LET'S LEARN ITALIAN--POST #9

The Euro has dropped again versus the dollar and airfare to Italy has also dropped, so let's add a few more words to our Italian vocabulary that might come in handy in case you decide to take advantage and book a trip to Italy.  Are you listening to the http://www.learnitalianpod.com/ podcast?  It's FREE on iTunes and only $14.95 per month to become a Premium Member.

Grande                              Big
(GRAN-day)


Piccolo                               Small
(PEE-co-lo)


Caldo                                 Hot
(CALL-do)


Freddo                               Cold
(FRAY-do)


Buono                                Good (Used to describe food)
(BWOH-no)                       
NOTE: If you are describing how food tastes, you use Buono or Buona; if you are describing someone's looks, you use Bello or Bella which means beautiful or handsome.


Cattivo                                 Bad                              
(Cat-TEE-vo)
NOTE: If you are describing how food tastes, you use Cattivo or Cattiva; if you are describing someone's looks, you use Brutto or Brutta which means ugly.


Aperto                                 Open
(Ah-PEAR-to)



Chiuso                                 Closed
(Key-OO-so)



Vicino                                   Close or Near




Lontano                                Far

LET'S LEARN ITALIAN--POST #8

Italy is on a far horizon now, but I am still listening to Max and Jane through my http://www.learnitalianpod.com/ podcast.  So let's add a few more words to our Italian vocabulary that might come in handy on your trip to Italy:

Macchina Fotografia Digitale    Digital Camera

MA-key-nah fo-toe-grah-FEE-a dee-gee-TAH-lay)

NOTE: The Italian word camera means room.

Fotografia                                   Photograph

fo-toe-grah-FEE-a)

Francobollo                                 Stamp

(fran-co-BO-lo)

Ufficio Postale                             Post office

(u-FEE-cho po-STA-lay)

Cartolina                                      Postcard

(car-toe-LEE-na)

Chiave                                         Key

(key-AH-vee)

Sinistra                                         Left

(see-NEE-strah)

Destra                                           Right

(DES-trah)

Carne                                            Meat

(KAR-nay)

Pesce                                            Fish

(PEH-shay)

Pollo                                              Chicken

(PO-low)

Insalata Mista                                Mixed Salad

(in-sah-LA-tah MEE-stah)

Panino                                           Sandwich

(pah-KNEE-no)

Formaggio                                      Cheese

(four-MAH-joe)

Dolci                                                Dessert

(DOLE-chee)

Grazie and ci vediamo!

LET'S LEARN ITALIAN--POST #7

Well, I probably won't be visiting Italy until next fall, but I am continuing to learn Italian through my http://www.learnitalianpod.com/ podcasts.  So I want to continue on with a few words for my fellow Italy travelers:

Meals:

Colazione                          Breakfast

(Co-la-TZEE-o-knee)

Pranzo                               Lunch

(PRAN-zo)

Cena                                  Dinner

(CHAY-na)

Days of the Weeks:

Lunedi                                Monday

(Loo-nay-DEE)

Martedi                               Tuesday

(Mar-tay-DEE)

Mercoledi                            Wednesday

(Mare-co-lay-DEE)

Giovedi                                Thursday

(Joe-vay-DEE)

Venerdi                                Friday

(Ven-nare-DEE)

Sabato                                 Saturday

(SAH-bah-toe)

Domenica                            Sunday

(Doe-MEN-knee-cah)

LET'S LEARN ITALIAN--POST #6

Since it was just Christmas, let's learn how to say Christmas and other related words in Italian:

Buon Natale                                         Merry Christmas

(Bwohn Na-TA-lay)

Il 25 di Dicembre                                  December 25

(ill ven-TEE CHEENG-kway dee Dee-CHEM-bray)

Un regalo di Natale                               Christmas Present

(Oon re-GA-lo dee Na-TA-lay)

Il albero di Natale                                  Christmas Tree

(ill al-BER-o dee Na-TA-lay)

Babbo Natale                                         Santa Claus

(Ba-BO Na-TA-lay)

Felice Anno Nuovo                                 Happy New Year

(Feh-LEE-chay An-NO New-O-vo)

Grazie della visita e Buon Natale a tutti!

LET'S LEARN ITALIAN--POST #5

Buon giorno i miei amici!

Let's learn more Italian words that may come in handy during your trip:

If you need to buy a train ticket:

Io vorrei un biglietto per Roma.                   I would like a ticket to Rome.

(EE-oh vor-RAY oon bee-YET-toe pear Roma)

Solo andata                                                 One way

(SO-lo an-DA-ta)

Andata e ritorno                                           Roundtrip

(An-DA-ta aye ree-TOR-no)

Binario                                                          Platform

(Be-NAR-ee-oh)

Carrozza                                                      Train car

(Ca-ROT-za)

Posto                                                            Train seat

Po-STO

Il treno è in ritardo.                                       The train is late.

(ill TRAY-no eh in REE-tar-do)

Let's continue with numbers:

Undici                                       11

(OON-dee-chee)

Dodici                                       12

(DOE-dee-chee)

Tredici                                      13

(TRAY-dee-chee)

Quattordici                                14

(KWA-tor-dee-chee)

Quindici                                     15

(KWIN-dee-chee)

Grazie and ci vediamo!

LET'S LEARN ITALIAN--POST #4

Let's learn more Italian words that may come in handy during your trip:

Che ore sono?                     What time is it?

(Kay OR-ay SO-no?)

Sono Americano                  I am American (male)

(SO-no ah-mer-ri-CAN-no)

Sono Americana                  I am American (female)

(SO-no ah-mer-ri-CAN-na)

Parla inglese?                      Do you speak English?

(PAR-la in-GLAY-zay?)

Non capisco.                        I don't understand.

(Nohn ca-PEE-sco)

La chiesa                             The church

(La kee-AY-sa)

La fontana                            The fountain

(La fon-TAN-na)

Albergo                                 Hotel

(al-BER-go)

La valigia                              Suitcase

(la va-LEE-ja)

Il treno                                  Train

(ill TRAY-no)

Stazione                               Station

(sta-TZEE-oh-nay)

Grazie e ciao!

LET'S LEARN ITALIAN--POST #3

Let's learn a few more words of Italian that may come in handy during your visit to Italy!

            Bagno                                         Restroom/Toilet
            (BAHN-yo)


            Dove è il bagno?                          Where is the toilet?
            (DOUGH-vay eh ill BAHN-yo?)


            Il mio nome è...                            My name is...
            (ill ME-o NO-may eh...)


            Io ho una prenotazione.                I have a reservation.
            (EE-o oh OO-na pren-NO-ta-zee-o-nay.)


            Dove posso comprare...?              Where can I buy...?
            (Do-VAY PO-so COM-prar-ray...?)


            Io vorrei...                                     I would like...
            (EE-o VOR-ray...)


            Biglietto                                        Ticket
            (Bee-YET-toe)


            Museo                                          Museum
            (Mew-SAY-o)


             Mi può aiutare?                            Can you help me?
             (Me Pwoh AYE-u-tar-ray?)


             Oggi                                            Today
             (Oh-GEE)


             Domani                                        Tomorrow
             (Doe-MAH-nee)


             Ieri                                               Yesterday
             (ee-AIR-ee)

          

LET'S LEARN ITALIAN--POST #2

In the first post, I gave you the basic words--hello, good-bye, please, thank you.

In this second post, I'll give you a few more basic words to know when you visit Italy.

                           Mi scusi                              Excuse me.
                           (Me SKOO-see)

                           Dove è...?                           Where is...?
                           (DOUGH-vay eh)

                           Quanto costa?                     How much does it cost?
                           (KWAN-toe KOS-tah?)

                           Io mi chiamo...                    My name is...
                           (EEH-o me KEY-ah-mo)


Let's count from 1 to 10...


                           Uno                                    One
                           (OO-noh)

                           Due                                    Two
                           (DO-ay)

                           Tre                                     Three
                           (Trey)

                           Quattro                               Four
                           (KWAH-tro)

                           Cinque                                 Five
                           (CHEENG kway)

                           Sei                                       Six
                           (Say)

                           Sette                                   Seven
                           (SET-tay)

                           Otto                                     Eight
                           (OUGHT-to)

                           Nove                                    Nine
                           (NO-vay)

                           Dieci                                    Ten
                           (DeeAY-chee)

Grazie delle visita.

LET'S LEARN ITALIAN--POST #1

Most experts agree that to be a more conscientious traveler, plus get more pleasure from your trip, it helps to know a few basic words of the language spoken in the country you will be visiting.

One thing I discovered when I traveled to Italy two years ago was how much I loved the Italian language.  It is such a wonderful language to learn.

So a unique feature that I'm going to include in my Europe travel blog will be a few words of Italian each day.  Now I'm not fluent in Italian by any means, but I have studied through Italian language podcasts from iTunes from LearnItalianPod.com for the past four years so I am somewhat familiar with the language.

Here are the first basic words you want to know when you travel to Italy:

                Si                                Yes

                (See)

                No                               No

                (Noh)

                Buon giorno                 Hello or Good morning.

                (Bwohn JOR-noh)

                Arrivederci                    Good bye (formal)

                (ah-ree-vay-DEHR-chee)

                Ciao                             Good bye (informal)

                (Chow)

                Per favore                     Please

                (Pehr fa-VOR-ray)

                Grazie                          Thank you

                (Grah-SEE-ah)

I will continue to add to this vocabulary list in future blog posts. Until then, Grazie della visita e ci vediamo!

 Thank you for visiting,

A Great Europe Trip Planner