~
,\ \I Jih,,.
.I
I
J
I l
J!
t'
I l
\.l•,, \\\\
l
I ~~
1·~ ,. \\\~
I
•
It•
\ '•
2 • che tipo ... consiglia? what type ... do you advise? Consiglia is from
consigliare to advise (il consiglio advice, counsel). There are countless
varieties of pasta (see Did you know?); and pasta asciutta or pastasciutta is
the general name for pasta cooked in boiling water, drained and seasoned in
many ways. Pasta al fomo is the general name for all baked pastas, like
lasagne.
minestrone a thick soup made with a large number of (mostly vegetable)

ingredients. While the endings -etto and -ino (Unit 7) often indicate small
size, the ending -one suggests large size: spaghetti actually means small
spaghi (strings), bucatini small pasta pieces with a hole (buco), cannelloni
large canneUi (tubes).
va di piu sells more (lit. goes more).
UNIT 8 107
Another grocer describes the various types of coffee she stocks
Droghiera Si, dica.
Giovanni Vorrei del caffe. Che tipi di caffe ha?
Droghiera C'e Suerte in pacchettino, sottovuoto, macinato, e costa mille e sei.
Questo e Splendid, caffe Splendid, che costa mille e sette, due etti,
macinato, confezione in lattina.
Giovanni E buono?
Droghiera Si, si, e Speciale. Questo e superiore al Suerte.
Giovanni Costa di pili?
Droghiera Costa mille e sette.
Giovanni E il Suerte quanto costa, ha detto?
Droghiera Mille e sei.
Giovanni Ah, mille e sei. Quindi questo costa cento lire di pili.
Droghiera Cento lire in pili lo Splendid. Poi c'e ancora in lattina un caffe
speciale, Lavazza 'Oro', due etti, macinato, e quello costa duemila
e seicento. E un caffe superiore.
Giovanni E tipo N escafe?
Droghiera Nescafe c'e Grand'Aroma, che costa settecento lire. Sono bustine,
da dieci grammi ogni bustina, sono dieci bustine. E poi c'e
F aemino 'Tranquillo', settecento lire. Sono pure dieci bustine. E poi
c'e in vasetto, vasetto in vetro Grand'Aroma, duemila.
Giovanni Signora, io prendo un pacchetto di Splendid, allora.
Droghiera Grazie.
droghiera grocer (woman)
Suerte, Splendid, Lavazza 'Oro', Nescafe 'Grand'Aroma', Faemino
'Tranquillo' brands of coffee and instant coffee
• pacchettino a small packet (pacc~pacchett~pacchettirio)
sottovuoto vacuum packed (lit. under vacuum)
• macinato ground (from macinare, to grind)
ha detto? did you say?
bustine sachets (lit. small envelopes)
pure also
• vasetto jar, small pot (vas~vasetto)
di vetro (of) glass
In a fashion shop the assistant describes the colour range to a customer,

who is not sure whether to buy separates or a dress
Commessa Queste esistono anche in altri colori, se non le piace questa tinta
qui: giallo, rosa e viola. Sono rimaste soltanto colorate, rna il bianco
e finito. Non so se il tessuto le piace pili o meno. Ci sono altri
colori e altri modelli. lnvece in questo qua; signora, no. 11 modello
e classico e cambia soltanto la tinta.
Signora Ho capito.
Commessa Centrotrentamila, questo.
queste (camicette) these (blouses)
esistono exist (from esistere)
tessuto material
modeUi styles
invece on the other hand
ho capito I see (lit. I have understood)
108 UNIT 8
3 • vorrei ... I'd like . .. This is a form of volere to want; you use it when
asking for things, e.g. vorrei una camera I'd like a room, vorrei partire
questa sera I'd like to leave tonight, vorrei telefonare I'd like to 'phone,
etc. (See also Unit 14.)
• confezione in lattina packed in a tin. 'Tin' is also latta. Confezionare has
the general meaning of 'to prepare things for sale; hence the various
possible uses of confezione meaning, e.g. ready-made clothes, as in
confezioni maschili (a shop sign corresponding to gentlemen's outfitters),
or packaging, as in confezione regalo gift-wrapped.
due etti 200 grams. In Italy weights are reckoned in chili (un chilo being
just over 2 lbs), etti (100 grams, or about 31/z ounces) and grammi . The 10
gram sachets of instant coffee weigh about 1/3 ounce each .
• e buono? is it good? e di buona qualita? is it (of) good quality? costa
di piu? does it cost more? These are some of the questions you may like to
ask shopkeepers. And here are some possible replies:
e Speciale it's special: e superiore all'aJtro tipo it's better than the other
type; costa cento lire di piu (or in piu) it costs 100 lira more; costa cento
lire di meno (or in meno) it costs 100 lira less.
4 • colore colour; tinta colour (i.e. shade or hue). The Italian names for
colours fall into two categories: those whose endings change just like those
regular adjectives: bianco white, giallo yellow, rosso red, verde green,
nero black, e.g. Ia casa bianca the white house, i campi verdi the green
fields; and those that are invariable (because they are in origin names of
flowers or fruits): rosa pink, viola violet, arancio orange (also arancione),
marrone brown; and blu blue (which like all monosyllables is invariable),
e.g. un vestito rosa a pink dress, scarpe marrone brown shoes.
• se non le piace .. . if you don't like ... Non so se . . . le piace. I don't

know if you like . .. From piacere to please, which in Italian is used to
mean 'to like' (see Grammar p. 115).
sono rimaste soltanto colorate there are only coloured ones left.
• e finito is out of stock (lit. finished). Sono finiti they're out of stock.
UNIT 8 109
.__________,, 5 Another shop assistant helps an undecided customer
Commessa E molto bella anche questa. E un classico, insomma.
Cliente Gonna e ...
Commessa Gonna e camicetta; quindi e come un abito. II colore sta molto
bene, eh?
gonna skirt
camicia pantaloni
gonna
pantaloni corti
maglietta
In a perfumery the assistant compares rwo perfumes

Commessa Questa e una lavanda, non e nemmeno una colonia: e una
lavanda. Senta un attimo, eh? Questa e piu leggera come
profumazione eh? ... A me come profumo piace piu Ia colonia
della lavanda: e meno persistente, meno noioso ...
Cliente Queste quanto vengono?
Commessa Lo stesso: setternilacinque, signora, anche quella. Settemilacinque,
poi facciamo sempre un pochino di sconto: settemila. Altrimenti
qualcosa di piu dolce, anche, meno classico, piu profumo. Puo
andare, guardi, questo. Questo e un pochino piu dolce.
lavanda lavender (water)

profumazione (f.) type of scent
persistente long lasting
noioso annoying (sometimes boring, dull)
altrimenti otherwise
dolce sweet
piu profumo more of a perfume, more like a perfume
IIO UNIT 8
5 • e come un abito it's like a dress. Come is used in comparisons: e bella
come quella it's as nice as the other one; e leggero come seta it's as light
as silk; questo profumo non e buono come quello this perfume is not as
good as that one.
• sta molto bene suits (you) very well. This is similar to va bene but it's
more frequently psed when speaking of clothes and can also mean 'it fits'
(le) sta molto bene it fits (you) very well; mi stanno bene? do they fit me?
stanno benissimo l'una e l'altra they both fit you perfectly.
Here are some more useful phrases and vocabulary for buying clothes:
• taglia size; che taglia ha?
• portare to wear; porto Ia quaranta I take size 40
• provare to try on; posso provare? can I try it on?
abito/vestito
q, mutande
(also word
for man's suit)
••
reggiseno
scarpe
a~ sandali
~v~ borsa
costume da bagno
6 non e nemmeno una colonia it's not even a cologne. Other examples of
this phrase: non e nemmeno caro it's not even dear; non mi sta nemmeno
bene it doesn't even fit/suit me; non voglio nemmeno questo I don't want
this either.
• a me piace (or mi piace) piii Ia colonia della lavanda I like cologne better
than lavender. In most comparisons 'than' is del (dello, della etc.), e.g.
questa gonna mi va meglio dell'altra this skirt fits me better than the other
one; il caffe Suerte costa meno dello Splendid Suerte coffee costs less
than Splendid.
poi facciamo sempre un pochino di sconto then we always give (you) a
• little discount. You may wish to use this expression yourself: mi faun poco
c~pochino--->pochettino) di sconto? will you give me a little discount?
puo andare, guardi, questo look, this one is all right (lit. can go).
UNIT 8 III
To learn
che tipo ha? che tipi ha? what kind do you have?
che gusti ha? what flavours do you stock?
che tipo di . . . consiglia? what kind of .. do you advise?
o
vorrei ... I'd like 0 0 0
un vasetto di marmellata a pot of jam

un pacchetto di cam: a packet of coffee
una lattina di sardine a tin of sardines
e buono? e di buona qualita? is it good? is it good quality?
(questa marmellata) e buona is (this jam) as good as that one?
come quella?
costa di piu o di meno? does it cost more or less?
porto Ia (quaranta) I take size (40)
posso provare? can I try it on?
sta bene, mi sta bene it fits, it fits me
questa, camicetta mi sta meglio this blouse fits me better than the
dell'altra other one
mi piace I like it
(questo profumo) mi piace I like (this perfume) best/better
di piu
mi fa un pochino di sconto? will you give me a little discount?
Colours (colori)
bianco white
nero black
marrone brown
blu blue
verde green
giallo yellow
arancio(ne) orange
rosso red
rosa pink
viola violet
To understand
in pacchetto in a packet
in lattina/latta in a tin
in vasetto in a small pot
macinato ground
e Speciale it's special
e superiore it's better quality
le piace? do you like it?
non le piace? don't you like it?
e finito/sono finiti it's/they're out of stock
che taglia ha? what's your size?
dipende it depends
112 UNIT 8
1 Listen to the grocer's wife telling Giovanni about the jams she has in stock,
and answer the following questions. (Answers p. 118.)
a. What types of jam does she stock?
0 chestnut
0 mango
0 cherry
0 peach
0 fig
b. How much does a jar cost?
0 110() lire
0 1010 lire
0 1110 lire
c. What jam does Giovanni buy?
D fig
D chestnut
2 Fill in the grid below with the information on the packaging, weight (peso)
and cost (prezzo) of the various kinds of coffee mentioned in dialogue 3.
Refer back to it either on p. 108 or on tape: this is not a memory exercise.
Some boxes are already filled in to help you.
Tipo caffe macinato
Marca Suerte Splendid Lavazza Nescafe Faemino

'Oro' 'Grand' Aroma' 'Tranquillo'
Confezione pacchetto vasetto
Peso 200 g.
/
Prezzo L.1700
And now, referring to the grid above, complete the following sentences,
using the words in the box below (each once), as appropriate. Then listen to
the tape where you will hear the correct sentences.
a. 11 caffe Splendid e meno .............................. del caffe Suerte.

b. 11 caffe Suerte e meno ................................. del Lavazza 'Oro'.
c. 11 caffe Suerte e confezionato in pacchetti da 200 grammi
................................. il caffe Splendid.
d. 11 Nescaje 'Grand' Aroma' in bustine ............................... ..
come il F aemino 'Tranquil/a'.
e. 11 caffe ................................. caro di tutti e il Lavazza 'Oro'.
UNIT 8 II3
3 You are in a grocer's shop and wish to buy several things. Fill in the
dialogue with the missing words jumbled below and check by listening to
the complete dialogue on tape.
Droghiere Buon giorno.

Cliente Vn ................................. di marmellata, per favore.
Droghiere ................................. la vuole?
Cliente Di ................................ .
Droghiere ................................. signorina. Altro?
Cliente Si. ................................. di spaghetti, e poi del
Droghiere Che . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . di cafre?

Cliente
Droghiere Abbiamo questa confezione in ................................. da 250
grammi, qualita ................................ .
Cliente Va bene. Me ................................. da uno. Quanto
................................. ?
Droghiere Marmellata mille e cinque, spaghetti mille e quattro e cinquanta,
caffe ........................ , viene ........................ in tutto.
duenu'\a e due
un chilo
4 Gina wants to buy some other things at the grocer's. Listen to her reading
out her shopping list on tape and see if you can label the groceries in the
pictures below with their Italian name. (Answers p. 118.)
a. ....... ....................... ... b. c. ···································
d.................................... e .................................. f .................................... .

UNIT 8
Grammar
All the grammar notes in this unit concern verbs.
Past participle
This is the name of the verb form which, both in Italian and in English,
can be used as an adjective (as in ground coffee, from 'to grind'; or sliced
ham, from 'to slice'). Italian past participles belong to two groups:
• verbs ending in -are and -ire form the past participle by replacing -re in
their ending with -to (or -ta, -ti, -te)
affettare to slice affettato sliced
capire to understand capita understood
• some past participles, however (a few from -are and -ire verbs and all those
from -ere verbs) cannot be easily formed from their -re ending. These will
be given when necessary. Here are a few to begin with:
avere to have avuto had
dire to say detto said
fare to do, to make fatto made
prendere to take preso taken
Present tense of most verbs in -ire

Only a small number of verbs in -ire is conjugated like partire and dormire
(Unit 6). Some have -isc- in the middle. When an -ire verb is introduced
we'll tell you whether it is conjugated like partire (Unit 6) or like finire (see
below).
finisco I finish finiamo we finish
finisci you finish finite you (pl.) finish
finisce you (polite) finish finiscono they finish
he/she finishes
Capire (to understand) is conjugated like finire above. Can you work out its
present tense? Write it on a piece of paper and then check it on p. 118.
How to say 'I like'

There is no Italian verb meaning 'to like'. Italians use piacere meaning 'to
please'.
Therefore in order to say 'I like coffee', 'I like spaghetti', you have to say
'coffee pleases me' il caffe mi piace; 'spaghetti pleases me' gli spaghetti mi
piacciono. Only two forms of this verb, piace (sing.) and piacciono (pl.)
are therefore usually needed. When asking questions you say:
ti piace il te? do you (informal) like tea? (lit. to you pleases tea?)
le piace il te? do you (polite) like tea?
ti piacciono i pomodori? do you like tomatoes? (lit. to you please
tomatoes?)
vi piace viaggiare? do you (pl.) like travelling? (lit. to you
pleases travelling?)
Note that mi dispiace which you have already met in Unit 3 does not mean
'I dislike' but 'I'm sorry, I regret' (though the verb dispiacere is conjugated
like piacere). To say 'I don't like' you say non mi piace.
UNIT 8 115
Read and understand
PASTA
ALFORNO
Ingredienti
(per 6 persone)
penne, rigatoni o maccheroni 1/z chilo
farina 160 g
burro 50 g
latte 1fz litro
parmigiano grattugiato 2 etti
prosciutto cotto 1 etto
mozzarella 2 etti
2 uova
noce moscata
sale
Fate bollire Ia pasta in abbondante acqua e sale per dieci minuti. Con Ia
farina, 50 grammi di burro, il lane e Ia noce moscata, preparate una
besciamella. Scolate Ia pasta. Poi aggiungete il resto del burro, le due uova,
il prosciutto e Ia mozzarella tagliati a pezzetti, e 80 grammi di parmigiano
grattugiato. Versate in una pirofila unta di burro e mescolate bene il tutto
alia besciamella. Coprite col resto del parmigiano e mettete in forno
moderato per 25 minuti.
See how much you've understood of that recipe by answering the following
questions. (Answers p. 118.)
1 The pasta must be boiled in a. 0 a little salted water

b. 0 a lot of salted water
2 Besciamella is a. 0 a white sauce
b. 0 a sort of pastry
3 Ham and mozzarella cheese must be
a. 0 fried with butter and the two eggs
b. 0 chopped into little pieces
4 Grated parmesan must be added
a. 0 all in one go at the end
b. 0 in two stages, before and after placing the mixture in an
ovenproof dish
II6 UNIT 8
Did you know?
The metric system

In Italy, as in all countries of continental Europe, the metric system is used.
It was devised in 1791 to end the absurd situation of almost every town or
region having its own system of weights and measures often incompatible
with those of neighbouring areas. The metric system became standard in
France in 1801 and was adopted internationally in 1875.
The more commonly used units are the following:
Length chilometro (1000 metres), metro, centimetro (11100 of metre)
Area ettaro (100 square metres), metro quadrato (square metre)
Volume for solids: metro cubo, centimetro cubo (one millionth of a cubic
metre); for liquids: litro (1000 cc)
Weight tonnellata (metric ton = 1000 kilos), quintale (100 kilos), chilo,
etto (1/lOth of a kilo = 100 grams), grammo (1/lOOOth of a kilo).
Pasta
It is thought that pasta may have been imported into Western Europe and
Italy from the Far East at the time of Marco Polo's journey (end of 13th
century) or even earlier. Maccheroni and ravioli, seasoned with parmesan
cheese, are mentioned in a story by Boccaccio (14th century). Nowadays
there are hundreds of different varieties of pasta in all shapes and sizes.
They fall into five main types:
small pasta (pastina), as small as rice grains, shaped like stars, alphabet
letters, squares, triangles etc., to be used in soups or cooked in meat or
vegetable stock (in which case it is called pasta in brodo, pastina in brodo);
string-shaped pasta called, in decreasing order of thickness, vermicelli,
spaghetti, spaghettini, capelli d'angelo (angel's hair);
ribbon-shaped pasta called, in decreasing order of width, lasagne,
tagliatelle, fettuccine, fresine, bavette;
tube-shaped pasta of which the basic varieties are cannelloni, maccheroni,
rigatoni and penne (with a slanted cut);
stuffed pasta of various shapes, such as ravioli (square), agnolotti (half
circle), Cappelletti (hat-shaped) and tortellini (ring-shaped);
frilly and fancy shaped pasta like farfalle and farfallette (butterfly-shaped),
fusilli (coil-shaped), conchiglie and conchigliette (pasta shells).
Home-made pasta can be bought in a special shop called a PASTIFICIO.
You can often watch it being made on the premises. Be careful when
cooking home-made pasta as it is ready in a flash.
~ @79
Of rARFALLONI
70/?IE"LUNI
I[_<JJ
LASAGNE ~
~~
~
~
F£1"-t't/ CC!NE OR
-rA GL!A?&ttc-
UNIT 8
RAL/IOLI e
CONCIIIGL!F
II7
Your turn to speak
1 First you're going shopping in a grocer's, you want to buy some ingredients
for pasta al fomo. Whenever you use weights, remember that 100 grams =
un etto.
2 This time you're in a PROFUMERIA, buying perfume to take home as a
present. It's quite expensive so you try to get a discount.
Answers
Practise what you have learnt p. 113 Exercise 1 (a) chestnut, cherry and
peach (b) 1100 lire (c) chestnut.
p. 114 Exercise 4 (a) burro (b) pomodori (c) formaggio parmigiano
(d) biscotti (e) salamino (f) sardine.
Grammar p. llS capire: capisco, capisci, capisce, capiamo, capite,

capiscono.
Read and understand p. 116 (1) b (2) a (3) b (4) b.

scolare = to drain; una pirofila unta = greased ovenproof dish.
1I8 UNIT 8
9 Due, seconda, andata e ritorno
What you will learn

• how to buy railway tickets
• how to ask for and understand information about train journ~ys
• more ways of saying 'one needs ... ', 'one must ... '
• how to form adverbs from adjectives
Before you begin

1 verbs
finire to finish
finisco, finisci, finisce, finiamo, finite, finiscono
preferire, to prefer, is conjugated like finire
2 how to say: 'I like'
mi piace il vino bianco
mi piacciono le lasagne
3 past participle
verbs in -are comprare > comprato, -a, -i, -e
verbs in -ire capire > capito, -a, -i, -e
4 comparisons questa marmellata e piil buona di quella
questo vino e migliore di quello
questo modello e elegante come quello
Study guide
Read Did you know? (this time before Read and understand)
Do the Revision exercises for Units 6-9 on p. 221
UNIT 9 119
Dialogues
Dt Two travellers buy tickets for Livorno at the ticket office of Pisa
railway station
Viaggiatore Livorno!
Impiegato Solo andata?
Viaggiatore Andata e ritorno.
Impiegato Cento lire le avete per favore?
Viaggiatore Cento? No.
2° Viaggiatore Due andata e ritorno Livorno.
I mpiegato Due?
2° Viaggiatore Sl..
solo only
Two travellers ask for tickets to La Spezia

Viaggiatrice Due per La Spezia, andata, seconda. Finisce alla Spezia?
Impiegato Finisce alla Spezia.
3o Viaggiatore La Spezia, andata e ritorno.
Impiegato Tremiladuecento.
At the information office a woman asks how to get to Susa

Signora Mi scusi, devo andare a Susa ...
Impiegato Undici e quarantacinque treno per Modane, binario dodici, cambia
a Bussoleno per Susa.
Signora Mm. Non si puo andare direttamente?
Impiegato Si, c'e un treno locale alle dodici e cinquanta.
Signora E che binario?
Impiegato Binario tredici.
Signora Ah va bene, binario tredici, grazie.
Modane name of station (on Italian-French border)
120 UNIT 9
1 t Livomo! You could use a more complete sentence, such as mi da un
biglietto per Livomo can you give me a ticket for Livorno, but in fact
many intending travellers simply say the name of the station they want to
go to.
t andata one way (from andare). A return ticket is andata e ritorno.
t due ... Livorno If you want more than one ticket begin your request with
the number of tickets you want, i.e. the number of persons travelling (you
may be issued one ticket for all of them).
2 t seconda second class; if you don't specify the class, it will be assumed
that's what you want. Otherwise say: prima.
t finisce alia Spezia? does (the train) terminate at La Spezia? You might also
want to ask: ferma a Genova? does it stop at Genoa?
3 devo andare a Susa . . . I've got to go to Susa.

t cambia a Bussoleno per Susa you change at Bussoleno for Susa. If you
want to know whether you must change, you can ask: devo cambiare? (see
also next dialogue).
t non si puc) andare direttamente? can't I (lit. one) go directly? (i.e.
without changing).
UNIT 9 I2I
4 Giovanni asks the information office clerk how to go to Siena
Giovanni Vorrei andare a Siena.
Impiegato Per Siena, verso che ora?
Giovanni Nel pomeriggio.
Impiegato Ecco, ci sarebbe un treno alle quattordici e quarantacinque.
Giovanni A che ora arrivo a Empoli?
Impiegato A Empoli arriva alle quindici e diciannove.
Giovanni A Empoli bisogna cambiare: e ache ora ho la coincidenza?
Impiegato La coincidenza ce l'ha alle quindici e cinquantanove, e a Siena
arriva alle diciassette e tredici.
Impiegato Prego.
• coincidenza connection
Ds Giovanni asks the information office clerk about the types of train used
in the Italian Railway system
Giovanni Che tipi di treno viaggiano sulle ferrovie italiane?
Impiegato Abbiamo treni rapidi, treni espressi, diretti e locali.
Giovanni Per viaggiare sui rapidi ci vuole un supplemento?
Impiegato Per viaggiare sui rapidi ci vuole un supplemento. Ci sono rapidi
ordinari dove basta solo il supplemento, e rapidi speciali dove, oltre
al supplemento normale, ci vuole anche la prenotazione del posto.
Giovanni E questa prenotazione si fa all'atto dell'acquisto del biglietto?
Impiegato Si fa all'atto dell'acquisto del biglietto. Possibilmente farlo qualche
giorno prima.
viaggiano travel (from viaggiare, to travel)
oltre, -a besides
aU'atto deU'acquisto at the time (lit. on the act) of purchase
possibilmente possibly
farlo (one should) do it
D 6 You really need very few words to book a ticket, if you let the booking
clerk do all the talking!
Impiegato Partenza quando?
Signorina Oggi.
Impiegato Seconda classe?
Signorina Si.
Impiegato Una persona?
Signorina Si.
Impiegato Valido cinque giorni. Ordinario. Diciannovemila e duecento.
valido valid
122 UNIT 9
4 • verso che ora? about what time? Or remember a che ora? at what time? If
you don't want to be too specific in your reply say verso le due, about two
o'clock, verso le tre etc.
ci sarebbe un treno ... lit. there should be a train, but the clerk does not
imply that he is uncertain, merely that Giovanni could take that train.
• bisogna cambiare you (one) must change. Bisognare is one of a number of
verbs used only in the 3rd person. It is equivalent to si deve. Other
examples: bisogna partire aUe tre you (one) must leave at three; non
bisogna prendere i1 treno deUe 12, 03 se si vuole andare
direttamente you must not take the 12.03 train if you want to travel on a
through train. (See also Grammar p. 127.)
Ia coincidenza ce l'ha ... you have the connection at ... This is the
same as ha la coincidenza. When the object is placed for emphasis before
the verb in Italian, the appropriate form of lo, la, li, le must be added:
i1 caffe lo prende? ( = prende i1 caffe?); il viola lo porta molto bene
( = porta i1 viola molto bene); le vacanze le facciamo in ltalia ( =
facciamo le vacanze in Italia) we take our holidays in Italy.
5 che tipi di treno? what types of train? You should already be familiar with
the four types of train from Unit 2.
• ci vuole un supplemento a surcharge is payable (lit. it is necessary a
supplement). Ci vuole ... ci vogliono ... and basta ... bastano ... are
used only in the 3rd person: ci vogliono due ore per andare aDa Spezia it
takes two hours to go to La Spezia; basta solo i1 supplemento only the
surcharge is needed; bastano miUe lire a thousand lire is enough. (See also
Grammar p. 127.)
Ia prenotazione del posto seat reservation; prenotare to book; posti
prenotati reserved seats.
6 ordinario ordinary. Other types of ticket are ridotto or biglietto a riduzione

reduced price (e.g. for children); festivo issued on Sundays and holidays;
familiare for families travelling together; circolare round trip (i.e. returning
through a different route). See also Did you know? p. 129.
UNIT 9 123
To learn
Livomo, (solo) andata (just) a single to Livorno
andata e ritorno a return
due andata e ritomo two returns
seconda second (class)
prima first (class)
vorrei andare a . . . I'd like to go to ...
direttamente on a through train
verso le (quattordici) around (two) p.m.
devo cambiare? do I have to change?
il treno ferma a . . . ? does the train stop at ... ?
questo treno finisce a . . . ? does this train terminate at . . . ?
c'e Ia coincidenza? is there a connection?
a che ora ho Ia coincidenza? at what time do I have a
connection?
ci vuole il supplemento? does one/do you need to pay a
surcharge?
ci vuole Ia prenotazione? does one/do you need a reserved
seat?
To understand
bisogna cambiare a . . . one/you must change at . . .
prende il treno dopo you take the next train
basta solo il supplemento you only need a surcharge
ci vuole anche Ia prenotazione you also need a reserved seat
il biglietto e valido cinque giomi the ticket is valid for five days
124 UNIT 9
1 Listen to the four people on tape booking their train tickets, then answer
the following questions. (Answers p. 132.)
a. Which travellers book a return ticket?

0 the 1st and 3rd
0 the 2nd and 4th
b. How much does a return ticket to Pontedera cost?
0 600 lire
0 800 lire
0 we are not told
c. Which traveller asks for more than one ticket?
0 the one going to Florence
0 the one going to Livorno
2 Listen to an information office clerk giving information to a woman wishing

to travel from Pontedera to Santo Stefano di Magra, and answer the
following questions. (Answers p. 132.)
a. When does the woman wish to travel?

0 the same day in the afternoon
0 the next day in the afternoon
b. Is there a through train?
0 yes, in the morning
0 no
c. How long is the shortest journey?
0 1 hour 45 minutes
0 2 hrs 15 rnins
0 2 hrs 18 mins
d. Travelling at the time she eventually decides, how often will she
have to change?
0 once
0 twice
e. Will she complete the journey by train?
0 yes
0 no, by a connecting bus service
UNIT 9 125
3 Select the correct answers to the questions from the phrases in the box
below to complete the dialogue. Then check your version on tape.
Impiegato Per quando il biglietto?

V iaggiatore
Impiegato Andata e ritorno?
V iaggiatore
Impiegato Per quante persone?
V iaggiatore
Impiegato Che classe?
V iaggiatore
Impiegato Duemila seicento. Cento lire le ha?
V iaggiatore
Impiegato Ecco quattro di resto
V iaggiatore
Solo andata
Gta"Z.ie
4 Fill in the puzzle, using the sentences below as clues. (Most of the words
can be found in the Key words and phrases.) (Answers p. 132.)
1. II treno delle 14 - - a Pontedera? (5)

2. Tre andata e --per Roma, per piacere. (7)
3. Per Roma deve - - a Firenze, c'e Ia coincidenza. (8)
4. Ritorna oggi?- No, no, ovoglio solo--. (6)
5. Per Ia - - classe ci vuole Ia prenotazione sui rapido speciale. (5)
6. Che tipo di treno e? (8)
7. Che classe? --per piacere. (7)
126 UNIT 9
Grammar
Third person phrases

In a large number of commonly used phrases, the verbs are used only in the
third person:
basta . . . basta cambiare una volta it's enough to change once
bisogna . . . bisogna pagare un supplemento it's necessary to
pay a surcharge
ci vuole . . . ci vuole Ia prenotazione you need a reserved seat
mi piace . . . mi piace il treno rapido I like the fast train
The third person is singular or plural according to what it refers to.
(Infinitives are treated as singulars.) Study these examples:
mi piace viaggiare in treno I like travelling by train (lit. travelling
by train pleases me)
le pizze mi piacciono molto I like pizzas very much (lit. pizzas
please me very much)
ci vuole piu tempo one needs more time (more time is required)
ci vogliono tre ore it takes three hours (three hours are required)
Exercise 1 Complete the following sentences with the appropriate third person
expression chosen from the box below. (Answers p. 132.)
a. Nella pasta al forno ............................................. la
besciamella.
b. Si puo andare da Pontedera a Santo Stefano senza cambiare, rna
............................................. partire la mattina.
c. I vini italiani ............................................. molto.
d. Per viaggiare in questo rapido speciale ....................... .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . il supplemento e la prenotazione.
e. Questa gonna verde e bella rna quella rossa ....................... .
.................. ... di piu.
f. Vuole provare un'altra camicetta?- No, grazie ................. .
............ ............... questa.
ci vuole
ci vog\iono
mi piacciono
Adverbs
You have already come across several adverbs. They are those invariable
words usually linked to adjectives (molto buono very good) or verbs
(andare direttamente a ... to go straight to ... ). They belong to two
main categories: (cont. on p. 128).
UNIT 9 127
• adverbs which are, or look like, the masculine or common form of
adjectives:
queste sigarette sono piuttosto forti these cigarettes are rather
strong
sono rimaste solo colorate only coloured ones are left
• adverbs ending in -mente. This ending is added .to the feminine or common
form of the adjective:
eccessivo ~ eccessivamente
non e eccessivamente caro it's not excessively expensive
frequente ~ frequentemente
vado a Siena frequentemente I go to Siena frequently
Adjectives ending in -le or -re drop the final -e before adding -mente:
possibile ~ possibilmente
possibilmente prenotarsi qualche giomo prima
normale ~ normalmente
normalmente questo treno parte aile tre
Exercise 2 Fill in the gaps with a suitable adverb formed from the adjectives in the box
below. (Answers p. 132.)
a. 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00. bisogna carnbiare a Empoli, rna con

questo treno none necessaria.
b. Voglio andare 00 0000 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00. a Bagni di Lucca.
c. Con questo treno espresso si viaggia pili 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00.
d. Il Telegrafo none un giornale nazionale. Si pubblica

000000000000000000000000000000000000000 a Livorno.
e. Il caffe rni piace 00 000 0000 00 0000 00 0000 00 00 00 00 00 0000 00 000 00 a colazione.
locale
128 UNIT 9
Did you know?
Where to get information

Before you go to Italy you will, of course, consult your travel agent, but
they may not know all the detailed local information you may wish to have.
Here are some useful addresses:
ENIT (Italian State Tourist Office) 201 Regent St, London W1R SAY; 47
Merrion Sq., Dublin 2.
Alitalia (Italian national airline) 251 Regent St, London WI.
It's also a good idea to write direct to Italy. In every province there is an
Ente Provinciale del Turismo. Holiday resorts with a lot of tourists may
also have an Azienda Autonoma di Soggiomo: both are tourist offices with
particular interest in travel, sightseeing and accommodation in their specific
area (addresses available from ENIT). They will advise you about the
opening times of museums, etc. ; send you lists of addresses of hotels and
boarding houses with recommended prices, and often provide you with
timetables of local bus services which never seem to find their way to tourist
offices and travel agents abroad.
In large towns your hotel will provide you with free weekly handouts of
the What's on type, detailing the main events (concerts, theatres, cinemas,
exhibitions etc.). Similar information will be displayed on posters and
flysheets on street corners, and advertised in the local papers, or in the local
editions of the national papers.
Public telephones
You can telephone in most hotels either from your room or from telephone
booths near the reception: in both cases the cost will be debited to your
account.
It is usually cheaper to use a public payphone. Look out for the sign of a
yellow disc with a telephone handset (see below). The words
TELESELEZIONE or INTERURBANO AUTOMATICO mean that you
can make trunk calls (not all public telephones have this facility).
Most public telephones take special gettoni or telephone tokens, which
you can get from kiosks, bars and a few automatic dispensers. You put the
tokens in before dialling. Any unused tokens are returned when you hang
up. At least, that's the theory. In practice it is not unknown for tokens to
disappear without a connection being made. It's no good appealing to the
operator (centralino), you will not be connected without payment. A
number of new push-button telephones are available in mainline stations
and other public places. Some take coins, and some take magnetic cards
which can be bought from the Ufficio dei Telefoni, and from some
newspaper kiosks in main stations.
UNIT 9 129
Read and understand
There are many kinds of railway tickets, of various colours, shapes and
sizes, but here you have two of a type issued by computerized booking
offices. The illustrations opposite are face and reverse side of the same
ticket: the one below is the face of a different ticket. Both tickets refer to
the same journey. Examine them carefully, and see how many of the
following questions you can answer. (Answers p. 132.)
l. Where were the tickets issued?
2. What was the destination? ........................

3. Give the date of the journey, the number and time of the train.
4. How many people were travelling?

5. In what class?
6. The ticket opposite was issued not for the whole journey but for a
specific -purpose, identified by the abbreviation CC. What was it
for? ............. .
7. What was the ticket below for?
8. Knowing that the ticket below was compulsory for that journey,
what was the type of train used?
UNIT 9
A 0 02931
1 CLASSE
AVVERTENZE SPECIE DEL VIAGGIO
I biglietti di corsa semplice rilasciati per Per i biglietti concessionali , nella casella
viaggi di percorrenza fino a 250 km. sea- SPECIE e stampato il numero o Ia lettera
dono alia mezzanotte del giorno di validita, della Concessione.
rna consentono al viaggiatore che abbia in-
iziato il viaggio prima della mezzanotte di ABBREVIAZIONI DELLE SPECIE
proseguirlo fino a destinazione senza fer-
mate intermedie. ORO Ordinaria
LOC Locale
La non utilizzazione del biglietto, per ave- FAM Comitiva familiare
re titolo a! rimborso nei casi ammessi, deve FST Comitiva festiva
essere certificata dal personale di servizio. T .A Tessera di autorizzazione
T.M Trasporti militari
II biglietto deve essere riconsegnato, ECC Concessione eccezionale
prima del termine del viaggio, al personale SR Solo supplemento rapido
del treno incaricato del ritiro. CON Congiunzione
c. c. Cambia di classe
C.T. Compimento tariffa
UNIT 9 131
Your turn to speak
1 In this first exercise you will be booking tickets, but unlike other exercises
in this section, you will not be prompted. The booking-office clerk will ask
you some questions (rather like those in dialogue 6) and you will give him
the following information:
- you're going with a friend
- you're going to Turin
- you want second-class tickets
- you want a return
2 This time you're booking the same tickets but Marisa will prompt you.
You'll then carry on the conversation with the clerk.
3 In this exercise you will be asking for information on train timetables,

connections etc., for getting from Milan to Salsomaggiore Spa. Marisa will
prompt you as usual.
Revision
Next do the short revision section which goes over the language you have
studied in Units 7-9. Turn top. 221 for the written part of the exercises.
There is one tape exercise which follows straight after this unit on your
cassette, but read all the instructions on p. 221 before you start it.
Answers
Practise what you have learnt p. 125 Exercise 1 (a) the 1st and 3rd
(b) 800 lire (c) the one going to Livorno.
p. 125 Exercise 2 (a) the next day in the afternoon (b) yes, in the morning
(c) 1 hour 45 minutes (d) twice (e) no, by a connecting bus service.
p. 126 Exercise 4 (1) FERMA (2) RITORNO (3) CAMBIARE
(4) ANDATA (5) PRIMA (6) ESPRESSO (7) SECONDA.
Grammar p. 127 Exercise 1 (a) ci vuole (b) bisogna (c) mi piacciono

(d) ci vogliono (e) mi piace (f) basta.
p. 128 Exercise 2 (a) ordinariamente (b) direttamente (c) rapidamente
(d) localmente (e) specialmente.
Read and understand p. 130 (1) Florence (2) Milan (3) 8th April, Train
78, 14h23 (4) two (5) first (6) change of class (cambio di classe) (7) a
seat reservation (8) a rapido.
132 UNIT 9
10 Ci abbiamo tante speci~lita
What you will learn

• how to order a meal in a restaurant
• the names of the various courses
• the way in which they have been prepared
Before you begin

1 verbs, used in the third person
bisogna one needs, it's necessary
basta one needs only ... , it's enough
ci vuole . . . ci vogliono . . . . .. is/are required, it takes ...
mi piace . . . mi piacciono . . . I like
2 adverbs formed from adjectives (English -ly = Italian -mente)
vero true veramente truly
facile easy facilmente easily
3 how to book railway tickets e.g.
number of town class single or return

travellers
due Pisa seconda andata e ritomo
NB In this unit, there are a lot of useful words in the notes to the
dialogues.
Study guide
Dialogues 3-5: listen, straight through without the book
Read Did you know?
Do the tape exercise in Your turn to speak
UNIT 10 133
Dialogues
[ 1 The head waiter describes his restaurant's menu to Giovanni. He begins
with the first courses
Giovanni Come primi che cos a avete?
Cameriere Come primi ci sono delle penne da fare ... come vuole Lei.
All'arrabbiata, al ragu, al pomodoro.
Giovanni Come sono all'arrabbiata?
Cameriere Le penne all'arrabbiata sono fatte con sugo di pomodoro,
prezzemolo, prezzemolo crudo ... che da un buon profumo, e del
peperoncino rosso. Vengono molto piccanti.
Giovanni Ah, ecco. No, allora forse no. Non le prendo perche salto il
primo.
penne type of pasta (see Unit 8 p. 117)

sugo di pomodoro tomato sauce/juice
prezzemolo parsley
crudo (here) fresh, (normally) raw
peperoncino chilli
piccante hot, spicy
Next an unusual meat course

Giovanni Poi come secondo il ... che cos'e il carpaccio?
Cameriere Carpaccio. Sl.. E un ... piano di carne cruda tagliata sottile.
Carne magrissima dev'essere. Possibilmente filetto.
Giovanni Ah, ecco.
Cameriere Possibilmente. Poi va condita con olio e limone, e pepe, e sopra
uno strato di ... grana. Sfogliettine di grana, capito?
Giovanni Ah, di formaggio parmigiano .
Cameriere ... Formaggio parmigiano.
came(f.) meat
tagliata sottile sliced thinly (from tagliare, to slice)
filetto fillet steak
pepe(m.) pepper
strato layer
sfogliettine flakes
134 UNIT 10
1 t come primi che cosa avete? what do you have as first (courses)? The word
for 'course', omitted in the Italian question, is piatto (which also means
dish and plate): primo piatto first course (pasta, soup etc.), secondo piatto
second course.
da fare to be specially prepared (lit. to be made) i.e. not immediately ready
(look back at Unit 4, for use of da + infinitive). Pronto, -a means 'ready'.
all'arrabbiata, a! ragil:, a! pomodoro describe the various ways of
preparing penne, which in an English menu might be translated as 'hot and
spicy', 'bolognaise', 'with tomato sauce'. Arrabbiato (from arrabbiarsi, to
get angry) suggests that the chilli sauce is hot enough to make you rage;
ragil: meat sauce is the Italianization of the French word ragout, stew.
Methods of preparation are introduced by a, e.g. spaghetti alia carbonara
spaghetti in the coalmen's fashion, scaloppine a! Madera escalopes in
Madeira sauce, etc.
t come sono ... ? come sono fatti/fatte? how are they prepared? A useful
phrase if you wish the waiter to explain an unfamiliar name. In the singular
the question would be: com'e ... ? com'e fatto?
t salto il primo I'll skip the first course (from saltare to jump): a very useful
phrase for weight watchers!
che da un buon profumo which gives a pleasant odour.
2 came magrissima very lean meat. Magro, thin, lean, applies both to steak
and to living beings (una donna molto magra a very thin woman).
Note that in some cases the word for the animal and its meat is the same in
Italian: vitelio is both 'calf and 'veal'. Other meats are: maiale pig, pork;
polio hen, chicken; manzo bullock, beef.
dev'essere it should be. Dev' is short for deve (from dovere).
va condita con olio e limone it should be seasoned/dressed with (olive) oil
and lemon (juice). This use of andare followed by the past participle is very
common as a translation of 'must' or 'should': Ia pasta va bollita per dieci
minuti pasta should be boiled for ten minutes, il prosciutto va tagliato
sottile ham must be sliced thinly. Note that the English word 'condiment'
has the same origin as condire.
grana is another word for parmesan cheese.
UNIT IO 135
The waiter describes a few more second courses
Cameriere E poi- euh - ci son delle trotelle da fare ai ferri. Poi c'e la
paillard, la costata, la cotoletta, il nodino! ...
Giovanni Cos'e la paillard?
Cameriere La paillard e una bistecca di carne bianca. Dovrebbe essere di
vitello, rna molti imbroglioni ci danno anche quella di maiale,
perche e piu bianca e piu saporita. Ah, ah! Capito?
trotelle nice little trout (trota + -ella)

costata rib steak
cotoletta cutlet
bistecca (beef) steak
dovrebbe essere it ought to be
saporita tasty, full of flavour
How do you want your meat cooked?

Giovanni Come si dice per ordinare la carne . . ?
Cameriere Ben cotta.
Giovanni Ben cotta.
Cameriere Si. Una costata ben cotta. Una costata poco cotta.
Giovanni Non si dice 'al sangue'?
Cameriere No.
Giovanni Ah ah.
Cameriere Si dice: ben cotta, giusta, poco cotta.
GioVanni Quindi: ben cotta, giusta, poco cotta. Benissimo.
Ds
Cameriere
And now for some vegetables to go with the meat
Di verdura cotta abbiamo degli spinaci e dei rapini.
Giovanni Mi faun misto spinaci e rapini.
Cameriere Si.
Giovanni Benissimo.
Cameriere Li vuole gia saltati o da condire?
Giovanni No, da condire.
Cameriere Con un po' di limone?
Giovanni Con un po' di olio e limone, si.
Cameriere Va be', grazie.
cotta cooked
spinaci spinach
rapini turnip tops
va be' = va bene
UNIT IO
3 t ai ferri grilled (lit. on the irons), also alia griglia. Other names for the basic
ways of preparing food: a! fomo baked; al vapore steamed (vapore steam);
arrosto roast(ed); bollito, -a, or lesso, -a boiled; fritto, -a fried; in umido
stewed; saltato, -a sauteed, lightly fried.
paiHard veal cutlet. Even in Italy some of the cookery terms are French.
nodino veal loin rolled with fillet and cut into cutlets.
molti imbroglioni ci danno ancbe quella di maiale a lot of crooks also give
us pork (lit. that of pork). Imbrogliare = to deceive.
4 come si dice per ordinare la came? what do you say to order meat?
t bencotta well done (lit. well cooked);
giusta medium (lit. just right); poco cotta rare.
t al sangue (lit. with blood) is in fact used in some parts of Italy to mean
'rare' for meat.
5 la verdura (from verde green) is a general word for vegetables including

even a few, like carrots which are by no means green. If you want a salad,
ask for insalata or insalata mista (mixed salad) which normally includes
t tomatoes. Verdura is part of the contomo (lit. surround), which is· anything
placed in your plate beside a main course.
mi faun misto will you make me a mixture.
li vuole gia saltati o da condire? do you want them already lightly fried or
ready to dress? Condire means 'to season' or 'to dress' for vegetables, salads
etc. Vegetables are often dressed with oil and vinegar like salads, or they
might be saltati, tossed in butter over a low flame.
t con un po' di limone with a little lemon. Lemon juice is also used instead
of vinegar as a dressing. Remember also senza, without: senza olio without
oil, senza aglio without garlic.
UNIT 10 137
Finally a sweet course to round off the meal.
Giovanni E ... come dolce che cosa avete?
Cameriere Ci abbiamo tante specialitii. La zuppa inglese, prima di tutto.
Zuppa inglese, che e un misto di crema e cioccolata con biscotti
oppure Pan di Spagna im ... imbevuto un po' di liquore. Poi c'e
la creme caramel, c'e la torta di mele, c'e la crostata di ricotta e
frutta candita (anche quella una specialita). Poi c'e la torta di
cioccolato e noci. Quella e una specialita del Balanzone, si,
veramente. Eh, i dolci li fa tutti lui.
specialita (f.) specialities (see Grammar p. 143)
prima di tutto first of all, to begin with, above all
Pan di Spagna a sort of sponge cake (lit. Spanish bread)
imbevuto di . . . soaked with . . .
liquore (m.) liqueur
ricotta a type of very mild cream cheese
frutta candita candied peel, crystallized fruit
noci walnuts
Let's not forget the wine list!

Giovanni Come vini, avete ...
Cameriere Vini del Piemonte, della Toscana, dell'Emilia, tipo il Trebbiano, il
Sangiovese, il Lambrusco secco e il Lambrusco amabile. Euh - poi
ci son tutti gli altri vini. Dei vini bianchi, tipo Pinot grigio, tipo
Verdicchio, tipo Soave. 11 Soave e buono, secco, molto buono. E
poi ci sono i vini sfusi della casa.
Giovanni Vini sfusi. In caraffa ...
Cameriere ... in caraffa. Quartino, mezzo litro, e un litro.
Piemonte, Toscana, Emilia wine growing regions in Italy

Trebbiano, Sangiovese etc. names of wines
secco dry
tipo like
grigio grey
caraffa carafe, jug
UNIT IO
6 dolce (from dolce, sweet) sweet course. Sweets like bonbons, chocolates
etc. , are caramelle.
zuppa inglese (lit. English soup) is like trifle. Note that crema in the recipe
is not 'cream' (panna in Italian) but 'custard' .
In some parts of Italy creme caramel is called latte alia portoghese (lit.
milk in the Portuguese fashion). Cremes, mousses, jellies and blancmanges
belong to the category budini puddings (but excluding savoury puddings).
Torta also has no exact equivalent in English, since it covers cakes, pies
and tarts: torta di mele is generally an apple tart. Crostata is any tart
(usually latticed) made with a short pastry base; whereas sfogliata would be
one with a puff pastry base. Ricotta (lit. re-cooked) is a sort of curd cheese.
e una specialita del Balanzone Balanzone is the name of the owner-chef
of the restaurant who takes his name from il dottor Balanzone, a character
in the Commedia dell'Arte pantomime associated with Bologna.
i dolci li fa tutti lui he makes all the desserts himself.
7 amabile (lit. lovable) or abboccato describe medium-dry wines with a hint

of sweetness. Besides being secco or amabile, Lambrusco is also frizzante,
slightly fizzy.
i vini sfusi della casa the house wines; sfuso applies to anything sold loose
or unpacked, from beans out of a sack, to wine out of a cask. Un quartino,
a quarter-litre carafe, contains two large glasses. House wines can be very
good, and are normally much less expensive than bottled wines (vini in
bottiglia).
UNIT 10 139
To learn
che cosa ha/avete come ... what do you have in the way of ...
primi/secondi (piatti) first/main courses
contomo vegetables (lit. to go with the
main course)
dolce sweet course, dessen
vini wines
che cosa e (il carpaccio)? what is (carpaccio)?
com'e fatto?/come sono fatti? how is it made?/are they made?
salto i1 primo I'll skip the first course
con un po' di olio/acetollimone with a little (olive) oil/vinegar/lemon
juice
senza limone/parmigiano without lemon juice/parmesan
cheese
prendo un misto di • . . I'll have a mixture of . . .
voglio Ia costata/bistecca . . . I want my chop/steak . . .
poco cotta rare
giusta medium
ben cotta well done
vorrei - un vino della casa I'd like some house wine
And remember how to ask for the bill:
il conto, per favore the bill, please
To understand
Ia costata e da fare the chop (rib-steak) is to be
prepared to order
le scaloppine al Madera sono the escalopes in Madeira sauce are
da fare to be prepared to order
va condita/vanno condite con . . . it/they must be dressed (seasoned)
with ...
al pomodoro with tomato
al burro e formaggio with butter and cheese
ai ferri grilled
fritto, -a fried
al vapore steamed
alfomo baked
in umido stewed
arrosto, -a roast(ed)
bollito, -a l
lesso, -a r boiled
saltato, -a sauteed, lightly fried
vino amabile, abboccato medium dry wine
vino secco dry wine
UNIT 10
1 Listen to the head-waiter of the Ristorante Il Balanzone in Milan describing
yet another mouth-watering list of first courses. Then tick the statements
below you think are true. (Answers p. 146.)
Before you start, study this list of new words:
gnocchi similar to small dumplings, fondo dei carciofi artichoke hearts
served like pasta pancetta bacon
torteUoni di zucca large ravioli frutti di mare shellfish
stuffed with pumpkin fegatini chicken livers (fegato =
raviolini small ravioli liver)
in bianco plain
a. You can have i. D green gnocchi

ii. D gnocchi served with meat sauce.
b. D The tortelloni di zucca are served with butter.
c. The raviolini are i. D factory made
ii. D served with a cream sauce.
d. D The maccheroncini alla carciofara are so-called because they
are boiled with artichoke hearts.
e. Maccheroncini all'amatriciana are served
i. D with bacon and parsley
ii. D with bacon and tomato.
f. D The waiter describes 13 different types of risotto.
g. D Risotto alla paesana is made with vegetables.
h. D Risotto alla parmigiana is rice simply seasoned with butter and
parmesan.
2 Listen to a man and a woman ordering a meal on tape. When you have
fully understood the dialogue answer the following questions. (Answers p. 146.)
a. What does the woman choose as first course?
D spaghetti bolognaise
D she skips the first course
b. Does she like parmesan on her carpaccio?
Dyes D no
c. What does she choose as contomo?
D spinach with butter
D turnip tops, with oil and lemon
d. Does the man want parmesan on his gnocchi with cream sauce?
Dyes D no
e. How does he want his rib steak? D well done
D medium
D rare
f. What does he choose as contomo? D sauteed turnip tops
0 spinach with oil and lemon
g. Do they drink bottled wine? D yes
D no
h. How do they want their mineral water? D natural D fizzy
UNIT 10 141
3 Decide which type of preparation (in the box below) is appropriate to which
dish and write it in the space provided. You won't need your tape recorder.
(Answers p. 146.)
a. ravioli
b. maccheroni all'arrabbiata ............................................ .
c. costata ................ .
d. patate .................. .
e. spinaci ................................................................................................. .
f. torta di mele
con olio e limone

alla panna e pomodoro
iii f.
~l"t-;
4 Listen to the tape where a woman is ordering lunch and tick what she
orders on the menu below. You will hear a new word pesce, fish. When
you have done this write her order, in English, in the space provided.
(Answers p. 146.)
.A_DaAngelo~
Primo Contorno
penne al pomodoro patate fritte
lasagne al forno carate
spaghetti al ragu insalata mista
risotto della casa spmac1
Secondo Frutta o Dolce
bistecca ai ferri
fj
vitello arrosto
Vini della Casa
bianco
manzo lesso
rosso
fegato al burro e al ./,
rosmariJno I
~'JI:
I '
' .-;,~
UNIT 10
Grammar
How to translate 'very ... 'into Italian

Besides using molto you can translate 'very' into Italian by replacing the
ending of the adjective with the ending -issimo, issima, -issimi, -issime:
magro lean magrissimo, -a very lean
buono good buonissimo, -a very good
possibile possible possibilissimo, -a very likely
This ending may also be used with those adverbs which do not end in
-mente:
bene well benissimo very well
giusto right giustissimo quite right
Of course, -issimo forms may also be translated into English by means of
expressions like 'extremely ... ' 'terribly ... ' etc.
Exercise Complete the following sentences by using an appropriate -issimo word,

formed from the adjectives or adverbs in the margin.
a. Questo vestito le sta davvero ................................ .
saPol"ito b. In questo ristorante si mangia bene e si spende
forte c. Questo minestrone e ................................ .
'oe~o
car0 d. 75.000 lire questo profumo? Mae ................................. !
poco e. La carne per il carpaccio va tagliata a fette
moito f. Prende un dolce? No, salto il dolce. Ho gia mangiato
belle g. Queste sigarette sono ................................. Preferisco sigarette
piu leggere.
sottile
h. Mi piace molto questa gonna. E ................................ .
Shortened words
As in English, some Italian words may also be used in a shortened form:
- verbs may lose the final -e of their infinitive or the final -o of their 'we' and
'they' forms:
delle penne da far come vuole Lei (fare)
ci son tante specialita (sono)
vengon motto piccanti (vengono)
- bene may be shortened to ben or even be':
una costata ben cotta va be', grazie
You shouldn't try to shorten words like this yourself, at least not at first,
but learn to recognize and understand them. Remember however that, as a
rule:
- buono becomes huon before all nouns that could be preceded by un:
un giomo un huon giomo
un profumo un huon profumo
- nouns which are the shortened form of longer nouns are invariable i.e. they
don't change their endings:
Ia motocicletta motorbike ~ Ia moto, le moto
!'automobile motorcar ~ l'auto, le auto
- nouns ending in -ta originate from nouns ending in -tade which
permanently lost the -de a few centuries ago. They are all invariable:
una specialita della casa tante specialita
una possibilita molte possibilita
UNIT IO 143
Read and understand
Barolo is a small town in Piedmont which has given its name to one of the
best and best known Italian wines. Look at the wine label below and
answer the following questions:
a. Where was the wine produced? D
in Barolo territory
D
in the surrounding area
b. Who bottled the wine? D the distributors
D the producer
c. Was the production of the wine in this bottle subject to any quality
controls? D yes
D no
d. How big was the bottle? D % litre
D one litre
e. What degree of alcoholic content does the wine have? D 10%
D B.s%
144 UNIT 10
Did you know?
Italian restaurants
You may still find the word Ristoratore over the door of a few station
restaurants, probably kept because of its old-fashioned flavour; but the most
common word for a restaurant is Ristorante. Italian ristoranti range from
the sublime to the average: it is on the whole difficult to blunder into one
which is irredeemably bad. Italians are far more food-conscious than
English-speaking people, and standards of preparation and service are
correspondingly higher. That applies also to convenience food, which can
be had from places called Self-Service, Snack Bar or Tavola Calda (Hot
Table), where chefs miraculously manage to keep large quantities of pasta
constantly on the ready in steaming trays - without overcooking it.
The best reasonably priced food can often be eaten in unpretentious

working-class establishments, also called Trattoria or Osteria or bearing the
name of the chef-owner, e.g. Da Luigi. Their degree of success in pleasing
customers can be judged by the number of locals eating there. In these
restaurants you may find the owner and family actively involved in cooking
and serving the food. Trattoria and Osteria are names used also by luxury
restaurants disguised as country inns; that applies particularly to
establishments calling themselves Hostaria, which you should approach as
guardedly as you would somewhere called 'Ye Olde Countrie Inne' . Hotel
restaurants tend to be more standardized and anonymous, but you may still
find pleasant surprises and enjoy memorable meals, especially in small
country hotels.
Italian waiters often know quite a lot about cooking and are able to give
reliable advice: they will sometimes talk you out of a particular choice if
they think that, for whatever reason, it is not up to the restaurant's usual
standard. Variations from the published menu (e.g. if you want your dish
without its particular sauce, or your vegetables prepared ditierently) are
readily granted. If you can't attract the waiter's attention with the usual
senta! or scusi! you may call out cameriere! Waitresses are usually called
signora or signorina according to their apparent age.
At the end of your meal ask for the bill (il conto) and check it: not only
for possible mistakes but to find out whether the service charge (servizio) is
included or left to your discretion (say 12%). Most bills include a small
fixed charge (coperto) but bread and additional condiments, like olive oil
and parmesan cheese, are free.
And so, buon appetito! as the Italians wish each other before beginning
their meals.
UNIT IO
Your turn to speak
Practise ordering a meal in Italian. The exercise is in three parts: first
course and drinks, second course, and the dessert. Occasionally you will not
be told exactly what to order, but will be given a general prompt (e.g. to
order the meat course, or the second choice), so pay attention to what the
waitress is telling you.
You will also hear the word gelato, ice-cream.
Answers
Practise what you have learnt p. 141 Exercise 1 a (i) true (ii) false, they
are served with tomato, cream sauce and parmesan b. true c. (i) false,
they are home made (ii) true d. false, they are sauteed with artichoke
hearts e. (i) false (ii) true f. false, he describes 4 types g. true h. true.
p. 141 Exercise 2 (a) she skips the first course (b) no (c) spinach with
butter (d) yes (e) rare (f) sauteed turnip tops (g) no (h) fizzy.
p. 142 Exercise 3 (a) ravioli alia panna e pomodoro (b) maccheroni
all'arrabbiata conditi con prezzemolo, peperoncino e pomodoro (c) costata
ai ferri (d) patate fritte (e) spinaci con olio e limone (f) torta di mele a!
forno.
p. 142 Exercise 4 She orders: spaghetti a! ragu, manzo lesso, carote, frutta
e vino rosso. English translation: spaghetti with meat sauce, boiled beef,
carrots with oil and lemon, an apple and a quarter litre of red wine.
Grammar p. 143 (a) benissimo (b) pochissimo (c) saporitissimo
(d) carissimo (e) sottilissime (f) moltissimo (g) fortissime (h) bellissima.
Read and understand p. 144 (a) in the Barolo territory (b) the producer
(c) yes (d)~ litre (e) 13.5%.
UNIT IO
11 Che cosa preferisce?
What you will learn

• how to express likes or dislikes
• how to ask others what they prefer
• more about food, tastes and flavours
• how to describe the position of hotel rooms
• the names of some flowers
Before you begin

Remember some of the key points in Unit 10:
1 What you will find on a menu
piatti pronti o da fare
primo: pasta asciutta, minestre varie (choice of soups), risotti
secondo: came o pesce con contomo di verdura cotta o insalata
dessert: dolce o fonnaggio
frutta
vino: in bottiglia o sfuso, bianco o rosso, secco o amabile
acqua minerale: naturale o gasata
2 words ending in -ta don't change in the plural
la specialita, le specialita
3 another way of saying 'very . . . '
buono good buonissimo very good
dolce sweet dolcissimo very sweet
Study guide
Read Did you knuw? (this time before Read and understand)
UNIT I I 147
Dialogues
A waiter tells Giovanni what starters are available

Cameriere Mi dica, cosa posso offrirle da mangiare, cosa preferisce.
Giovanni Ha degli antipasti?
Cameriere No, non c'e una grossa scelta come antipasti.
Giovanni Che cosa c'e?
Cameriere Antipasto della casa, fatto con del prosciutto nostro, toscano,
Saporito. Eh, e abbastanza salato il prosciutto toscano. Salame e un
misto di sottolii.
Giovanni Hm, hm.
Cameriere Se vuole ci possiamo aggiungere anche due crostini. . . di pane
abbrustolito; e poi ci mettiamo una salsa sopra.
Giovanni No. Un antipasto della casa, eh? Ma senza ...
Cameriere . . . senza i crostini . . .
Giovanni ... senza crostini e salsa. Semplice. Semplicemente prosciutto,
salame e ...
Cameriere . e questo misto di sottolio .
Giovanni . . . di sottolio, si.
toscano Tuscan
salato salty
aggiungere to add (past part. aggiunto)
crostino toast (Ia crosta = crust)
abbrustolire to toast (also tostare)
Giovanni decides on a main course

Giovanni E dopo cosa ... cosa c'e? Cosa ... cosa avete?
Cameriere C'e arrosto ... c'e del huon prosciutto di maiale al forno.
Giovanni Ah ah.
Cameriere 0 del vitello. Se vuole le facciamo un misto, l'uno e l'altro .
Giovanni ... no, preferisco, preferisco solo vitello. E come contorno che
cosa avete? Avete verdure cotte?
Cameriere Ci sono rapini, spinaci, bietole. Fagioli senz'altro ci sono.
Giovanni Si. Avete del vino della casa, anche non in bottiglia?
Cameriere C'e il vino rosso o bianco, come lo preferisce.
Giovanni Mi dia un, un mezzo di . . . vino rosso e mezzo di . . acqua
minerale.
Cameriere Gasata o naturale l'acqua ... ?
Giovanni Gasata, gasata.
bietole spinach beet
UNIT I I
1 t cosa preferisce? what do you prefer? The waiter might also have asked che
cosa sceglie? what's your choice? what do you choose? (from scegliere, see
below).
t ha degli antipasti? do you have any starters? Antipasto is the Italian for a
starter (lit. before the meal, pasto = meal) i.e. the course eaten before the
primo.
non c'e una grossa scelta there's not a big choice. Scelta, choice, is from
the verb scegliere to choose (past part. scelto, -a), see Grammar p. 155.
prosciutto divides into two categories: prosciutto cotto ham, and
prosciutto crudo Parma ham (but in fact widely manufactured outside
Parma; the best is said to come from Friuli, the region north-east of
Venice).
sottolio (or sott'olio) is anything preserved in oil, like carciofini small
artichokes, or funghi mushrooms; sottaceti are pickles (sotto = under).
ci mettiamo una salsa sopra we'll put a sauce on top. When speaking
about tomato sauce Italians use both salsa and sugo; sugo, however, is the
juice naturally coming out of food (e.g. il sugo della came meat juice);
salsa is a prepared sauce. The words salsa, salame, i salumi (a general
word for preserved meats like hams, salami etc., from which salumiere, a
dealer in salumi, something between a pork butcher and a grocer), le
salsicce sausages, are all related to il sale, salt.
2 t fagioli senz'altro ci sono we definitely have beans (lit. beans definitely

there are). Senz'altro is probably short for senz'altro dubbio without
further doubt. In general it is used to confirm things: vieni questo
pomeriggio? senz'altro! will you come this afternoon? of course!; questo
vino in bottiglia e senz'altro migliore this bottled wine is certainly better.
t come lo preferisce as you prefer (it), as you like. (For the conjugation of
preferire see Unit 8.) Other expressions with this verb are: (che) cosa
preferisce? what would you like? preferisco solo vitello I'd rather have
veal on its own; preferisce veder le camere? would you rather see the
rooms?
mi dia please could I have (lit. give me). Although short, this Italian
expression is very courteous and can be used instead of mi da.
un mezzo . . . whether you use un mezzo or una mezza depends on
whether you are thinking of un mezzo (litro) or una mezza (bottiglia).
UNIT I I 149
Two friends discuss their favourite flowers
Roberto Ti piacciono i giacinti o preferisci le violette?
Aida Io preferisco le violette. E il tuo fiore preferito qual'e?
Roberto A me piacciono moho i narcisi ... e il tuo preferito?
Aida 11 mio invece e la rosa.
giacinti hyacinths
violette violets
narcisi narcissus, daffodils
rosa rose
The hotel receptionist offers Giovanni a choice of rooms

Portiere Se vuol veder le camere ... preferisce vederle?
Giovanni No, se puo chiamarmi qualcuno che mi aiuti con le valigie.
Portiere Volentieri. Chiamo subito il facchino, cosl vi mandiamo nelle
camere, eh?
Giovanni Mohe grazie.
Portiere Le camere sono al ,primo piano, non so . . .
Giovanni . . . sono al primo piano . . .
Portiere . . . le preferisce sul dietro, perche sono piil tranquille. . .
Giovanni . . . eh, dietro, magari si, sul dietro sono un po' piil
tranquille ...
Portiere . . . ecco, io gli faccio vedere tutt'e due, quale Lei preferisce.
volontieri certainly, willingly
facchino porter
mandare to send
._______.I s Some Italian students tell Giovanni what they think of English food
Giovanni Allora, Enza, ti piace l'lnghilterra?
Enza Eh, mi piace abbastanza. Unica cosa che non mi piace
dell'lnghiherra e il cibo.
Giovanni 11 cibo?
Cesarina Per noi Italiani e un po' un problema, piil che altro . . .
Enza . . . quei sapori tipo agrodolce che noi . . . in Italia non usiamo.
Claudio I sapori sono moho diversi, anzi, sono diversi perche troviamo
salato e dolce molte vohe assieme. Non si separa il salato dal dolce
come in Italia.
Enza Siamo abituati a un'alimentazione molto diversa, e ...
Giovanni Insomma, non mi pare che andate matti per la cucina inglese, eh?
cibo food alimentazione (f.) way of eating
piu che altro rather, more than insomma so
anything non mi pare che •.• it doesn't
anzi in fact (filler wort!) seem to me that ... , I don't
assieme (or insieme) together think
non si separa one doesn't separate cucina cooking
(from separare)
siamo abituati a •.• we're used to
150 UNIT I I
3 • il tuo fiore preferito qual'e? (Also: qual'e il tu•J fiore preferito?) what's
your favourite flower? Note.that Aida addresses Roberto informally with
tuo instead of suo (see Grammar, p. 155). Past participles of both -isco and
ordinary -ire verbs end in -ito: preferito, partito.
• You will find the names of a few more common flowers in the Key words
and phrases section. If you buy flowers you may also need the phrase un
mazzo di. . . a bunch of. . . .
• a me piacciono ... I like ... For the difference between a me piacciono
and mi piacciono, see Grammar, p. 156.
4 • preferisce vederle? would you rather see them?

se puo chiamarmi qualcuno che mi aiuti if you can call me someone to
help me (lit. who can help me).
• le preferisce sul dietro would you rather have them at the back. Other
possible locations: sui cortile facing onto/overlooking the courtyard; sul
davanti at the front; sulla strada overlooking the street; sul giardino
overlooking the garden; sul mare overlooking the sea.
• magari perhaps, maybe. A different use of this word is to express an
unrealized wish, rather like 'if only!' in English: non sono tranquille, le
camere? magari! sono rumorosissime aren't the rooms quiet? I wish they
were!/(if only they were!) they're extremely noisy.
gli faccio vedere tutt'e due I'll show you both.
quale Lei preferisce whichever you prefer, i.e. you can choose .
whichever you prefer.
5 • mi piace abbastanza I quite like it (lit. I like it enough). Other examples:

e abbastanza buono it's rather/quite good; ancora patate? no grazie, ne
ho abbastanza more potatoes? no thank you, I have enough; questa
bistecca non e abbastanza cotta this steak is not cooked enough.
quei sapori tipo agrodolce those kind of sour-sweet flavours. The sharp
distinction between flavours in Italian cooking is mirrored in the language,
which, as you have seen in Unit 10, does not contain words like 'pudding'
or 'pie' referring to both sweet and savoury foods. The basic flavours in
Italian are: agro or aspro sour, acido acidy, amaro bitter, dolce sweet,
salato salty.
• andate matti per . . . you're mad about ... (lit. you go mad about). You
can use, this phrase to express strong preference or liking: ti piace Ia
cassata? ne vado matto do you like cassata? I'm mad about it.
UNIT I I ISI
To learn
cbe cosa preferisce?/sceglie? what do you prefer?/choose?
come lo preferisce? how do you prefer it?
preferisco/scelgo ... I prefer/choose ...

una camera sui davanti a room at the fronr
sui dietro at the back
sui cortile overlooking the courtyard
sulla strada overlooking the street
sui giardino overlooking the garden
sui mare overlooking the sea
qual'e il tuo piatto preferito? what's your favourite dish?
il mio piatto preferito e . . . my favourite dish is ...
mi piace abbastanza I quite like it
bo abbastanza verdura I have enough vegetables
ne vado matto I'm mad about it
vado matto per . . . I'm mad about ...
senz'altro! of course! no doubt, without fail
magari perhaps, if only!
To understand
antipasto hors d'oeuvre, starter
basic flavours
acido acidy
agro/aspro sour
salato salty
amaro bitter
dolce sweet
common flowers
Ia rosa rose
Ia margberita daisy
Ia viola l
Ia Violetta r violet
il garofano carnation
il giglio lily
il ciclamino cyclamen
il crisantemo chrysanthemum
Ia primula primrose
UNIT I I
1 Listen to a couple ordering starters in a restaurant. From the list below
write in the spaces the items chosen by the woman and by the man.
(Answers p. 160.)
New word: russa = Russian
uftUjtMti
a. prosciutto cotto
b. prosciutto crudo del Friuli
c. salame toscano
d. carciofini sott'olio
e. funghi sott'olio
f. sottaceti vari
g. olive nere
h. olive verdi
i. insalata russa
j. pate di Borgogna e crostini
2 Who likes what? In the dialogue on tape a couple discuss the alternatives on
the menu. Get the gist of what they are saying, then fill in the spaces below
with the initials M, for the man's choice, and W, for the woman's choice. If
they both choose the same dish, put MIW. (Answers p. 160.)
.. menu turistico
. . menu a la carte
. . piatti pronti
.. piatti da fare
.. antipasto
.. niente antipasto
. primo piatto
. niente primo
. minestra
. pasta asciutta
. pizza
.. risotto
. carne
. pesce
. insalata
. formaggio
. dolce
UNIT I I I 53
3 Describe the position of the rooms in the hotel illustrated on facing page
155. Complete the sentences using two phrases chosen from the box below:
the first the direction the room faces, the second the floor it's on. You
won't need your tape recorder. (Answers p. 160.) The first has been done
for you.
e -~~.
a. 11 ristorante
b. La camera 101 e ........................ '
c. La camera 206 e . ....................... '
e. La camera 231 e • •••••••••••••••• 0 •• 0 ••• '
f. La camera 110 e ........................ '
sul davanti sul\a strada sul giardino
al secondo piano
4 Describe the food and drink below with one of the words on the right. You
won't need your tape recorder. (Answers p. 160.)
a. Campari soda ....

dolce
b. prosciutto del Friuli ..
c. limone ......................................................................... .
d. torta di mele .
as pro
e. marmellata di fichi .................................................. .
f. salame toscano ........................................................... .
g. sottaceti ........................................................................ .
h. vino Soave ................................................................... .
i. caffe expresso senza zucchero ............................. .
I 54 UNIT I I
/ I I
L_-..-/ I
l I I
1 1 I
._~__J/
Grammar
Scegliere to choose
The present tense of this verb is as follows:
scelgo I choose scegliamo we choose
scegli you choose scegliete you (pl.) choose
sceglie you (polite) choose scelgono they choose
he/she chooses
Its past participle is scelto, -a.
Togliere to remove, to take away, (past part. tolto) is conjugated like
scegliere.
Possessives my, mine, your, yours etc.

Look at the Italian possessives listed below (you have already met some of
them in previous units).
m. f. m. f. m. f. m. f.
sing. sing. pl. pl. sing. sing. pl. pl.
mio mia miei mie my, mine nostro nostra nostri nostre our(s)
tuo tua tuoi tue your(s) vostro vostra vostri vostre your(s)
suo sua suoi sue }his/her( s) loro Ioro Ioro Ioro their
your(s) polit~
Note that except for the first three masculine plurals (miei etc.) and loro
(which stays the same), they all behave like normal -o, -a adjectives.
(Cont. p. 156.)
UNIT II I 55
Remember three basic differences between English and Italian possessives:
• possessives tend to be omitted in Italian when there is no doubt as to whose
things you're speaking of, and are therefore used less frequently:
metto Ia gonna marrone I'll put on my brown skirt
Ia coincidenza e aile 11, 23 your connection is at 11.23
voglio Ia bistecca poco cotta I want my steak underdone
• like all adjectives they agree with the noun they qualify, not with their
owner. There is no distinction between his and her(s):
il suo ombrello his/her umbrella
Ia sua valigia his/her suitcase
If you must distinguish, then you have to specify, e.g. Ia valigia di Giorgio,
l'ombrello di Maria etc.
• when you do use the possessives, they are nearly always preceded by
articles:
le mie valigie my suitcases
una mia valigia one of my suitcases
Exercise Replace the English possessives in brackets with the appropriate Italian
forms. Do not forget to combine prepositions, where they occur, with the
required article. (Answers p. 160.)
a. Qual'e ........................ (your) valigia? Questa e ................. .

(my) valigia.
b. . ................. (Their) albergo e l'Albergo Vittoria.
c. Dov'e .................. (her) passaporto?
d. La Banca Commerciale e proprio fuori di . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (our)
ufficio.
e. . ................. (Your: informal) carta d'identita e in ................. .
(my) camera.
f. . ................. (Your: polite) treno parte aile 19,40.
M i piace, a me piace
Both these phrases mean 'I like', but the second one is more emphatic and
it should be used when there is a contrast, e.g.
a me piace Ia verdura cotta, rna a Giorgio non piace
I like cooked vegetables, but Giorgio doesn't like them
io preferisco gli anemoni, rna a lei piacciono le giunchiglie
I prefer anemones, but she likes jonquils
UNIT I I
Did you know?
Italian cuz.szne
'Italy is a ham-shaped peninsula surrounded by five seas called Harolo,

Chianti, Lambrusco, Frascati and Ciro [a Calabrian wine]' wrote Riccardo
Morbelli in 1967, 'and is divided into two main regions: Butter Italy in the
North and Oil Italy in the South, otherwise known as Rice Italy and Pasta
Italy.' He formally warned travellers never to ask for spaghetti in the North
or risotto in the South, unless they wanted to be served wallpaper glue in
either case. Today one need not give such a warning. Greater social
mobility and internal migrations in the past twenty years or so have
changed a situation where cuisine was, like everything else in Italy,
intensely parochial, and where regional specialities did not travel at all well.
Since then Tuscan innkeepers have set up trattorie in Naples, Apulian
farmers have opened Apulian eating houses in Milan, and Sicilian pastry-
cooks and confectioners have given a new meaning to the Roman 'dolce vita'.
And yet regional specialities are still well worth tasting in their homeland.
Tourists without much time or money for expensive restaurant food (and
especially self-catering campers) can, and should, enjoy something of the
regional flavour of Italian cuisine simply by buying local cheeses, hams and
salamis (far too many to allow even a passing mention), and by visiting the
local vegetable market. There they will discover the common round lettuce
is only one, and not the tastiest, among dozens of varieties of salad, and
that there are many more vegetables to go with one's meat than carrots,
peas and potatoes.
Since most of these specialities have a regional or even a dialectal name,
Italians from other areas are no wiser than you; when it comes to buying,
they too have to point to the thing, ask come si chiama? and even come si
mangia? (how do you eat it ?). Furthermore Italian has only recently
become a viable national language, and so it still lacks standard names for
vegetables. What in some areas are called bietole and cavolo (cabbage), in
others are called coste and vena; and what people actually mean by cicoria
(chicory) varies from place to place. Names of fish are also mostly local or
dialectal. The same can be said of the names of birds, plants and flowers,
apart from the most common ones. This difficulty with giving things that
are part of one's everyday experience generally understandable and
acceptable names, may be one of the causes of the rather widespread
ignorance of Italians about birdlife and gardening, and the slow
development in the country of nature-lovers' societies.
UNIT I I 157
Read and understand
Read the restaurant bill opposite and answer the following questions.
(Answers p. 160.)
1 Where was the restaurant?

D in Florence
Din Rome
2 How many people went there for a meal?
Done
D two
D three
3 Was the bill for:
D a fixed charge 'Tourist' meal?
D an 'ala carte' meal?
4 Did anybody skip the main course?
Dyes
D no
5 Was the wine:
D bottled wine?
D carafe wine?
6 Was a service charge included in the bill?
Dyes
D no
7 Is the bill:
D an informal receipt for the customer's record only?
D a legally valid statutory document?
8 Is the total:
D correct
D incorrect
UNIT II
CJlislo ranle Csperi a
- - - - - - di NATALUCCI GIANCARLO
VIA FIRENZE, 16- 17- 1i 48.65.62- R 0 M A
Cod. Fisc. NTL GCR 44M07 H501J
I"": ...
......-n- - , - - _f£_./~~!t-=--1{_.._ _ N· 4
_".f._.l'*-____,
D E S C R I Z I 0 ___
re ,___
quantfUi
,______ NE e zz o
, 1- - p-r - --1
. 2., Coperto • • 800
~ 1 Antipasto • . • .... 900
~
c --1·-·-----
........
Primo platto • • ... 11 o·(f....
< Secondo platto: came . .
0
1
............. -
• • peace • • ... · S'fOO
~ 2, Contorno
..... tsoo
1 t.
~
~
.. - ...
Vlno
....... ~ t~t2. . C')
i'
0
-o
~
~ . y~:.~~
Blrra • •
Acqua mineral a • • • - ~- - .~...::.~9.::Q_(f:: :.~

0 Blblte • • • •
~ ""'{ """'" ...... ···-- Q
~~ ....... 5"W ~
ooo
• • .
~ . ___1__- - ct- .... .......... -....... . . . .........1.
g - ---
~
ui _................ - 1........... . ... ............. ... .. ..... ..... . - ....
'6 ... ....
a:
·~.
{if Pranzo Turistico • .

- ...... A ....~···· ·•• ...... •f·"·· ........ ...
;:: --- ~--1
~
c:i.
-------=--------~
RICEVUTA FISCALE 1m porto L. . . . .1..5.4QQ .

MOD. XAR 1SSO
Servizio L. .. .. ~. ...
x~ 147214 80
Total a l.
1 'fitSO
UNIT I I I 59
Your turn to speak
1 In this exercise you are ordering in a restaurant and you have to express
your preferences. You won't be prompted, but when the waiter offers you
two choices, refuse the first by saying non mi piace (or non mi piacciono),
and agree to the second by saying preferisco ... Here is an example:
Waiter Come antipasto abbiamo prosciutto e salame, oppure un misto di sottoli.
You II prosciutto e il salame non mi piacciono. Preferisco il misto di sottoli.
Pause the tape after the waiter's question to give yourself time to speak
aloud, and then start it again and you will hear the correct answer.
2 In this exercise you will be discussing preferences with someone you have
just met - asking her what she likes best. Remember to use the polite form
Lei etc. This time Marisa will prompt you as usual.
Answers
Practise what you have learnt p. 153 Exercise 1 Signora: b, c, f, g
Signore: e, f, g, j.
p. 153 Exercise 2 menu a Ia carte MIW; piatti pronti MIW; antipasto W;
niente antipasto M; primo piano M; niente primo W; minestra M; pesce M!
W; verdura cotta M; insalata W; formaggio W; dolce M.
p. 154 Exercise 3 (b) sui davanti/sulla strada, a! primo piano (c) sui
giardino, a! secondo piano (d) sui mare, a! secondo piano (e) sui dietro, a!
secondo piano (f) sui cortile, a! piano terreno.
p. 154 Exercise 4 (a) amaro (b) salato (c) acido (d) dolce (e) dolce
(f) salato (g) aspro (h) secco (i) amaro.
Grammar p. 156 (a) Ia tua (or Ia sua), Ia mia (b) illoro (c) il suo (d) a!
nostro (e) Ia tua, nella mia (f) il suo.
Read and understand p. 158 (1) in Rome (2) two (3) an 'a Ia carte' meal
(4) no (5) carafe wine (6) yes (7) a legally valid statutory document
(8) correct.
I60 UNIT II
12 Gia che cz sez, fai anche il
pieno
What you will learn
• how to ask for petrol and for basic car maintenance
• how to talk about the weather and understand weather forecasts
• more ways of talking about future events
• talking about the past
• seasons and months of the year
Before you begin

1 conjugation of scegliere (and other verbs ending in -gliere)
scelgo, scegli, sceglie, scegliamo, scegliete, scelgono
2 expressions of preference
che cosa preferisce . . . ? preferisco . . .
il mio fiore preferito e ... e il tuo?/il suo?
a me piace ... , e ate/Lei?
3 possessives
il mio ombrello, Ia tua valigia, i suoi documenti
le nostre camere, il vostro albergo, le loro specialita
Study guide
Learn Key words and phrases
Read Did you know?
Listen to all the dialogues again straight through
Do the Revision section for Units 10--12 on p. 222
UNIT 12 r6r
Dialogues
._______.I t Listen to a local radio advertisement about all the checks a motorist
should do in winter
E inverno, amico automobilista. Una ragione in piu per
salvaguardare il perfetto funzionamento del motore della tua auto.
Hai pensato all'antigelo? E alla sostituzione dell'olio con quello di
gradazione invernale? E alle candele? Hai controllato le condizioni
dei pneumatici?
amico, -a friend
automobilista (m./f.) motorist
una ragione in piu one more reason
antigelo antifreeze
candele spark plugs (lit. candles)
pneumatici tyres (also le gomme)
(more car vocabulary on p. 168.)
The advertisement offers further advice

E allora, amico automobilista, per la messa a punto della tua auto,
recati alla stazione di servizio Roma, dove del personale altamente
specializzato ti consigliera sulla gradazione giusta dellubrificante
invernale e dell'antigelo, e sul tipo di candele adatte alla stagione.
E se devi riparare o sostituire le gomme, Roma mette a tua
disposizione le rnigliori marche di pneumatici esistenti sul mercato.
E magari di' che ti mando io, lo speaker della radio. Vedrai,
rimarrai soddisfatto.
Ah, dimenticavo. Gia che ci sei, fai anche il pieno.
recati go (lit. take yourself), from recarsi
stazione (f.) di servizio service station
personate altamente specializzato highly qualified personnel
giusto, -a right, correct
lubrificante (m.) lubricant, lubricating oil
adatto, -a suited, suitable
riparare to repair, to mend
mette a tua disposizione puts at your disposal
esistente existing
mercato market
speaker della radio radio presenter, disc jockey
UNIT 12
1 • e iDvemo it's winter. The adjective 'winter' is iDvemale as in the phrase
which comes later olio di gradazioDe iDvemale, winter grade oil. The
names of the other seasons (and related adjectives) are: Ia primavera
(primaverile) spring; l'estate (estivo) summer; l'autunno (autunnale)
autumn. The first two are feminine nouns.
salvaguardare il perfetto funzioDameDto del motore making sure the
engine is in perfect working order (lit. to safeguard the perfect functioning
of the engine).
• FunzioDameDto is related to funzioDare to function, to work (used of
machines, not of people). This verb comes in many phrases you may find
useful: DOD funzioDa it isn't working, DOD funzioDa bene it isn't working
well, guardi se funzioDa see whether it works.
hai pensato a . .. have you thought/did you think about . . . , and later hai
coDtroUato have you checked/did you check. (See Grammar p. 171.)
Ia sostituzioDe the replacement, from sostituire (present: sostituisco) to
replace, to substitute. More usual: il cambio deU'olio, from cambiare to
change.
2 Ia messa a puDto overhaul, general check-over. Messo, -a is the past

participle of mettere; mettere a puDto it motore to tune the engine.
ti coDsigliera will advise you; and, further on, vedrai you'll see, and
rimarrai soddisfatto you'll be (remain) satisfied, are all forms of the future
tense, for which see Grammar, p. 171.
le migliori marche di pDeumatici the best brands of tyres.
di' che ti maDdo io tell (them) I'm sending you.
• dimeDticavo I forgot. This past tense will be explained later in Unit 13.
Dimenticare also means 'to leave something behind' : ho dimenticato it
passaporto I've left my passport behind.
• gia che ci sei, fai anche it pieno while you're at it (lit. since you're there)
fill it up. Speaking of yourself you would say gia che ci sono, while I'm at
it.
A garage attendant explains to Giovanni why foreign motorists and
Italian garage attendants need not talk to each other
Giovanni E quando viene da Lei un turista straniero, Lei gli parla? E che
cosa dice?
Garagista Non . . . serve parlare . . .
Giovanni Ma Lei offre, non so, il cambio dell'olio, il controllo delle gomme?
Garagista No, quelle cose ll no. Lo salutiamo, huon giorno, buona sera, e
poi ... l'automobilista da se dira se, se vuole ... quanta benzina
vuole, vuole il pieno ...
Giovanni Ah, ecco . . .
Garagista ... o vuole, mettiamo, cinque, diecimila ... ha capito?
Giovanni Mm, mm.
Garagista Poi generalmente lo straniero che viene qui ci ha la macchina a
noleggio, allora fara sempre il pieno. Poi ci sono quelli che non
parlano neppure, non dicono neppure una parola in italiano, allora
chiedono solo benzina . . .
Giovanni Si va a gesti . . .
Garagista E poi, eh, a gesti, esatto. Poi sa, generalmente quando viene uno
straniero, parte da casa giii. tutto bene organizzato, tutto tranquillo
per il viaggio; quindi fa il cambio dell'olio prima di partire ...
Giovanni Eh giii. . . .
Garagista ... la macchina la fa riguardare dall'officina laggiu di sua fiducia,
come si fa noi italiani se si va all'estero.
Giovanni Eh, giii..
garagista (m.) garage attendant fara will have (lit. will do)
da Lei to you non . . . neppure not even (like
turista straniero foreign tourist non ... nemmeno, Unit 8)
non serve parlare there's no need parola word
to talk chiedono from chiedere (past part.
offre from offrire (past part. chiesto) to ask for
offerto) to offer si va a gesti you use sign language
benzina petrol, fuel bene organizzato well organized
mettiamo say, let's say (by way of
example)
Giovanni and Aldo talk about the weather

Giovanni Pfff! Come fa caldo qui in Italia. E com'era il tempo durante le tue
vacanze in lnghilterra?
Aldo Alcune giornate di sole. II resto ventoso e nuvoloso.
Giovanni Questo in che mese?
Aldo Agosto.
Giovanni Pioggia?
Aldo No.
Giovanni Meno male, perche quando in lnghilterra piove, eh? piove sui
serio! Qui, invece, guarda che bel tempo oggi!
com'era il tempo? how was the pioggia rain (piovere to rain, past
weather? part. piovuto)
durante during sui serio in earnest
ventoso windy (vento = wind) invece on the other hand
nuvoloso cloudy (nuvola = cloud)
UNIT 12
3 lo salutiamo we greet him (he is assuming the motorist is male!) from
salutare to greet, to welcome. The word is related to Ia salute, health.
You already know the main greetings and you should also learn how to say
• goodbye: arrivederci (lit. until we meet again).
da se dira himself will say. Another future, this time of the verb dire (see
p. 171.)
• il pieno lit. full (tank). If you want to fill your tank up, say: mi fa il pieno,
per favore. Or you may ask, as the attendant suggests, for petrol up to a
given sum: mi da ventimila lire di benzina give me 20,000 lira's worth of
petrol.
• Ia macchina a noleggio a hired car; noleggiare = to hire; look out for the
signs NOLEGGIO MACCHINE or SI NOLEGGIANO MACCHINE
CAR HIRE. If you want to hire a car, say: vorrei noleggiare una
mac china.
prima di partire before leaving. Note that prima di ... is followed by
verbs in the infinitive: prima di mangiare before eating, or by nouns:
prima del pranzo before lunch.
eh gia is another 'filler' expression equivalent to 'yes, that's right'.
Ia fara riguardare will have it seen to.
dall'officina (laggiu) di sua fiducia by his trusted garage. Officina is a
garage where repairs are done. Laggiu means literally 'down there', the
attendant means 'abroad' i.e. in the driver's own country.
come si fa noi italiani se si va all'estero as we Italians do if we go abroad.
4 • fa caldo it's hot; fa freddo it's cold. Generally e caldo, e freddo is used
when there is a subject: il clima e caldo the climate is hot; com'e oggi il
mare? e freddo how's the sea today? it's cold.
alcune giomate di sole a few sunny days (il sole = the sun). Giomata is
the word for 'day' when you're thinking of what you do or what it was like,
whereas il giorno is the calendar day or number of days e.g. due giomi.
in che mese? in what month?
agosto August. The names of the other months are in Key words and
phrases p. 167. Note that they don't have a capital letter in Italian.
• meno male! thank goodness! This is a very common way of expressing
relief: il treno e puntuale: meno male! or meno male che il treno e
puntuale! thank goodness the train's on time!
• che bel tempo! what fine weather! che brutto tempo, che tempo
orribile! what bad, awful weather! fa brutto, piove e tira vento the
weather's bad, it's rainy and windy.
UNIT 12
.._____.I 5 Here's a weather forecast from the radio
TEMPO PREVISTO PER DOMANI.
Sulle regioni occidentali della penisola e sulle isole maggiori, poco
nuvoloso durante il pomeriggio. Sul settore nord-occidentale e sul
versante adriatico nuvolosita variabile con locali precipitazioni
anche temporalesche, che andranno trasferendosi da nord verso
sud. Temperatura in lieve diminuzione sulle regioni orientali della
penisola. Senza variazioni su queUe occidentali.
previsto past part. of prevedere to foresee, to forecast
settore (m.) sector, area
versante adriatico the Adriatic slope, the side of the Apennines sloping
towards the Adriatic sea
variabile variable
temporalesco stormy (temporale (m.) storm)
5 • regioni occidentali western regions. Here are the four compass points and
related adjectives: nord north, settentrionale northern; ovest west,
occidentale western; est east, orientale eastern; sud south,
meridionale southern. South, east and west are also called mezzogiomo,
oriente and occidente respectively; il Mezzogiomo (lit. midday) is a very
common name for Southern Italy.
Ia penisola the peninsula i.e. Italy; le isole maggiori the larger/major
islands i.e. Sardinia and Sicily. There is a tendency in Italian weather
forecasts to prefer a rather artificial and roundabout language to direct
concrete expressions: to say nuvolosita cloudiness, precipitazioni
precipitations, rilievi montuosi mountainous uplands, instead of
nuvole clouds, pioggia rain or neve snow, and montagne mountains. Also
expressions like temperatura in lieve diminuzione simply mean Ia
temperatura diminuira leggermente temperatures will fall slightly.
andranno trasferendosi da nord verso sud will slowly move from north to
south.
166 UNIT 12
There are a lot of useful words in this section. They are all worth learning,
but you can also refer back to them whenever you want. (They continue on
p. 168.)
Seasons
primavera spring
estate summer
autunno autumn
invemo winter
Months of the year

gennaio January
febbraio February
mano March
aprile April
maggio May
giugno June
luglio July
agosto August
settembre September
ottobre October
novembre November
dicembre December
The weather
fa caldo/fa freddo it's hot/it's cold
il tempo e beUo/brutto the weather's fine/bad
piove it's raining
tira vento it's windy
c'e il sole it's sunny
c'e un temporale there's a storm
e nuvoloso it's cloudy
nevica it's snowing
The compass points

nord (settentrionale) north
sud (meridionale) south
est (orientale) east
ovest (occidentale) west
UNIT 12
s
For your car
l'auto(mobile)
Ia macchina } car
il motore engine
Ia carrozzeria bodywork
il parabrezza windscreen
i tergicristalli windscreen wipers
le sospensioni suspension
il volante steering wheel
lo sterzo steering mechanism
le gomme
i pneumatici } tyres
i freni brakes
le candele spark plugs
l'olio oil
Ia benzina
il carburante } petrol
. . . non funziona (it) doesn't work

. . . non funzionano (they) don't work
mi fa ... would you . ..
il pieno (di normale/super) fill it up (with 2-star/4-star)
il controUo deUe gomme check the tyres-
il cambio deU'olio change the oil
mi da (venti) litri di (super) would you give me (20) litres of
(4-star)
Other useful expressions

arrivederci goodbye
meno male! thank goodness!
gia che ci sei/che ci siamo while you/we're at it etc.
ho dimenticato . . . I left . . . behind
168 UNIT 12
1 Listen to the weather forecast on tape and answer the following questions.
(Answers p. 174.)
a. Where is the weather going to be cloudy?

D northern regions
D centre-south and Adriatic coast
b. Is rain r---------------,
D nearly certain?
D only possible?
c. Is the weather
D likely to improve?
D likely to get worse?
2 Complete the following sentences about cars and motoring with a suitable
phrase taken from the box below. There are a couple of words you have not
seen before, but you should have no difficulty in guessing what they mean.
Then check by listening to the sentences on tape.
a. La mia auto ha ...................................................... a quattro

cilindri.
b. Ogni 15000 chilometri bisogna
e fare un controllo generale.
c. Prima di partire per !'estero e meglio
la macchina da un'officina di fiducia.
d. D'inverno bisogna ...................................................... nel
radiatore.
e. Non ho quasi piu benzina. Devo
far riguardare fare il pieno
carnb·
'are I'o/,o
.
UNIT 12
3 Place the correct caption from box below with each scene. You don't need
your tape recorder. (Answers p. 174.)
a. ···························· b ......................................................... .
c. 0 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
d .........................................................
tJ II
0(}
e. ·········· ·························· ·················· ( ..........•.....•..................•................•....•
c'e il sole
c'e un r
CllJporaie
4 You may like to know the jingle Italians use to remember which months of
the year have thirty and which thirty-one days.
Trenta giorni ha novembre
con aprile, giugno e settembre;
di ventotto ce n'e uno,
tutti gli altri ne han trentuno (han = hanno)
Listen to the tape where Gina will read it out to you, then write the Italian
names of:
a. the month mentioned in the third line of the jingle ............................. .

b. the autumn month with thirty-one days ................................................... .
c. the month in which spring begins .............................................................. .
d. the month in which Christmas falls
(Answers p. 174.)
UNIT 12
Grammar
Future
To form the future you take away the final -e of the infinitive (for -are
verbs you also change -ar- to -er-) and add the endings as shown below.
Note the stress on 1st and 3rd person singular and that the endings are the
same for -are, -ere and -ire verbs.
consigliare consiglier!) I'll advise consiglier~ we'll advise
to advise consiglier.ai you'll advise consiglierete you'll advise
consiglieri you'll advise (polite) consiglieranno they'll advise
he/she'll advise
mettere metter!) I'll put metteremo we'll put
to put metter.ai you'll put metterm you'll put
metteri you'll put (polite) metter.im!Q they'll put
he/she'll put
partire partir.Q I'll leave partir~ we'll leave
to leave partirai you'll leave partirete you'll leave
partiri you'll leave (polite) partiranno they'll leave
he/she'll leave
As in English, you can use both the present tense and the future: I'm going
to the cinema or I'll go to the cinema. The future expresses greater
deliberation, and is therefore more appropriate in the radio advertisement
than the present.
The following verbs, all in frequent use, form their future in a slightly
different way, with a shortened 'stem'. The endings are the same.
andare to go andro essere to be saro vedere to see vedro
avere to have avro potere can potro venire to come verro
dovere must dovro rimanere to remain volere to want vorro
rimarro
How to talk about things in the past

There are two different past tenses in Italian. In this unit you will study the
'perfect', used when talking about specific events at a definite time in the
past. It is formed by combining the present of avere or essere with the past
participle (see Unit 8, p. 115) of the verb in question. You just have to
learn which verbs take avere and which use essere as you meet them, but
in general, verbs that can take a direct object (see Grammar glossary p. 227)
form their perfect with avere, e.g.
ho dimenticato il passaporto I left my passport behind
hai pensato all'antigelo? did you remember (lit. think about) the
antifreeze?
abbiamo bevuto un vino eccellente we drank an excellent wine
Verbs that cannot take a direct object, and all reflexive verbs (see Unit 3
p. 45) use essere. Some of the most common are 'verbs of movement', e.g.
venire, andare, arrivare, partire etc.
e partita aile treshe left at three; siete rimasti soddisfatti? are
you (lit. have you remained) satisfied?; ci siamo trattenuti cinque
giomi we stayed five days
Note that when using essere, the past participle has to 'agree' with the
subject of the verb, i.e. add an -e when referring to a feminine singular
subject, an -i when referring to a plural subject etc.
UNIT 12 171
Read and understand
1 Here is a photograph of a small service
station.
a. Would you go there to have your

engine tuned? 0 yes
0 no
b. Would you ask them to mend your
tyres? 0 yes
0 no
c. Would you ask them to fit a new oil
filter? 0 yes
0 no
d. Would you ask them to change the
oil? 0 yes
0 no
e. Could you buy a new set of spark
plugs there? 0 yes
0 no
2 The printer has scrambled the specifications for a new Italian car and their
English translations. See if you can fit them together again. Put the correct
letter for the translation beside each number.
1 .. ............. iniezione elettronica
2 .............. . dispositivo 'cut off sulla pompa di iniezione per
econornizzare il carburante
3 ............... cambio a cinque marce
4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . servosterzo
5 .... ...... .... . parabrezza stratificato
6 .......... ..... tergicristalli anteriori a due velocita
7 .......... ..... tergicristallo posteriore
8 ............... antenna radio incorporata nel parabrezza
9 ... ............ condizionatore d'aria
a. two-speed windscreen wipers

b. five-speed gearbox
c. radio aerial incorporated into the windscreen
d. automatic cut-off on fuel injection pump for greater fuel economy
e. rear wiper
f. power steering
g. air conditioning
h. laminated windscreen
i. electronic fuel injection
(Answers to both exercises p. 174.)
172 UNIT 12
Did you know?
Motoring in Italy
Any good motoring guidebook will give you most of the information you
need to know before setting out to Italy by car. Of those traffic signs that
give written instructions you are sure to be able to guess the meaning of
DEVIAZIONE, PARCHEGGIO, LAVORI IN CORSO. Less obvious signs
are RALLENTARE, STRADA DISSESTATA, CADUTA MASSI-
though it's doubtful whether you could do much about the last one! (you'll
find translations for all these signs at the end of this section). On another
sign the words SOCCORSO STRADALE precede the telephone number of
the rescue service which, with luck, you'll never need.
There are however a few tips you may not find in the normal guidebooks.
Italians do not, on the whole, drive at higher speeds than drivers elsewhere,
but they accelerate and manoeuvre faster. In a column of cars held up by a
red traffic light, Italian drivers will watch not the car in front but the traffic
lights: as a consequence the whole column will move forward as the lights
change with little or no delay. Zebra crossings mark spots where traffic
authorities thought it would be convenient for motorists that crossing
pedestrians should be channelled, not places where pP.destrians (pedoni)
have priority. Try therefore not to stop suddenly to let a pedestrian through
at a zebra crossing: the driver behind you will not expect it, and may bump
into you. Do not use any of the flashing headlights signals you may be
familiar with, nor expect to recognize any. Quick flashes in succession
usually mean 'get out of my way!' Nobody makes hand signals: drivers or
passengers dangling arms out of car windows are simply cooling themselves
or throwing out cigarette ends. Country roads at night, particularly in the
Northern plains, are plagued by invisible cyclists, riding around with the
faintest of lights or no lights at all. Sometimes you'll come across one
bicycle with lights on, accompanying another couple without lights.
You can now go from one end of Italy to the other on a network of superb
motorways (autostrade); but it is likely that what you save in fuel costs is
spent on toll fees; and you will most certainly miss all the picturesque,
interesting and welcoming towns which ordinary roads pass through, each
one of which could make your Italian holiday a most rewarding experience.
What the signs mean .. .

DEVIATION, PARKING, ROAD WORKS AHEAD, SLOW, UNEVEN
ROAD SURFACE, FALLING STONES.
UNIT 12 173
Your turn to speak
1 In the first exercise you are at a service station in Italy and you need some
petrol, and also some small checks on your car. Look back at the Key words
and phrases before you start. You'll need the word tergicristalli (windscreen
wipers).
2 In this exercise you are telling someone about the weather in England, so
revise the weather phrases before you start.
Revision
Before you go on to Unit 13, complete the revision section for Units 10--12
at the back of the book on p. 222. There is one revision exercise on tape
which comes directly after this unit.
Answers
Practise what you have learnt p. 169 Exercise 1 (a) centre-south and
Adriatic coast (b) only possible (c) likely to improve.
p . 170 Exercise 3 (a) c'i: il sole (b) c'i: un temporale (c) tira vento (d) fa
caldo (e) piove (f) fa freddo.
p . 170 Exercise 4 (a) febbraio (b) ottobre (c) marzo (d) dicembre.
Read and understand p. 172 Exercise 1 (a) no (b) yes (c) yes (d) yes
(e) yes.
p. 172 Exercise 2 (1) i (2) d (3) b (4) f (5) h (6) a (7) e (8) c (9) g.
174 UNIT 12
13 Tanti anni fa ...
What you will learn

• talking about things in the past (both at a definite point in time and
happening over a period of time)
• some expressions of time
• giving information about yourself and your town
• asking this information of others
• talking about the languages you know
Before you begin

Remember the main points from Unit 12:
1 regular future
prendero, prenderai, prendera, prenderemo, prenderete, prenderanno
finiro, finirai, finira, finiremo, finirete, finiranno
2 future with shortened 'stem'
avro (from avere), avrai, avra, avremo, avrete, avranno
verro (from venire) verrai, verra, verremo, verrete, verranno
3 perfect
with avere:
ho capito, hai capito, ha capito
abbiamo capito, avete capito, hanno capito
with essere:
sono andato/a, sei andato/a, e andato/a,
siamo andati/e, siete andati/e, sono andati/e
Study guide
UNIT 13 175
Dialogues
Giovanni asks two women about their visits to England

Giovanni E mai stata in Inghilterra?
1a signorina Ma, in Inghilterra sono stata esattamente vent'anni fa!
Giovanni Dov'e stata?
1" Signorina Proprio a Londra. Ho soggiornato un anno circa a Londra.
Giovanni Le e piaciuto?
1" Signorina Allora, si. A me piaceva tanto.
Giovanni E rimasta a Londra per imparare l'inglese?
1" Signorina Si, si, esatto.
Giovanni (turning to the second young lady) E Lei fa la turista qualche volta
per conto suo?
z· signorina Si, rna cerco di non fare il turista. Sono stata a Londra - euh - ho
chiesto il materiale d'informazione, poi ho cercato di scoprirla un
po' da sola, di conoscer la citta personalmente.
esattamente exactly
Londra London
soggiomare to stay
un anno circa (or circa un anno) about one year
rimasto past participle of rimanere to remain
chiesto past participle of chiedere to ask
da sola by myself, on my own
personalmente personally, in person, by myself
Giovanni asks a young woman about her stay in Canada

Giovanni Signorina, quanto tempo e stata nel Canada?
Signorina Eh, in Canada quasi sette anni, e un anno in America anche.
Giovanni E che cosa faceva?
Signorina Eh, in Canada ho lavorato per un po' di tempo in un grande
magazzino; poi ho lavorato in ospedale anche.
Giovanni E in che citta del Canada e stata Lei?
Signorina Io ero . . . euh - nel nord del Canada, una citta piccola chiamata
Yellowknife.
Giovanni E ... faceva freddo d'inverno?
Signorina Oh si, tanto freddo! Si.
quasi nearly, almost

ospedale (m.) hospital
UNIT 13
1 e mai stata ... ? have you ever been? Mai means 'ever' and non ... mai
means 'never' and is used like non ... neppure, non ... nemmeno etc.
e.g. non vado mai in Italia I never go to Italy; non sono mai stata in
Francia I've never been to France.
• vent'anni fa twenty years ago. Fa is used like 'ago' in English in these
types of expression: una settimana fa a week ago, last week; due giomi fa
two days ago; un mese fa a month ago etc.
• le e piaciuto? did you like it? Piaciuto is the past participle of piacere.
allora si. A me piaceva tanto at the time, yes. I was having such a good
time. Piaceva (also from piacere) is a form of the other past tense
mentioned in Unit 12, called the 'imperfect'. The different use of the
perfect and imperfect doesn't exist in English. For the moment, just note
how it occurs in these next dialogues and then look at the explanation in
Grammar p. 184.
• qualche volta sometimes, a few times. Qualche (invariable) is always

followed by a singular noun: qualche turista a few tourists, qualche giomo
a few days.
• per conto suo on your (polite) own account, by yourself (or, in a different
context, on his/her own account, by him-/herself). Other examples: per
conto mio preferisco vivere in ltalia as far as I'm concerned I'd rather live
in Italy; pago anche per conto del mio amico I'm paying also on behalf of
my friend.
ho cercato di scoprirla (i.e. Ia citta di Londra) I tried to discover it. Note

how the pronoun Ia (it) is added to the infinitive, which drops its final -e.
Cercare (to look for, to try) is used in several common phrases: cerca di
arrivare puntuale try to arrive on time; ti ho cercato oggi pomeriggio I
looked for you this afternoon.
2 • quanto tempo e stata nel Canada? how long (lit. how much time) were
you in Canada?
che cosa faceva? what were you doing? Here is another example of the
imperfect tense. He could also have asked: che cosa ha fatto? what did you
do?
ho lavorato I worked. First she worked in a department store, then in a
hospital. Lavorare = to work.
io ero I was. This is part of the imperfect of essere, see Grammar p. 184.
faceva freddo d'invemo? was it cold in winter? Here Giovanni is asking
was it cold, in general. If he had wanted to know about a specific period he
would have said, e.g. ha fatto molto freddo due anni fa? was it very cold
two years ago?
UNIT 13 177
Giovanni talks to a young man who came to Plymouth to study English
Giovanni E dove e stato l'anno scorso?
Signore Pluimun.
Giovanni Gli inglesi in realta dicono 'Plymouth'.
Signore E va bene, io lo pronuncio come posso.
Giovanni Si e trovato bene?
Signore Abbastanza.
Giovanni Ha imparato l'inglese?
Signore Piu che altro la grammatica.
Giovanni Malo parla l'inglese adesso?
Signore Si, rna piccoli discorsi, cioe frasi che terminano dopo .
massimo un minuto o due.
Giovanni Be', quanto tempo e stato?
Signore Eh, venti giorni.
Giovanni Non si puo imparare di piu in venti giorni, no? E gia stato
abbastanza bravo a imparare cosi tanto!
in realta in fact
adesso now
piccoli discorsi short sentences
frasi phrases, sentences
terminare to end
(al) massimo at the most
A waiter describes his work

Giovanni C'e molto da lavorare in questo ristorante?
Cameriere Eh, uno che lavora qua, deve sacrificarsi. Far le pulizie, riordinare,
preparare, servire.
Giovanni E Lei da quanto tempo lavora?
Cameriere Ho lavorato sempre da ragazzo. Tutti i migliori ristoranti, grandi
alberghi; e son felice d' averlo fatto per tanti anni. Ho avuto un bel
ristorante anch'io. Io ho avuto una 'Botte d'Oro' che veramente,
anche oggi che l'ho venduta, e rimasta botte d'oro, in tutti i sensi.
qua here
sacrificarsi to sacrifice oneself
far le pulizie to clean
riordinare to tidy up
preparare to prepare, to get things ready
servire to serve
UNIT 13
3 • l'anno scorso last year. Also: Ia settimana scorsa last week; ii mese scorso
last month. 'Next' is prossimo: I'anno prossimo, Ia settimana prossima, il
mese prossimo.
io lo pronuncio come posso I pronounce it the best I can. La pronuncia =
pronunciation.
• si e trovato bene? were you all right? how did you like it? If you asked a
woman the same question you would say: si e trovat.@ bene? Other
expressions: come si trova in quell'albergo? how do you find that hotel? mi
trovo bene I'm quite happy with it, I find it quite comfortable; vi troverete
bene in que! ristorante you'll be OK in that restaurant.
e gia stato abbastanza bravo a imparare cosi tanto you've already been
quite clever to learn so much. Bravo may be translated in a variety of ways:
un bravo ragazzo a good boy; un pianista molto bravo a very good pianist;
brava gente, brave persone nice people. It does not mean 'brave'.
4 • e Lei da quanto tempo lavora? how long have you been working? (lit. you,
since how long are you working?) Note the use of the present tense in
Italian in this type of phrase: lavoro da cinque anni in ltalia I've been
working in Italy for the past five years (and still do); abito con Giorgio da
un mese I've been living with Giorgio for a month. If Giovanni had wanted
to imply that the waiter was no longer working, he would have asked: per
quanto tempo ha lavorato?
sempre da ragazzo always since I was a boy (lit. since boy). A woman
would have said da ragazza, since I was a girl.
un bel ristorante a beautiful restaurant. Before nouns that take il as a
definite article (e.g. il ristorante) bello and quello are shortened to bel and
quel, e.g. il bel posto, que! giomo. Before a noun beginning with a vowel,
their final -o is replaced by an apostrophe: un bell'albergo, quell'albergo.
'Botte d'Oro' Golden Cask, was the name of the waiter's own restaurant,
which still makes a lot of money, and therefore is still a barrelful of gold, in
tutti i sensi, in all senses of the word.
l'ho venduta I've sold it. Venduto is the past participle of vendere, to sell.
When the perfect is preceded by lo or Ia they are both reduced to I', and
the past participle has to 'agree'. Here it's vendut.@ because the waiter is
thinking of Ia Botte d'Oro, not of ..i! ristorante.
UNIT 13 179
5 Enrico and Cesarina tell Giovanni about the places they come from,
Palombaro and Suzzara
Giovanni Che posto e Palombaro?
Enrico Eh, e un piccolo paesino di collina. Si trova moho vicino alia
catena degli Appennini, alia Maielia, no?
Giovanni Quindi e un paese agricolo.
Enrico Mmm, si, pero piu che agricohura e l'alievamento.
Giovanni Bestiame?
Enrico Si, bestiame, o ... ovini, suini .
Giovanni Mmmm, mmmm.
Enrico Bo ... bovini.
Giovanni Quanti abitanti fa Palombaro piu o meno?
Enrico Moho pochi. Siamo in tut ... in tutto milietrecento abitanti.
Giovanni Aliora in confronto a Palombaro Suzzara e una citta.
Cesarina Eh, Suzzara none una citta moho grande. E una cittadina dove
sono sorte ultimamente alcune industrie. Comunque prevale
l'attivita agricola.
paese (m.) village, small town; paesino small village
collina hill, hillside
catena mountain range (also chain)
Appennini Apennines
Maiella a mountain in the Apennines
quindi therefore
agricoltura farming, agriculture (adj. agricolo)
allevamento animal breeding (allevare = to bring up)
in confronto a compared with
sorto past part. of sorgere to arise
ultimamente lately
comunque anyhow, anyway, however
prevalere to prevail
5 • che posto e? what (sort of) place is it? Other phrases with posto: che bel
posto what a beautiful place; un posto di montagna a mountain resort;
tutto e a posto everything's OK, all is settled; mettere a posto to tidy up,
to put (things, persons) in their place.
bestiame (m. sing.), from bestia beast, is a general word for cattle and
farm animals (excluding poultry which is called pollame). It is subdivided
into gli ovini, which include sheep and goats; i suini, pigs; and i bovini
cows, oxen, and bulls. The names of the various farm animals are listed in
Key words and phrases opposite.
• quanti abitanti fa? how many inhabitants does it have (lit. make)? Enrico
might have replied: fa in tutto 1300 abitanti it has a total of 1300
inhabitants, but he preferred to include himself among them, saying: 'we
are 1300 in all'.
citta town; cittadina small town. Note the use of the diminutive also in
paese, paesino.
• alcune industrie a few industries. You could also say qualche industria, see
note on dialogue 1, p. 177.
r8o UNIT 13
Expressions of time
due giomi fa two days ago
una settimana fa a week ago
l'anno scorso last year
il mese prossimo next month
qualche volta!alcune volte sometimes, a few times
Asking information (about a visit, home town etc.)

da quanto tempo e in Inghilterra? how long have you been in
England? (and are still there)
(per) quanto tempo e stato in how long were you in America?
America? (and are no longer there)
le e piaciuto? l
ti e piaciuto? r did you like it?
si trova bene? l
do you like it? are you comfortable?
ti trovi bene? r
che posto e? what sort of place is it?
quanti abitanti fa? how many inhabitants does it have?
Giving information
sono in ltalia da (due anni) I've been in Italy (two years) (and
I'm still there)
sono stato/a in Italia per (due anni) I was in Italy for (two years) (and
have left)
sono andato/a per conto mio I went by myself
Ia mia cittalil mio paese e . . . my town/my village is ...
bella/bello beautiful
grande big
piccola!piccolo small
ha qualche industria it has some industries
fa (1300) abitanti it has ( 1300) inhabitants
Farm animals
Ia pecora sheep
Ia capra goat
il maiale pig
il bue (pl. i buoi) ox
Ia mucca COW
il toro bull
il cavallo horse
l'asino donkey
il mulo mule
Ia gallina hen
UNIT 13 I8I
1 Listen to Dino talking about his early life, and see how much you can
understand of what he is saying, by answering the following questions.
(Answers p. 188.)
a. What is the name of the village where Dino was born?

D Friuli
D Tolmezzo
b. How many years did he live there before moving to Bolzano?
D seven
D ten
c. Where did he complete his schooling?
D Bolzano
D Tolmezzo
d. Did he go to university in Bolzano?
Dyes
D no
2 Now, using Dino's conversation from Exercise 1, and the following

questions as a guide, make up some sentences about your own life and
town. Obviously the exact answers can't be given, but on p. 188 you will
find some sample sentences you may have used.
Dove sei nato/a?
Hai passato l'infanzia li?
Dove hai fatto Ia scuola?
Dove abiti adesso?
Che posto e?
Quanti abitanti fa?
Ti trovi bene ll?
UNIT 13
3 Listen to the dialogue on tape in which a man is asked about the languages
he knows, then answer the following questions. (Answers p. 188.)
a. Which foreign language did he study at school?
0 French
0
English
0
Spanish
b. How good is his spoken English?
0 he is quite fluent because he practises regularly
0 he can say short sentences but cannot engage in lengthy
conversation
c. How well does he know French?
0 he learnt French grammar, not how to speak French
0 he can speak French quite well, with a good pronunciation
4 Imagine that today is Monday 15th March, lunedi quindici marzo (for
dates you use ordinary numerals in Italian). Write in the spaces below the
dates corresponding to the following expressions. You won't need your tape
recorder. (Answers p. 188.)
a. tre giorni fa .................................................................................................... .

b. la settimana scorsa ......................................................................... .
c. esattamente due mesi fa ............................................................................... .
d. dopodomani ............................... .
e. lunedi prossimo ............................................................................................ .
f. la settimana prossima
5 Fill in the gaps in the sentences below with one of the following forms of
essere: sono, sono stato (or sono stata) saro. You won't need your tape
recorder. (Answers p. 188.)
a. . ............................................... a Londra un anno fa.

b. . ............................................... aRoma la settimana prossima.
c. . ............................................... in ltalia da due settimane.
d. . .............................................. .in Inghilterra per due anni.
e. .. .............................................. a casa dopodomani.
f. . ............................................... a Plymouth !'estate scorsa.
UNIT 13
Grammar
The imperfect
The imperfect tense can be easily formed by replacing the -re of the
infinitive with the endings shown below, which are the same for all types of
verb.
lavorare to work avere to have servire to serve
lavoravo avevo servivo
lavoravi avevi servivi
lavorava ave~ serviva
lavoravamo avevamo servivamo
lavoravate avevate servivate
lavoravanQ avevano servivanQ
The only exception is essere:
ero, eri, era, eravamo, eravate, erano
It could be misleading to give a 'translation' of the forms above because
there is no tense in English exactly corresponding to the Italian imperfect.
You should try to understand its use by noticing how it differs from the
perfect in the dialogues and in the examples below.
The perfect is used to talk about things which occurred at a definite time or
period in the past, and are seen as completed or finished:
Sono stato a Londra Ia prima volta nel 1968, e ci sono.rimasto
due anni. I was in London the first time in 1968, and stayed there
two years.
The imperfect, on the other hand, leaves things 'unfinished', and is
therefore used to talk about situations and states lasting or recurring over an
unspecified length of time in the past. It can often be translated into
English as 'was -ing' or 'used to ... '
Quando ero a Londra andavo spesso a teatro. Allora costava
poco. When I was in London I used to go often to the theatre.
Then it was cheap.
The two tenses may be contrasted in the same sentence:
Lavoravo in un grande albergo, e cosi ho studiato l'inglese.
I used to work in a luxury hotel, that's why I studied English.
Exercise Complete the following sentences with the verbal forms in the box below.
(Answers p. 188.)
a. Quando ................................................ a Londra da studente

................................................ molto andare a teatro.
'b. .. .............................................. a Londra solo due volte e
................................................ moho.
c. Per cinque anni .............................. come cameriere in un
ristorante poi .............................. un ristorante mio.
ho Iavorata sono t
. s atolstat
ho avuto nue . a
Placiuta
UNIT 13
Did you know?
Population of Italy
In 1861, according to a census organized by the first united Italian
government, the population of Italy was about 26 million people. Today it
exceeds 56 million: more than twice as many as there were when national
unity was achieved. The largest towns are Roma, the capital, with just
under 3 million inhabitants; Milano, approaching 2 million; Torino (Turin)
and Napoli (Naples) with just under one and a half million people. Genova
has just under one million inhabitants, and Firenze (Florence) about half a
million. There are furthermore about 40 towns with over 100,000
inhabitants, and 75 with over 50,000 inhabitants. If you remember that
Italy was divided for most of its history into several independent states and
principalities, and therefore nearly every Italian town of some importance
was at some time or other a state or regional capital, you can understand
this abundance of large population centres. Probably because of it, Italians
tend to underestimate the importance of provincial towns which never
reached the status of capital city: in dialogue 3 of the next unit you will
hear a student describe his home town, Gambettola, with up to 50,000
people living in it, as un paesino (a small village). Thriving provincial
centres with more than 100,000 inhabitants are often described as cittadine
(small towns).
Local government
Italy is divided into 20 regioni to which the central government delegates a
wide range of administrative powers. Regions are divided into a variable
number of provincie, each of which contains several cornuni. The cornune,
of which there are 8050 in the whole country, headed by an elected sindaco
(mayor), is the smallest local government unit. While the central
government has so far remained firmly in the hands of centre and right-
wing political parties, large areas of Italy, and some of the most important
towns (e.g. Torino, Milano, Napoli, even the capital itself) have come to be
administered by the left, including the Communist party. Bologna, often
called Bologna Ia rossa not only because of the reddish bricks with which
many of its medieval buildings were built, but also because of its long-
standing revolutionary traditions, has long been one of the showpieces of
Communist local government. Local government powers were enhanced by
legislation passed in the late 'sixties, and have resulted in notable
administrative improvements and in an increased number of interesting
cultural initiatives on a regional level (art exhibitions, concerts, theatrical
events, restoration and preservation of ancient monuments etc.).
UNIT 13 185
Read and understand
Read the notes (opposite) on four well-known Roman monuments, such as
you may find in a tourist guide. You do not need to understand every word
in order to answer the following questions. (Answers p. 188.)
a. Which is the most ancient of the four monuments mentioned?
b. Which one is the most recent?
c. Where was King Victor Emmanuel II buried?
d. How long did it take to build the Trevi fountain?
e. For how many centuries did the Terme di Caracalla perform their
intended function of public baths?
f. Two architects are mentioned in the notes. Give their names.
g. Which of the monuments is now used as a summer theatre?
186 UNIT 13
ALCUNI MONUMENTI ROMANI
PANTHEON Ouesto grandiose

santuario pagano, dedicate da
VITTORIANO Lo ha progettato Agrippa a tutti gli dei nel 27 dopo
l' architetto Saccone. II monumento. in Cristo. e poi diventato un santuario
marmo bianco, e stato costruito in Cristiano. Ora vi si trovano le tombe di
memoria di re Vittorio Emanuele II , italiani illustri, tra cui il pittore Raffaello e i
primo re dell' ltal ia unita. lncominciato re d'ltalia Vittorio Emanuele II e Umberto I.
nel 1885, e stato terminate solo nel
1911 .
terzo secolo dopo Cristo dall'imperatore

Settimio Severo. inaugurate dal figlio
Caracalla e completate dai suoi
successori, erano le pili grandi terme
FONT ANA Dl TREVI E stata costruita romane dell'epoca imperiale. Sono state
dal 1732 al 1762. su progetto di Nicola usate come terme fino al sesto secolo.
Salvi, e resa famosa. circa duecento anni Oggi vi si svolgono concerti sinfonici e Ia
dopo, dal film La dolce vita. stagione estiva di opera lirica.
UNIT 13
Your turn to speak
1 In this exercise you will answer some questions about your language
studies. Before you start, just listen again to the dialogue on tape for
Exercise 2 of Practise what you have learnt which will remind you of some of
the vocabulary you'll need. Remember the two verbs parlare (to speak) and
studiare (to study).
2 This time you will be asking the questions. You're asking Giancarlo about
his home town. You'll need to use the word ancora (still) and you'll also
hear these new words: coltelli (knives) and forbici (scissors).
Answers
Practise what you have learnt p. 182 Exercise 1 (a) Tolmezzo (b) ten
(c) Bolzano (d) no (he went to Pisa).
p. 182 Exercise 2 Here are some sample sentences:
Sono nato a (Londra)
Sono nata in (lnghilterra)
Si, ho passato i primi quindici anni li!No, ho passato 1a mia infanzia a
(Birmingham)
Ho fatto Ia scuola a (Londra)
Adesso abito a (Newcastle)
E una citta grande/E un paese picco1o/Ha molte industrie/E un paese
agricolo
Fa (100,000) abitanti!Siamo molto pochi
Si, mi trovo molto bene/No, non mi piace.
p. 183 Exercise 3 (a) French (b) he can say short sentences but cannot
engage in lengthy conversation (c) he learnt French grammar, not how to
speak French.
p. 183 Exercise 4 (a) venerdi dodici marzo (b) dall'otto al quattordici
marzo (c) il quindici gennaio (d) mercoledi diciassette marzo (e) il
ventidue marzo (f) dal ventidue al ventinove marzo. (Normally if you write
the date, of course, you don't need to write the numbers out in full - this is
just to remind you of the Italian numbers.)
p. 183 Exercise 5 (a) sono stato/a (b) saro (c) sono (d) sono stato/a
(e) saro (f) sono stato/a.
Grammar p. 184 (a) stavo, mi piaceva (b) sono stato, mi e piaciuta (c) ho
lavorato, ho avuto.
Read and understand p. 186 (a) Pantheon (b) Vittoriano (c) in the
Pantheon (d) 30 years (e) 3 centuries (f) Saccone and Salvi (g) Terme di
Caracalla.
188 UNIT 13
14 Si potrebbe andare al cinema
What you will learn

• how to talk about things you would like to do
• how to invite friends and acquaintances to an evening out
• how to explain minor health problems to a chemist or to a doctor
Before you begin

the imperfect - used to talk about unspecified states or situations in the past
essere: ero, eri, era, eravamo, eravate, erano
avere (and all other verbs): avevo, avevi, aveva, avevamo, avevate, avevano
2 how to express duration in the past
faccio il cameriere da cinque anni
I have been a waiter for five years (and still am one)
ho fatto il cameriere per cinque anni
I was a waiter for five years (and no longer am one)
Study guide
Study the Key words and phrases
Study the Grammar section and do the exercise
Read Did you know?
UNIT 14
Dialogues
._______J, 1 Annamaria and Giovanni make plans for the evening
Annamaria Che cosa ti piacerebbe fare questa sera? Si potrebbe andare al
cmema.
Giovanni Ma ... non c'e niente di bello al cinema, niente che vorrei
vedere.
Annamaria Se ti piace la musica popolare potremmo andare a un concerto.
Giovanni Mmm ... un concerto ... Che cosa danno?
Annamaria Musica popolare dell'Italia meridionale. Canti e danze della
Basilicata.
Giovanni Mmm ... si, l'idea mi va. Andiamo a questo concerto.
musica popolare folk music
concerto concert
canti songs
danze dances (also balli; ballare = to dance)
Basilicata a region in Southern Italy
Dina invites Giovanni to go to the opera

Dina A te piace l'opera?
Giovanni Ma, non eccessivamente, devo dir la verita. Perche?
Dina Siccome stasera danno La Boheme al teatro mi piacerebbe molto
andarci. E, se t'interessa, possiamo andare insieme.
Giovanni Mmm ... a che teatro la danno?
Dina AI Goldoni.
Giovanni Eh si, sarebbe una buona idea. Sai a che ora comincia?
Dina Alle otto e mezzo, e ... quindi, se noi siamo pronti perle otto,
arriviamo senz'altro in tempo.
non eccessivamente not very much

siccome as
• teatro theatre
Goldoni name of the theatre (and of an Italian 18th-century playwright)
cominciare to begin
UNIT 14
1 • che cosa ti piacerebbe fare? what would you like to do? For piacerebbe,
potrebbe, potremmo, vorrei etc., see Grammar p. 199.
There are other ways of asking basically the same question: che cosa
facciamo questa sera?; che cosa vogliamo fare questa sera?; che cosa si
fa questa sera?
• si potrebbe andare al cinema one could go to the cinema. Note that in
Italian 'one' is used much more often than in English. He could also have
said: potremmo andare al cinema we could go to the cinema.
niente di bello nothing good. Note the use of di after niente: niente di
interessante nothing interesting; non c'e niente di male there's no harm
in it. Notice also that 'good' for films, plays etc. is bello.
niente che vorrei vedere nothing I'd like to see. Vorrei is the same form
used before in requests like: vorrei un francobollo da 300 lire I'd like a
300 lira stamp (it's from volere, to want).
• che cosa danno? what's on? (lit. what do they give?). You can use dare (to
give) talking of all sorts of performances and entertainments: danno Via col
vento alia televisione !hey're showing Gone with the Wind on television;
danno un'opera di Verdi they're performing an opera by Verdi.
• l'idea mi va I like the idea; ti va? do you like it? non mi va affatto I don't
like it at all. (Note non .. . affatto, not at all.)
2 devo dir(e) Ia verita I must tell the truth; per dir Ia verita to tell the
truth.
stasera (short for questa sera) this evening, tonight. Similarly:
stamattina this morning, stanotte tonight.
• se t'interessa, possiamo andarci insieme if you're interested (lit. if it
interests you) we can go together. Note that ci (there) joins on to the
infinitive, which loses its final -e.
• sarebbe una buona idea it would be a good idea. Or, more simply: buona
idea! che buona idea.
• pronti per le otto ready by eight.
• in tempo (or a tempo) on time. Note also the following expressions:
puntualmente punctually; in ritardo late; in anticipo early, in advance.
UNIT 14 191
3 Gianfranco describes his future work prospects
Gianfranco Fino ad ora ho studiato, pero appena ritorno a casa iniziero a
lavorare in una scuola materna, perche sono anche maestro.
Giovanni Ah, sei maestro ... Una scuola materna: quindi insegnerai a
bambini piccoli.
Gianfranco Dai tre ai sei anni.
Giovanni Dove insegnerai?
Gianfranco Insegnero in un paesino vicino a Cesena, che e lamia citta
natale. Insegnero a Gambettola, un paesino di circa cinquantamila
abitanti.
pero but, however

appena as soon as
ritornare to return, to go back
a casa home
iniziare to begin
scuola materna nursery school
bambino, -a child
Giovanni asks Dino about his holiday plans

Giovanni Quando pensi di prenderti una vacanza la prossima volta?
Dina Probabilmente nell'autunno prossimo, o in ottobre, o in novembre
al piu tardi.
Giovanni Hai ... hai deciso dov'e che andrai?
Dino Si, probabilmente nell'Italia settentrionale, e centrale, non so, tra
Milano e Roma, diciamo. La localita precisa ancora non, non la so.
Giovanni E perche hai scelto questa stagione per andare in vacanza? La
maggior parte della gente vain vacanza d'estate.
Dino Ma, !'estate e troppo calda.
al piu tardi at the latest

decidere (part part. deciso) to decide
localita place, resort
stagione (f.) season
Ia maggior parte di . . . most
192 UNIT 14
3 • fino a ... until, as far as ... It can be used when speaking of places, e.g.
fino alia stazione as far as the station; fino a qui all the way to here; and
speaking of time, e.g. fino ad ora until now, up to now; fino alle tre until
three o'clock; fino a domani until tomorrow.
maestro, -a primary schoolteacher. A more general word for 'teacher' is
insegnante (from insegnare, to teach). Secondary school teachers, and all
tertiary lecturers, whatever their grade, are called professore (m.) or
professoressa (f.). Remember that, like all other titles ending in -re,
professore loses its final -e when followed by a name: ho incontrato il
professor Rossi I met/came across (Professor) Rossi.
natale of birth, from nascere, to be born, past participle nato. Remember
from Unit 13: dove sei nato? where were you born? sono nato a Milano I
was born in Milan. Natale is also the Italian for Christmas.
4 quando pensi di prenderti una vacanza? when do you think you're going
to take a holiday? The -ti (lit. yourself) attached to prendere is idiomatic
and can be ignored.
dov'e che andrai? where is it that you'll be going? This is often used
instead of the simpler: dove andrai?
Ia gente people. This word is singular and goes with singular adjectives and
verbs: c'era molta gente there were a lot of people; Ia gente bene
educata 'nice', well-bred people; che cosa dira Ia gente? what will people
say?
UNIT 14 193
Giovanni asks a chemist's advice about his headache
Giovanni Ieri ho mangiato un po' troppo. Mi son svegliato questa mattina col
mal di testa. Lei che cosa mi consiglia?
Farmacista Ha anche disturbi di stomaco?
Giovanni Leggeri, si.
Farmacista 11 solito Alka-Selzer allora.
Giovanni Alka-Selzer?
Farmacista Si, se ha disturbi di stomaco e mal di testa, conseguenza di
un'indigestione.
Giovanni Alka-Selzer.
Farmacista Una scatoletta da dodici costa mille quattrocento lire.
farmacista (m./f.) chemist
consigliare to advise
disturbo trouble
leggero light, slight
solito usual
conseguenza di because of
indigestione (f.) indigestion
scatoletta small box
In her surgery, a doctor examines a small patient, accompanied by her

father
Dottoressa Ha anche il raffreddore la bambina?
Papa No.
Dottoressa Soltanto della temperatura. Ed ... e alta la febbre?
Papa Oh si, e alta ...
Dottoressa Mm . .. mm. E alta. Quanti anni ha la bambina?
Papa Ha due anni.
Dottoressa Ecco.
Papa Er, Novalgina?
Dottoressa Novalgina a gocce. Si. Le da un cinque gocce .. . e tre o quattro
volte al giorno. Questo dovrebbe tenere bassa la temperatura e
togliere anche un po' il dolore.
dottoressa woman doctor

raffreddore (m.) cold
temperatura temperature
alto high (basso low)
• febbre (f.) fever, temperature
Novalgina name of a drug
da give (from dare, to give)
dolore (m.) pain.
194 UNIT 14
5 mi son(o) svegliato I woke up. This is from svegliarsi to wake up, a
reflexive verb (note the infinitive of a reflexive verb has-si on the end). You
can ask reception at your hotel: mi svegli aUe sette wake me up at seven.
La sveglia = alarm clock.
• mal(e) di testa headache. The phrases for other complaints can be found in
Key words and phrases p. 196. Note also: mi fa male ... I have a pain in
my ... , e.g. mi fa male il ginocchio I have a pain in my knee; mi fa male
l'orecchio I have a pain in my ear; mi fa male qui I have a pain here; and
ho mal di stomaco I feel sick.
6 • a gocce drops, in drop form. Medicines and drugs come also in compresse
tablets, pillole pills, pastiglie lozenges, bustine sachets,
iniezioni injections, supposte suppositories, pomate ointments.
un cinque gocce about five drops; un sei o sette pastiglie a! giomo about
six or seven lozenges a day. Other ways of expressing approximate
numbers: una decina about ten, una ventina about twenty, una
trentina about thirty etc., replacing -a of the tens with -ina; un centinaio
about a hundred, un migliaio about a thousand.
• tre o quattro volte al giomo three or four times a day. Note the use of a in
the following phrases: due volte alia settimana twice a week; tre volte
all'anno three times a year; una volta al mese once a month.
In an emergency you might need a dentist, un!una dentista. A medical
doctor is un medico, although dottore and dottoressa are also used.
UNIT 14 195
Entertainment
che cosa ti piacerebbe fare? what would you like to do?
che cosa vogliamo fare? what do we want to do?
che cosa facciamo? t what shall we do?
che cosa si fa? f
se t'interessa ... if you are interested . . .
si potrebbe andare . . . } we could go ...
potremmo andare . . .
al cinema to the cinema
al teatro to the theatre
aDa spiaggia to the beach
che cosa danno? what's on?
ti va? do you like the idea?
l'idea mi va I like the idea
(sarebbe una) buona idea (it would be a) good idea
fino ad ora up to now
Health problems
ho mal di ... I have a . . . ache
testa head
denti tooth
pancia stomach
schiena back
mare/aria I feel sea/air sick
mi fa male ... I have a pain in my . . .
il ginocchio knee
l'orecchio ear
Ia gola I have a sore throat
ho Ia febbre I have a temperature
To understand
siamo pronti per le otto we'll be ready by eight
a tempo, puntualmente on time, punctually
in ritardo late
in anticipo in advance, early
Medicines
gocce drops
compre sse tablets
pastiglie lozenges
pinole pills
iniezionilpunture injections
supposte suppositories
pomata ointment
tre o quattro volte al giorno three or four times a day
UNIT I4
1 Giancar!o and Gina are discussing their plans for the evening. Listen to the
dialogue on tape and answer the following questions. (Answers p. 202.)
a. What do they decide straight away not to do?

D go to the cinema
D stay at home
b. Does Giancarlo like opera?
Dyes
D no
c. Does he want to go to
D a play?
D a concert?
d. What do they decide to do in the end?
D go to a symphony concert next evening
D go to a play by Goldoni at the Teatro delle Muse
D dine out at a good restaurant
Listen to three people introducing themselves on tape and decide which of

the entertainments advertised they would each enjoy. (Answers p. 202.)
Carla ................................ .
Luisa ................................ .
Giorgio ................................ .
A B
TEATRO DELLE TEATRO LIRICO
MUSE
Concerto Sinfonico
Stagione internazionale Orchestra da camera della
presenta RAI
Ia compagnia del diretta dal
Birmingham Repertory
Theatre in Maestro Bruno Nicolai
THE CARETAKER
dl Harold Pinter Musiche di Albinoni,
(in lingua originale) Purcell, Mozart, Bartok.
c D
AL CLUB DEL JAZZ CINEMA ASTORIA
suona il
Quintetto Billy Grande ripresa di
una classica awentura di
Harper 007
con
Billy Harper sax tenore
Chris Albert tromba
II dottor No
con
Armen Donelian piano
Louis Pears contrabbasso
SEAN CONNERY
Newman Baker percussione URSULA ANDRESS
UNIT 14 197
3 Re-arrange the following dialogue between a patient and her doctor. Then
listen to the correct version on tape.
Paziente Si, credo di aver fatto indigestione.
Dottore Vedra che domani stara bene.
Paziente Grazie.
Dottore Prenda due di queste compresse adesso, e due dopo cena.
Paziente Da questa mattina.
Dottore Ha anche disturbi di stomaco?
Paziente Ho mal di testa e anche un po' di febbre.
Dottore Da quanto tempo?
Paziente
Dottore
Paziente
Dottore
Paziente
Dottore
Paziente
Dottore
4 Your friend doesn't know what to do in his free time. Complete the
sentences below with the most likely phrases from those in the box beneath.
There are a few words you haven't met before but you shouldn't have any
trouble in guessing what they mean. You won't need your tape recorder.
(Answers p. 202.)
a. Usciamo insieme questa sera?

all'Odeon. Ti piacerebbe vederlo?
b. Sei stanco? Allora potremmo stare a casa a
c. Oppure andiamo a .................................... So che Anna e
Flavia saranno al Bar Motta aile otto.
d. Domani, se fa bello, andiamo .................................... 11 mare
e caldo in questa stagione.
e. Se vuoi un po' di cultura, potremmo .................................... , e
aperto domani.
aUa spiaggia prendere IUla &·1rra

\ te\evi.si.one
i\ tnuseo guardate a
visitate danno un ti\tn
UNIT 14
Grammar
The conditional
The 'conditional' simply means the 'would/should' tense: I would like, they
would be able to etc.·To form this tense, take away the final -e of the
infinitive (changing the -ar- of -are verbs to -er-), exactly as in the future,
and add the endings shown below:
lavorare to work togliere to take away preferire to prefer
lavorer.ri toglierei preferir.ri
lavoreresti toglier§ti preferir§ti
lavorerebbe toglierebbe preferir~
lavoreremmo toglieremmo preferiremmo
lavorereste togliereste preferir§tt
lavorerebbero toglierebbero preferirebbero
The same verbs that shorten their 'stem' in the future (see Unit 12) do so in
the conditional; the endings, however, are the same as above:
andare to go andrei rimanere to remain rimarrei
avere to have avrei vedere to see vedrei
dovere must dovrei volere to want vorrei
essere to be sarei venire to come verrei
potere to be able, can potrei
This tense is used: • in making polite requests and expressing wishes
• in expressing opinions, possibilities and expectations
vorrei un caffe I'd like a coffee
le piacerebbe di venire al cinema con me? would you like to
come to the cinema with me?
preferiremmo due camere separate we'd rather have two separate
rooms
sarebbe difficile it would be difficult
questo dovrebbe togliere il dolore this ought to take away the pain
andrei a teatro, ma ho il raffreddore I'd go to the theatre, but
I've got a cold.
Exercise Fill in the gaps in the sentences below with one of the conditionals from the
box in the margin. (Answers p. 202.)
dovrebbe a. Domani sera ............................................. andare a teatro. Mi
Preferirei .......................................... molto, rna non posso.
potremmo b. Questa medicina ..................... tenere bassa la febbre, rna se la febbre

~i\ non passa, le 00 0000 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 di andare da un medico.
oo~O
c. Dino ........................... in vacanza d'estate, rna fa troppo caldo.

Piacerebbe
~'e~
d. .. ........................................... una camera singola con bagno,
ellllllo
rna la .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . sul cortile.
andrebbe e. Se siete a casa, .................................... a visitarvi questa sera.
consiglierei
UNIT I4 199
Read and understand
Here are the programmes shown by a number of film societies in Rome.
Read them carefully and answer the following questions. (Answers p. 202.)
CINE CLUB
ARCHIMEDE 71, Via Archimede 3. Touchez Pas Au Grisbi, di Jacques
(Parioli). Tel. 875.567. L. 1.500 Becker- 6: Vivre sa vie, di Jean Luc
Non pervenuto Godard- 7: Arsene Lupin, di j_ Pierre
Dercourt.
AU SONIA
92 Via Padova (Nomentano-Italia). FARNESE
Tel. 426.160. Feriali-festivi L. 1.500. 56, Piazza Campo de' Fiori (Regolo)-
ridotti L. 800 Tel. 656.43.95- Feriali e festivi
L. 1.500; ridotti L. 1.000.
3: II prigioniero di Zenda di W.
Mirisch, con Peter Sellers- 4: RASSEGNA Dl FILM INTERPRET AT!
Animal House, di J. Landis- 5: DA GRETA GARBO, in lingua
The Blues Brothers, di J. Landis originale con sottotitoli in italiano- 3:
6: 1941: Allarme a Hollywood, La Regina Cristina, di R. Mamoulian
di Steven Spielberg- 7-8: The Blues - 4: Anna Karenina, di C. Brown- 5:
Brothers, replica. Maria Walewska, di C. Brown- 6:
Piccoli omicidi, di Alan Arkin - S-9:
LA GARBO PARLA! Rassegna di film Stardust Memories, di Woody Allen.
interpretati da Greta Garbo, in lingua
originale con sottotitoli italiani 9-10: FILMSTUDIO
Mata Hari, di G. Fitz-Maurice. 1-C, Via Orti d'Alibert (Trastevere)-
Tel. 65.73.78- Tessera Lire 1.500,
BOITO 4 mesi; ingresso L. 1.500 -
12, Via A. Boito (Vescovio). Tel.
831.01.98- Feriali e festivi L. 1.500. Studio Uno- RASSEGNA DEDICATA
A MARLON BRANDO- ~: La
Chiuso per restauro Caccia, di A. Penn- 6: riposo- 7-8:
Queimada, di Gillo Pontecorvo- 9: Gli
CENTRE CULTUREL FRAN<;AIS ammutinati del Bounty, di L.
3, Piazza Campitelli. Tel. 679.42.87 Milestone.
a. Where would you go if you wanted to see films with Greta Garbo?
b. Which cinema shows the Italian version of Mutiny on the Bounty?
c. Where can you see French films in the original language?
d. How much does an ordinary ticket cost in most of these cinemas?
e. Which cinema is closed? ................................................................................. ..

f. Does any of these film societies show films produced in Italy with
Italian actors? ....................................................................................................... .
200 UNIT 14
Did you know?
Health problems
In 1980 the Italian government re-structured various forms of state-assisted
health insurance into a Servizio Sanitario Nazionale. European Community
(including UK) nationals going to Italy are entitled to free hospital, medical
and dental care, and to prescribed medicines at a reduced charge. If you are
a UK national, you should apply before going to Italy to your local National
Health and Social Security Office for Form E Ill. When in Italy you
should show this form to the Unita Sanitaria Locale (Local Health Unit),
or USL for short; or, should there be no USL, to another authority known
as SAUB (Struttura Amministrativa Unificata di Base, i.e. Basic Unified
Administrative Structure). You will then be issued with a Certificate of
Entitlement which you can take to one of the doctors or dentists on the
USL or SAUB panel. Without this certificate you may have to pay for your
treatment, and have difficulty in being reimbursed afterwards. Other non-
EEC nationals, or people preferring private treatment should, of course,
take out a private medical insurance policy before leaving.
For minor ailments most Italians prefer to go to a chemist and ask for
his/her advice. Chemists are all university graduates, chartered members of
a national professional organization, with a long training and considerable
experience in dispensing medicines. They are allowed to sell a number of
proprietary drugs and preparations without a doctor's prescription, if they
think it's safe to do so. In remote places the chemist may also be willing to
give first aid in the case of minor accidents involving simple medication .
Entertainments
Before you decide what sort of entertainment or show to go to, make a
point of getting hold of the local paper; or, if you're staying at a hotel, of a
copy of the local What's on (often printed in Italian and English). It's good
to know that regional governments, particularly during the tourist season,
earmark a certain proportion of their budget for the sponsorship of free
shows and concerts: look out, in your programme, for those marked
ingresso gratuito entry free.
Italians tend to decide what to do in the evening on the spur of the
moment. Only a few very special shows (operas with star performers, or
pop concerts) may be sold out (tutto esaurito) in advance of their
performance. It is normally possible to obtain seats for most shows simply
by applying on the same day. In some cases advance booking is positively
discouraged!
Theatres and cinemas are divided (going from dearer to cheaper seats)
into platea stalls, palchi boxes, balconata circle, galleria balcony. Stalls
and circle may be divided into prima fila first row and altre file other rows.
Opera houses may have a few rows of cheap seats above the top gallery,
called loggione. Cinemas often make a single charge for all types of seats
(posto unico). Prima visione means the film is being shown for the first
time, in which case the seats are more expensive.
UNIT 14 20!
Your turn to speak
1 First you will invite a friend to have an evening out with you. Remember
the word il giomale (newspaper).
2 Now you are in the chemist's and want something for your sore throat. You
will need the verb consigliare (to advise).
Answers
Practise what you have learnt p. 197 Exercise 1 (a) go to the cinema
(b) no (c) a play (d) dine out at a good restaurant.
p. 197 Exercise 2 Carla: B Luisa: A, Band C Giorgio: C and D.
p. 198 Exercise 4 (a) danno un film (b) guardare Ia televisione
(c) prendere una birra (d) alia spiaggia (e) visitare il museo .
Grammar p. 199 (a) potremmo, piacerebbe (b) dovrebbe, consiglierei

(c) andrebbe (d) vorrei, preferirei (e) verremmo.
Read and understand p. 200 (a) Ausonia and Farnese (b) Filmstudio
(c) Centre Culture! Fran'rais (d) 1500 lire (e) Boito (f) no.
202 UNIT 14
15 Un piccolo incidente
What you will learn

• how to cash a cheque in a bank
• how to ask for a refund
• how to discuss what you have done and to relate past events
• how to complain about overcharging
Before you begin

1 the conditional (a tense used to express wishes, possibilities, expectations
and to make polite requests)
essere: sarei, saresti, sarebbe, saremmo, sareste, sarebbero
avere: avrei, avresti, avrebbe, avremmo, avreste, avrebbero
lavorare: lavorerei, lavoreresti, lavorerebbe, lavoreremmo, lavorereste,
lavorerebbero
2 how to complain about pains and ailments

ho male di ...
mi fa male Ia testa, Ia gola etc.
ho Ia febbre
ho il raffreddore
che cosa mi consiglia?
Study guide
Study the Key words and phrases
Study the Grammar section
Listen to all the dialogues again straight through
Finally, do the Revision exercises for Units 13-15 on p. 224.
UNIT 14 203
Dialogues
1 Giovanni cashes a E urocheque at a bank

Impiegato Buon giorno.
Giovanni Senta, vorrei- euh- incassare un assegno Eurocheque. Li
accettano?
I mpiegato Sl..
Giovanni Ecco.
Impiegato Euh- semi da i suoi documenti, mi fa vedere l'assegno . . e la
carta.
Giovanni Ecco il passaporto ... la carta di credito. L'assegno e qui.
Qu,ant'e il cambio della sterlina oggi?
Impiegato Mille novecento venti.
Giovanni Ah! E aumentato. leri era mille novecento dieci.
Impiegato Si, effettivamente e aumentato. Va bene?
Giovanni Va bene, grazie.
Impiegato Mi fa una firma, per favore?
Giovanni Si, ecco.
Impiegato Si accomodi pure alia cassa dodici.
• incassare to cash
• assegno cheque
carta (Eurocheque) card
• cambio change, rate of change
sterlina pound sterling
effettivamente in fact
A woman applies for a refund on her railway ticket, which she did not
use because of her children's illness
Signora Senta, io ho fatto ieri questi biglietti per Civitavecchia, ieri sera
verso le sei; rna io non son partita, ho i bimbi malati e volevo il
rimborso.
Impiegato Comunque questo vale due giorni, e stamani poteva partire.
Signora E rna io non son partita perche ho i bimbi ammalati.
Impiegato Eh be', con questo comunque il rimborso doveva chiederlo nella
giornata di ieri.
Signora Ma siccome erano per stamani . . . Ieri ero nel caos . . .
Impiegato Cioe, puo partire ... poteva partire anche stamani, pero il
rimborso veniva chiesto ieri, la data di emissione del biglietto.
Signora E allora? Ma il ... come, se il biglietto e ancora valido, perche
non posso usufruire del rimborso? lo non son partita!
Civitavecchia a coastal town north of Rome
bimbi children
malato, ammalato (pl. malati, ammalati) ill
vale is valid
siccome since, given that
caos chaos, state of confusion
data di emissione date of issue
usufruire (-isco) to benefit, to be entitled to
204 UNIT 15
1 li accettano? do you accept them? Just as you use the Lei form to mean
'you' in the singular, e.g. Lei ha freddo? are you cold?, so you can use the
loro form to mean 'you' in the plural. If you go to a restaurant with other
people, you may find waiters addressing you in this way: che cosa
desiderano? what would you like?
e aumentato it's gone up. If it had gone down, Giovanni would have said:
e diminuito (from diminuire, -isco, to diminish). Note how a specific
event in the past (the fact that the rate of exchange went up) and a straight
description in the past (what the rate was like yesterday), is expressed in the
use of (contrast between) the perfect (e aumentato) and the imperfect
(era).
• mi fa una firma? would you sign here? (lit. would you make me a
signature?). You may also hear: vuole firmare qui?
• si accomodi pure alia cassa please go to the cash till. You often hear the
phrase si accomodi - it is a polite way of asking you to go somewhere or do
something, e.g. prego, si accomodi please come in/do sit down, make
yourself comfortable.
2 volevo il rimborso lit. I wanted a refund, but in fact she wants it now. For
this use of the imperfect to soften a request ('I should like a refund'), see
• Grammar, p. 212. You may want to ask: vorrei il rimborso- or posso
avere il rimborso?- or puc) rimborsarmi il biglietto? (can you refund my
ticket?).
• stamani poteva partire you could have left this morning. Stamani, like
stamattina, is another way of saying questa mattina.
il rimborso doveva chiederlo you should have asked for a refund.
il rimborso veniva chiesto ieri the refund should have been asked for
yesterday. Alternatively he might have said il rimborso andava chiesto ieri.
For this use of venire and andare, see Grammar, p. 212.
UNIT 15 205
3 A writer reminisces about the past
Giovanni Io ho studiato a Pisa e mi son laureato con Luigi Russo, no?
Scrittore Ah, io lo conoscevo benissimo ...
Giovanni Abitava, abitava proprio ...
Scrittore ... proprio vicino a me, si, a poche centinaia di metri da casa
mia. Era amico di mio padre. Passavano delle ... dei pomeriggi,
veniva sempre a trovare mio padre. Io ero molto giovane, rna
comunque sono stato sempre un suo allievo, insomma vero.
scrittore (m.), scrittrice (f.) writer
giovane young
comunque anyhow
allievo disciple, pupil
4 Dino reminisces about his holiday spent last summer in Val Gardena
with his family
Giovanni Quando sei stato l'ultima volta dalle tue parti con la famiglia?
Dino L'estate scorsa. Abbiamo fatto una vacanza- una breve vacanza
neUe Dolomiti, che veramente e stata meravigliosa.
Giovanni In che parte delle Dolomiti sei stato?
Dino Siamo stati in Val Gardena, in una localita che si chiama Ortisei,
proprio una localita ideale per noi, perche ci piacciono le
montagne, ci piacciono le passeggiate facili, in montagna.
famiglia family
Dolomiti Dolomites (mountains in North East Italy)
meraviglioso marvellous
Val Gardena Gardena Valley (val = valle)
montagne mountains, but in montagna in the mountains
zo6 UNIT 15
3 mi son(o) laureato con Luigi Russo I took my degree, with Luigi Russo as
my supervisor: Professor Russo was one of the foremost Italian literary
critics in the first half of this century.
• lo conoscevo benissimo I knew him well. Note that this same phrase in
the perfect: l'ho conosciuto would be best translated as 'I met him', as it
would refer to a specific occasion. Conoscere means 'to know' a person
rather than a fact.
• veniva sempre a trovare mio padre he always came to see my father.
Andare/venire a trovare is the same as visitare: sono andato a trovarla
ieri I went to visit her yesterday; vieni a trovarmi qualche volta come and
see me sometimes.
insomma vero two fillers without direct translations.
4 dalle tue parti in your part of the country. On the use of da to mean 'in',
'to' or 'at' see Grammar, p. 212.
• abbiamo fatto una breve vacanza we had a short holiday. Besides fare una
vacanza you may also use the expression andare or essere in vacanza:
andremo in vacanza in campagna we'll go on holiday in the country; saro
in vacanza dal 3 al 25 luglio I'll be on holiday from the 3rd to the 25th of
July.
• le passeggiate walks. 'To go for a walk' is fare una passeggiata: ieri
abbiamo fatto una passeggiata in montagna yesterday we went for a walk
in the mountains.
The Dolomites
UNIT IS 207
Ds The holiday was wonderful but the hotelier was not. Dino explains why
he had to pay more than he'd bargained for
Dino II tempo era molto bello, il cibo era molto buono, la gente era
molto simpatica. L'unica eccezione e stato il nostro albergatore che
ci ha imbrogliati sul conto: un piccolo incidente che non ci ha
rovinato la vacanza.
Giovanni E ve ne siete accorti al momento che vi aveva imbrogliato sul
conto, o ve ne siete accorti dopo?
Dino No, me ne sono accorto sul momento, pen) ho deciso di lasciar
correre.
Giovanni Vi aveva imbrogliato sul costo della stanza o vi aveva fatto pagare
di piu di quello che dovevate pagare?
Dino Si, ci ha aumentato il prezzo di circa il dieci per cento, e io
stupidamente non avevo la lettera che comprovava il prezzo,
diciamo, originario.
l'unica eccezione the only exception
albergatore (m.) hotelier, owner/manager of hotel
imbrogliare to cheat, to swindle
incidente (m.) accident
rovinare to ruin
stupidamente stupidly
comprovare to prove, to vouch for
5 • la gente era molto simpatica people were very nice (but remember that la
gente is singular!) Like 'nice', simpatico is an all-purpose adjective
applying to anyone or anything one likes or approves of: com'e
simpatico how nice he is; un ristorante molto simpatico a very nice
restaurant.
• ve ne siete accorti al/sul momento ... o dopo? did you realize (it) at the
time ... or later? Note that realizzare in Italian does not mean 'to realize'
but 'to make something come true or real': ho realizzato ii mio desiderio I
made my wish come true. Accorgersi, to notice/realize is reflexive (mi
accorgo, me ne sono accorto etc.). Remember that mi, ti, ci, vi and si,
when followed by ne change their-ito -e (see Unit 7, dialogue 4): ce ne
siamo accorti we realized it.
vi aveva imbrogliato sul conto he had cheated you on the bill. If you think
• your bill is incorrect, say: c'e uno sbaglio/un errore nel conto there's a
mistake in the bill; e piii: di quello che devo pagare it's more than I
ought to pay.
• lasciar(e) correre to let it go, to ignore. Lasciamo correre let's leave it at
that, never mind. Also lasciare perdere: lascia perdere don't take any
notice.
208 UNIT 15
To learn
vorrei incassare un assegno I'd like to cash a cheque
quant'e il cambio? what's the rate of exchange?
vorrei il rimborso I'd like a refund
puo rimborsarmi il biglietto? can you refund my ticket?
c'e un errore/uno sbaglio nel there's a mistake in my bill
conto
e piii: di quello che devo pagare it's more than I owe you
lasciamo correre never mind, let's leave it at that
accorgersi di o 0 0 to become aware of o o o, to realize
ve ne siete accorti? did you realize (it)?
non me ne sono accorto/a I didn't realize (it)
venire/andare a trovare to visit
vieni a trovarci questa sera come and see us tonight
lo conosco bene I know him well
l'ho conosciuta a Roma I met her in Rome
abbiamo fatto una vacanza we had a marvellous holiday
meravigliosa
andremo in vacanza dal o alo o o o o we'll be on holiday from 0 o o to o o o
abbiamo fatto delle passeggiate we went for walks

Ia gente era simpatica the people were nice
(Alberto) non era simpatico (Albert) wasn't nice
To understand
stamani today, this morning
mi fa una firma? would you sign here?
si accomodi alia cassa please go to the cash till
si accomodi please come in, please sit down
UNIT 15 209
1 Listen to the dialogue on tape where two friends are talking and answer the
a. When was the girl expecting her friend?

D yesterday afternoon
D yesterday evening
b. Is her friend
D working?
D on holiday?
c. Whom did he meet yesterday?
D a very young man
D a friend of his father's
d. What happened?
D they went together for a long walk
D they had a long conversation together
e. Did he keep his appointment with the girl?
D yes: he went to see her at about six in the evening
D no: he was so absorbed in his conversation with the person he
had met that he did not realize how late it was
2 Here is a dialogue about a small problem with a bill. Fill in the missing
verbs from the box below and then listen to the correct version on tape to
check your answer.
Gina Quando ...................................................... che c'era uno

sbaglio nel conto?
Giancarlo ...................................................... solo dopo aver lasciato il
ristorante, infatti ............................................. mia moglie.
Gina Che cosa ...................................................... allora?
Giancarlo Quando ...................................................... , siamo ritornati
al ristorante e ...................................................... il rimborso
di quello che avevamo pagato in piu.
Gina E ve lo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ?
Giancarlo Si, ci ...................................................... senza discussioni.
avete £. ~~\.O
att0 ~~~~o
• ~~b-
ee ne siamo accortl -qo ~z·
l116o
sen''e accorta abbiamo chiesto ~~to
210 UNIT 15
3 With the help of the captions to the pictures, complete this postcard to an
old friend in Rome who couldn't join you on your holiday on the Italian
Riviera, by translating the English sentences below. You don't need your
tape recorder. (Answers p. 216.)
andare in barca a vela fare passeggiate in montagna
andare a nuotare prendere il sole (past part. preso)
gente simpatica andare a ballare
... all the people are very nice. Every day we've been swimming
and sunbathing. Sometimes we've been sailing and on Sunday we
went for a walk in the mountains. Last night we went dancing at
the discotheque.
purtroppo unfortunately
UNIT 15 211
Grammar
Further uses of the imperfect

The following uses of the imperfect are mostly confined to the spoken
language:
• instead of the conditional tense
stamani poteva partire you could have left this morning
doveva chiederlo ieri you should have asked for it yesterday
• with se (if)
se chiedeva il rimborso ieri lo aveva subito if you had asked for a
refund yesterday you would have got it at once
se veniva a casa mi trovava if he/she had come to my house he/
she would have found me.
Just as the present tense of essere and avere is used to form the perfect,
the imperfect of these verbs, together with the past participle of the verb is
used to form another compound tense: the 'pluperfect' which translates as
'had done something'. You are not going to study this tense but just note
two examples of it in dialogue 5:
vi aveva imbrogliato sui conto he had cheated you on the bill
vi aveva fatto pagare di piu he had made you pay more.
Venire and andare as auxiliaries

Forms of venire may be found before an infinitive instead of essere:
questi assegni non vengono accettati ( = non sono accettati) dalla
banca these cheques are not accepted by the bank
l'IV A viene aggiunta al totale VAT is added to the total
Forms of andare in the same position express a sense of duty or obligation:

questo assegno va presentato a una banca this cheque should be
paid into a bank
l'IV A va aggiunta al totale VAT must be added to the total
Use of da
You are already familiar with the use of da to mean 'from':
vengo da Roma I come from Rome
dal 3 al 25 luglio from 3rd to 25th July
In some cases da can also mean 'in', 'to', or 'at the house of'
posso venire date questa sera? can I come to your place tonight?
passa dal fomaio e compra mezzo chilo di pane pop in at the
baker's and buy half a kilo of bread
abita dalle tue parti he/she lives in your area
212 UNIT 15
Did you know?
The media
As you may remember from a comprehension exercise in Unit 7, there are
in Italy a few national newspapers, and several fairly important regional or
local papers. The distinction is mostly one of prestige and circulation,
rather than coverage, since good 'local' dailies, like La Nazione (Florence)
or /l Mattino (Naples) will give nearly as much space to national and
international news as the best known 'nationals' like /l Carriere della sera
(Milan) or La Repubblica (Rome). (The latter was founded only a few years
ago but is slowly replacing /l Carriere della sera as the establishment paper.)
Prestige dailies, on the other hand, will also carry crime stories and other
items of local interest. In spite of the fact that many dailies call themselves
quotidiano indipendente, they are far from being independent of powerful
commercial and political interests. In this respect they are not much
different from such party dailies as L'Unitii (Communist) or /l Popolo
(Christian Democrat), which at least do not make a mystery of their
allegiance. All Italian morning dailies have a consistently 'highbrow' tone
and layout. It is possible to see some difference between 'quality' and
'popular' press only at the level of the weeklies, but even the most popular
magazines, like Oggi, Gente, or La Domenica del Carriere consciously aspire
to a quality image. There are no Sunday papers in the British and American
sense, only Sunday issues of the everyday papers.
Radio and television are in the hands of a state-controlled organization,

RAI-TV, with three national radio programmes and three colour television
channels, and of a surprising number of private stations, of which there
may be more than a dozen in every major town. Some radio stations are
sponsored by political parties, like Radio Radicale, of the Radical party,
which has an embryo national network and possibly the best news service
outside RAI·TV. The majority are commercial stations, surviving on locally
sponsored advertisements, and broadcasting a continuous stream of rock
and disco music, interspersed with badly presented and incoherently
structured phone-ins. Private TV stations vary considerably. The least bad
programmes are shown by stations which have managed to get together into
some sort of regional or national network. The rest churn out an
astonishing number of cartoons, B-films and (late at night) soft porn,
occasionally in the form of live strip shows. The mushrooming growth of all
these private and commercial stations has certainly been one of the most
interesting social phenomena of the seventies.
UNIT 15 213
Read and understand
Here is a selection of warning notices (excluding road traffic signs) which
you can find in Italy. By a judicious process of guesswork, translation and
elimination you should be able to match all of them with their English
equivalents. (Answers p. 216.)
1 .................. ················· ···················· 2 ........................................................ .
3 ·· ·············· ..
4 ...................................... ··················
5 ......................................................... 6 ........................................................ .
214 UNIT 15
Translation of the notices
Danger of fire Forbidden to cross the rails
Fishing forbidden Death to whoever touches
Do not lean out Forbidden to go down
Emergency brake No through road
Entry forbidden for unauthorized vehicles
It is forbidden to use the alarm signal except in case of danger
Entry forbidden to beggars and travelling salesmen: shut the door
Forbidden to children under 18
7 ........ ..... ... ........ .......... ..... .. .. ........ ... .. 8 . • o••O • •· · · · · · •o ••• • ··
10 ... O• • • • • • oo
, ~SJ.8.~H.6·l~
~ . . ·~
' It I ~ f ._I
MTR A'JERSARE I BINARI
~· SENZA . 77'" 12 .
0~ 0: ~::::· ~::::::-:
o)% 0:-: 0
0
USC IT A .
• O• •• • O• • • •O • • OO • •o .... ..... .. . .
~:
.. -t_ ....... •ll- .
11 .......... o .. o ... ... . . . . . o . . . . . . . . . o • •• o . . . . . . . . .
UNIT 15 215
Your turn to speak
1 First you'll practise changing travellers' cheques at a bank. Before you start,
just look at p. 230 and revise the numbers. Remember that 'pounds
sterling' in Italian are sterline.
2 Now you will complain about a mistake in your hotel bill. Again you will
need to know the numbers and it may be a good idea to jot notes on a· piece
of paper to help you remember the figures as you do the exercise.
Revision
Finish the course by doing the revision section for the last three units you
have studied- Units 13-15- on p. 224. The tape exercise is the last
recording on your cassette.
You should now have a good basic knowledge of Italian and an ability to
cope in the most common situations - an ability which will improve with
practice, and especially if you are able to have a trip to Italy ... enjoy
yourself! divertiti!
Answers
Practise what you have learnt p. 210 Exercise 1 (a) yesterday afternoon
(b) on holiday (c) a friend of his father's (d) they had a long conversation
together (e) no: he was so absorbed in his conversation.
p. 211 Exercise 3 ... tutta la gente i: molto simpatica. Ogni giorno siamo
andati a nuotare e abbiamo preso il sole. Qualche volta siamo andati in
barca a vela e domenica abbiamo fatto una passeggiata in montagna. Ieri
sera siamo andati a ballare alia discoteca.
Read and understand p. 214 (1) Emergency break (2) Forbidden to go

down (3) Forbidden to children under 18 (4) Danger of fire (5) Entry
forbidden to beggars and travelling salesmen: shut the door (6) Fishing
forbidden (7) Death to whoever touches (8) Do not lean out (9) It is
forbidden to use the alarm signal except in case of danger (10) Entry
forbidden for unauthorized vehicles (11) No through road (12) Forbidden
to cross the rails
216 UNIT 15
Revision Units 1-3
This is a short revision section. Use it to test yourself and see how much
you've actually learned (you may surprise yourself!) You'll do better, of
course, if you go over the contents of the previous three units once more
before you start. Answers to all revision sections can be found on p. 226.
1 Listen to a man and a woman introducing themselves on tape (straight after

Unit 3). Then answer the following questions by ticking the correct boxes.
a. The man is called 0 Giorgio
D Franco
D Carlo
b. He is from D Varese
D Arese
D Verona
c. He lives in D Milano
D Roma
D Como
d. He is a D shopkeeper
D English teacher
D factory worker
e. The woman is called D Marisa
D Luisa
D Franca
f. She is from Bologna, but lives in Milan: D true D false
g. She is D a shop assistant
D a switchboard operator
h. She works in D the telephone office
D a department store
2 Trains in Italy are often identified by numbers. Listen to the station
announcements on tape, and write down which train is standing or arriving
at which platform. The trains will be of the following four types: Locale,
Diretto, Rapido, Espresso. They will bear one of the following numbers:
210, 671, 865, 957.
Binario Treno Numero

2
5
8
11
(Continued on p. 218.)
REVISION UNITS I-3 217

3 In this exercise you will ask various questions of two imaginary travelling
companions. The instructions are on tape.
4 Finally complete the following sentences.
a. Questo student ... e ingles ... e vien ... da Londra.

b. II professore d'italiano si chiarn ... Carlo Bianchi.
c. Marcella e la mamma abit. .. a Lurago.
d. Io vad ... a Rorna. E Lei dove v... ?
e. Questa ser ... non ci sono vol. .. per Londra.
218 REVISION UNITS I-3

Revision Units 4-6
In this second revision section you are asked to remember and practise
some of the points studied, and skills acquired, in Units 4 to 6. (Answers
p. 226.)
1 Form at least ten correct and meaningful sentences using the 'building
blocks' below and write them in the spaces provided. Take one 'block' at a
time from each column moving from left to right. (You don't have to use a
block from every column.) In the answer section (on p. 226) a number of
possible sentences will be given, but obviously not a complete list. Most
sentences can be preceded by one or more blocks from the pile below.
Sentences beginning in the second column must end with a question mark.
mi dica come posso telefonare colazione per il centro
non so dove devo fare il treno per Roma
ache ora voglio pagare l'autobus da Milano
quando ferma prendere l'aereo delle 11,45
quanto parte an dare il biglietto in Inghilterra
qual'e arriva partire una birra a! mercato
da dove costa un aperitivo
per piacere
REVISION UNITS 4-6 2I9

2 Listen to the dialogue on tape (straight after Unit 6) between a customer
and a bank teller and answer the questions below:
a. How much does the customer want to change into lire?
0£20
0£30
b. What sort of document does she show the teller?
0 ID card
0 passport
0 driving licence
c. What rate of exchange for the pound does the teller quote?
0 Lire 2305
0 Lire 2225
d. What is the name of the hotel where the customer is staying?
0 Albergo Risiede
0 Hotel Reale Vittoria
e. From whom does the customer receive her lira?
0 from the cashier
0 from the teller himself
3 This exercise is on tape and follows the usual pattern of Your turn to speak.
In it you will be prompted to ask for various street directions and other
information. The checks are on tape.
220 REVISION UNITS 4-6

Revision Units 7-9
Before you start this revision, look back over Units 7-9, especially the Key
words and phrases and the Grammar sections.
1 Using the 'building blocks' below, construct as many true sentences as

possible to describe the pictures. Some sample sentences will be given in
the answers section on p. 226. Write your answers on a separate sheet of
paper.
Barolo Barolo
piu grande
La Valpolicella della Valpolicella
bottiglia
bottiglia
Mer lot
e meno cara
di Merlot
di come Ia
cosi economica
Chianti Chianti
2 Listen to your tape (straight after Unit 9). Shop assistants, hotel
receptionists, waiters etc. will be offering you various things. You like all of
them and decide to have them. Answer as appropriate:
Si, mi piace, lo/la prendo or
Si, mi piacciono, lille prendo
3 Complete the following sentences by writing in the appropriate colour

words. (Answers p. 226.)
a. Non mi piace il caffe col latte: lo preferisco ....................... .

b. Quando Ia luce del semaforo e ........................ bisogna
fermarsi.
c. Quando Ia luce del semaforo e ........................ si puo passare.
d. Ci sono due tipi di film: a colori e in ........................ e
e. 11 colore piu comune dei jeans e il ....................... .

f. Le castagne si chiamano anche ........................ perche sono
REVISION UNITS 7-9 221

Revision Units 10-12
1 Fill in the gaps in the following sentences with the appropriate Italian
phrase for 'I like' or 'I don't like' indicated by the symbol in the margin.
(Answers p. 226.)
~
CJ a. .................................... gli antipasti sottoaceto.
v
~ b. .. .................................. molto lo sport.
® c. .. .................................. il sole caldo d'estate.

eD d. .. .................................. la neve e la pioggia in inverno.
@)e. .. .................................. mangiare al ristorante.

@f. .. .................................. viaggiare sull'autostrada in vacanza.
®g. .. ................................. .le lasagne al forno.
2 Complete the following sentences using the appropriate article (il, lo, Ia
etc.) and possessive (mio, mia etc.) suggested by the English forms in
brackets.
a. E (yours, polite) ........................ questo passaporto? Si, e

(mine) ........................ .
b. (Our) ........................ camere sono tutte al terzo piano, (theirs)
........................ sono al secondo.
c. (My) ........................ automobile ha un motore da 1500 cc.
d. 11 cameriere ha portato (our) ........................ maccheroni ai
turisti americani del tavolo a fianco, e (their) ...................... ..
lasagne a noi!
e. Questi sono (your, plural) ........................ biglietti di andata e
ritorno per Roma.
222 REVISION UNITS IQ-12

3 Revise the fonowing passage (based on Unit 6, dialogue 8) changing the
present to the future tense in the spaces provided. Cross out the verbs in
the present. (Answers p. 226.)
Sabato parto ................................. per fare una settimana di

vacanza. Vado ................................. in macchina.
Viene ................................. con me Floriana e un'altra coppia
di amici. La sera partiamo ................................. da Milano,
poi ci ferrniamo ................................. a Venezia e dorrniamo
................................. la. notte li. 11 mattino dopo arriviamo
................................. a Vienna e, dopo due o tre giorni, ci
rechiamo ................................. a Budapest dove siamo
................................. tre giorni. Poi da Budapest ritorniamo
................................. direttamente a Venezia.
4 Listen to the dialogue on tape (straight after Unit 12) and answer the
a. When did the man go on holiday? June D

July D
b. Where did he go? D Northern Italy, near Adria
D Southern Italy, on the Adriatic coast of
Apulia
c. Was the weather always sunny? D yes
D no, there were one or two
stormy days
d. Where did he stay? D in a hotel
D on a campsite
REVISION UNITS IQ-12 223

Revision Units 13-15
1 Listen on tape to what Dino has to say about his state of health and answer
the following questions. (Answers p. 226.)
a. Why did Dino sleep badly? D

there was a lot of noise
D
he woke up several times during
the night
b. What does he complain about this morning?
D headache D backache D toothache D cold D 'flu
D stomach upset D fever
c. Is he planning to see a doctor? D yes, at once
D yes, but only if he does not feel
better
D no
2 Fill in the gaps in the sentences below with one of the following forms of
ritornare: ritomeremo, ritomeremmo, sono ritomata, sei ritomato,
ritomero. (Answers p. 226.)
a. . ................................ a Londra un anno fa, per un mese.

b. . ................................ a Roma Ia settimana prossima.
c. . ................................ con piacere in Italia perle vacanze, rna
non possiamo.
d. Mio marito ed io ................................. a casa alla fine della
settimana.
e. Quando ................................. in lnghilterra, faceva bel tempo?
3 Read. the programme (opposite) of shows, concerts and entertainments in

Milan for the week 29th June-15th July, and answer the following
questic110s. (Answers p. 226.)
a. On what day is it possible to see the play An Italian Straw Hac-at

the Salone Pierlombardo? ............................................................................... .
b. If you are interested in Islamic music and ceremonies, where would
you go, and on what day(s)? ......................................................................... .
c. Walt Disney, 198X and X-Rated are the names of three pop
groups. Give the time and place of their performance ......................... .
d. You are free on Sunday 5th July and are interested in ballet. Is
there anything you might wish to see? ...................................................... .
e. There are two matinee performances of Peter and the Wolf by
Prokofiev. Where, and on what days?
224 REVISION UNITS 13-15
Tutti gli spettacoli \lilanesi
dal 29 giugno al 5 luglio
C.a'\lt"lln S fu r ~ '\(''0 1•r1 · ~lJ J '- 11 iJ.1IIo

Salon..· Pi ,·~bard •• ,,,, . .!I l n \..lfll'"·ll,) ..tt f'·• ~~~ J ' ll.•h.t
l"l·acw Puli1i1no on _'/ I'"' tmdh.·u u.th
\i lia l.itt• o•u· ..'I ()u.andu 1 \.nnt,,Juu ''-""'tl\.tno 1.'.1 \U J I
("Il l o rr" -'1 I . Dn t..'r11.trno.. , .t h.'.ttiH

\f ,lrh:d l l ll l,!IUILOII
( ·il,tdlo ~for/ ''"."0 l 'f t' •.' 1 I" II ll.dl,l
I C.'Miru l'ulitilno ..'1 ll· m h.·lkllu.th
\ ill• l.iu• '''' _'/ ( u.t nJ,) 1 u .mt.hhru \ \.'\lJ\ , t lhl '" ·'""u;tl
( a<;h.•llu "-\(Ur/l' 'U'U '"'.'I I~ II H.tlln

I l 'Oi f tu Pul iti:.UlU ,,,, ~'f " lJii \f u,h.h\" t ' 1.UIIlhli1IC \.k·IJ' h t uH
\ ' illll l.illot • •t '/ ()U,tri J I, I '- ''llt.ldlflt \l',ll\ ,lllH (.,t')U..II
f' i :t.l/41 l)u rHJ\ U • '' '/ I ,,fl\.t' rlu Jt .JUtOn
I _(~ _ PiOIII.:i k ( U H\11 'I U.alkth • '>l').lt!llUIII K.tl.n.•l fh : <.~Jtl\ J
( lll'h: llu " fm , ... ..,.u ,,, 'J I~ II H.dlt•

I ~·:illrt• t'u li ti¥n~ • 'J 1 ..· IIUl'lkltU.tl.
I .<J. 1 1 1:.1.11~1.· ( I,.UH'U ,, _'/ H.•ll ..· n,~ ~p.1 lh'h• R.il.td I~· c. t•rd~,.,,.t
( u rlilt: c.h· ll,. Wu~ol ht• f ht ,, I · f ' H't• rh' ,. •l lu p,,

Cl tl 'I Dl\t' rll.mh~o.t .1 h.·.Jt h'
1•~1l!IIJII dt•l '-ll· n.,.tu ,, ' ' '" \t u''' ·' n..., \.-,,n,h
c·a.. h·ll·• ~fur/t.' "\'11 "I

" ll ll.tll ..
l.t.·~urn Pu li1i11nu 'I I ,. Hlh'llt'ti U.Jh
I..JJ. t·i~//~h· ( 'I B.• ll~ hl Sp..t~nt •lo R.tl~td I'X ( 't1rd''"·'
,.,,
U4H'H
\ ill• l.ill• ."I \\ .111 u ... :h.') • 1" :\ • :\ K.u'""J

<"u rtilt: dt·tli Wt.x.'f hl•lhl IJII ' I' p, ..·n no l" 1llu
('»,t'inx \ lunhw :I C. un tr: ut.tn'"-1
C h il'"lil di Santo ~h· r;~nu o~r, ·: J <h~..h'''''"' Puml"riUI~Jh
<Til _,,,. :1 1)1\l'n l.lnllk."l :1 tc.Jt ru
""-a ha lu ..& l u~o:lw
( 'a'ih·llo ~fuun.\'O •. ,, .'J C. 1\ , .... 1 JbnJ.J ~1u .. JGt k:

--· -
t ~.·al ro Pi•li l h,nu , , ~ .' I I '-' tnH.·lkUu..ih
I. l)i1111:.1.lt- ( 'um·u ,,, • .' I B.rlklh> 'ip.lt:noi,,_ K .~ lA· ( 'urd~.~.l
\ ill• l.ill• ·'" . ' ' ~~~ \ L1J, '\t1 ngkv.
Clll •''' ~' I 1>1\\."ftl. t Ohtl,l .1 t~o·.tt r1l
(_ m'\rin111 \l tJn lu,• .,,, :I (. uiH rJ J,, n,~
..,,- :I
..,, ,, --- --
I .(,). Pi :tll:&lt• ( Utt('tl B.•u..·u,, "P·• noh\ K..11.1d lk t"NdU\"il
\ i ll:. I in ~t (ll Ht·~t.u' H.mquct • '\fltTJ.hm lh,Hd
,, .. .'I
H:.u1d.t
Clll D l\t,;rll. J ilhl\.1 ~• h'.ttn,
( "''d rht \J u11lur • lrl .'I ( unlr.td.tll'-1
f. How many performances of the play The Intellectuals does the

programme list? ................................ ................................................................ .
g. Where would you go, and when, to be reasonably sure of listening

to an orchestral concert?
REVISION UNITS 1 3-15 225
Answers to revision sections
Units 1-3 Exercise 1 (a) Franco (b) Varese (c) Como (d) English teacher (e) Luisa
(f) false (g) a switchboard operator (h) a department store.
Exercise 2 Binario 2 Locale 210 for Bologna, waiting; Binario 5 Diretto 865
from Milan, arriving; Binario 8 Espresso 671 for Fidenza
Livorno, leaving; Binario 11 Rapido 957 for Grosseto, arriving.
Exercise 4 (a) studente, inglese, viene (b) chiama (c) abitano (d) vado, va
(e) sera, voli.
Units 4-6 Exercise 1 Here are 10 possible sentences using the 'blocks'- there are
many other possibilities:
(scusi) mi dica come posso telefonare in lnghilterra!(per favore) mi
dica dove devo prendere il treno per Rorria?/(dunque) non so a che
ora arriva il treno da Milano/(per piacere) mi dica da dove parte
l'autobus per il centro?/(allora) qua!'e il treno per Roma?/voglio
prendere un aperitivo/dove posso fare colazione?/(scusi) mi dica
come posso andare a! mercato?/quando parte l'aereo per Roma?/
Exercise 2 (a) £20 (b) passport (c) Lire 2225 (d) Hotel Reale Vittoria
(e) from the cashier.
Units 7-9 Exercise 1 Here are 7 possible sentences, there are many other possibilities:
La bottiglia di Barolo e piu cara della bottiglia di Chianti.
La bottiglia di Valpolicella e meno cara della bottiglia di Merlot.
La bottiglia di Merlot e piil cara della bottiglia di Chianti.
La bottiglia di Chianti e cosi grande come Ia bottiglia di Barolo.
La bottiglia di Chianti e meno cara della bottiglia di Barolo.
La bottiglia di Merlot e piil grande della bottiglia di Valpolicella.
La bottiglia di Barolo e meno economica della bottiglia di Chianti.
Exercise 3 (a) nero (b) rossa (c) verde (d) bianco, nero (e) blu
(f) marroni, marrone.
Units 10-12 Exercise 1 (a) non mi piacciono (b) mi piace (c) mi piace (d) non mi
piacciono (e) mi piace (f) non mi piace (g) mi piacciono.
Exercise 2 (a) suo, mio (b) le nostre, le !oro (c) Ia mia (d) i nostri, le !oro
(e) i vostri.
Exercise 3 partiro/AndroNerralpartiremo/ci fermeremo/dormiremo/
arriveremo/ci recheremo/staremo/ritorneremo.
Exercise 4 (a) July (b) Southern Italy, on the Adriatic coast of Apulia
(c) no, there were one or two stormy days (d) on a campsite.
Units 13-15 Exercise 1 (a) he woke up several times during the night (b) headache,
cold, stomach upset (c) yes, but only if he doesn't feel better.
Exercise 2 (a) sono ritornata (b) ritornero (c) ritorneremmo
(d) ritorneremo (e) sei ritornato.
Exercise 3 (a) Monday 29th June (b) Wednesday 1st July, Teatro
Poliziano, 9 p.m. (c) Friday 3rd July, Villa Litta, 9 p.m. (d) Balletto
Spagnolo Rafael de Cordova, at T.Q. (Teatro di Quartiere), Piazzale Cuoco,
9 p.m. (e) Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd July, Cortile della Rocchetta
(f) five (g) Friday 3rd July, Chiesa diS. Stefano, 9 p.m., Orchestra
Pomeriggi Musicali.
226 ANSWERS TO REVISION SECTIONS

Grammar summary
This section on Italian grammar contains only a general summary of points
covered in the course and a glossary of terms. You should refer to the notes
and grammar sections of individual units for specific details.
Nouns
A noun is the name of a living being (like segretario, segretaria secretary;
studente student) or of an inanimate or abstract thing (like treno train,
stazione station, partenza departure). All Italian nouns are masculine or
feminine. Nouns can be preceded by definite articles (corresponding to 'the'
in English), as in il segretario, lo studente, Ia partenza; or by indefinite
articles (corresponding to 'a', 'an' in English), as in un treno, una stazione.
See Units 2 and 3, pages 30 and 45.
Adjectives
Nouns may be accompanied by adjectives describing or qualifying them (il
segretario privato, Ia stazione centrale). Articles, nouns and adjectives that
'go together' as in the previous examples must 'agree', i.e. they must be of
the same gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural).
Inflection
There are two basic patterns of inflection i.e. changes in endings, for nouns
and adjectives, a pattern with four separate endings, one for each
combination of gender and number; and a pattern with only two endings,
for singular and plural. See for details Units I and 3, pages 16 and 45.
A few nouns are invariable i.e. don't change: those ending in a stressed
vowel like universita university, caffe coffee or cafe; nearly all those
ending in -ie and -si, like serie series and crisi crisis; and words of one
syllable like re, king. They do not change from singular to plural, but they
do have nevertheless a specific gender and number, with which any
accompanying adjective or article must agree, e.g. l'universita italiana, le
universita italiane; Ia crisi economica, le crisi economiche, etc.
Verbs
In any linguistic act (speaking or writing), you can distinguish, regardless of
what is being said or written, between:
• the person performing the linguistic act, who appears in it as 'I' or 'we' (1st
person)
• the person(s) who is/are the recipient of the act, and appear(s) in it as 'you'
(2nd person)
• the person(s) or thing(s) mentioned in the act as 'he', 'she', 'it' or 'they'
(3rd person).
Verbs are words that change according to which 'person' (in the grammatical
sense) they refer to.
Subject
The words denoting these 'persons' in a sentence are called the subject of
the verb (in italics in the following examples):
I am tired George and I are tired
You should have told me You and George should have told me
George is tired George and his students went to Italy last summer
In Italian, verbal forms agree with the subject, expressed or implied, and
have its same person and number, occasionally also gender.
GRAMMAR SUMMARY 227
Object
Sentences may, of course, contain other words apart from subject and verb.
Those more closely connected in meaning with the verb are called object. It
is useful to distinguish between indirect object, preceded by a preposition
such as 'to', and direct object, not preceded by any preposition:
The teacher gave a book (direct object) to each student (indirect object)
Tense
Verbs also change according to the time indicated in what is being said or
written. These changes result in differences of tense (present, past, future
etc.).
Infinitive
Italian verbs have distinct forms for every person-tense combination. But
they also have a form which does not refer to any specific person or tense,
called infinitive. This is the form used as a dictionary entry word for the
verb, and corresponds to forms preceded by 'to' in English, like 'to be', 'to
have', 'to play' etc.
Verb patterns
There are three main groups of Italian verbs:
• those with infinitives ending in -are, e.g. studiare to study, parlare to
speak, mangiare to eat (see p. 17)
• those with infinitives ending in -ere e.g. mettere to put (seep. 171)
• those with infinitives ending in -ire, e.g. partire to leave, fi.nire to finish
(see pp. 86, 115).
Changes in verb form follow mostly regular and easily predictable patterns
called conjugation. As in all languages, however, the most commonly used
verbs are irregular and you need to learn them individually whenever they
appear in your grammar notes, e.g. essere (p. 17), fare (p. 45), avere
(p. 17).
Pronouns
Pronouns are words that have not only a gender and number like nouns and
adjectives, but also a person like verbs. In fact they are often found in
conjunction with verbs, particularly personal pronouns like 'I', 'you', 'he',
'she' etc., and may function as subject or object.
Personal pronouns are Jess used in Italian than in English, because they are
not needed to distinguish between verbal forms. They are io I, tu you
(informal), lui he, lei she and you (polite), noi we, voi you (plural) and loro
they. These can also function as objects, exceptio and tu whose object
forms are me and te respectively, e.g. con lui with him; per me for me etc.
In most contexts, however, the following object pronouns are used:
mi vedono they see me
!i vedo I see you
lo vedo I see him/it
.!! vedo I see her/it
!!, vede he/she sees him/herself
ci vedono they see us
vi vedo I see you (plural)
.!!. vedo, le vedo I see them
!!. vedono they see themselves
See also Units 3 and 4 pages 45 and 59.
228 GRAMMAR SUMMARY

Possessives
Unlike English possessives (his, her, mine, yours etc.) which change
according to the owner (his car, her car), Italian possessives behave like
adjectives, agreeing with the thing owned (e.g. Ia sua automobile for both
his and her car, because automobile is feminine singular). See Unit 11,
p. ISS. Do not expect to find possessives in Italian whenever they are used
in English: they are often omitted, e.g. put on your hat metti il cappello
(NOT il tuo cappello).
PREPOSITIONS, ADVERBS and CONJUNCTIONS not only do not change their

form, but also do not agree with other words in the sentence.
Prepositions
Prepositions are words indicating relationships between nouns, such as 'in
the room', 'on the table', 'from my uncle' etc. In Italian they often combine
with definite articles as shown in Units 2 and 4 pp. 30 and 59: nella stanza,
sulla tavola, dallo zio etc., in which case they change like the definite
article. The preposition del, dello, della etc. is used as a translation of
'some': compra dello zucchero buy some sugar; c'erano delle nuvole there
were some clouds.
Adverbs
Adverbs are words modifying or qualifying verbs, adjectives or phrases, like
'deeply' in 'thinking deeply', 'deeply resentful' and 'deeply in love'. In
Italian they are of two types:
• adverbs formed from the feminine or common singular form of the
corresponding adjective, adding the ending -mente:
profondo deep profondamente deeply
veloce quick velocemente quickly
Adjectives having an -1- or-r- sandwiched between vowels in their ending,
drop the final vowel before adding -mente: facile easy facilmente easily;
leggero light leggermente lightly.
• adverbs consisting in invariable forms like bene well, male badly, presto
soon; or in 'frozen' masculine singular adjectives not agreeing with the word
they qualify, like molto much, poco little, troppo too much etc.
In this connection it is important to remember that, in Italian as in English,
the same word can have different grammatical uses. Think of 'fast' in
sentences like 'run fast', 'fast colours do not run', 'monks fast on Friday'.
Similarly troppo is a noun in the proverb il troppo stroppia too much of
anything can do you harm; it is an adjective agreeing with sale in c'e
troppo sale nella minestra there's too much salt in the soup; and an adverb
in abbiamo mangiato troppo we've eaten too much.
Conjunctions
Conjunctions are words like e and, quando when, che that, perche because,
mentre while etc. serving to link together separate parts of the sentence.
GRAMMAR SUMMARY 229

Numbers
For numbers beyond 20 follow the pattern of venti: keep the final vowel except
with one and eight.
0 zero 31 trentuno
1 uno 35 trentacinque
2 due 38 trentotto
3 tre 40 quaranta
4 quattro 41 quarantuno
5 cinque 45 quarantacinque
6 sei 48 quarantotto
7 sette so cinquanta
8 otto 55 cinquantacinque
9 nove 60 sessanta
10 dieci 65 sessantacinque
11 undid 70 settanta
12 dodici 80 ottanta
13 tredici 90 novanta
14 quattordici 100 cento
15 quindici 101 centouno
16 sedici 102 centodue
17 diciassette 125 centoventicinque
18 diciotto 150 centocinquanta
19 diciannove 175 centosettantacinque
20 venti 200 duecento
21 ventuno 300 trecento
22 ventidue 400 quattrocento
23 ventitre 500 cinquecento
24 ventiquattro 1000 mille
25 venticinque 1500 millecinquecento
26 ventisei 2000 duemila
27 ventisette 5000 cinquemila
28 ventotto 10,000 diecirnila
29 ventinove 100,000 centomila
30 trenta 1,000,000 un milione
Ordinal numbers
1st prirno (1°)
2nd secondo (2°)
3rd terzo (3°)
4th quarto (4°)
Sth quinto (5°)
6th sesto (6°)
7th settimo (7")
8th ottavo (8°)
9th nono (9°)
lOth decirno ( 10°)
11th undicesirno ( 11 °)
12th dodicesirno (12°)
230 GRAMMAR SUMMARY

Vocabulary
This vocabulary includes only words used in the dialogues and related
exercises. It does not include words appearing in the reading sections.
When using it please bear in mind the following conventions.
1 Assume that words ending in -o (e.g. albergo) are masculine nouns, and
words ending in -a (e.g. casa) are feminine nouns. In all other cases the
gender will be indicated (e.g. mano(f), mare(m.), crisi(f.), etc.).
2 Words with a double ending (e.g. studente, -essa; italiano, -a) are nouns
or adjectives with separate masculine and feminine endings. Words ending
in -e (e.g. sottile) with no indication of gender are adjectives with a form
suitable for both masculine and feminine.
3 Words ending in -are, -ere and -ire are verbs, in the infinitive. They are
followed by their main 'irregular' forms, if any (e.g. prendere, preso).
Words ending in -rsi are reflexive verbs (e.g. vestirsi).
4 The English translations given refer exclusively to the contexts in which
the word appears, and must not be taken as its 'meaning' in all cases. For
more complete guidance you should consult a larger bilingual dictionary.
-abbastanza rather, enough analcoolico, -a without alcohol, alcohol-

abitante inhabitant free
abitare to live, to dwell anche also, too
abito dress ancora yet, once more
abituarsi to get used andare, vado, andato to go
accettare to accept angolo corner
accomodarsi to make oneself anno year
comfortable; si accomodi please come anticipo advance
in antigelo antifreeze
accorgersi to realize antipasto hors-d'oeuvre
aceto vinegar anzi on the contrary
acido,-a acid ape(f.) bee
acqua water; acqua minerale mineral aperitivo aperitif
water apertura opening
acquisto purchase apicultore(m.) bee-keeper
adatto,-a suitable, suited apicultura bee-keeping
adesso now appena as soon as, just
affatto at all appunto precisely
aggiungere, aggiunto to add aprile April
aglio garlic aprire, aperto to open
agosto August arancia orange
agricolo, -a agricultural aranciata orangeade
agricoltura farming arancione orange (colour)
agro, -a sour; agrodolce sweet and sour arrivederci good-bye
aiutare to help arrivo arrival
albergatore(m. ), albergatrice(f.) hotelier arrosto roast, roast meat
albergo hotel aspro, -a sour
albicocca apricot assegno cheque
alcuni, -e some, a few assieme together
alimentare alimentary; generi attendere, atteso to expect
alimentari food attimo moment
alimentazione(f.) way of eating, food attivita activity
consumption atto act; aU 'atto di. .. at the time
aUevare to breed, to raise of...
allievo, -a pupil attraversare to cross
allora then aumentare to increase
altamente highly autobus(m.) bus
alto, -a high automobile(£.) car
altrimenti otherwise automobilista(m.f.) motorist
altro, -a other autunnale (adjective) autumn, autumnal
amabile (said of wine) medium-sweet autunno autumn
amaro, -a bitter avanti further on
amico, -a friend avere, ho, avulo to have
VOCABULARY 231
bagno bathroom, bath cartolina postcard; cartolina
ballare to dance illustrata picture postcard
bambino, -a child casa house
banana banana catena (mountain) range, chain
banca bank causa cause; a causa di. .. because
basso, -a low of...
bastare to be enough; basta! that's cavallo horse
enough! cena dinner, supper
bello, -a beautiful centrale central
bene well; benissimo very well centro centre
benzina petrol cercare to try
here, bevo, bevuto to drink certo sure, certainly
besciamella bechamel sauce chi? who?
bestiame(m.) cattle chiamare to call; chiamarsi to be called;
bianco, -a white mi chiamo my name is
bietola beet spinach chiamata call
biglietto ticket chiaramente clearly
bilancia scales chiedere, chiesto to ask for
bimbo, -a child chilo kilo
binario line, platform chilometro kilometre
birra beer chinotto a bitter orange aperitif
biscotto biscuit chiudere, chiuso to close
bisognare to be necessary chiusura closure
bistecca beef steak ciao hi, hello
blu blue cibo food
bollire to boil ciclamino cyclamen
borsa travel bag ciliegia cherry
bottiglia bottle; bottiglietta small bottle cinema(m.) cinema
botte(f.) cask cinque five
bovini cattle, cows, oxen and bulls cioccolata chocolate
bravo, -a good, clever cioe that is
breve short circa about
brutto, -a bad, ugly circolare circular, round
buono, -a good citta city, town
burro butter classico, -a classic(al)
bustina sachet cliente(m.) customer
clima(m.) climate
caffe(m.) coffee, cafe, coffee bar coincidenza connection
caffellatte(m.) milk coffee colazione(f.) breakfast
caldo, -a hot collina hill
cambiare to change; cambio change, colonia cologne
exchange bureau colorato, -a coloured
camera room, bedroom, hotel room colore(m.) colour
cameriere, -a waiter, waitress come as
camicetta blouse cominciare to begin
camicia shirt commerciante(m.) businessman, dealer
campo field commesso, -a shop assistant
candela (motoring) spark plug comodo comfortable, convenient; con
candito, -a candied comodo at your leisure
canto song completo complete
caos(m.) chaos comprare to buy
capire, capisco to understand compressa tablet
cappuccino milk coffee made with comprovare to prove, to vouch for
espresso machine comunque anyway, anyhow, at any rate
caraffa carafe, jug concerto concert
caratteristico, -a typical condire, condisco to season, to dress
carburante(m.) fuel (salad)
carciofo artichoke condizione(f.) condition
came(f.) meat confezione(f.) packaging
caro, -a dear confronto comparison
carota carrot congresso conference
carrello trolley; carrello conoscere, conosciuto to know
portavaligie luggage trolley conseguenza consequence
carrozzeria bodywork (car) consentire to allow
carta paper; carta di credito credit card consigliare to advise
cartella briefcase conto bill
232 VOCABULARY
contomo side dish dottore(m. ), dottoressa(f.) doctor
contrario, -a contrary dove where
controllare to control dovere, devo, dovuto must, ought to
coppia couple droghiere(m.) grover
correre, corso to run due two
cortile(m.) courtyard dunque well, then
corto, -a short duomo cathedral
cosa thing; che cosa what; qualche durante during
cosa something duro, -a hard
costare to cost; quanta costa? how
much is it? eccedenza (luggage) excess weight
costata rib steak eccessivo, -a excessive
costume da bagno swimsuit eccezione(f.) exception
cotoletta cutlet ecco here it is, here you are, there you
cravatta tie are etc.
crema custard economico, -a cheap, economical
crisantemo chrysanthemum educato, -a educated; bene
crostata short -crust pastry tart educato well behaved
crostino toast (bread) elegante elegant
crudo, -a raw emissione(f.) issue
cucina cooking, kitchen errore(m.) error
cuocere, cotto to cook esatto, -a exact
escursione(f.) excursion
danza dance esistere, esistito to exist
dare to give espresso fast train, express; espresso
data date coffee
dattilografo, -a typist essere, sono, stato to be
davanti before est east
dente (m.) tooth estate(f.) summer
desiderare to wish estero abroad
desiderio wish estivo, -a summer (adjective)
destra right etto a hundred grams
di fronte opposite
di nuovo again facchino porter
dicembre December facile easy
dichiarare to declare facilmente easily
dietro behind fagiolini(m.pl.) french beans
differente different familiare familiar, family (adjective)
dimenticare, dimenticarsi di. .. to fare, fatto to do, to make
forget farina flour
diminuire, diminuisco to diminish, to favore(m.) favour; per favore please
lessen febbraio february
dipendere, dipeso to depend febbre(f.) fever
dire, dico, detto to say fegato liver
direttamente directly, straight felice happy
diretto, -a straight fermare, fermarsi to stop; fermata stop
diretto type of train (limited stops) ferrovia railway
direzione(f.) direction fico fig
discorso speech fiducia trust; di fiducia trustworthy
dispiacersi to be sorry; mi dispiace I'm liletto fillet steak
sorry filtro filter
distante distant, far finale final
distanza distance fine(f.) end
disturbo ailment finire, finisco to finish, to end
ditta firm finocchio fennel
diverso, -a different; diversi, -e several firma signature
doccia shower fiume(m.) river
documento document fondo bottom; in fondo at the bottom
dolce(m.) cake; (adjective) sweet formaggio cheese
dolore(m.) pain fomaio, -a baker
domani tomorrow fomo oven
domenica Sunday forse perhaps
dopo after, afterwards forte strong
dopodomani the day after tomorrow francobollo postage stamp
doppio, -a double frase(f.) phrase, sentence
dormire to sleep freddo, -a cold
VOCABULARY 233
freno brake incontrare to meet
frequente frequent; indigestione(f.) indigestion
frequenza frequency indirizzo address
friggere, fritto to fry industria industry
frittatina omelet inglese English, the English language
frizzante fizzy, sparkling iniezione(f.) injection
frutta fruit iniziare to begin
fungo mushroom insalata salad
funzionamento working insegnante(m.) teacher; insegnare to
fuori outside teach
insieme together
galleria arcade insomma on the whole
garagista(m.) garage attendant integrale integral, wholemeal (of bread)
garofano carnation intenzione(f.) intention
gasato, -a gassy, fizzy interessante interesting
generalmente generally intemazionale international
genere(m.) kind, gender intero, -a whole
gennaio January invece on the other hand
gente(f.sing) people invemo winter; invemale wintry
gesto gesture, sign isola island
gettone(m.) token (for telephone) italiano, -a Italian
giacinto hyacinth
giallo, -a yellow laggiil down there
giardino garden !ago lake
giglio lily lampadina electric bulb
ginocchio knee lasciare to leave, to let; lasciar(e)
giomale(m.) newspaper correre to drop it
giomata day latte(m.) milk
giomo day; giomo festivo holiday; lattina tin
giomo feriale weekday, working day laurearsi to take a degree
giovane young lavanda lavender water
giovedl Thursday lavorare to work
giugno June leggero, -a light
giusto, -a right, medium (of steak) lessare to cook by boiling
goccia drop lettera letter
gola throat letto bed; letto matrimoniale double
golf(m.) sweater bed
gomma tyre, rubber Iibero, -a free
gonna skirt lieve slight
gradazione(f.) grade limonata lemonade; limone(m.) lemon
grammo gram Iiquore(m.) liqueur
grana(m.) parmesan cheese lira lira
grande big, large locale local
grattugiare to grate localita locality, place
grazie thanks, thank you lontano, -a far
grosso, -a big, thick lubrificante(m.) lubricating oil
guardare to look luglio July
guardia di finanza customs officer lunedl Monday
guidare to lead, to guide
gusto taste macchina machine, car
macinare to grind
idea idea magari perhaps, maybe
ideale ideal magazzino department store
identita identity maggio May
ieri yesterday maglia jersey, sweater
illustrare to illustrate; cartolina maglietta jumper, T -shirt
illustrata picture postcard magro, -a lean
imbarco boarding mai never
imbevere, imbevuto to soak maiale(m.) pig, pork
imbrogliare to deceive male badly
immediato, -a immediate mamma mother, mummy
imparare to learn mandare to send
impiegato, -a employee mangiare to eat
incassare to cash marca brand, trademark
incidente(m.) accident marciapiede(m.) pavement
includere, incluso to include mare(m.) sea
234 VOCABULARY
margherita daisy nove nine
marito husband novembre November
marmellata jam; marmellata numero number
d'arancio marmalade nuotare to swim
marrone brown nuvola cloud; nuvoloso cloudy
marrone(m.) chestnut, (colour) brown
martedl Tuesday occidentale western
marzo March officina workshop
massimo, -a greatest; al massimo at the offrire, offerto to offer
most oggi to-day
matrimoniale double (said of bed) ogni every
mattino, mattina morning olio oil
matto, -a crazy omelette(f.) omelet
medico doctor opera opera
meglio better operaio, -a factory worker
mela apple oppure or, on the other hand
melone(m.) melon ora hour
meno less; meno male thank goodness orario time-table
mensile monthly ordinare to order
mentre while, whilst, in the meantime ordinario, -a ordinary
meraviglioso, -a marvellous orecchio ear
mercato market organizzare to organize
mercoledl Wednesday orientale oriental, eastern
meridionale southern originario, -a original, initial
messa a punto overhaul, general check oro gold
meteorologico, -a weather (adjective) orologio clock
metro metre orribile horrible
metropolitana, metro underground ospedale(m.) hospital
railway otto eight
mezzo, -a half; in mezzo a in the ottobre October
middle of ovest west
mezzo means; mezzo di ovini sheep and goats
superficie surface transport
mezzogiomo midday, the south of Italy pacchetto packet
migliore better paese village, country
mille one thousand pagamento payment
minestrone(m.) thick vegetable soup pagare to pay; paga pay
minuto minute pancia belly, tummy
mio, -a mine pane(m.) bread; panino roll
misto mixture pantaloni(m. pl.) trousers
modello model parabrezza (m.) windscreen
molto, -a much, many parlare to speak
momento moment parola word
montagna mountain parte(f.) side, area, part
motore(m.) motor, engine partire to leave, to depart;
museo museum partenza departure
musica music passaporto passport
mutande(f. pl.) pants passare to pass
passeggiata walk
nascere, nasco, nato to be born pasta pasta
natale of birth pastiglia lozenge
naturale natural palata potato
necessario, -a necessary pelare to peel
negoziante(m.,f.) shopkeeper penisola peninsula
negozio shop pensare to think
nemmeno not even pensione(f.) retirement; in
neppure (not) even pensione retired
nero, -a black pepe(m.) pepper
niente nothing peperoncino chilli
noce(f.) walnut per favore please
noioso, -a annoying, dull, boring per piacere please
noleggiare to book, to hire pera pear
nord North perche why, because
normale normal perfetto, -a perfect
nostro, -a our( s) permanenza sojourn, stay
notte(f.) night, evening pero but, however
VOCABULARY 235
persistente persistent, long lasting prosciutto ham
persona person prossimo, -a next
personale(m.) staff provare to try (on)
personalmente personally proveniente coming from
pesare to weigh provincia province, district
pesca peach prugna plum
pesce(m.) fish pubblico, -a public
peso weight pulizia cleaning; far le pulizie to clean
pezzo piece pullman(m.) coach, bus
piacere, piaccio, piaciuto to please; mi puntuale punctual, on time
piace I like pure also
piatto plate, dish; piatto, -a flat purtroppo unfortunately
piazza square
piccante hot, spicy qualche a few
piccolo, -a small qualcosa something
piede(m.) foot; a piedi on foot quale which, which one
pieno, -a full; fare il pieno to fill up qualita quality
pillola pill qualsiasi any
pioggia rain quando when
piovere to rain quanto, -a how much, how many
piuttosto rather quarto quarter, fourth
pneumatico tyre quattro four
poco, -a little, few; un po' a little quello, -a that
poi then, afterwards questo this, this one
pomata ointment qui here
pomeriggio afternoon quindi then, therefore
pomodoro tomato quotidiano daily
popolare popular
portabiti(m.) wardrobe-suitcase raffreddore(m.) cold
portare to wear, to bring ragazzo, -a boy, girl
portiere(m.) hotel receptionist ragione(f.) reason
possibile possible; rapido fast, express train
possibilmente possibly rapini(m. pl.) turnip tops
posta post office realta reality; in realta in fact
posto place, seat recarsi to go
potere, posso, potuto can, to be able to reggiseno bra
pranzo lunch regione(f.) region
precipitazione(f.) rainfall regolare regular
preciso, -a precise resto change
preferire, preferisco to prefer riduzione(f.) discount, reduced price
prego please rientrare to return, to go back
prendere, preso to take riguardare to look over
prenotare to book rimanere, rimango, rimarro, rimasto to
prenotazione(f.) booking remain
preparare to prepare rimborso refund
presentare to present, to introduce riordinare to put things straight
presso near; nei pressi di. .. near riparare to repair
prevalere to prevail ripartire to start again, to leave again
prevedere, previsto to forecast, to riposo rest, closure
foresee riprendere, riprendo, ripreso to take
prezzemolo parsley again
prezzo price, cost riso rice
primavera spring ristorante(m.) restaurant
primaverile spring (adjective) ritardo delay
primo, -a first; prima base first thing, rivista magazine
in the first instance rosa rose, pink
primula primrose rossa, -a red
problema(m.) problem rovinare to ruin
professore(m.) professor; rumore(m.) noise
professoressa female teacher, female rumoroso, -a noisy
professor
profumo perfume; sabato Saturday
profumazione(f.) type of scent sacrificarsi to sacrifice oneself
pronto, -a ready; hallo (on the salame(m.) salami
telephone) salato, -a salty, salted
pronunciare to pronounce salsa sauce
VOCABULARY
salsiccia sausage sistemare to accommodate
saltare to jump, to skip soddisfare, soddisfo, soddisfatto to
salumi(m. pl.) preserved meats, salami satisfy
in general soggiomare to stay, to sojourn
salumiere, -a grocer, pork butcher sole(m.) sun
salutare to greet solito, -a usual
salvaguardare to safeguard solo only
sandali sandals soltanto only
sangue(m.) blood; al sangue rare (of sopra above, on top
meat) sorgere, sorto to arise
sapere, so, saputo to know sostituire, sostituisco to replace
sapore(m.) flavour sostituzione(f.) replacement
saporito, -a tasty, flavoursome sottaceto pickle, pickled
sardina sardine sottile thin
sbaglio mistake sotto underneath, below
scarpa shoe sotto under
scatola box; scatoletta small box sottolio preserved in oil
scegliere, scelgo, scelto to choose sottovuoto vacuum packed
scelta choice spago string
scendere, sceso to come down, to get speciale special; specialita speciality
out (of a vehicle) specializzarsi to specialize
schiena back spiaggia beach
sconto discount spinaci(m. pl.) spinach
scoprire, scoperto to discover spuntino snack
scorso, -a past, last; Ia settimana stagione(f.) season
scorsa last week stamani this morning, to-day
scozzese Scottish stampa press
scrittore(m.), scrittrice(f.) writer stanza room
scrivere, scritto to write stare to stay; mi sta bene it fits me
scuola school; scuola materna nursery stasera to-night
school stazione(f.) station
scusarsi to excuse oneself; scusi excuse sterlina pound sterling
me sterzo steering
secco, -a dry stesso,-a same; lo stesso all the same
segnare to note down stomaco stomach
segretario, -a secretary strada street
seguente following straniero, -a foreign
sei six strato layer
semaforo traffic lights studente(m.) male student;
semplice simple studentessa female student
sempre always studiare to study
senso sense stupidamente stupidly
sentire to listen, to feel subito at once
senza without; senz'altro! of course, no successivo, -a next
doubt, without fail succo juice
separare to separate sud south
sera evening sugo sauce, juice
serio, -a serious; sui serio seriously suini pigs
servire to serve superalcoolico, -a strongly alcoholic,
servizio service, service charge spirit
seta silk superiore superior
sette seven supermercato supermarket
settembre September supplemento supplementary charge
settentrionale northern supposta suppository
settimana week; settimanale weekly svegliarsi to wake up
settore(m.) sector, area
sfuso, -a not packaged, from the cask tabaccaio-a, tobacconist
sgabello stool tabacco tobacco
siccome since, given that taglia size
sigaretta cigarette tagliare to cut
signora Mrs, lady tanto, -a so much, such
signore(m.) Mr, sir, gentleman tappa stop, stage in a journey
signorina Miss, young lady tardi late
simpatico, -a nice, pleasant tassa tax
singolo, -a single tassi(m.) taxi
sinistral left te(m.) tea
VOCABULARY 237
teatro theatre uva grapes
telefonico, -a telephone (adjective)
telefonista(m. f.) switchboard operator vacanza holiday
telefono telephone valere, valgo, valso to be worth
televisione(f.) television valido, -a valid, worth
temperatura temperature valigia suitcase
tempo time, weather valuta currency
temporale(m.) storm; vapore(m.) steam; a! vapore steamed
temporalesco stormy variabile variable
tenere, tengo, tenuto to keep variazone(f.) variation
tergicristaUo windscreen wiper vasetto jar
terminare to end vecchio, -a old, elderly
tessuto cloth vedere, visto to see
testa head vendere, venduto to sell;
timbrare to stamp venditore(m.) seller
tinta hue, colour venerdi Friday
tipo type venire, vengo, venuto to come
tirare to pull; tira vento it's windy vento wind; ventoso windy
titoli di credito bonds, securities veramente truly, really
togliere, tolgo, tolto take away verde green; verdura green vegetables
tonno tuna fish veritil truth
tomare to return, to go back vero, -a true
torre(f.) tower versante(m.) slope
torta tart, cake verso about
tram(m.) tram vestito dress, suit
tranquillo, -a quiet via street
trasferire, trasferisco to transfer, to viaggiare to travel; viaggiatore(m.) male
move traveller; viaggiatrice(f.) female
trattenersi, trattengo, trattenuto to traveller
remain vicinanza neighbourhood
tre three vicino, -a near, nearby
treno train vino wine
troppo, -a too much, (pl.) too many viola, violetta violet
trota trout; trotella small trout visibile visible
trovare to find visita visit; visitare to visit
turista(m. f.) tourist viteUo veal, calf
tutto all, everything vivere to live
volante(m.) steering wheel
volentieri willingly
ufficio office volere, voglio, voluto to want
ultimamente lately volo flight
unico, -a only volta time (of a series of times), e.g.
universitil university prima volta first time
uno, -a one vuota, -a empty
uovo,(pl.) uova egg
usare to use zero zero, nought
uscire, esco, uscito to go out; zucchero sugar
uscita exit (airport) channel zucchini(m. pl.) courgettes, baby
usufruire, usufruisco to benefit, to be marrows
entitled to zuppa soup; zuppa inglese trifle
VOCABULARY
Index
a, an, translation of 45 groceries 114

addresses 53
adjectives in -e 45 health problems 201
adjectives in -o, -a 16 holidays 89, 192-3, 206-7
adverbs 127 'I like', translation of 115, 156
'ago', translation of 177 imperfect tense 184, 212
andare 31, 95, 135, 212 infinitive 17
apologies 70 information, where to get it 129
article, definite 30, 59 intentions, stating one's 82
article, indefinite 45 Italian food Unit 10, 157
article, prepositional 30, 59 Italian railways 33
avere 17 -ire, verbs ending in 86
banks 64-5, 204-5 Lei form 31

basta 127 likes and dislikes Unit 11
bills 61, 158 lo, Ia, li, le 101, 123
bisogna 127 local government 185
booking in at a hotel 46 luggage 29
bread 93
breakfast 51 masculine 16
meat courses 137
cakes 139 media 213
c'e, ci sono 41 medicines 196
changing currency 66-7 meglio 95
ci 45, 59, 93 menus 142, 153
cigarettes 96 methods of payment 61
ci vuole, ci vogliono 127 metric system 117
clothes 110 mi 45, 59, 95
common Italian names 19 migliore 95
comparisons 101, 105 months of the year 167
compass points 167 motoring 173
complaints 208
conditional tense 199 negatives 11
cooking, ways of 142 niente 11, 53, 191
colours 112 nouns ending in -e 45
nouns ending in -o, -a 16
da, use of 212 nouns and adjectives in -ico 73
days of the week 83 nouns in -co, -ca, -go, -ga 73
dialects 33 number 16
diminutives 95 numbers 27, 42, 56, 230
documents and identity papers 52
dovere 73 occupations 42
drinks 61 ordering drinks at the bar 52
ecco 93
entertainment 20 1 pasta, types of 117
essere 17 past participle 115
expressions of time 87, 91, 181 past, talking about the 171, 184,
206-7
fare 45 people in uniform 33
farm animals 181 periodicals 99
feminine 16 perfect tense 171, 184
flowers ISO, 152 piacere 115, 156
fruit 98 plans for the future 82, 199
future tense 171 polite form 31
population 185
gender 16 'please' 53
gente 193 possessives IS 5
greetings Unit 1 post office 95
INDEX 239
potere 59 street directions Unit 5
prepositions 30 street names 75
professions 42 sweets 139
public transport 75
teachers 193
qualche 177 telephones 129
quale 86 the, translations of 30, 59
qualsiasi 51 third person phrases 127
quando 86 ti 45, 59, 95
quanto, -a 16, 86 time, telling the Unit 6
questions words 86 times of day 79, 84
questo, -a 16 timetables 81, 84
titles 19
railway travel Unit 9 tourist accommodation 47
reflexive forms 45 tu, form 31
refunds 204-5 types of Italian trains 28, 130
regions 19
registration form 46 uscire 73
restaurants 145
ricevuta fiscale 60 vegetables 98, 137
venire 31, 95, 212
sapere 45 'very', translation of 143
scegliere 15 5 vi 45, 59, 95
seasons 167 volere 59
shops and shopping 89, 103, Unit 8 vorrei 109
shortened words 143
si 45, 59, 95 warning notices 214-5
signore, signora 18 weather 167
snack~ 61 wine 139, 144
Grammar in the course

Unit 1 p. 16 Gender and number; questo/questa; -are verbs; essere; avere
Unit 2 p. 30 Definite articles; dal, al, sui etc.; venire; andare
Unit 3 p. 45 Nouns ending in -e, -i; indefinite articles; fare; sapere;
reflexive pronouns: mi, ti, si, ci, vi
Unit 4 p. 59 Plural of definite articles; dai, ai, sui etc.; potere; volere;
object and impersonal pronouns: mi, ti, si, ci, vi
Unit 5 p. 73 Dovere; uscire; plural of nouns and adjectives in -co and -go
Unit 6 p. 86 Partire; dormire; quanto, quale, quando
Unit 7 p. 101 direct object pronouns: lo, Ia, li, le; comparisons
Unit 8 p. 115 Past participle; present tense of most -ire verbs; how to say 'I
like'
Unit 9 p. 127 Third person ('impersonal') phrases; adverbs
Unit 10 p. 143 Superlatives; shortened words
Unit 11 p. 155 Scegliere, togliere; possessives; mi piace/a me piace
Unit 12 p. 171 Future and perfect tense
Unit 13 p. 184 Imperfect tense
Unit 14 p. 199 Conditional
Unit 15 p. 212 Further uses of imperfect; venire and andare as auxiliaries; use
of da
INDEX

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What is the book about?

What is the book about?

What languages does it cover?

What languages does it cover?

Breakthrough Language Series

General editor Brian Hill

Tape production: Gerald Ramshaw

© Giovanni Carsaniga and Brian Hill 1982

All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission

First published by Pan Books Ltd 1982

This edition published 1988 by

How to use this course 4

General hints to help you use the course

Suggested study pattern

At the back of the book

Symbols and abbreviations

What you will learn

Before you begin

Dt Gianni and Emma exchange greetings on the telephone

Giovanni meets Marcella and her mother

A customs officer asks a train passenger a few questions

More questions from a customs officer at the airport

delle sigarette some cigarettes due two

4 che ha da dichiarare? what have you got to declare?

5 • quanti pacchetti? how many packets? but

6 deU'universita di Bologna of Bologna university (lit. of the university of

2 Listen to our actress introducing herself, then answer the following

1. Come si chiama? a. D Marina

1. What time of day is it? a. D morning

a ...................................... b ...................................... c .................................... ..

d ...................................... e ...................................... f ...................................... .

signorina. Enrico. Enza.

Gender and number

The explanation about questo (above) also applies to quanto:

There is no difference in Italian between 'I learn' and 'I am learning'.

Clelia Filippo, dove ................................. ?

1 ' '. ~ ·, .... ~;)

R£&10N f}) 1 I TAL-lA

What you will learn

Before you begin

Announcements 1, 2: listen straight through without the book

Dt First, two announcements recorded in an Italian railway station

More station announcements

Giovanni is talking to two travellers on a train

3 va a Pisa, no? you're going to Pisa, aren't you?

ATI initials of Aero Trasporti ltaliani, Italian national airline

Ds And now Giovanni is checking in at the airport. He is worried in case

impiegata female employee

impiegato male employee

The answers for all these exercises are on p. 34.

1 Listen to the train announcements on tape. Write the platform numbers

d. BOLOGNA, VERONA, BRENNERO ...................................................... .

Tipo di treno Binario In arrivo In partenza

c. la cartella d. il portabiti e. il carrello

4 Listen to the airport announcements on tape. For every one of the

Destinazione Volo numero

Translation of 'the' in the singular

a ........................ espresso e. ...................... .imbarco

Dal, al, sul etc.

a al allo all' all a to the