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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank those authors and publishers who kindly gave permission for copyright material to be used in the Collins Corpus. We would also like to thank Times Newspapers Ltd for providing valuable data.

MANAGING EDITOR

Janice McNeillie

CONTRIBUTOR

Mirella Alessio

FOR THE PUBLISHER

Gerry Breslin

Hannah Dove

Contents

Cover

Title page

Copyright

Introduction

What is it?

Why do you need it?

How is it structured?

How does it work?

Why choose Collins Easy Learning Italian Conversation?

The Collins Easy Learning range

Italian pronunciation

Italian vowels

Italian consonants

Which syllable to emphasize

Units

Small talk

Come va? – How are things?

Greetings

Introducing people

Talking about yourself

Asking for information

Saying what you want to do

Making suggestions

Expressing opinions

Talking about your plans

Making arrangements

Saying what you have to do

Listen out for

Lifestyle Tips

Getting there

Buon viaggio! – Have a good trip!

Talking about your plans

Saying what you have to do

Saying what you want to do

Making suggestions

Asking for information

Asking for things

Saying what you like, dislike, prefer

Listen out for

Lifestyle Tips

Home from home

Buonanotte! – Sleep well!

Asking for things

Talking about yourself

Asking for information

Asking for permission

Saying what you like, dislike, prefer

Expressing opinions

Making suggestions

Asking for suggestions

Saying what you have to do

Talking about your plans

Complaining

Listen out for

Lifestyle Tips

Wining and dining

Buon appetito! – Enjoy your meal!

Making arrangements

Asking for information

Asking for things

Saying what you want to do

Saying what you like, dislike, prefer

Asking for suggestions

Making suggestions

Complaining

Listen out for

Lifestyle Tips

Hitting the town

Buon divertimento! – Have a good time!

Making suggestions

Talking about your plans

Asking for information

Asking for things

Saying what you like, dislike, prefer

Expressing opinions

Asking for permission

Listen out for

Lifestyle Tips

Museums, monuments and much more

Buona giornata! – Have a nice day!

Saying what you want to do

Talking about your plans

Making suggestions

Asking for information

Asking for things

Asking for permission

Saying what you like, dislike, prefer

Expressing opinions

Complaining

Listen out for

Lifestyle Tips

Retail therapy

Prego, desidera? – Can I help you?

Asking for things

Saying what you have to do

Talking about your plans

Expressing opinions

Asking for information

Saying what you like, dislike, prefer

Making suggestions

Asking for permission

Listen out for

Lifestyle Tips

Service with a smile

Un servizio impeccabile! – Excellent service!

Greetings

Talking about yourself

Saying what you have to do

Saying what you want to do

Asking for information

Asking for things

Asking for suggestions

Making suggestions

Making arrangements

Talking about your plans

Saying what you like, dislike, prefer

Listen out for

Lifestyle Tips

Ouch!

Tanti auguri di pronta guarigione! – Get well soon!

Describing the problem

Saying what happened

Asking for information

Asking for things

Saying what you want to do

Making suggestions

Listen out for

Lifestyle Tips

Help!

Niente paura! – Don’t worry!

Describing the problem

Saying what happened

Describing people and things

Asking for information

Asking for things

Saying what you want to do

Saying what you have to do

Making suggestions

Talking about your plans

Listen out for

Lifestyle Tips

Getting in touch

Pronto, chi parla? – Who’s calling please?

Making a telephone call

When the number you’re calling answers

Starting a conversation

Saying why you’re calling

Giving information

Answering the telephone

Ending a telephone call

Listen out for

Writing emails and letters

Texting

Social media

Lifestyle Tips

Time, numbers, date

Tre, due, uno… via! – One, two, three… Go!

I numeri – Numbers

L’ora – The time

Listen out for

Durata – Saying how long

Le stagioni – The seasons

I mesi dell’anno – The months of the year

Le date – Dates

I giorni della settimana – The days of the week

L’alfabeto – The alphabet

Listen out for

Interesting days and dates

In summary…

Allora, recapitolando… – So, to sum up…

Apologizing

Asking for and giving explanations

Asking for information

Asking for permission

Asking for things

Complaining

Describing people and things

Explaining a problem

Expressing opinions

Making suggestions

Saying what’s happened

Saying what you have to do

Saying what you like, dislike, prefer

Saying what you want to do

Talking about your plans

One-stop phrase shop

Chiedo scusa? – I beg your pardon?

Hellos and goodbyes

Please and thank you

Attracting someone’s attention

Making sure you’ve understood

Checking facts

Wishing someone something

Apologizing

Reassuring someone

Opinions

Agreeing, disagreeing and declining

Congratulating someone

Reacting to good and bad news

Exclamations

Surprise

Encouraging someone

Handing someone something

Dangers and emergencies

Speaking your mind

Conversational words

Grammar

Nouns

Articles

Pronouns

Adjectives

Questions

Negatives

Some common translation difficulties

Verbs

Verb tenses

Verb tables

Parlare: to speak

Credere: to believe

Dormire: to sleep

Andare: to go

Avere: to have

Dare: to give

Dovere: to have to

Essere: to be

Fare: to do, to make

Potere: to be able

Volere: to want

Vocabulary builder

About the publisher

Introduction
What is it?

Collins Easy Learning Italian Conversation is a book for learners of Italian of all ages. It will increase your confidence in holding a conversation in Italian, whether you are just starting to learn Italian, studying at school or at an evening class, or brushing up your language skills. You may be going on holiday or planning to go travelling in Italy, go there on business, or live there. Whatever your situation, you’ll want to be able to communicate effectively and naturally in Italian.

Why do you need it?

Becoming proficient in a foreign language means being able to use and understand a number of different aspects – vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and so on. However, it takes a while to be able to put all these elements together and be sure that what you are saying sounds like natural Italian. The Easy Learning Italian Conversation has been carefully designed to bring these aspects together and give you language structures which you can use in conversation with confidence, knowing that you will be speaking Italian as spoken by Italian speakers.

How is it structured?

Collins Easy Learning Italian Conversation is made up of 12 units, each illustrating the language used in a particular situation, followed by a summary which brings together the key language covered throughout the units. You’ll also find the One-stop phrase shop – a unit which contains all the important expressions and turns of phrase that help you to sound more natural in Italian. A short grammar and verbs supplement gives you additional language support, ensuring that you have everything at your fingertips. Finally, the English-Italian glossary covers the most important vocabulary you may need to personalize your conversation.

How does it work?

Language allows us to express ourselves and interact with others. In any given situation, we perform different language tasks, such as asking for information, agreeing and disagreeing, complaining, making suggestions and so forth. To do this, we use linguistic structures (How…?, When…?, Could I…?, I’d like… and so on) which can be used in a variety of contexts. Each unit in Collins Easy Learning Italian Conversation gives you all the phrases you might need in a given situation, grouped by structure. English headings help you navigate through the structures to enable you to find what you want quickly and easily. Throughout the units, there are also tips headed Buono a sapersi! which highlight important differences in the way English and Italian work.

To help you with the different forms of the word ‘you’ in Italian, English translations are given as You = polite form, you = informal form, you = plural form. Italic letters in Italian words show where stress does not follow the usual rules.

A conversation, by definition, is a two-way process. It is as important to understand what is being said to you as it is to be able to respond. At the end of each unit, there is a section headed Listen out for. Each of these sections gives you a variety of the most typical phrases which you might hear in a given situation. Becoming familiar with these will allow you to have a successful conversation with a Italian speaker. For further help with pronunciation, a free download with all the important structures recorded is available on www.collins.co.uk/easylearningresources.

Communicating effectively in Italian isn’t just about linguistic competence – it’s also about cultural knowledge. For you to feel confident in Italy, it is also useful to know more about Italian culture and lifestyle. At the end of each unit, the Lifestyle Tips will give you the information you need to gain a deeper insight into the language, the country and its people.

Why choose Collins Easy Learning Italian Conversation?

• easy to use all the key language structures you need to give you the confidence to hold a conversation in natural Italian

• easy to read a clear, modern layout which allows you to find what you need quickly and easily

• easy to understand the language you may hear from Italian speakers in a given situation

• easy to speak free audio download available on www.collins.co.uk/easylearningresources

The Collins Easy Learning range

The Collins Easy Learning Italian Conversation is part of the best-selling Collins Easy Learning range, which includes the highly acclaimed Collins Easy Learning Italian Dictionary. Collins Easy Learning Italian Grammar and Collins Easy Learning Italian Verbs support you with all your grammatical needs. The Collins Easy Learning series is the ideal language reference range to help you learn Italian.

Italian pronunciation

Italian pronunciation is not very difficult. Words are written pretty much as they sound, so when you see a word written down you can generally pronounce it with no problem, and when you hear a new word you know immediately how to spell it. There are no sounds in Italian that are very different from English. Below we give some tips to help you speak natural-sounding Italian.

Italian vowels

In English, vowels we don’t emphasize often sound like “uh”, so the e in mother and the a in central sound just the same. Sometimes vowels don’t get pronounced at all, as is the case with the first e in interesting. In Italian this never happens. Italian vowels are always clearly pronounced.

Italian vowels are generally pronounced as follows:

a | – like the a in apple
e | – like the e in set
i | – like the ee in sheep
o | – like the o in orange
u | – like the oo in soon

Italian consonants

Most Italian consonants are pronounced the same as English ones, except that double consonants are two distinct sounds, so that the tt in tutto is pronounced as in hat trick and not as in fitted.

The following are Italian consonants that differ from English:

c | – before e and i is pronounced tch (cento, cinema, cioccolato)
ch | – is pronounced like k in kettle (chiesa, chilometro)
g | – before e and i is pronounced like j in jet (gelato, gennaio, giorno, giacca)
gh | – is pronounced like g in get (ghiaccio, laghi)
gl | – before i is normally pronounced like ll in million (meglio, migliaio)
gn | – is pronounced like the ny in canyon (gnocchi, cognome)
sc | – before e and i is pronounced sh (scena, scendere, lasciare,scienza)
z | – is pronounced ds or ts (zucchini, zucchero, mezzo, zia)

Which syllable to emphasize

To make your Italian sound more fluent and natural you need to stress the right syllable. Here are some guidelines:

• Two-syllable words always stress the first syllable, unless the final vowel has an accent:

| casa (house) | giorno (day)
| bella (beautiful) | due (two)
| sono (I am) | spesso (often)
| lui (he) | oggi (today)

• Words with three or more syllables generally have the stress on the next to the last syllable:

| inglese (English) | finito (finished)
| andare (to go) | andresti (you’d go)
| venire (to come) | supermercato (supermarket)
| settimana (week) | straordinariamente (extraordinarily)

• If a word has an accent on the final vowel, it is stressed on the final syllable.

| età (age) | metà (half)
| così (like this) | perché (why, because)

Words of this type include many nouns that end in –ty in English

| università (university) | curiosità (curiosity)
| città (city) | crudeltà (cruelty)

• Two future tense forms always have an accent (I and he/she/it/You):

| farò (I’ll do) | aspetterò (I’ll wait)
| sarà (it will be) | si divertirà (she’ll enjoy herself)

• Some words have the stress on a syllable which is not the last, or the next to the last. In this book we use italics to show when an unexpected syllable is stressed, to help you learn the correct pronunciation.

| utile (useful) | numero (number)
| macchina (car) | camera (room)
| subito (suddenly) | compito (homework)
| difficile (difficult) | portatile (portable)

• It's specially important to notice which syllable you should emphasize when pronouncing infinitives ending in –ere, because they vary. Some, such as avere (to have) and vedere (to see) have normal stress, on the next to the last syllable.

However, there are many important exceptions, for example:

| essere (to be) | vendere (to sell)
| scendere (to get off) | dividere (to divide)
| scegliere (to choose) | chiudere (to close)

BUONO A SAPERSI!

Past participles such as finito and partito always have the stress on the next to last syllable, but similar-looking words such as subito and compito sometimes have the stress on a syllable you wouldn’t expect.

Small talk
Come va? – How are things?

Whether you’re going to be working in Italy or you’re going to spend some time with your Italian-speaking friends, you’ll want to be able to chat with people and get to know them better. The phrases in this unit will help you talk naturally to friends, family and colleagues in a number of everyday situations.

GREETINGS

Just as in English, there are several ways of greeting people in Italian, depending on who you are addressing, and whether you want to be formal or not. Say buongiorno (good morning) or buonasera (good afternoon/good evening), if you want to sound polite.

Hello…

Buongiorno. | Hello.
Buongiorno signora Rossi. | Good morning, Mrs Rossi.
Buongiorno Francesco, come va? | Good afternoon Francesco, how are you?
Buonasera. | Good evening.

BUONO A SAPERSI!

buon pomeriggio (good afternoon) exists in Italian. However it is only used on the radio or television, for example by newscasters. It would sound a bit odd if you greeted people saying buon pomeriggio: stick to buongiorno or, later on in the day, buonasera. Remember to say buongiorno or buonasera as you enter a shop or a restaurant.

Use salve (hi) if you wish to sound a bit more informal, whether you know the people you are greeting or not. If you’re on friendly terms with someone or if you are addressing somebody young, you can say ciao (hi).

Hi…

Salve, cerco Matteo. | Hi, I’m looking for Matteo.
Salve, come va? | Hi, how are things?
Ciao ragazzi, come va? | Hi there, how are things?

Use arrivederci to say goodbye to people you don’t know well. You can just say ciao to people you know or to somebody young. buongiorno and buonasera are also often used to say goodbye.

Goodbye…

Arrivederci. | Goodbye.
Arrivederci, signora Clari! | Goodbye, Mrs Clari!
Ciao, ci vediamo domani. | Bye, see you tomorrow.
Allora io vado, buonasera a tutti. | I’m off, goodnight everybody.

BUONO A SAPERSI!

Remember to say in Italian arrivederci when you leave a shop or restaurant.

While in English you can use goodnight to mean ‘goodbye’ or to wish somebody a good night’s sleep, in Italian you use buonanotte (goodnight) only before going to bed.

Goodnight…

Meglio domire adesso. Buonanotte! | Better go to sleep now. Goodnight!
Vado a dormire, sono proprio stanca. Buonanotte a tutti. | I’m going to bed, I’m really tired. Goodnight everybody.
Buonanotte e sogni d’oro! | Goodnight and sweet dreams!

See you…

A domani! | See you tomorrow!
A lunedì! | See you on Monday!
Ci vediamo! | See you later!
Allora a più tardi, ciao! | See you later!

BUONO A SAPERSI!

In Italian, if you use a più tardi for see you later, you expect to see the person later on that day, not just some time in the future as in English.

INTRODUCING PEOPLE

You may want to introduce people you know to one another. The simplest way is by saying questo (or questa) è (this is) when introducing a person. You can also use ti presento (I’d like you to meet) when addressing someone you know well, or le presento to be more formal. When speaking to several people use vi presento.

This is…

Questo è mio marito David. | This is my husband, David.
Questi sono i miei figli Andrew, Gordon e Emma. | These are my children, Andrew, Gordon and Emma.
Ti presento Lara. | I’d like you to meet Lara.
Mi permetta di presentarle Richard, il mio compagno. | Let me introduce You to Richard, my partner.
Vi presento James, il fratello di Kate. | I’d like you all to meet James, Kate’s brother.

When you’re introduced to someone, you’ll want to know how to react. Just say piacere (nice to meet you) or molto piacere (how do you do?). You can also say piacere di conoscerla, or conoscerti to somebody younger. You can then introduce yourself, by saying your name. In more formal situations, Italians quite often give their surname rather than their first name.

Nice to meet you…

Piacere, Emma. | Nice to meet you, I’m Emma.
Piacere, io sono Anna e questo è Kevin. | Nice to meet you, I’m Anna and this is Kevin.
Molto piacere, Sinclair. | How do you do, my name’s Sinclair.
E tu sei Maria? Piacere di conoscerti. | Are you Maria? Nice to meet you.
Piacere di conoscerla, avvocato Martini. | Nice to meet You, Mr. Martini.

BUONO A SAPERSI!

Italians often use titles like avvocato (lawyer), ingegnere (engineer), architetto (architect) when addressing professionals, even without the name of the person, for example Buongiorno architetto!, in the same way as we would address a doctor.

If you want to introduce yourself to somebody, you can say Piacere… and your name. A more formal way is to use Mi permetta di presentarmi,… (May I introduce myself,…).

Hello, I’m…

Piacere, sono Kate Brooks. | Hello, I’m Kate Brooks.
Piacere, Peter. | Hello, I’m Peter.
Salve, sono il fratello di Jane. | Hi, I’m Jane’s brother.
Mi permetta di presentarmi, mi chiamo Thomas Baxter. | May I introduce myself, I’m Thomas Baxter.

BUONO A SAPERSI!

If you have missed an introduction but you are keen to meet somebody you can say:

Mi scusi, non ci siamo presentati, io sono Catherine. Lei è…? (Excuse me, we haven’t been introduced, I’m Catherine, You’re…?).

TALKING ABOUT YOURSELF

In order to get the conversation going, you’ll want to be able to talk about yourself – what your name is, what you do and so on. To say what your name is in Italian, you use mi chiamo which literally means I call myself, from the verb chiamarsi (to be called). Alternatively, like in English, you can simply say sono (I am), from the verb essere (to be). For more information on the verbs chiamare and essere, see here and here.

My name is…

Mi chiamo Jonathan Jones. | My name is Jonathan Jones.
Ciao, mi chiamo Danielle. | Hi, my name is Danielle.
Ci chiamiamo John e Francis. | We are John and Francis.
Salve, io sono Liam. | Hi, I’m Liam.
Piacere, noi siamo Christine e Peter. | Nice to meet you, we are Christine and Peter.

If you want to say how old you are, use ho followed by your age and anni (literally I have … years). ho comes from the verb avere (to have). For more information on avere, see here.

I’m… years old

Ho trentasette anni. | I’m thirty-seven years old.
Ho ventidue anni. | I’m twenty-two.
Mio figlio ha otto anni. | My son’s eight.
Quanti anni hai? | How old are you?

BUONO A SAPERSI!

If you have to ask Quanti anni ha? (How old are You?) you can always add se non sono indiscreto (or indiscreta) (if You don’t mind my asking).

To talk about who you are and what you do, use sono (I am), ho (I have) and faccio (I do). These come from the verbs essere (to be), avere (to have) and fare (to do). For more information on these verbs, see here, here and here.

I’m…

Sono il fratello di Ben. | I’m Ben’s brother.
Sono un’amica di Paul. | I’m a friend of Paul’s.
Non sono sposata. | I’m not married.
Avevo una ragazza ma adesso sono single. | I had a girlfriend but I’m single now.
Siamo amiche di Helen. | We are Helen’s friends.

When you say what you do in Italian, you use the verb fare (to do): I’m a baker is faccio il panettiere. The verb essere (to be) can also be used, but it is less common.

I’m a …

Faccio l’insegnante. | I’m a teacher.
Faccio il medico. | I’m a doctor.
Faccio il programmatore presso un’azienda inglese. | I work as a programmer for a British company.
Sono avvocato. | I’m a lawer.
Siamo studentesse. | We are students.

BUONO A SAPERSI!

Remember that when talking about people’s jobs, a in English is often translated by the definite article (il, la and so on) in Italian.

I have…

Ho due sorelle. | I have two sisters.
Ho un figlio e una figlia. | I have one son and one daughter.
Abbiamo parenti nel sud Italia. | We have relatives in southern Italy.

I live…

Abito nel Galles. | I live in Wales.
Abito da sola. | I live alone.
Abitiamo in un appartamento. | We live in a flat.
Adesso vivo in Italia. | I live in Italy now.

I’m staying…

Sto all’Hotel Belvedere. | I’m staying at the Hotel Belvedere.
Sto da amici. | I’m staying with friends.
Mi fermo a Milano per una settimana. | I’m staying in Milan for a week.

To say that you’ve done something for a given length of time, use da (for) with the present tense. Another common way of talking about things you’ve been doing for a while is to use sono… che….

I have been… for…

Faccio l’infermiera da cinque anni. | I’ve been a nurse for five years.
Vivo in Italia da dieci anni. | I’ve been living in Italy for ten years.
Sono a Ravenna da due settimane. | I’ve been in Ravenna for two weeks.
Sono sei mesi che studio l’italiano. | I’ve been learning Italian for 6 months.
Sono tre mesi che insegno inglese in Italia. | I’ve been teaching English in Italy for 3 months.

ASKING FOR INFORMATION

When you’re chatting socially, you will want to ask any number of questions. One simple way of finding out information from someone is to say mi parli di (tell me about) to someone you don’t know very well, or parlami di to someone younger. These come from the verb parlare (to speak). For more information on this verb, see here.

Tell me about…

Mi parli della sua famiglia. | Tell me about Your family.
Mi parli un po’ di lei. | Tell me a bit about Yourself.
Parlami del tuo nuovo ragazzo. | Tell me about your new boyfriend.
Dimmi in che consiste il tuo lavoro. | Tell me what your job involves.
Ma basta parlare di me. Dimmi di te, adesso. | Enough about me. Now tell me about you.

Another common way of asking for information in spoken Italian is to use question words: Come…? (How…?), Cosa…? (What…?), Dove…? (Where…?), Quando…? (When…?) and so on.

How…?

Come va? | How are things?
Come sta? | How are You?
Come stai, Marco? | How are you, Marco?
Volevo chiederti, com’è andata la vacanza? | I meant to ask, how was your holiday?
Come va con l’università? | How’s university going?

What…?

Cosa fai nella vita? | What do you do?
Cosa le piace fare nel tempo libero? | What do You enjoy doing in your free time?
Cosa farai quando finisci l’università? | What are you going to do when you finish university?

What’s your name?

Come si chiama? | What’s Your name?
Ciao! E tu come ti chiami? | Hi! What’s your name?
Come si chiama sua moglie? | What’s Your wife’s name?
Come vi chiamate? | What are your names?

Where…?

Dove abita? | Where do You live?
Dove lavora? | Where do You work?
Dov’è il suo ufficio? | Where is Your office?
Di dove sei? | Where do you come from?

When…?

Quando arrivi? | When will you get here?
Quando parte? | When are You leaving?
Quando ci troviamo? | What time are we meeting?
Quand’è il tuo compleanno? | When is your birthday?

If you want to ask how long someone has been doing something, use Da quanto tempo…? or just Da quanto…? (How long … for?) followed by the present tense. For more information on the present tense, see here.

How long have…?

Da quanto tempo lavori qui? | How long have you been working here?
Da quanto tempo è sposata? | How long have You been married?
Da quanto stai in Italia? | How long have you been in Italy?

Sometimes you’ll want to ask why a friend or acquaintance did or didn’t do something. You can use Perché…? (Why…?) and the past tense to ask. For more information on the past tense, see here.

Why…?

Perché hai cambiato casa? | Why did you move house?
Perché si è licenziata? | Why did You quit your job?
Perché non mi hai telefonato? | Why didn’t you call me?
Perché non c’è andata? | Why didn’t You go?

SAYING WHAT YOU WANT TO DO

When you’re talking to friends or colleagues you will often need to be able to talk about what you would like to do. To say what you want to do, use vorrei (I’d like). vorrei comes from the verb volere (to want). For more information on volere, see here.

I’d like to…

Vorrei ringraziarla dell’aiuto. | I’d like to thank You for your help.
Vorrei parlare con la signora Martini, per favore. | I’d like to speak to Mrs Martini, please.
Vorremmo invitarvi a bere qualcosa. | We’d like to take you out for a drink.
Vorremmo presentarle un amico. | We’d like You to meet a friend of ours.

You can also use voglio (I want) to talk about what you want to do. If you want to say that you want someone to do something, you use voglio che followed by the subjunctive. For more information on the subjunctive, see here.

I want to…

Voglio organizzare una festa. | I want to organize a party.
Voglio invitare un po’ di amici per il mio compleanno. | I want to have a few friends over for my birthday.
Voglio che tu venga con me. | I want you to come with me.
Voglio che la serata vada bene. | I want the evening to be a success.

MAKING SUGGESTIONS

One easy way of making suggestions to your friends and colleagues is to use si potrebbe (we could) followed by the verb in the infinitive. potrebbe comes from the verb potere (to be able). For more information on potere, see here.

We could…

Si potrebbe chiedere a Paul di venire con noi. | We could ask Paul to join us.
Si potrebbe uscire a bere qualcosa insieme. | We could go out for a drink.
Ci si potrebbe incontrare un’altra volta. | We could meet another time.
Ci si potrebbe trovare al Caffè San Marco. | We could meet at the Caffè San Marco.

Just as in English you can make a suggestion by simply asking Perché non …? (Why don’t …?).

Why don’t…?

Perché non ci troviamo uno di questi giorni? | Why don’t we get together sometime?
Perché non invitiamo Fabio e la sua ragazza? | Why don’t we invite Fabio and his girlfriend?
Perché non li chiami? | Why don’t you phone them?
Perché non viene a pranzo con me? | Why not meet me for lunch?

You can also make a suggestion using the Italian phrase E se…? (How about…?) which is followed by a verb in the imperfect subjunctive. For more information on the subjunctive, see here.

How about…?

E se li invitassimo a cena? | How about asking them round for dinner?
E se venisse con noi? | How about if You came with us?
E se passassi a prenderti la mattina? | How about if I picked you up in the morning?

Use Dovrei…? (Should I…?) followed by the verb in the infinitive to ask if you should do something. dovrei comes from the verb dovere (to have to). For more information on dovere, see here.

Should I…?

Dovrei invitare Anna? | Should I invite Anna?
Dovrei richiamarla? | Should I call her back?
Dovrei scusarmi? | Should I apologize?

EXPRESSING OPINIONS

When talking to people in a social or work situation, you may wish to express your opinion of something. In Italian you can use credo or penso (I think). When you use credere and pensare with che, the verb which follows is in the subjunctive. For more information on the subjunctive, see here.

I think…

Penso che sia una splendida idea. | I think it’s a great idea.
Penso proprio che sia troppo tardi per andare al cinema. | I think it’s really too late to go to the cinema.
Credo che Sonia abbia ragione. | I think Sonia’s right.
Non credo proprio che sia così. | I don’t think that’s the case at all.
Non credo che sia una buona idea rivederci. | I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to see each other again.

In my opinion…

Secondo me è una buona idea. | In my opinion, it’s a good idea.
Secondo me ci creerà problemi. | In my opinion, it will cause us problems.
Secondo me è la decisione giusta. | In my opinion, it’s the right decision.
Per me non è vero. | In my opinion, it’s not true.

If you want to ask other people what they think of something, use Che ne pensa di…? (What do You think of…?). Use Che ne pensi di…? if you are talking to somebody you know well or to somebody young.

What do you think of…?

Che ne pensa del suo ultimo film? | What do You think of his latest movie?
Che ne pensa di questo ristorante? | What do You think of this restaurant?
Che ne pensi di questa idea? | What do you think of this idea?
Che ne pensa? | What do You think?

To agree or disagree with what other people say, use sono d’accordo or non sono d’accordo.

I agree…

Sono d’accordo. | I agree.
Sono d’accordo con Nigel. | I agree with Nigel.
Sono completamente d’accordo con lei! | I entirely agree with You!
Non sono del tutto d’accordo con Giovanni. | I don’t altogether agree with Giovanni.
Non condivido questa decisione. | I don’t agree with this decision.

Where we use the verb to be in English in the phrases to be right and to be wrong, Italian speakers use avere (to have): avere ragione (to be right), avere torto (to be wrong).

You’re right…

Hai ragione! | You’re right!
Secondo me ha ragione. | I think You’re right.
Ha ragione Matteo. | Matteo’s right.
Credo che abbiate ragione voi. | I think you’re right.
Per me Marina ha torto. | I think Marina is wrong.
Fai male a non ascoltarla. | You’re wrong not to listen to her.

TALKING ABOUT YOUR PLANS

When talking to your colleagues and friends you will want to tell them about your plans. In Italian, as in English, the present is very often used to talk about plans, especially for things that have been arranged and that are definite. For more on the present tense, see here.

I’m…

Vedo Gianni giovedì. | I’m seeing Gianni on Thursday.
La vedo questo pomeriggio. | I’m seeing her this afternoon.
Andiamo al cinema stasera. | We’re going to the cinema tonight.
Pranziamo insieme venerdì prossimo. | We’re going for lunch next Friday.

In English, when we talk about the future we often say I’m going to. In Italian you can either use the future or the present tense (see here).

I’m going to…

Gli telefonerò. | I’m going to phone him.
Lo avvertirò che non posso venire. | I’m going to let him know I can’t come.
Dirò loro di venire un po’ più tardi. | I’m going to tell them to come a bit later.
Usciamo a cena domani sera. | We’re going to go out for dinner tomorrow night.
Andiamo a trovarli lunedì. | We’re going to go and see them on Monday.

Are you going to…?

Glielo dici oggi? | Are you going to tell him the news today?
Pensi di rivederlo? | Are you going to see him again?
Lei ci va a questa festa? | Are You going to go to this party?
Comprerà una casa? | Are You going to buy a house?

When talking about what you intend to do, you can use ho intenzione di (I intend to) followed by a verb in the infinitive.

I intend to…

Ho intenzione di invitarla a bere qualcosa. | I intend to ask her out for a drink.
Ho intenzione di andarli a trovare quest’estate. | I intend to go and see them this summer.
Abbiamo intenzione di invitarlo durante la vacanze. | We intend to invite him over during the holidays.
Intendo sistemare la questione prima possibile. | I intend to sort out this problem as soon as possible.

Do you intend to…?

Hai intenzione di andare al matrimonio di Carlo e Mariella? | Do you intend to go to Carlo and Mariella’s wedding?
Ha intenzione di contattarli? | Do You intend to get in touch with them?
Cosa hai intenzione di dire? | What do you intend to say?
Intende restare in questa zona? | Do You intend to stay in this area?
Come intendi dargli la notizia? | How do you intend to tell him the news?

MAKING ARRANGEMENTS

When making arrangements with someone, use Le va bene…? or, more informally, Ti va bene…? (Is it okay by you if…?) to ask someone if something suits them. va comes from the verb andare. For more information on andare, see here.

Is it okay by you if…?

Le va bene cenare alle nove? | Is it okay by You if we have dinner at nine?
Le va bene alle due? | Is two o’clock okay by You?
Ti va bene se ti telefono la settimana prossima? | Will it be okay if I phone you next week?
Vi va bene se restiamo d’accordo così? | Would this arrangement be okay by you?

To ask somebody if they would prefer something, use Preferisce…? or, more informally, Preferisci…? (Would you prefer it…?) which are from the present tense of the verb preferire. You can also use the conditional Preferirebbe… or Preferiresti…. For more information on –ire verbs like preferire and on the conditional, see here and here.

Would you prefer it if…?

Preferisci che ci incontriamo in centro? | Would you prefer it if we met in town?
Preferisce che ci troviamo al ristorante? | Would You prefer it if we met at the restaurant?
Preferite che vi passi a prendere? | Would you prefer me to come and collect you?
Preferirebbe andare allo spettacolo dopo? | Would You prefer it if we went to the later show?

Is it better to…?

È meglio invitare anche sua moglie? | Is it better to invite his wife as well?
È meglio se ti chiamo di sera? | Is it better to ring you in the evening?
È meglio se l’avvisiamo prima di venire? | Is it better to let You know before we drop in?

If you want to confirm an arrangement with somebody, you can use Siamo d’accordo…? or Allora d’accordo…? (Are we agreed…?).

Are we agreed on…?

Siamo d’accordo per la data? | Are we agreed on the date?
Siamo d’accordo su dove trovarci? | Are we agreed on where to meet?
D’accordo, signora? | Are we agreed, madam?
Allora d’accordo? | Are we agreed, then?
D’accordo. | Agreed!

BUONO A SAPERSI!

D’accordo is used to accept offers or to agree: Ci andiamo insieme? – D’accordo! (Shall we go together? – OK!).

SAYING WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO

When you want to say that you have to do something in Italian, you use devo (I have to) followed by the infinitive. devo comes from the verb dovere (to have to). For more information on dovere, see here.

I have to…

Devo fare una telefonata. | I have to make a phone call.
Devo stare a casa stasera. | I have to stay in tonight.
Devo andare a cena con i colleghi. | I have to go out to dinner with my colleagues.
Dobbiamo essere là alle otto in punto. | We have to be there at eight o’clock sharp.

I must…

Devo finire prima delle due. | I must finish before two o’clock.
Adesso devo proprio andare. | I really must go now.
Devo telefonare a mia moglie. | I must call my wife.

Do you have to…?

Devi dargli una risposta oggi? | Do you have to give him an answer today?
Deve andare subito? | Do You have to go right now?
Dobbiamo portare qualcosa? | Do we have to bring something?

When you want to say that you should or ought to do something, use dovrei (I should) and then the verb in the infinitive. To find out more about the infinitive, see here.

I should…

Dovrei chiamare Anne. | I should call Anne.
Dovrei darle il mio numero di cellulare. | I should give You my mobile number.
Dovreste venire a trovarci. | You should come and see us.

To ask what someone has to do or when or why they have to do it, put cosa (what), quando (when) or perché (why) at the beginning of the sentence, before deve or, more informally, devi (do you have to?). deve and devi come from the verb dovere (to have to). For more information on dovere, see here.

What do you have to…?

Cosa deve fare? | What do You have to do?
Quando devi partire? | When do you have to go?
Perché dovete rientrare così presto? | Why do you have to go back so soon?

To say that you don’t have to do something, you can use non sono obbligato (or obbligata) a (I’m not obliged to).

I don’t have to…

Non sono obbligato a restare in albergo. | I don’t have to stay at the hotel.
Non sono obbligata a invitarli da me, se è tardi. | I don’t have to invite them back, if it’s late.
Non siamo obbligati a coinvolgere tutta la famiglia. | We don’t have to involve the whole family.

To say what you mustn’t do, you can use non devo (I mustn’t) and then the verb in the infinitive.

I mustn’t…

Non devo fare tardi anche stasera. | I mustn’t be late again tonight.
Non devo perdere il suo numero. | I mustn’t lose his number.
Non dobbiamo vederci più. | We mustn’t see each other again.

LISTEN OUT FOR

Here are some key phrases which you are likely to hear in conversation.

Salve, come va? | Hi, how are you?
Ci conosciamo? | Have we met before?
È qua con amici? | Are You here with friends?
Di dove sei? | Where are you from?
Quanto vi fermate a Catania? | How long are you staying in Catania?
Da quanto studia l’italiano? | How long have You been learning Italian?
Riesce a seguire la conversazione? | Are You following the conversation?
Veramente, parli un ottimo italiano. | Your Italian is really very good.
Parlo troppo veloce? | Am I speaking too fast?
Preferisce se parlo inglese? | Would You prefer it if I spoke English?
Vuole che ripeta? | Would You like me to say it again?
Vuole che parli più piano? | Do You want me to speak more slowly?
Capisce il dialetto? | Do You understand dialect?
Mi scusi, ma parlo un pessimo inglese. | I’m sorry, but my English is really bad.
Mi può dare del tu. | You can call me tu.
Potremmo darci del tu. | Shall we call each other tu?
È sposata? | Are You married?
Avete figli? | Have you got any children?
Vieni qua spesso? | Do you come here often?
Mi piacerebbe rivederti. | I’d like to see you again.

Lifestyle Tips

• The polite you (lei) is used to address people whom you don’t know. It’s also a way of showing respect to someone who’s older than you, or to someone who’s senior to you at work. People who work together on a daily basis usually say tu to each other (darsi del tu – to say tu to each other), but it is safer to wait a little before taking that step. Many people do not like to be addressed as lei, because they think it’s too formal. They will usually suggest you call them tu, saying mi puoi dare del tu or possiamo darci del tu. You can make the first move and ask Ci diamo del tu?, if you think that the other person will be more comfortable using the tu form.

• Like sir in English, signore is a formal way of addressing a man. signora, however, is used much more in Italian than madam is in English. You can use it to address any woman you call lei, even if you know her well.

• When meeting someone for the first time, you usually shake hands (darsi la mano), whether it’s a man or a woman. In the world of business, in meetings or in negotiations, shaking hands is very common. Men who are on friendly terms usually shake hands, while women kiss each other on both cheeks. Men kiss female friends and also male relatives. Young men on friendly terms might hug or slap each other on the shoulder if they haven’t seen each other in a long time. Bear in mind that habits may be different depending on where you are in Italy, as well as on the age group and formality of the situation.

• The words ragazzo and ragazza can either mean boy/girl or boyfriend/girlfriend. If someone says il mio ragazzo, they are talking about their boyfriend. However, you stop using ragazzo/ragazza when you get older, perhaps after the age of 25. To say my partner, use il mio compagno for a man and la mia compagna for a woman.

• Italian people socialize in cafés, bars and restaurants as British people do. Italian bars serve both coffee and alcoholic drinks, so you can go to a bar both a prendere un caffè or a prendere l’aperitivo (a drink before lunch or dinner, which also includes a great selection of finger food).

Getting there
Buon viaggio! – Have a good trip!

If you’re going to be travelling to and around Italy, the phrases in this unit will help you ask for directions, find out how to get to places and talk to fellow travellers in everyday Italian.

TALKING ABOUT YOUR PLANS

When you’re travelling around, you will probably want to talk about what you’re going to do. You can use the future tense or the present tense to talk about your plans. For more information about the future and the present tenses, see here.

I’ll…

Passerò una settimana a Roma. | I’ll spend a week in Rome.
Raggiungerò degli amici a Ferrara. | I’ll be joining some friends in Ferrara.
Torneremo a Milano per il fine settimana. | We’ll get back to Milan for the weekend.
E poi vado a Pisa. | Then I’ll go to Pisa.
Torniamo a Napoli dopo una settimana. | We’ll go back to Naples a week later.
Ci fermiamo qui fino alla fine del mese. | We’ll be staying here till the end of the month.

When you’re talking about what you intend to do, you can use ho intenzione di (I intend to) followed by a verb in the infinitive.

I intend to…

Ho intenzione di prendere il treno delle sette. | I intend to get the seven o’clock train.
Ho intenzione di passare la giornata a Catania. | I’m going to spend the day in Catania.
E poi abbiamo intenzione di andare a Palermo. | Then we’re going to go to Palermo.
Abbiamo intenzione di fare la strada costiera. | We intend to drive along the coast.

I’m planning to…

Ho in programma di noleggiare una macchina. | I’m planning to hire a car.
Ho in programma di andare in Sicilia. | I’m planning to go to Sicily.
Conto di passare due giorni a Cortina. | I plan to spend two days in Cortina.

I hope to…

Spero di andare in Toscana quest’anno. | I hope to go to Tuscany this year.
Spero di visitare gli Uffizi. | I hope to visit the Uffizi.
Speriamo di riuscire a vedere tutto. | We hope we can see everything.

Use salvo imprevisti or se tutto va bene (if all goes to plan) at the beginning of a sentence to talk about a plan that might have to be changed.

If all goes to plan…

Salvo imprevisti arrivo entro venerdì. | If all goes to plan, I’ll be there by Friday.
Se tutto va bene, ci fermiamo prima a Taormina. | If all goes to plan, we’re going to stop in Taormina first.

SAYING WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO

If you want to say that you have to do something in Italian, such as buy a ticket, catch a train and so on, you use devo (I have to) or dovrei (I ought to) followed by the infinitive. These are from the verb dovere (to have to). For more information on dovere, see here.

I have to…

Domani devo comprare il biglietto per il traghetto. | I have to buy my ticket for the ferry tomorrow.
Devo prima prendere il treno per Parma. | I have to get the train to Parma first.
Devo andare a prendere la macchina entro le tre. | I have to pick up the car before three.
Deve presentare la patente. | You have to show your driving licence.

I ought to…

Dovrei fare ancora benzina. | I ought to get some more petrol.
Dovrei confermare il volo. | I ought to confirm my flight.
Dovremmo essere in stazione alle sette. | We ought to be at the station at seven.

Another way of saying what you must do is to use bisogna che (it is necessary that) followed by the subjunctive. For more information about the subjunctive, see here.

I must…

Adesso bisogna proprio che vada in stazione. | I really must go to the station now.
Bisogna che lo chiamiamo domani mattina. | We must call him tomorrow morning.
Bisogna che ritiri i biglietti in agenzia. | I must pick up the tickets from the travel agent’s.

SAYING WHAT YOU WANT TO DO

When you are travelling, you may want to say what you would like to do in Italian. You can use vorrei (I’d like) or voglio (I want) with the infinitive. They both come from the verb volere (to want). For more information on volere, see here.

I want to…

Voglio andare a Torino. | I want to go to Turin.
Voglio scendere a Verona. | I want to get off at Verona.
Voglio cambiare il biglietto. | I want to change my ticket.
Vogliamo partire domani mattina. | We want to leave tomorrow morning.

I don’t want to…

Non voglio viaggiare in prima classe. | I don’t want to travel first class.
Non voglio andare fin là a piedi. | I don’t want to walk all the way there.
Non voglio perdere la coincidenza. | I don’t want to miss my connection.

I’d like to…

Vorrei noleggiare una bici. | I’d like to hire a bike.
Vorrei andarci in barca. | I’d like to go by boat.
Il mio amico vorrebbe denunciare lo smarrimento del bagaglio. | My friend would like to report his luggage missing.

You can also use desidero (I would like), which is slightly more formal. This comes from desiderare (to want). For more information on -are verbs like desiderare, see here.

I would like…

Desidero un biglietto di sola andata in prima classe. | I would like a single ticket, first class, please.
Desideriamo prenotare un tavolo al vagone ristorante. | We would like to reserve a table in the dining car, please.

If you want to say that you feel like doing something, say ho voglia di or mi va di (I feel like). ho comes from the verb avere and va comes from andare. For more information on avere and andare, see here and here.

I feel like…

Ho voglia di passare per Fiesole. | I feel like going via Fiesole.
Ho proprio voglia di andare a Portofino. | I quite fancy going to Portofino.
Non ho nessuna voglia di passare sei ore in treno. | I really don’t feel like spending six hours on the train.
Mi va di spezzare il viaggio. | I feel like breaking the journey.
Non mi va di passare un’altra notte qua. | I don’t feel like spending another night here.

MAKING SUGGESTIONS

You may wish to make a suggestion to your colleagues or friends in Italian. One way of doing this is to use potremmo (we could), or si potrebbe (one could). Both come from the verb potere (to be able). For more information on potere, see here.

We could…

Potremmo andare domani. | We could go there tomorrow.
Potremmo fare tappa a Siena. | We could break our journey in Siena.
Si potrebbe andare a piedi, se preferisci. | We could walk, if you prefer.

If you want to ask someone if they would like to do something, you can generally use the verb volere (to want). An alternative is ti piacerebbe or, to somebody you know less well, le piacerebbe, from the verb piacere. For more information on volere, see here.

Would you like to…?

Vuoi andare in acqua? | Would you like to go for a swim?
Vuoi riposare un po’? | Would you like to have a little rest?
Vuoi guidare? | Would you like to drive?
Vuole fermarsi qui? | Would You like to stop here?
Ti piacerebbe andarci a piedi? | Would you like to walk there?
Le piacerebbe visitare il museo? | Would You like to go to the museum?

Just as in English, you can make a suggestion by simply asking Perché non…? (Why don’t…?).

Why don’t…?

Perché non noleggiamo una macchina? | Why don’t we hire a car?
Perché non prendiamo la metropolitana? | Why don’t we take the underground?
Perché non chiediamo al conducente? | Why don’t we ask the driver?

You can make a suggestion using E se…? (How about…?) which is followed by a verb in the imperfect subjunctive. For more information on the subjunctive, see here.

How about…?

E se prendessimo l’autostrada? | How about going on the motorway?
E se ci andassimo in traghetto? | How about taking the ferry?
E se passassimo per Riccione? | How about going via Riccione?

…if you like

Ti posso dare un passaggio, se vuoi. | I can give you a lift, if you like.
Possiamo chiedere al controllore, se vuole. | We can ask the ticket inspector, if You like.
Se vuole possiamo dividere un taxi per l’aeroporto. | We can share a taxi to the airport, if You like.

ASKING FOR INFORMATION

When you are travelling around in Italy, you will often need some information to help you get to where you want to go. When you are asking for information you may need to get someone’s attention in order to ask them a question. To do this you can use Scusi… or Mi scusi…, if addressing an adult, or Scusa…, if you’re addressing somebody younger.

Excuse me…

Scusi, cerco la stazione. | Excuse me, I’m looking for the station.
Scusi, cerco il municipio. | Excuse me, I’m looking for the town hall.
Mi scusi, cerco la piazza principale. | Excuse me, I’m looking for the main square.

BUONO A SAPERSI!

Remember to say grazie or tante grazie when you get the information. If someone hasn’t been able to help you, you can still thank them by saying grazie lo stesso (thanks all the same).

If you want to ask a general question, you can use È…? (Is it…?).

Is it…?

È di qua? | Is it this way?
È vicino? | Is it near here?
È lontano? | Is it far?
È questo il treno per Lecce? | Is this the train for Lecce?
È questa la fermata per il museo? | Is this the stop for the museum?
È libero questo posto? | Is this seat free?

Is there…?

C’è un distributore nei paraggi, per favore? | Is there a petrol station near here, please?
C’è una stazione della metropolitana qui vicino? | Is there an underground station near here?
C’è una riduzione per studenti? | Is there a student discount?
Ci sono ristoranti in questa zona? | Are there any restaurants around here?

In order to get more specific information, you may want to ask, for example, Dove…? (Where…?), Quale…? (Which…?), or A che ora…? (What time…?).

Where…?

Dov’è il deposito bagagli? | Where’s the left-luggage office?
Dov’è il più vicino posteggio di taxi, per favore? | Where’s the nearest taxi rank, please?
Dove sono le toilettes? | Where are the public toilets?

Which…?

Quale linea devo prendere, per favore? | Which line do I take, please?
Quali autobus vanno in centro? | Which buses go to the town centre?
Da quale binario parte il treno per Pisa? | Which platform does the train for Pisa go from?
Scusi, in che direzione è Treviso, per favore? | Excuse me, which way do I go for Treviso, please?
In che direzione è l’Arena, per favore? | Which way is it to the Arena, please?

What time…?

A che ora è l’imbarco? | What time do we board?
A che ora parte il treno? | What time does the train leave?
A che ora arriviamo a Bologna? | What time do we get to Bologna?

How often…?

Con quale frequenza partono le corriere per Trento? | How often is there a bus for Trento?
Con quale frequenza partono i voli per Londra? | How often is there a flight to London?
Ogni quanti chilometri bisogna fare il pieno? | How often do you have to fill up?
Quante soste facciamo per strada? | How often do we stop on the way?

How long…?

Quanto ci si mette? | How long does it take?
Quanto ci si mette per arrivare in stazione? | How long does it take to get to the railway station?
Quanto ci si mette per andare da Rovigo a Verona? | How long does it take to get from Rovigo to Verona?
Quanto ci mettiamo per arrivare? | How long will it take us to get there?

How much is…?

Quanto costa un biglietto per Cagliari? | How much is a ticket to Cagliari?
Quanto si paga di autostrada da Milano a Pisa? | How much is the motorway toll between Milan and Pisa?
Quanto costa lasciare la valigia al deposito bagagli? | How much does it cost to leave a suitcase in left-luggage?
Quanto costerebbe affittare una macchina per due giorni? | How much would it cost to hire a car for two days?

Use Posso…? (Can I…?) or Si può…? (Can you…?) to ask whether you can do something, or if something is generally possible. These are from the verb potere (to be able). For more information on potere, see here.

Can I…?

Posso noleggiare una macchina per una giornata? | Can I hire a car for one day?
Possiamo cambiare il biglietto in Internet? | Can we change our tickets online?
Ci si può andare a piedi? | Can you walk there?
Si può fumare in treno? | Can you smoke on the train?
Si può pagare con la carta di credito? | Is it possible to pay by credit card?

ASKING FOR THINGS

When asking for something, you can use Mi dà…? (Can I have…?) or Potrebbe darmi…? (Could I have…?). These come from the verb dare (to give). For more information on dare, see here.

Can I have…?

Mi dà una piantina della metropolitana, per favore? | Can I have a map of the underground, please?
Mi dà un abbonamento settimanale, per favore? | Can I have a weekly pass, please?
Potrebbe darmi l’orario ferroviario, per favore? | Could I have a train timetable, please?

Often, just as in English, you can leave out Mi dà…? or Potrebbe darmi…? and just ask directly for what you need.

A…, please

Un biglietto di sola andata, per favore. | A single, please.
Un posto vicino al finestrino, per favore. | A window seat, please.
Una cabina per 2 persone, per favore. | A cabin for two, please.
Tre biglietti andata e ritorno per Como. | Three returns to Como.

When you want to find out if something is available, or if someone has something, use Ha…? (Have you got…?) or, more informally, Hai…?. Use Avete..? if you are asking more than one person. These come from the verb avere (to have). For more information on avere, see here.

Have you got…?

Ha l’orario degli autobus? | Have You got the bus timetable?
Ha una cartina che mostra come arrivarci, per favore? | Have You got a map that shows how to get there, please?
Hai l’ora, per favore? | Have you got the time, please?
Avete l’orario dei traghetti? | Have you got the timetable for the ferry, please?

If you are asking someone if they can do something for you, you should use Può…? (Can you…?), although può can also be left out.

Can you…?

Mi può avvisare quando stiamo per arrivare alla fermata per il museo? | Can You tell me when we’re near the museum stop?
Mi può lasciare qui, per favore? | Can You drop me here, please?
Ci può portare all’Hotel Duomo, per favore? | Can You take us to Hotel Duomo, please?
Ci mostra dov’è sulla piantina? | Can You show us where it is on the map?

Would you mind…?

Le dispiacerebbe scrivere l’indirizzo? | Would You mind writing down the address?
Le dispiacerebbe lasciarmi all’albergo? | Would You mind dropping me at my hotel?
Le dispiacerebbe mostrarci dov’è? | Would You mind showing us where it is?

SAYING WHAT YOU LIKE, DISLIKE, PREFER

You will want to be able to discuss what you like and dislike with your Italian-speaking acquaintances. To say what you like, use mi piace (I like) with singular nouns and mi piacciono with plural nouns. To say what you don’t like, use non mi piace or non mi piacciono (I don’t like) These come from the verb piacere.

I like…

Mi piace viaggiare in treno. | I like travelling by train.
Mi piacciono queste stradine di campagna. | I like these country roads.
Mi piace molto viaggiare in nave. | I really like travelling by boat.
Mi piace tantissimo viaggiare in aereo. | I love flying.

I don’t like…

Non mi piace guidare sulla destra. | I don’t like driving on the right.
Non mi piace guidare di notte. | I don’t like driving at night.
Non mi piacciono le macchine col cambio automatico. | I don’t like automatics.

I hate…

Odio i motorini. | I hate scooters.
Odio le cartine! | I hate maps!
Detesto dover chiedere indicazioni. | I hate having to ask for directions.

Do you like…?

Ti piace viaggiare in aereo? | Do you like flying?
Ti piace viaggiare da sola? | Do you like travelling by yourself?
Le piace questa regione? | Do You like this area?
Le piacciono i viaggi organizzati? | Do You like organized tours?

If you want to say what you prefer, use preferisco (I prefer) or preferirei (I’d prefer). These come from the verb preferire (to prefer). For more information on -ire verbs like preferire, see here.

I prefer to…

Preferisco viaggiare in aereo. | I prefer to fly.
Preferisco prendere l’autostrada. | I prefer to go on the motorway.

I’d rather…

Preferirei viaggiare col bel tempo. | I’d rather make the journey in good weather.
Preferirei sedermi vicino al finestrino. | I’d rather sit next to the window.
Preferirei non lasciare qui la mia macchina. | I’d rather not leave my car here.
Preferiremmo guidare di giorno. | We’d rather drive in the daytime.

LISTEN OUT FOR

Here are some key phrases which you are likely to hear when you’re travelling about.

Prossima fermata: … | Next stop: …
Il treno diretto per Bologna centrale parte dal binario tre. | The train for Bologna centrale leaves from platform three.
Si deve convalidare il biglietto in stazione. | You must stamp your ticket at the station.
Biglietto, prego. | Ticket, please.
Le dispiace se mi siedo qui? | Do you mind if I sit here?
Continui dritto fino al semaforo. | Go straight on till You get to the traffic lights.
Prenda la seconda a sinistra. | Take the second turning on the left.
È difronte alla cattedrale. | It’s opposite the cathedral.
È vicinissimo. | It’s very near.
Ha sbagliato strada. | You’ve gone the wrong way.
Ci si può andare a piedi. | It’s within walking distance.
È fra tre fermate. | It’s three stops from here.
Imbarco immediato, uscita 3. | Now boarding at gate 3.

Lifestyle Tips

• If you’re behind the wheel of a car, be ready to produce your driving licence if asked for it by the police. If you haven’t got it with you, you may well be fined. The police officer might ask you: patente, prego (your driving licence, please). Italian drivers also have to be able to produce their libretto di circolazione (registration document) and their assicurazione (insurance certificate).

• Motorways are not free in Italy. When you go onto the motorway, you get a biglietto. When you come off the motorway this will show how many kilometres you’ve driven and how much you have to pay (il pedaggio). Telepass is an electronic toll collection system used to collect il pedaggio and gives access to reserved lanes.

• If you’re asked to produce your biglietto on the bus, the train or the underground, it means that you have to show your ticket to the inspector.

• Generally, you have to buy your ticket before getting on a bus. Once on board the bus, you date-stamp the ticket by punching it in a machine. You can buy tickets at newsagents and many tobacconists. If you are staying in a place for some time, it may be worth buying an abbonamento, which will last a week or a month from when it is first stamped.

• Train tickets need to be punched before you get on a train. Tickets are only valid if date-stamped, so if you have forgotten to do this, it is advisable to go and see il controllore (the ticket inspector) as soon as possible, or you might be fined.

• If you’re in a hurry, you can hop on the train and buy a ticket directly from a ticket inspector. This will cost you more, however. If you contact the inspector as soon as you get on the train or before the first stop the fine is around 5 €; otherwise you’ll be faced with a more expensive fine of 60 € or more.

• Queues tend to be informal in Italy. So if you’re trying to get to an information desk and don’t know if it’s your turn, just ask Tocca a me?. If you want to let someone in before you, you can say prego, dopo di lei (after you).

Home from home
Buonanotte! – Sleep well!

If you’re going to stay in Italy, the phrases in this unit will provide you with the language you need to help you find the sort of accommodation you want and ensure everything is to your satisfaction when you’re there. We’ll also give you a few tips on what the receptionist or your landlord or landlady may say to you.

ASKING FOR THINGS

To say what kind of accommodation you want in Italian, use vorrei (I’d like), or, if you want to be slightly more direct, voglio (I want). These come from the verb volere (to want). For more information on volere, see here.

I’d like…

Vorrei una stanza con balcone. | I’d like a room with a balcony.
Vorrei prenotare una camera doppia per due notti. | I’d like to book a double room for two nights.
Vorrei fermarmi tre notti. | I’d like to stay three nights.
Vorrei prenotare una stanza nel vostro agriturismo per due settimane. | I’d like to book a room in your agriturismo for two weeks.

I want…

Voglio un appartamento luminoso. | I want a flat with plenty of light.
Voglio cambiare stanza; quella che mi avete dato è troppo rumorosa. | I want to change rooms; the one you gave me is too noisy.
Voglio un rimborso. | I want a refund.
Non vogliamo una stanza che dia sulla strada. | We don’t want a room overlooking the road.

When you want to find out if something is available, use Avete…? (Do you have…?) or Avreste…? (Would you have…?). These come from the verb avere (to have). For more information on avere, see here.

Do you have…?

Avete informazioni su dove alloggiare? | Do you have any information about accommodation?
Avete camere libere? | Have you got any rooms free?
Avreste degli asciugamani, per favore? | Would you have any towels, please?
C’è accesso ad Internet? | Have you got internet access?

If you want to ask for something, you can use Mi dà..? (Can I have…?).

Can I have…?

Mi dà la chiave della stanza, per favore? | Can I have the key to my room, please?
Mi dà una ricevuta, per favore? | Can I have a receipt, please?
Ci dà una lista degli alloggi disponibili? | Can we have a list of available accommodation?
Mi potrebbe dare ancora due asciugamani? | Could I have two more towels?

If you are asking someone whether they can do something for you, use Può…? (Can You…?) and Potrebbe…? (Could You…?) or, more informally, Puoi…? or Potresti…?. They all come from the verb potere (to be able). For more information on potere, see here.

Can you…?

Può darmi conferma della prenotazione per posta elettronica? | Can You confirm the booking by email?
Mi può svegliare alle sette, per favore? | Can You give me an alarm call at seven o’clock, please?
Potrebbe cambiare gli asciugamani, per favore? | Could You change the towels, please?
Potrebbe farmi vedere la stanza, per favore? | Could You show me the room, please?

Would you mind…?

Le dispiacerebbe mostrarmi come funziona il forno? | Would You mind showing me how the oven works?
Le dispiacerebbe chiamarmi un taxi? | Would You mind calling a taxi for me?
Le dispiacerebbe portarmi la valigia in camera? | Would You mind taking my suitcases up to my room?

TALKING ABOUT YOURSELF

When you are enquiring about somewhere to stay you will need to give information about yourself. Use sono (I am) to talk about yourself and siamo (we are) to include the people who are with you. These come from the verb essere (to be). For more information on essere, see here.

I’m…

Sono una studentessa. | I’m a student.
Sono canadese. | I’m Canadian.
Sono del sud dell’Inghilterra. | I’m from the south of England.
Siamo in vacanza. | We’re on holiday.
Siamo i proprietari. | We’re the owners.

My name is…

Mi chiamo Brian Gallagher. | My name is Brian Gallagher.
Mi chiamo Olivia Green. | My name is Olivia Green.
Sono la signora Smith. Ho prenotato una stanza doppia per questa notte. | My name is Mrs Smith. I’ve booked a double room for tonight.
Il cognome è Morris… | My surname is Morris…
…e il nome è Emma. | …and my first name is Emma.
Si scrive M-O-R-R-I-S. | It’s spelt M-O-R-R-I-S.

BUONO A SAPERSI!

Remember that the Italian alphabet is pronounced differently from the English alphabet. For more information on how to say letters of the alphabet in Italian, see here.

ASKING FOR INFORMATION

When you want to find something out about your accommodation, an easy way to ask questions is just to put È…? (Is…?) before what you want to know. Alternatively, you can simply make your voice go up at the end of the sentence.

Is it…?

È caro? | Is it expensive?
È un hotel moderno? | Is it a modern hotel?
È lontano? | Is it far?
La colazione è compresa nel prezzo? | Is breakfast included in the price?
Le spese sono comprese nell’affitto? | Are bills included in the rent?

You can use C’è…? in Italian to ask Is there…? and Ci sono…? to ask Are there…?.

Is there…?

C’è un posto per mangiare qualcosa qui vicino? | Is there anywhere near here where we can get something to eat?
C’è un ascensore? | Is there a lift?
C’è un balcone? | Is there a balcony?
Ci sono toilettes per disabili? | Are there disabled toilets?

Use cerco (I’m looking for) or cerchiamo (we’re looking for) to ask where something is. cerco comes from the verb cercare (to look for).

I’m looking for…

Scusi, cerco il campeggio. | Excuse me, I’m looking for the campsite.
Cerco una pensione per stanotte. | I’m looking for a B&B for tonight.
Cerchiamo l’Hotel Bellini. | We’re looking for the Hotel Bellini.

To get more specific information, you may need to ask Quale…? (What…?), Dove…? (Where…?) or A che ora…? (What time…?).

What…?

Qual è l’indirizzo del proprietario? | What’s the landlord’s address?
Qual è il numero dell’agenzia immobiliare? | What’s the number for the letting agency?
Quale mi raccomanda? | Which one would You recommend?
Quali stanze hanno vista mare? | Which rooms have a sea view?

BUONO A SAPERSI!

quale works for all singular nouns, whether masculine or feminine. It becomes qual before a word beginning with a vowel, as in Qual è…? (What’s…?).

Where…?

Dov’è il bar? | Where’s the bar?
Dov’è la palestra? | Where’s the gym?
Dove sono gli ascensori? | Where are the lifts?
Dove trovo una presa per il portatile? | Where can I plug in my laptop?

What time…?

A che ora è servita la cena? | What time’s dinner?
A che ora chiudete il portone la sera? | What time do you lock the doors at night?
Entro che ora bisogna liberare la stanza? | What time do we have to vacate the room by?
Fino a che ora è servita la colazione? | What time do you serve breakfast till?

How much…?

Quanto viene una camera doppia a notte? | How much is a double room per night?
Quanto viene la pensione completa? | How much is full board?
Quanto verrebbe affittare un appartamento per tutto luglio? | How much would it be to rent an apartment for the whole of July?

How many…?

Quante camere con bagno vi sono rimaste? | How many en-suite rooms have you got left?
Quanti letti ci sono nella camera famigliare? | How many beds are there in the family room?

ASKING FOR PERMISSION

Often when you are staying in a hotel or other accommodation you will need to be able to ask whether you can do something. Use Posso…? (Can I …?) or Possiamo…? (Can we…?) to ask if you can do something. These come from the verb potere (to be able). For more information on potere, see here.

Can I…?

Posso vedere la stanza? | Can I see the room?
Posso lasciare le valigie qui per cinque minuti? | Can I leave my suitcases here for five minutes?
Possiamo usare la piscina? | Can we use the pool?
Possiamo piantare la tenda qui? | Can we camp here?

You can use Si può…? to ask if something is okay, or possible.

Is it okay to…?

Si può parcheggiare qui? | Is it okay to park here?
Si può fumare in camera? | Is it okay to smoke in the room?
Si può mangiare fuori? | Is it possible to eat outside?

Do you mind if…?

Le dispiace se parcheggio la macchina qui fuori per un minuto? | Do You mind if I park my car outside for a moment?
Le dispiace se pago con la carta di credito? | Do You mind if I pay by credit card?
Le dispiace se prendiamo la camera al piano di sopra? | Do You mind if we take the room on the next floor?

If you want to ask someone if you may do something, you can also use È permesso..? (Am I allowed to…?) followed by the infinitive.

Am I allowed to…?

È permesso ricevere ospiti? | Am I allowed to have guests?
È permesso usare la griglia? | Are we allowed to use the barbecue?
È permesso usare il telefono? | May we use the phone?
Ci è permesso portare il cane? | Are we allowed to bring our dog?

SAYING WHAT YOU LIKE, DISLIKE, PREFER

When talking about what you like, use mi piace (I like) with singular nouns and mi piacciono with plural nouns. To say what you don’t like, use non mi piace or non mi piacciono. These come from the verb piacere.

I like…

Mi piace cenare all’aperto. | I like having dinner outside.
Mi piacciono gli alberghi piccoli. | I like small hotels.
Mi piacciono i campeggi in montagna. | I like campsites in the mountains.
Mi piace tantissimo questa pensione. | I love this guest house.

I don’t like…

Non mi piace questo albergo. | I don’t like this hotel.
Non mi piace viaggiare in traghetto. | I don’t like going on the ferry.
Non ci piace pianificare tutto in anticipo. | We don’t like to plan everything in advance.

I hate…

Odio questo arredamento. | I hate this decor.
Odio le grandi catene alberghiere. | I hate big chain hotels.
Detesto non avere il bagno. | I hate not having a bathroom.

If you want to say what you prefer, use preferisco (I prefer) or preferirei (I’d prefer). These come from the verb preferire. For more information on -ire verbs like preferire, see here.

I prefer…

Preferisco questo hotel. | I prefer this hotel.
Preferisco stare presso una famiglia. | I prefer to stay with a family.
Preferiamo gli ostelli ai campeggi. | We prefer youth hostels to camp sites.

I’d rather…

Preferirei stare in centro. | I’d rather be in the town centre.
Preferiremmo abitare in campagna. | We’d rather live in the country.
Preferirei non dover far file. | I’d rather not have to queue.
Preferirei dividere un appartamento piuttosto che abitare da sola. | I’d rather share a flat than live on my own.

EXPRESSING OPINIONS

You may well be asked what you think of your accommodation. Whether it’s perfect or not up to scratch, to say what you think you can use penso che (I think) or trovo che (I find) followed by the subjunctive. These come from the verbs pensare (to think) and trovare (to find). For more information on -are verbs, see here, and for the use of the subjunctive, see here.

I think…

Penso che la camera sia un po’ piccola. | I think the bedroom’s a bit small.
Penso che la casa sia molto accogliente. | I think the house is very welcoming.
Trovo che ci sia troppo rumore la notte. | I find there’s too much noise at night.
Ho trovato il servizio eccellente. | I found the service excellent.

In my opinion…

A mio avviso, costa troppo per quello che è. | In my opinion, it costs too much for what it is.
Secondo me, fa proprio per noi. | In my opinion, it’s just what we want.
Secondo me, la stanza è troppo piccola. | In my opinion, the room is too small.
A mio avviso, è completamente inaccettabile. | In my view, it’s totally unacceptable.

MAKING SUGGESTIONS

If you would like to suggest that you do something, use posso (I can) followed by the infinitive and se vuole (if You like) – or se vuoi for a person you know well – at the end. posso comes from the verb potere (to be able). For more information on potere, see here.

I can…, if you like.

Posso darle conferma delle date domani, se vuole. | I can confirm the dates tomorrow, if You like.
Posso mandarle un acconto, se vuole. | I can send You a deposit, if You like.
Possiamo cercare un altro albergo, se vuoi. | We can look for another hotel, if you like.

If you wish to ask what someone would like you to do, you can use Vuole che…? (Would You like me to…?) or, more informally, Vuoi che…?, followed by a verb in the subjunctive, which you can find out more about on here.

Would you like me to…?

Vuole che paghi in contanti? | Would You like me to pay cash?
Vuole che le mostri la prenotazione? | Would You like me to show you my booking?
Vuoi che ti aiuti con le borse? | Would You like me to help you with your bags?
Vuole tenere i passaporti? | Would You like to keep our passports?

ASKING FOR SUGGESTIONS

You may want to ask for advice or a recommendation concerning your accommodation. To ask for advice, use Mi consiglia…? (Would You advise me to…?). This comes from the verb consigliare (to advise).

Would you advise me to…?

Mi consiglia di prenotare in anticipo? | Would You advise me to book in advance?
Mi consiglia di portare qualcosa da mangiare? | Would You advise me to bring something to eat?
Ci consiglia di portare dei sacchi a pelo? | Would You advise us to bring sleeping bags?

Would you recommend…?

Mi consiglierebbe questo hotel? | Would You recommend this hotel?
Mi consiglierebbe questa agenzia immobiliare? | Would You recommend this estate agency?
Ci consiglierebbe di affittare settimanalmente? | Would You recommend that we rent by the week?
Ci consiglierebbe di prendere un appartamento in città? | Would You recommend us to take a flat in town?

SAYING WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO

If you want to say that you have to do something with regard to your accommodation in Italian, you use devo (I have to) or dovrei (I ought to), from the verb dovere (to have to). For more information on dovere, see here.

I have to…

Devo prendere nota dell’indirizzo dell’albergo. | I have to write down the address of the hotel.
Devo passare alla reception per pagare. | I have to go to reception to pay.
Dobbiamo partire domattina alle sei. | We have to leave at six tomorrow morning.

BUONO A SAPERSI!

The word domattina is a contraction of domani (tomorrow) and mattina (morning).

I ought to…

Dovrei scaricare la macchina. | I ought to unpack the car.
Dovrei fare il bucato. | I ought to do a load of washing.
Dovremmo alzarci entro le sette di mattina. | We ought to be up by seven am.
Dovremmo avere un doppione delle chiavi. | We ought to have a spare set of keys.

In Italian you can tell somebody what you need by using ho bisogno di (I need).

I need…

Ho bisogno di una culla. | I need a cot.
Ho bisogno di telefonare al mio ufficio a Londra. | I need to call my office in London.
Abbiamo bisogno di una camera al piano terra. | We need a room on the ground floor.

You can use Devo …? (Do I have to…?) followed by the infinitive, or Bisogna che…? (Do I need to…?) followed by the verb in the subjunctive to ask about what you have to do. For more information about the subjunctive, see here.

Do I have to…?

Devo lasciare la chiave alla reception quando esco? | Do I have to leave the key at reception when I go out?
Devo passare alla reception per pagare? | Do I have to go to reception to pay?
Dobbiamo avvertirvi quando lasciamo l’albergo? | Do we have to let you know when we leave the hotel?

Do I need to…?

Bisogna prenotare? | Do I need to book?
Bisogna che faccia le pulizie nell’appartamento prima di partire? | Do I need to clean the flat before leaving?
Bisogna che portiamo dei sacchi a pelo? | Do we need to bring sleeping bags?
Quando bisogna liberare la camera? | When do I have to vacate the room?

TALKING ABOUT YOUR PLANS

When you are talking about your plans to stay somewhere, you can use the future tense or the present tense in Italian. For more information on the future and present tenses, see here.

I’ll…

Affitterò un appartamento per le prime tre settimane. | I’ll rent a flat for the first three weeks.
Arriverò al campeggio di sera. | I’ll arrive at the campsite in the evening.
Trovo un albergo quando sono là. | I’ll find a hotel when I get there.

I’m going to…

Mi fermo a Parma. | I’m going to stay in Parma.
Affitterò uno chalet in montagna. | I’m going to rent a chalet in the mountains.
Faremo campeggio. | We’re going to camp.

I’m staying…

Sto in un ostello per la prima settimana. | I’m staying in a youth hostel the first week.
Poi sto in un albergo. | After that I’m staying in a hotel.
Sono ospite presso una famiglia la prima notte. | I’m staying with a host family the first night.

If you want to say that you intend to do something, you can use ho intenzione di or conto di (I intend to).

I intend to…

Ho intenzione di prendere un appartamento in affitto. | I intend to rent a flat.
Ho intenzione di trovare un agriturismo. | I intend to find an agriturismo.
Conto di fermarmi fino a venerdì. | I intend to stay until Friday.
Contiamo di partire domani dopo colazione. | We intend to leave after breakfast tomorrow.

COMPLAINING

Unfortunately the service you get in your accommodation may not always be perfect. A very simple way of complaining is to say what the problem is using c’è (there is) and ci sono (there are), or non c’è (there isn’t) and non ci sono (there aren’t).

There’s…

C’è troppo rumore. | There’s too much noise.
C’è uno spandimento sul soffitto. | There’s a leak in the ceiling.
Ci sono scarafaggi nell’appartamento. | There are cockroaches in the flat.

There isn’t…

Non c’è acqua calda. | There isn’t any hot water.
Non ci sono asciugamani puliti in camera. | There aren’t any clean towels in the room.
La stanza non ha un balcone. | The room doesn’t have a balcony.
L’appartamento non ha l’aria condizionata. | The flat doesn’t have air-conditioning.

You can also use the verb essere (to be) to describe what the problem is.

It’s…

L’appartamento è sporco. | The flat’s dirty.
L’hotel è troppo rumoroso. | This hotel’s too noisy.
L’acqua della piscina non è molto pulita. | The water in the swimming pool isn’t very clean.
Qua fa troppo caldo. | It’s too hot in here.

BUONO A SAPERSI!

Remember that with most expressions such as it’s hot or it’s cold in Italian, you should use the verb fare (to do), not essere (to be).

LISTEN OUT FOR

Here are some key phrases which you are likely to hear when you’re looking for somewhere to stay.

Che tipo di alloggio cercate? | What type of accommodation are you looking for?
A che nome è la prenotazione? | Whose name is the booking in?
Per quante notti? | For how many nights?
Per quante persone? | For how many people?
La colazione è compresa nel prezzo. | Breakfast is included in the price.
Mi fa vedere il passaporto, per favore? | Can I see your passport, please?
Siamo al completo. | We’re full.
Va pagata una cauzione di 300 euro. | There’s a 300 euro deposit.
Mi date un recapito telefonico? | What number can we contact you on?
Non sono ammessi i cani. | We don’t allow dogs.
Come desidera pagare? | How would You like to pay?
Compili questo modulo, per cortesia. | Please fill in this form.
Una firma qui, prego. | Please sign here.
Come si scrive il suo nome, per favore? | How do you spell your name, please?

Lifestyle Tips

• If you are renting a property for a longish period, but haven’t moved to Italy in any kind of permanent way, you are likely to be offered a contratto per non residenti (contract for non-residents).

• Short-term rented property is normally furnished (ammobiliato), while long-term rented accommodation is usually unfurnished (non ammobiliato).

• It is less common in Italy to share a flat with other tenants, unless you are a student. However, it is possible to rent una camera ammobiliata (a furnished room) in a flat or a house.

• Properties are described by size in square metres and number of rooms, for example appartamento ammobiliato di 80 m2, salotto, cucina abitabile, camera da letto, cameretta, bagno con doccia, balcone, cantina (80 m2 furnished flat, sitting room, dining kitchen, double bedroom, single bedroom, bathroom with shower, balcony, storage cellar).

• A studio apartment is called un monolocale in Italian, literally a one-room flat, with sleeping and cooking facilities in the one room. They can be quite smart, and are often rented by professionals who need to be in a town from time to time, or by visitors who prefer them to hotels.

• If a flat is described as being in a stabile d’epoca, it means it is in a period building.

• If you are looking to rent for a longer period, you will find adverts in local papers and on websites, as well as signs on doors of buildings with contact phone numbers. You could also contact the local agenzie immobiliari (estate agents), who will normally charge a commission.

• As a tourist, you may be staying in un hotel or albergo, una pensione, un bed&breakfast (now quite common), un agriturismo (where guests eat the farm’s own produce), un appartamento, una villa or un residence (very often a luxurious option, with serviced furnished flats of different sizes, fitness area, pool, conference rooms, etc.).

Wining and dining
Buon appetito! – Enjoy your meal!

If you’re going out for a meal in Italy either in a local trattoria or in a fancy restaurant, the phrases in this unit will give you the confidence to talk to the waiter and chat with your Italian friends in easy, natural Italian. We’ll also give you some tips on getting advice about what to order, and a few key phrases waiters are likely to use.

MAKING ARRANGEMENTS

If you want to make arrangements such as where and when to meet when you go out for a meal with Italian-speaking people, you can start by asking Dove…? (Where…?) and A che ora…? (What time…?).

Where…?

Dove andiamo a mangiare? | Where shall we go to eat?
Dove ci troviamo? | Where shall we meet?
Dove volete che vi venga a prendere? | Where do you want me to pick you up?

What time…?

A che ora ci troviamo? | What time shall we meet?
A che ora arriva Giulia? | What time is Giulia going to get here?
Per che ora hai prenotato il tavolo? | What time did you book the table for?

If you want to check that the arrangements suit your friends or colleagues, you can use Va bene se…? (Does it suit you if…?).

Does it suit you if…?

Va bene se andiamo fuori a cena domani sera? | Does it suit you if we go out for a meal tomorrow night?
Va bene se ci troviamo alle sette? | Does it suit you if we meet up at seven?
Va bene se ci incontriamo là? | Does is suit you if we meet there?
Vi andrebbe meglio sabato sera? | Would Saturday evening suit you better?

It would suit me best to…

Per me andrebbe meglio incontrarci là. | It would suit me best to meet there.
Per me andrebbe meglio andarci per le otto. | It’d suit me best to be there for eight.
Per noi andrebbe meglio andarci in macchina. | It’d suit us better to go there by car.

To check what is the best thing to do for others, use È meglio…? (Had we better…?).

Had we better…?

È meglio prenotare? | Had we better book?
È meglio arrivare presto? | Had we better arrive early?
Sarebbe meglio cambiare la prenotazione? | Had we better change our reservation?

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