iSpeak Italian Beginner's Course: 10 Steps to Learn Italian on Your iPod

iSpeak ITALIAN BEGINNER’S COURSE 10 Steps to Learn Italian on Your iPod Jane Wightwick and Francesca Logi

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INTRODUCTION Welcome to iSpeak Italian Beginner’s Course, the language program created especially for iPods and MP3 players that lets you learn on the go. iSpeak Italian Beginner’s Course is so fun and easy to use that you’ll be speaking Italian in no time. In this program we will be following a young student named Sammy on his travels and adventures while picking up Italian language essentials on the way. We’ll be with Sammy as he arrives at his destination, finds a bed, and deals with waiters and Internet café owners. We’ll join him as he goes out and meets people, buys things, loses them, and reports his loss to the local police station. And finally, we’ll be with Sammy as he returns home from his adventures with a big, big surprise!

HOW TO INSTALL THE COURSE Follow these basic steps to import the iSpeak Italian Beginner’s Course files into iTunes and then onto your iPod. 1. Connect your iPod to the computer, and open the iTunes program. 2. Insert the iSpeak Italian Beginner’s Course disk into the computer. 3. Drag the folder labeled “Copy to iTunes Music Library” into the iTunes Music Library folder. 4. Synch your iPod with iTunes. 5. Eject your iPod.

HOW TO NAVIGATE THE COURSE iSpeak Italian Beginner’s Course has ten topics. You can find each of these main topics by first going to the Music menu on your iPod and then selecting Artists. You’ll find the ten main topics listed here under the heading “iS Beg Fren.”

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01 Getting Around 02 Getting Fed 03 Finding a Bed 04 Getting Connected 05 Having Fun 06 Making Small Talk 07 Buying Stuff 08 Losing Stuff 09 Getting Sick 10 Dealing with Customs Simply select the main topic you wish to hear, such as Getting Around or Finding a Bed. Under each of the ten main topics, you’ll see subtopics arranged as Albums: The 01 Fast Forward album is a short introduction to that topic. Next you’ll find the 02 Word Power album. In this section you’ll hear all the words and phrases you need to understand Sammy’s adventures. You’ll also see the words in both English and Italian on your screen. The 03 In Action album is where you’ll follow Sammy’s adventures through the different situations. Then you get a chance to play the part of Sammy in 04 uSpeak. The 05 Nuts & Bolts album reviews Italian grammar basics to give you an introduction to how the language works. When you’re ready to move on, there are two albums where you do most of the talking: 06 iPractice, which has two fun audio activities for you to try, and finally the 07 Rewind album, which will take you to the picture game. Here you will quiz yourself on vocabulary from the main topic by using pictures on your screen. In this companion booklet you’ll find key vocabulary from the Word Power sections, text from the In Action dialogues, Nuts & Bolts grammar summaries, and iPractice answers and Rewind answers.

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HOW TO CUSTOMIZE THE COURSE iSpeak Italian Beginner’s Course is designed so that you can customize your own program. Once you’ve worked through the topics, you can create different playlists that highlight areas you want to practice or review. Want to listen to the whole story of Sammy? Then make a playlist of all the In Action albums. Want to play all the picture games as a visual refresher? Make a playlist of all the Rewind albums. Want to review the vocabulary in the first half of the program? Make a playlist of the Word Power albums for topics 1 to 5. The possibilities are endless.

FAQ How do I prevent iSpeak Italian Beginner’s Course files from playing when I shuffle my music? 1. By creating a playlist that contains all your non-iSpeak songs and then shuffling this playlist. 2. By deselecting your iSpeak files. Highlight all the iSpeak entries in iTunes. Click the top entry to highlight it, scroll down to the final entry, and hold down “Shift” as you click it; this will highlight all the dictionary entries in between. Then right-click on your mouse and select “Uncheck Selection” in the pop-up menu. 3. By deleting the iSpeak files from iTunes. This is obviously a more extreme measure than step 2, but it is certainly not final. The iSpeak Italian Beginner’s Course can simply be reloaded onto your iPod at a later date. Select all the terms in the course (as above). Then right-click and select “Delete” in the popup menu.

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01 GETTING AROUND Word Power Excuse me. Do you know . . . ? I want to go to . . . Where’s . . . ? I live here. this area hotel youth hostel bus train number four bus stop train station Turn right. Turn left. junction there over there Never mind. I’ll show you.

Scusi. Conosce… ? Voglio andare a… Dov’è… ? Abito qui. questa zona l’hotel l’ostello della gioventù l’autobus il treno il numero quattro la fermata dell’autobus la stazione Gira a destra. Gira a sinistra. l’incrocio là laggiù Non importa. Ti faccio vedere.

In Action Sammy asks for directions. Excuse me, do you know this area? Yes, I live here. Where do you want to go? I want to go to the youth hostel. Hmm. You need to take a bus. Number four, I think. Where’s the bus stop? Turn right over there at the junction. Umm. . . where’s the junction?

Scusi, conosce questa zona? Sì, abito qui. Dove vuoi andare? Voglio andare all’ostello della gioventù. Mmm. Devi prendere l’autobus. Il numero quattro, credo. Dov’è la fermata dell’autobus? Gira a destra laggiù all’incrocio. Mmm… dov’è l’incrocio?

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There. . . you see, next to the train station. What train station? Behind the. . . Oh, never mind. Come on, I’ll show you.

Là… vedi, accanto alla stazione. Quale stazione? Dietro il… Oh, non importa. Vieni, ti faccio vedere.

Nuts & Bolts Gender (masculine and feminine) In Italian, words for things or ideas, as well as words for people, are assigned a gender. They are identified as either male or female. We say a word is masculine or feminine. This is important because it means that in Italian there are different ways to say words like the. For example, bus stop in Italian is fermata dell’autobus. It is a female, or feminine, word, and to say the bus stop you say la fermata dell’autobus. On the other hand, train is treno, and it is a male, or masculine, word. So the train is il treno. The word for junction, incrocio, is masculine, too, but to say the junction you must say l’incrocio, because it starts with a vowel. You’ll find the correct Italian word for the in front of the words in the Word Power section so you know which one to use.

Describing position To ask where somewhere is you can simply say Dov’è?, which means Where is? For example: Dov’è la stazione?

Where’s the station?

Or you could say Come arrivo a… ?, which means How do I get to. . . ?, or literally How do I arrive at. . . . For example: Come arrivo all’hotel? How do I get to the hotel? To understand someone’s reply, you’ll need some words that describe position. The most common are: dietro behind davanti a opposite di fronte a in front of accanto next to

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iPractice How do you say . . . ? Excuse me. I’ll show you. Turn right. over there bus stop opposite junction Never mind.

Scusi. Ti faccio vedere. Gira a destra. laggiù la fermata dell’autobus davanti l’incrocio Non importa.

Talk to Sammy Sammy’s left the bus but still can’t find the youth hostel. You try to direct him. Scusi dov’è l’ostello della gioventù? Turn right at the junction. Quale incrocio? Over there. Opposite the bus stop. Dove? Non la vedo. Oh, never mind. I’ll show you.

Gira a destra all’incrocio. Laggiù. Davanti alla fermata dell’autobus. Oh, non importa. Ti faccio vedere.

Rewind Come arrivo alla stazione? La stazione è di fronte alla fermata dell’autobus. Voglio prendere il treno. Gira a destra all’incrocio. Dov’è l’ostello della gioventù? All’incrocio, gira a sinistra.

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02 GETTING FED Word Power soup Bolognese sauce steak pork meat chicken fish lamb ham vegetables fruit vegetarian dishes What are . . . ? Do you have . . . ? I’ll have . . . omelet salad cheese I don’t eat . . . I don’t like . . . I’m allergic to . . . Are you vegetarian? There’s . . . There’s no . . . Anything else? with without a little

la zuppa il ragù la bistecca il maiale la carne il pollo il pesce l’agnello il prosciutto la verdura la frutta i piatti vegetariani Quali sono… ? Avete… ? Prendo… la frittata l’insalata il formaggio Non mangio… Non mi piace… Sono allergico a… Sei vegetariano? C’è… Non c’è… Qualcos’altro? con senza un po’ di

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In Action Sammy doesn’t seem to be having a lot of luck with the specials of the day. Waiter! What are the specials of the day? Pasta with Bolognese sauce or fish soup and pork steak or chicken salad. Err. Do you have any vegetarian dishes? I don’t eat meat or fish. No meat or fish? Are you vegetarian? Yes, I only eat vegetables. Well. . . the salad without the chicken? OK, that’s good. I’ll have that. . . . And an omelet? I don’t like omelets. Do you have anything else? Pizza? Yes, great. Pizza then. There’s no meat on the pizza, just a little ham . . . Without the ham, please!

Cameriere! Quali sono le specialità del giorno? Pasta al ragù o zuppa di pesce e bistecca di maiale o insalata di pollo. Err. Avete piatti vegetariani? Non mangio né carne né pesce. Né carne né pesce? Sei vegetariano? Sì, mangio solo la verdura. Allora… l’insalata senza il pollo? OK, va bene. Prendo quello. … E una frittata? Non mi piace la frittata. Avete qualcos’altro? La pizza? Sì, benissimo. Allora la pizza. Non c’è la carne sulla pizza solo un po’ di prosciutto… Senza il prosciutto, per favore!

Nuts & Bolts Male and female endings In Italian, many of the words used to describe things and people change their endings depending on whether they refer to a male or a female. For example, if you want to say I am allergic to cheese, the word for allergic changes its ending depending on your gender. If you are a man you say Sono allergico al formaggio; if you are a woman you say Sono allergica al formaggio. Don’t worry too much about this. The difference is slight, and people will understand you anyway.

Asking questions Asking a question in Italian is very easy. Usually you just use the same words you would use when stating something and in the same order. The only thing that changes is the intonation of your voice. Just raise it a little bit. For example: Avete piatti vegetariani. Avete piatti vegetariani?

You have vegetarian dishes. Do you have vegetarian dishes?

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Sei vegetariano. Sei vegetariano?

You are vegetarian. Are you vegetarian?

Negative Another quite easy thing to do is to say something in the negative. In Italian, you just add the word non. For example: Mi piace la pizza. Non mi piace la pizza. Mangio la carne. Non mangio la carne. Non c’è il prosciutto.

I like pizza. I don’t like pizza. I eat meat. I don’t eat meat. There’s no ham.

Neither one thing nor the other To say that you have neither one thing nor another, you can use the phrase né… né… For example: Non mangio né carne né pesce.

I eat neither meat nor fish.

iPractice How do you say . . . ? I’ll have that. Do you have chicken salad? I don’t eat pork. I don’t like fish. There’s no pizza. You can have pasta and the steak. Without cheese, please.

Prendo quello. Avete l’insalata di pollo? Non mangio il maiale. Non mi piace il pesce. Non c’è la pizza. Puoi prendere la pasta e la bistecca. Senza il formaggio, per favore.

Talk to Sammy You’ve taken over as Sammy’s waiter or waitress, but you’ve just discovered there’s a problem with the pizza. There’s no pizza without ham. Oh. Avete qualcos’altro? Pasta with seafood. Non mangio i frutti di mare. Well, the pasta without the seafood. OK. Prendo quello.

Non c’è la pizza senza il prosciutto. La pasta ai frutti di mare. Allora, la pasta senza i frutti di mare.

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That’s good, seafood pasta without seafood, and then chicken salad without the chicken.

Va bene, la pasta ai frutti di mare senza i frutti di mare, e l’insalata di pollo senza il pollo.

Rewind Prendo il pesce. Avete il pollo? Non mangio il prosciutto. Non mi piace la verdura. Non c’è la zuppa. Senza l’insalata.

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03 FINDING A BED Word Power single room double room reservation dormitory bed with private bathroom with shared bathroom for three nights occupied price supplement member important 10 percent Let me see. there are How many? How much does that cost? I’m sorry. Wait a minute.

la camera singola la camera doppia la prenotazione la camerata il letto con il bagno in camera con il bagno in comune per tre notti occupato il prezzo il supplemento il socio importante il 10 per cento Vediamo. ci sono Quanti? Quanto costa? Mi dispiace. Aspetti un attimo.

In Action Sammy has arrived at the youth hostel. Hello. Hello. Do you have a single room for three nights? Do you have a reservation? No. I’m sorry. There are no single rooms left. But we have a bed in a dormitory.

Salve. Salve. Avete una camera singola per tre notti? Ha una prenotazione? No. Mi dispiace. Non sono rimaste camere singole. Ma abbiamo un letto in una camerata.

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A dormitory? How many beds are there? Twelve, but only eight are occupied. Twelve! And double rooms? Yes, we have a double room with shared bathroom. How much does that cost? Let me see, there’s the price of the room, plus the high-season supplement, plus the supplement for a double room used as a single . . . are you a member? A member? No, is that important? For nonmembers there’s a supplement of 10 percent. That makes . . . wait a minute, I’ll get the large calculator!

Una camerata? Quanti letti ci sono? Dodici, ma soltanto otto sono occupati. Dodici! E camere doppie? Sì, abbiamo una camera doppia con il bagno in comune. Quanto costa? Vediamo, c’è il prezzo della stanza, più il supplemento alta stagione più il supplemento camera doppia uso singola… lei è socio? Socio? No, è importante? Per i non soci c’è il supplemento del 10 per cento. In tutto fa… aspetti un attimo, prendo la calcolatrice grande!

Nuts & Bolts Numerals 0 to 12 and plural words Numbers are very important in everyday life. Let’s look at the Italian numbers from zero to twelve: zero, uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque, sei, sette, otto, nove, dieci, undici, and dodici. Be careful of the number one: uno changes to un when you use it in front of a masculine word, and to una in front of a feminine word. For example: un letto one bed or a bed una camera one room or a room When you use a word referring to more than one thing or person, the word becomes plural. In English, to make a word plural, we usually add an -s as in beds and rooms. But Italian words usually change their endings. For example, to say one bed is un letto, but eight beds is otto letti and the beds is i letti, with an -i. And for feminine words such as una camera, which means one bedroom, the ending changes into -e. So two bedrooms is due camere and the bedrooms is le camere. These are some general guidelines, but there are some other different plurals. You’ll pick them up as you go along.

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How many / how much If you want to ask how many? in Italian you use quanti? for masculine words. For example: Quanti letti ci sono?

How many beds are there?

For feminine words you say quante? For example: Quante camere ci sono? How many bedrooms are there? If you want to ask the price of something you say Quanto costa?, which means How much does it cost? For example: Quanto costa una camera doppia? How much does a double room cost? If you want to ask the price of several things, you would use a different verb form as shown below: Quanto costano i biglietti? How much do the tickets cost?

iPractice How do you say . . . ? Do you have a double room? For six nights. Wait a minute. How much is the room? With private bathroom. Are there supplements? Where’s the dormitory?

Avete una camera doppia? Per sei notti. Aspetti un attimo. Quanto costa la camera? Con il bagno in camera. Ci sono supplementi? Dov’è la camerata?

Talk to Sammy Sammy is showing you his room in the youth hostel. Is it a double room? Sì, non sono rimaste camere singole. With private bathroom? No, il bagno è in comune. Where is it? Laggiù. Opposite the dormitory? Sì. È sempre occupato!

È una camera doppia? Con il bagno in camera? Dov’è? Davanti alla camerata?

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Rewind Avete una camera doppia? Quanto costa una camera singola? Per due notti. Dov’è il bagno? Davanti alla camera nove. C’è il supplemento del 5 per cento.

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04 GETTING CONNECTED Word Power Internet café the Internet computer telephone to telephone connection headphones mike program loaded a quarter of an hour half an hour an hour log on log off download slow expired Let me think. Can I . . . ? I can’t hear. He can’t hear me. Speak into the mike. It’s not working. excuse me, I’m sorry

l’Internet caffè l’Internet il computer il telefono telefonare (a) la connessione le cuffie il microfono il programma caricato un quarto d’ora mezz’ora un’ora connettersi sconnettersi scaricare lento scaduto Vediamo. Posso… ? Non sento. Non mi sente. Parla nel microfono. Non funziona. scusa

In Action Sammy wants to speak to a friend from the Internet café. Hello! Hello. Can I use voice over Internet to telephone? Yes, the program is loaded on all the computers.

Salve! Salve. Posso telefonare via Internet? Sì, il programma è caricato su tutti i computer.

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How much does it cost? You can buy a quarter of an hour, half an hour, or an hour. Er, let me think . . . a quarter of an hour, thank you . . . Excuse me. The connection is slow. Try computer number five. You need to log on. OK, thanks . . . Hello! Luigi? Hello! . . . Excuse me! I can’t hear my friend. Take the headphones. Thank you . . . Hello! Hello? Luigi? . . . Excuse me. Now my friend can’t hear me! Speak into the mike on the right. Oh yes . . . Luigi? . . . Hello, it’s Sammy . . . Yes, I’m fine. Luigi? Luigi? Hello!… Excuse me. It’s not working. No, it’s working, but your quarter of an hour has expired!

Quanto costa? Puoi pagare per un quarto d’ora, mezz’ora o un’ora. Mmm, vediamo… un quarto d’ora, grazie… Scusa. La connessione è lenta. Prova il computer numero cinque. Devi connetterti. OK, grazie… Pronto! Luigi? Alo! Pronto!… Scusa! Non sento il mio amico. Prendi le cuffie. Grazie… Pronto! Alo? Luigi?… Scusa. Il mio amico non mi sente! Parla nel microfono a destra. Ah sì, grazie… Luigi?… Ciao! Sono Sammy… Sì, sto bene. Luigi? Luigi? Pronto! Alo!… Scusa! Non funziona! No, funziona, ma il tuo quarto d’ora è scaduto!

Nuts & Bolts Formal and informal In Italian we can use a more informal language when talking to young people or friends. The Internet manager that Sammy is talking to is young, so Sammy uses scusa for excuse me, rather than the more formal scusi. To say you can informally we use puoi. If we were talking in a more formal way we would use può.

My and your When you want to say that something belongs to you in English, you use words like my. For example, my friend is il mio amico. As usual in Italian, everything changes for the feminine. If you want to say my bedroom, which is a feminine noun, you say la mia camera. The word for your is tuo (masculine) or tua (feminine). For example: il tuo amico your friend la tua camera your bedroom

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To say his, her, or its in Italian, we use suo and sua, which also means your when you are talking in a formal way. For example: il suo amico his/her friend (or your friend, formal) la sua camera his/her bedroom (or your bedroom, formal) Luckily in Italian we use these words a bit less than in English. For example, to say your quarter of an hour has expired you can easily say il quarto d’ora è scaduto, which means the quarter of an hour has expired.

Time To say one hour in Italian you say un’ora, and to say two hours you say due ore. If you want to say half an hour, you use mezz’ora. To say ten minutes you say dieci minuti. To say for ten minutes you use the word per as in per dieci minuti. To say in an hour you use tra un’ora.

iPractice How do you say . . . ? Can I telephone my friend? How much does half an hour cost? Take the headphones. Where’s the mike? The program is loaded. It’s not working! There’s no connection.

Posso telefonare al mio amico? Quanto costa mezz’ora? Prendi le cuffie. Dov’è il microfono? Il programma è caricato. Non funziona! Non c’è connessione.

Talk to Sammy Sammy is telephoning you from the Internet café. It’s a bad, bad line! Ciao, sono Sammy! Are you in the Internet café? S..s… sono al …al..al… compu… compu… I can’t hear! Speak into the mike! Par… del… no… per… qua….! I’m sorry. The connection is not working! Sì. Ri… riprovo tr..tra… ora… bene? Yes, yes! In an hour!

Sei all’Internet caffè?

Non sento! Parla nel microfono! Scusa. La connessione non funziona!

Sì, sì! Tra un’ora!

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Rewind Posso telefonare via Internet? Quanto costa un quarto d’ora? Non sento! Dove sono le cuffie? La tua mezz’ora è scaduta. La connessione è lenta.

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05 HAVING FUN Word Power in the evening tonight today for entertainment movie theater movie bowling alley nightclub bar live music beach party fireworks you can dance open closed late starts finishes What do people do here? Great! bus strike Oh dear! They can give you a ride.

la sera stasera oggi per divertirsi il cinema il film la sala da bowling il locale il bar la musica dal vivo la festa sulla spiaggia i fuochi d’artificio si balla aperto chiuso tardi comincia finisce Cosa fa qui la gente? Grande! lo sciopero degli autobus Mamma mia! Possono darti un passaggio.

In Action Sammy is looking for ideas on where to go for a night out. Good evening. What do people do here in the evening? Well, the supermarket is open until late. Err. I mean for entertainment.

Buona sera. Cosa fa qui la gente la sera? Ma, il supermercato è aperto fino a tardi. Err. Voglio dire per divertirsi.

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OK. Let me see. There’s a movie theater, but the movie starts at six thirty, so it’s too late for that. Anything else? There’s a bowling alley, but it’s closed on Thursday. Is there a nightclub or a bar with live music? Not really, but there’s a beach party tonight. There are fireworks and you can dance. Great! Can I go by bus? Yes, but today there’s a bus strike. Oh dear! Those two are going to the party! Maybe they can give you a ride.

Ah. Vediamo. C’è un cinema, ma il film comincia alle sei e mezzo, è troppo tardi per quello. Qualcos’altro? C’è una sala da bowling, ma è chiusa il giovedì. C’è un locale o un bar con la musica dal vivo? Veramente no, ma stasera c’è una festa sulla spiaggia. Ci sono i fuochi d’artificio e si balla. Grande! Posso andare con l’autobus? Sì, ma oggi c’è lo sciopero degli autobus. Mamma mia! Quei due vanno alla festa! Forse possono darti un passaggio.

Nuts & Bolts Telling the time If you want to ask What time does it start? in Italian, you say A che ora comincia? To answer this question with at four o’clock you say alle quattro. To say at half past four you say alle quattro e mezzo. Also, you can use quando, which is the Italian word for when. For example: Quando comincia?

When does it start?

To ask What time is it? you say Che ore sono? For the answer, you can simply use the number. For example: le sei six o’clock l’una one o’clock Remember that midday is mezzogiorno and midnight is mezzanotte. Other time phrases you will often come across: è tardi it’s late è troppo tardi it’s too late è presto it’s early

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Days of the week Six of the seven days of the week are masculine, so we use them with il: il lunedì il martedì il mercoledì il giovedì il venerdì il sabato

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Sunday is the only feminine day, so we use la: la domenica Sunday To say it’s closed on Sunday you say è chiuso la domenica. If you are talking in general, you use the Italian word for the. If you’re talking about a specific day, you don’t. To say I arrive on Friday you say Arrivo venerdì. In any case, you don’t need to translate the English word on.

iPractice How do you say . . . ? What do people do for entertainment? Is there a bar with live music? Is it closed on Sunday? The movie starts at eight thirty. Are there fireworks? Can I go by train? Oh dear!

Cosa fa la gente per divertirsi? C’è un bar con la musica dal vivo? È chiuso la domenica? Il film comincia alle otto e mezzo. Ci sono i fuochi d’artificio? Posso andare con il treno? Mamma mia!

Talk to Sammy Sammy is asking you more questions about the beach party. Cosa fa la gente alla festa sulla spiaggia? There’s live music. Jazz o rock? Jazz, and the bar is open until late. Qualcos’altro? Let me see. There are fireworks. A che ora? At nine thirty.

C’è la musica dal vivo. Jazz, e il bar è aperto fino a tardi. Vediamo. Ci sono i fuochi d’artificio. Alle nove e mezzo.

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Rewind Il film comincia alle otto e mezzo. Ci sono i fuochi d’artificio? Il locale è chiuso il lunedì. Posso andare con l’autobus? C’è una festa? Posso andare con il treno?

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06 MAKING SMALL TALK Word Power Hi. Hello. My name’s . . . This is Carlo. This is Laura. girlfriend boyfriend small town city two hours’ drive backseat front seat stuff mask tank Are you from here? We’re on vacation. I live in . . . What do you do? diving instructor student What are you studying? journalism I work in . . . Do you sell . . . ? resort great me too Thanks for . . . no problem

Ciao. Salve. Mi chiamo… Questo è Carlo. Questa è Laura. la ragazza il ragazzo il paese la città a due ore di macchina il sedile dietro il sedile davanti la roba la maschera la bombola Siete di qui? Siamo in vacanza. Abito in… Cosa fai? l’istruttore subacqueo studente Cosa studi? giornalismo Lavoro in… Vendi… ? il villaggio turistico grande anch’io Grazie del… di niente

• 27 • Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Click here for terms of use.

In Action Sammy has gotten a ride to the beach party with a couple from the youth hostel. Hi, my name’s Carlo, and this is my girlfriend, Laura. Hello, I’m Sammy. Thanks for the ride. No problem! Sorry about all the stuff on the backseat. Are you from around here? No, we’re on vacation. I live in a small town about three hours’ drive from here. What do you do? Do you sell masks and tanks? No! No! I’m a diving instructor! I work in a resort. Wow! Great! And Laura is a student. Me too. What are you studying? Media studies and journalism. Media studies and journalism? One day you can write about us in the Washington Post.

Ciao, mi chiamo Carlo, e questa è la mia ragazza, Laura. Salve, io sono Sammy. Grazie del passaggio. Di niente! Scusa per la roba sul sedile dietro. Sei di qui? No, siamo in vacanza. Abito in un paese a circa tre ore di macchina da qui. Cosa fai? Vendi maschere e bombole? No! No! Sono un istruttore subacqueo! Lavoro in un villaggio turistico. Waw! Grande! E Laura è una studentessa. Anch’io. Cosa studi? Media studies e giornalismo. Media studies e giornalismo? Un giorno puoi scrivere di noi sul Washington Post.

Nuts & Bolts To be (am, are, is) Here is a summary of how to say am, are, or is in Italian: I am is sono, as in Sono Sammy (I am Sammy). You are is sei, as in Sei di qui? (Are you from here?) To say he, she, or it is, you use è, as in questa è la mia ragazza (this is my girlfriend). You can also use è to say you are if you want to be more formal or polite. For example, È di qui? means Are you from here? We are is siamo, as in siamo in vacanza (we are on vacation). They are in Italian is sono. For example, Carlo e Laura sono italiani means Carlo and Laura are Italian. In Italian you can often leave out the pronouns such as I, you, they, etc. For example, I am from here is expressed in Italian as sono di qui. But occasionally you need to use a pronoun. For example, if you want to ask And you? you say E tu?

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Occupations When you talk about yourself, often the first thing you say after your name is what you study or what you do for a living. In Italian, to say you are a student you use sono uno studente (for a male) or sono una studentessa (for a female). To say you are an instructor you say sono un istruttore (for a male). A woman would say sono un’istruttrice. Many other occupations change their endings when they refer to a woman, which is similar to the English waiter and waitress. Some patterns are predictable. For example, the ending -o generally changes to -a; impiegato (clerk) becomes impiegata for females; and worker is operaio (for a male) and operaia (for a female). Some occupations are the same for both men and women. For example: giornalista journalist insegnante teacher dottore doctor

iPractice How do you say . . . ? Are you on vacation? I’m a student. Five hours’ drive from here. What do you do? I work in a youth hostel. My girlfriend is a diving instructor.

Sei in vacanza? Sono uno studente. A cinque ore di macchina da qui. Cosa fai? Lavoro in un ostello della gioventù. La mia ragazza è un’istruttrice subacquea. Grazie del passaggio!

Thanks for the ride!

Talk to Sammy Sammy is making small talk with you. Sei di qui? No. I’m on vacation. Di dove sei? I live in a small town two hours’ drive from Chicago. E cosa fai là? I work in an Internet café.

No, sono in vacanza. Abito in un paese a due ore di macchina da Chicago. Lavoro in un Internet caffè.

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And you? What do you do? Sono uno studente, ma il mio amico è un istruttore subacqueo.

E tu? Cosa fai?

Rewind Sono in vacanza. Lavoro in un ristorante. Sei uno studente. Abitiamo in una città. A quattro ore di macchina da qui. Il mio ragazzo è un istruttore subacqueo.

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07 BUYING STUFF Word Power soccer outfit shirt, T-shirt shorts socks helmet color blue white red gray label size match home match away match stadium team play soccer girl my sister my brother my son my daughter unusual expensive price world famous wear I’m looking for . . . Can I help you?

il calcio la tenuta la maglietta i pantaloncini i calzettoni il casco il colore azzurro bianco rosso grigio il cartellino la misura la partita la partita in casa la partita fuori casa lo stadio la squadra giocare a calcio la ragazza mia sorella mio fratello mio figlio mia figlia insolito caro il prezzo famosa a livello mondiale indossare Cerco… Posso aiutarla?

• 31 • Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Click here for terms of use.

back home these days

nel mio paese oggigiorno

In Action Sammy wants to buy his little sister a soccer outfit. Can I help you? Yes, I’m looking for an outfit for my sister. A girl? That’s unusual. Not really. Back home lots of girls play. And why not. Do you want the shirt and the shorts? Just the shirt. What colors do you have? Well, we have white and blue for the home matches, or gray and red for the away matches. How much does this one cost? The price is on the label. Oh, it’s expensive! But we’re a world famous team. Hmm. OK. And do you have the team socks? Of course! What size is your son . . . err. . . brother? My sister. She’s eleven. This size, I think. And a helmet? A helmet? What helmet? Yes, many rugby players wear helmets these days. Rugby? Rugby players? Yes, this is the rugby stadium.

Posso aiutarla? Sì, cerco una tenuta per mia sorella. Una ragazza? È insolito. Veramente no. Nel mio paese molte ragazze giocano. E perché no. Vuole la maglietta e i pantaloncini? Solo la maglietta. Che colori avete? Allora, abbiamo bianco e azzurro per le partite in casa, o grigio e rosso per le partite fuori casa. Quanto costa questa? Il prezzo è sul cartellino. Oh, è cara! Ma siamo una squadra famosa a livello mondiale. Hmm. OK. E avete i calzettoni della squadra? Naturalmente! Che misura ha vostro figlio… err… fratello? Mia sorella. Ha undici anni. Questa misura, credo. E un casco? Un casco? Che casco? Sì, molti giocatori di rugby indossano il casco oggigiorno. Rugby? Giocatori di rugby? Sì, questo è uno stadio di rugby.

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Nuts & Bolts To have (has, have) To say have or has in Italian you use the verb avere. I have is ho, as in ho una sorella (I have one sister). If you want to say you have in Italian, you say hai, but when you are speaking in a formal way you need to use ha for you have. For he, she, or it has, you also use ha, as in Che misura ha suo figlio?, which means What size is your son?, or literally What size does your son have? If you want to say we have, you use abbiamo. And for you have in the plural, you use avete, as in Avete i calzettoni della squadra? (Do you have the club socks?) To say they have you use hanno. Remember we also use the verb avere to talk about age. For example, Ha undici anni means literally She has eleven years.

Colors In Italian, when describing the color of something, the color word usually goes after the noun, as in il casco bianco (the white helmet). Notice that the color word changes if what it is describing is feminine. If you want to say the white shirt, you would say la maglietta bianca. The color word also changes for the plural. For example: i pantaloncini neri the black shorts le magliette rosse the red shirts Other popular colors are: giallo/gialla (yellow); azzurro/azzurra (blue); and verde (green), which stays the same for masculine and feminine nouns.

iPractice How do you say . . . ? I’m looking for a shirt. What sizes do you have? Do you have shorts? That’s unusual. How much does it cost? He’s twelve years old.

Cerco una maglietta. Che misure avete? Avete i pantaloncini? È insolito. Quanto costa? Ha dodici anni.

Talk to Sammy Sammy is holding up a pink and purple striped T-shirt. He asks your opinion. Cosa pensi di questa maglietta? It’s unusual. How much does it cost?

È insolita. Quanto costa?

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Il prezzo è qui. It’s expensive! Sì, ma la marca è famosa. What colors do they have? Rosa e viola, o rosso e grigio. They have your size in red and gray. Sì, forse è meglio. OK, grazie!

È cara! Che colori hanno? Hanno la tua misura in rosso e grigio.

Rewind Quanto costa la maglietta? È caro! Che misura ha? Cerco i calzettoni. Molte ragazze giocano a calcio.

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08 LOSING STUFF Word Power theft stolen wallet market stall fruit stall man woman thief suspicious strange long hair short hair old elderly young fat thin beautiful ugly money credit card photo police station Good evening. I’d like to report . . . this afternoon Can you describe him? as well I’m sure. You dropped it. he brought

il furto rubato il portafoglio il mercato il banco il banco della frutta un uomo una donna il ladro sospetto strano i capelli lunghi i capelli corti vecchio anziano giovane grasso magro bello brutto i soldi la carta di credito la foto la stazione di polizia Buona sera. Vorrei denunciare… oggi pomeriggio Sa descriverlo? anche Sono sicuro. Le è caduto. ha portato

• 35 • Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Click here for terms of use.

In Action Sammy wants to report his wallet stolen at the police station. Good evening. Good evening. I’d like to report a theft. What was stolen? My wallet. Where was this? In the market this afternoon. At what time? At about four o’clock. I was at the fruit stall. Was there anything suspicious? Yes. Next to me there was a strange man with long hair. Can you describe him? He was old, very fat and ugly. I’m sure he is the thief. What was in the wallet? There were my credit cards, my money, and also a photo of my girlfriend. What’s your name? Sammy Lawson. One moment . . . wallet . . . Sammy Lawson . . . yes, a photo of his girlfriend. Ah. Yes! No! Good! Thank you! Mr. Lawson! Yes? Mr. Lawson, we have your wallet, sir. You dropped it . . . and the old, fat, ugly man next to you brought the wallet here to the police!

Buona sera. Buona sera. Vorrei denunciare un furto. Cosa è stato rubato? Il mio portafoglio. Dove è successo? Al mercato oggi pomeriggio. A che ora? Alle quattro circa. Ero al banco della frutta. C’era qualcosa di sospetto? Sì. Accanto a me c’era un uomo strano con i capelli lunghi. Sa descriverlo? Era vecchio, molto grasso e brutto. Sono sicuro che è lui il ladro. Cosa c’era nel portafoglio? C’erano le mie carte di credito, i soldi e anche la foto della mia ragazza. Come si chiama? Sammy Lawson. Un momento… portafoglio… Sammy Lawson… sì, una foto della sua ragazza. Ah! Sì! No! Bene! Grazie! Signore Lawson! Sì? Signore Lawson, abbiamo il suo portafoglio, signore. Le è caduto… e l’uomo vecchio, grasso e brutto accanto a lei ha portato il portafoglio qui alla polizia!

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Nuts & Bolts Was / Were If you want to use the verb to be to discuss something in the past you can say ero, which means I was. For example: Ero al banco della frutta.

I was at the fruit stall.

To say you were, you use eri, and for the formal you use era. To say he was or she was you also use era. For example: Era vecchio. He was old. To say there were, you use c’erano. And to say there was, you use c’era. For example: C’era un uomo strano. There was a strange man. Note that in Italian the word hair is plural. So to say the hair was long, you use the plural i capelli erano lunghi.

Describing people To say very in Italian you use molto. For example, very fat is molto grasso, and to say my girlfriend is very beautiful you say la mia ragazza è molto bella. Note that the word for beautiful is bello, but it changes its ending for a female to become bella while molto stays the same for both genders. If you want to say that something or someone is old you can use the word vecchio (vecchia for females). But if you are talking about a person and you want to be more polite you use the word anziano (anziana for females). For example, to say an old woman you say una donna anziana.

iPractice How do you say . . . ? Where were you this afternoon? I was in the youth hostel. There was a woman. Can you describe the woman? She was old with short hair. Can you describe the man? He was young and thin.

Dov’era oggi pomeriggio? Ero all’ostello della gioventù. C’era una donna. Sa descrivere la donna? Era anziana, con i capelli corti. Sa descrivere l’uomo? Era giovane e magro.

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Talk to Sammy Sammy is asking you about a strange girl you saw this afternoon. Dov’eri oggi pomeriggio? I was in the youth hostel. E c’era anche la ragazza? Yes, she was next to me. Sai descriverla… ? Perché era strana? She was young and very thin. . . . with orange and blue hair! Ah sì. Era la mia ragazza!

Ero all’ostello della gioventù. Sì, era accanto a me. Era giovane e molto magra. … con i capelli arancio e azzurro!

Rewind La donna era molto magra. L’uomo era molto grasso. I capelli erano molto lunghi. Ero all’ostello della gioventù. Ero al mercato alle sei e mezzo. Cosa c’era nel portafoglio?

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09 GETTING SICK Word Power pain leg arm back knee stomach head stomachache headache diarrhea constipated temperature symptom eat drink walk go prefer alcoholic drinks chocolate exercise gym jog nurse lifestyle plenty of water What’s the problem? every day always normally You must . . . You don’t need . . .

il dolore la gamba il braccio la schiena il ginocchio lo stomaco la testa il mal di stomaco il mal di testa la diarrea stitico la febbre il sintomo mangiare bere camminare andare preferire gli alcolici la cioccolata l’attività fisica la palestra andare a correre l’infermiere lo stile di vita molta acqua Che problema c’è? tutti i giorni sempre di solito Deve… Non ha bisogno di…

• 39 • Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Click here for terms of use.

In Action Sammy has gone to see the youth hostel nurse about a bad stomachache and pains in his legs. Hello. What’s the problem? I have a stomachache and pains in my legs. Do you have a temperature or a headache? I don’t have a temperature, but I have a headache all the time. And other symptoms? Do you have diarrhea, are you constipated? Yes, I’m consipated. What do you normally eat? Oh, the normal things: cheese, chocolate, pizza, ice cream, candy . . . And do you drink plenty of water? I prefer coffee and cola. And how much alcohol do you drink? I like cocktails, beer, wine, . . . most things. And exercise? Do you go to the gym, do you jog? No, but I danced yesterday until four in the morning. You don’t need a nurse, you must change your lifestyle!

Salve. Che problema c’è? Ho il mal di stomaco e i dolori alle gambe. Ha la febbre o il mal di testa? Non ho la febbre, ma ho sempre il mal di testa. E altri sintomi? Ha diarrea, sei stitico? Sì, sono stitico. Cosa mangia di solito? Oh, le solite cose: il formaggio, la cioccolata, la pizza, il gelato, le caramelle… E beve molta acqua? Preferisco il caffè e la coca. E quanti alcolici beve? Mi piacciono i cocktail, la birra, il vino, … quasi tutto. E attività fisica? Va in palestra, va a correre? No, ma ho ballato ieri fino alle quattro di mattina. Non ha bisogno di una infermiera, deve cambiare lo stile di vita!

Nuts & Bolts Simple present tense Italian verbs have a basic form known as the infinitive. The English equivalent of the infinitive is the verb with to in front of it. For example: mangiare bere preferire

to eat to drink to prefer

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When you want to express something that you do regularly, the verb you use ends in an -o. For example: mangio I eat bevo I drink preferisco I prefer If you want to ask someone else a question, in an informal way, you change the verb endings into an -i. For example: Mangi molto? Do you eat a lot? Bevi il caffè? Do you drink coffee? If you are talking more formally you need to use a verb with an -a or -e. For example: Mangia molto? Do you eat a lot? Beve il caffè? Do you drink coffee? Watch out for the verb andare, which means to go. It becomes vado for I go and vai or va for you go. For example: Vai in palestra? Do you go to the gym? Vado tutti i giorni. I go every day.

Like / Don’t like To say I like in Italian you say mi piace, which literally means it pleases me. For example, I like pizza is mi piace la pizza, or pizza pleases me. Note that in Italian we would often use the word for the here in front of the object as in la pizza. If you want to say I like cocktails, you need to use a plural verb. For example: Mi piacciono i cocktails.

I like cocktails.

When you ask somebody Do you like pizza? the little word mi changes into ti. For example: Ti piace la pizza? Do you like pizza? Ti piacciono i cocktails? Do you like cocktails? If you are talking formally you have to use le instead of ti. For example: Le piace la pizza? Le piacciono i cocktails?

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iPractice How do you say . . . ? I have a stomachache. I don’t need a doctor. I have a headache. I normally drink water. I go to the gym every day. I don’t like exercise. I don’t normally drink alcoholic drinks.

Ho il mal di stomaco. Non ho bisogno di un dottore. Ho il mal di testa. Di solito bevo l’acqua. Vado in palestra tutti i giorni. Non mi piace l’attività fisica. Di solito non bevo alcolici.

Talk to Sammy Sammy is asking you for some advice. Ho sempre il mal di stomaco. What do you normally eat? La pizza e il gelato. And what do you drink? Il caffè, la birra, e la coca. You must eat lots of fruit and drink water. Ma la frutta non mi piace. And exercise? Do you jog? No, ma forse devo andare in palestra.

Cosa mangi di solito? E cosa bevi? Devi mangiare molta frutta e bere acqua. E l’attività fisica? Vai a correre?

Rewind Ho dolore al braccio. Ho dolore al ginocchio. Ho la febbre. Ha il mal di testa? Ha bisogno di bere molta acqua. Preferisco il caffè. Le piace la frutta?

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10 DEALING WITH CUSTOMS Word Power bag anyone to carry to buy gift to find antique necklace 18th century flea market very valuable rich certificate of export tax declaration consulate passport details bank reference résumé Fill out this form. to collect necessary paperwork Would you mind . . . ? Sir Madam not at all Is there a problem? You’re kidding! How long will that take? far return become

la borsa qualcuno portare comprare il regalo trovare la collana antica 18° secolo il mercatino di grande valore ricco la bolla di esportazione la denuncia dei redditi il consolato il passaporto i dati le coordinate bancarie il curriculum vitae Compili questo modulo. ritirare la documentazione necessaria Le dispiace… ? signore signora niente affatto C’è qualche problema? Sta scherzando! Quanto tempo ci vorrà? lontano tornare diventare

• 43 • Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Click here for terms of use.

In Action Sammy is going home, but first a customs official wants to do a routine check of his bag. Would you mind opening your bag, sir? Not at all. Did anyone give you anything to carry? No, nothing. Did you buy any gifts? Yes, I bought this necklace for my mother. Hmm . . . One minute, please. What’s the problem? This necklace, sir. This is an antique eighteenth-century necklace. I found the necklace in a flea market. It wasn’t expensive. This necklace is very valuable. You need a certificate of export, a tax declaration, a letter from your consulate . . . You’re kidding! And we will need your bank references, your passport details, your employment history. How long will that take? A few weeks. Fill out this form. You can collect the necklace when you have the correct paperwork. But it’s far to return! But maybe you could become rich!

Le dispiace aprire la borsa, signore? Niento affatto. Qualcuno le ha dato qualcosa da portare? No, niente. Ha comprato de regali? Sì, ho comprato questa collana per mia madre. Hmm… Un momento, per favore. Che problema c’è? Questa collana, signore. Questa è una collana antica del diciottesimo secolo. Ho trovato la collana in un mercatino. Non era cara. Questa collana è di grande valore. Ha bisogno di una bolla di esportazione, della denuncia dei redditi, di una lettera del suo consolato… Sta scherzando! E abbiamo bisogno delle sue coordinate bancarie, dei dati del suo passaporto, del suo curriculum vitae. Quanto tempo ci vorrà? Qualche settimana. Compili questo modulo. Può ritirare la collana quando ha tutta la documentazione necessaria. Ma è un po’ lontano per tornare! Ma potrebbe diventare ricco!

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Nuts & Bolts Past tense In Italian we use the perfect tense to talk about past events. In general, the perfect tense is like the English I have bought or he has found, except in Italian we also use it to mean I bought or he found. To form a verb in the perfect tense, first you need to identify the correct form of have or has and follow it with the equivalent of bought or found. In Italian, these verbs often end in -ato, -uto, or -ito. For example ho comprato means I bought or literally I have bought. For example: Ho comprato questa collana. I bought this necklace. Ho trovato il regalo. I found a gift. Ho bevuto un caffè. I drank a coffee. If you want to say you have bought you use hai comprato, or to be more formal ha comprato. If you want to ask questions about something that has been done in the past, you use the same form. For example, to ask Did you find anything? you say Ha trovato qualcosa?

Formal language To say Did anybody give you anything? you say Qualcuno le ha dato qualcosa? Note that the word le is the formal way of saying to you. For example: Le dispiace aprire la borsa?

Would you mind opening your bag?

If you want to ask the same questions in an informal way just use ti as in: Qualcuno ti ha dato qualcosa? Did anybody give you anything? Ti dispiace aprire la borsa. Would you mind opening your bag? When we need to address somebody formally using sir or madam, we say signore or signora. You can also use them with the surname if you know it. For example: Il signore e la signora Pavarotti Mr. and Mrs. Pavarotti

iPractice How do you say . . . ? Not at all! I bought a necklace for my sister.

Niente affatto! Ho comprato una collana per mia sorella.

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Do I need a certificate of export?

Ho bisogno di una bolla di esportazione? È di grande valore? Questa è una antica collana. Ho la documentazione necessaria. Che problema c’è?

Is it very valuable? This is an antique necklace. I have the necessary paperwork. What’s the problem?

Talk to Sammy Sammy is telling you about the necklace. Where did you find the necklace? In un mercatino. You’re kidding! Is it very valuable? Credo di sì. Gli agenti della dogana mi hanno detto che ho bisogno della bolla di esportazione, della dichiarazione dei redditi, delle coordinate bancarie… Why do you need all that paperwork? Per esportare la collana. How long will that take? Qualche settimana, credo. Did you buy anything else? Una maglietta da calcio, ma sicuramente non è antica!

Dove hai trovato la collana? Stai scherzando! È di grande valore?

Perché hai bisogno di tutta questa documentazione? Quanto tempo ci vorrà? Hai comprato nient’altro?

Rewind Ho comprato una collana. Ho trovato la maglietta in un mercatino. Compili questo modulo. Questa è una collana del diciottesimo secolo. Ho bisogno del mio passaporto? Hai comprato una tenuta da calcio?

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