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...