Italian Phrases For Dummies

Everyday conversations in Italian made easy

Italy is a perennially popular destination for Americans, with
three cities (Florence, Rome, and Venice) among the top ten in
Travel & Leisure's 2003 "World's Best Cities" poll. This
concise, easy-to-use guide helps travelers and students get up to
speed fast on conversational Italian, showcasing the most commonly
used words and phrases.

Francesca Romana Onofri is an Italian translator and teacher.

Karen Moller is a writer who has worked on several Italian-language
projects for Berlitz.

Autorentext

Francesca Romana Onofri is an Italian teacher and translator. Karen Möller is a veteran language teacher and author.

Klappentext
Quick & easy approach gives you language fundamentals up front Words to Know sections help you find the right words fast Pronunciation keys let you talk the talk Hundreds of useful phrases at your fingertips Speak Italian — instantly! Shopping. Ordering dinner. Chatting about the weather. Talking about your family. Dealing with emergencies. Whether you're a traveler or student, this handy Italian phrase book makes everyday communication a breeze! Get Smart!www.dummies.com

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  Discuss sports and the weather
  Deal with problems and emergencies

Zusammenfassung
Everyday conversations in Italian made easy
Italy is a perennially popular destination for Americans, with three cities (Florence, Rome, and Venice) among the top ten in Travel & Leisure's 2003 "World's Best Cities" poll. This concise, easy-to-use guide helps travelers and students get up to speed fast on conversational Italian, showcasing the most commonly used words and phrases.
Francesca Romana Onofri is an Italian translator and teacher.
Karen Moller is a writer who has worked on several Italian-language projects for Berlitz.

Inhalt
Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Conventions Used in This Book 2

Foolish Assumptions 3

Icons Used in This Book 3

Where to Go from Here 4

Chapter 1: I Say It How? Speaking Italian 5

You Already Know Some Italian 6

Words that sound familiar 7

Popular expressions 8

Mouthing Off: Basic Pronunciation 10

The vowel a 10

The vowel e 11

The vowel i 11

The vowel o 11

The vowel u 11

Consonants that sound the same in Italian as they do in English 11

The consonant c 12

The consonant g 13

The consonant h 14

The consonant q 14

The consonant r 14

The consonant s 15

The consonant z 15

Double consonants 15

Consonant clusters 16

Stressing Words Properly 16

Chapter 2: Grammar on a Diet: Just the Basics 19

Setting Up Simple Sentences 19

Coping with Gendered Words (Articles and Adjectives) 21

Definite feminine articles 21

Definite masculine articles 22

The indefinite feminine article 23

Indefinite masculine articles 23

Adjectives 23

Talking about Pronouns 25

Personal pronouns 25

Direct object pronouns 27

Indirect object pronouns 28

Saying you: Formal and informal 30

Asking Questions 31

Introducing Regular and Irregular Verbs 33

Regular verbs 33

Irregular verbs 36

Presenting the Simple Tenses: Past, Present, and Future 38

Past tense 38

Present tense 42

Future tense 42

Chapter 3: Numerical Gumbo: Counting of All Kinds 45

Counting Cardinals 45

Ordering Ordinals 49

Talking about Time 50

The four seasons 50

Decades 51

Months of the year 51

Days of the week 52

Times of day 53

Being early or late 54

Getting Addresses and Phone Numbers 55

Talking about streets 56

Describing your home 56

Using the verbs vivere and abitare 57

Money, Money, Money 58

Going to the bank 59

Changing money 61

Chapter 4: Making New Friends and Enjoying Small Talk 63

Looking at Common Greetings and Good-byes 63

Deciding whether to address someone formally or informally 65

Responding to a greeting 65

Specifying your reuniting 66

Finding Out Whether Someone Speaks English 67

Begging Your Pardon? 69

Making Introductions 69

Introducing yourself 70

Introducing other people 71

Getting Acquainted 73

Talking about where you come from 73

Being you, being there: Using the verbs essere and stare 78

Talking about yourself and your family 81

Chatting about the weather 82

Chapter 5: Enjoying a Drink and a Snack (Or Meal) 85

Eating and Drinking, Italian Style 85

The Start and Finish of Dining Out 90

Making reservations 90

Paying for your meal 91

Having Breakfast 92

Eating Lunch and Dinner 93

Savoring Italian soups and pasta dishes 94

Using the verbs prendere and volere 95

Ordering from the menu 97

Savoring Dessert 99

Chapter 6: Shop 'til You Drop! 101

Departmentalizing Your Shopping 102

Talking with a Sales Clerk 104

Sizing Up Italian Sizes 105

Choosing Colors and Fabrics 106

Accessorizing 108

Stepping Out in Style 109

Shopping for Food 109

Meats 110

Seafood 110

Produce 111

Baked goods 113 Paying f...