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. |
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. |
• 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).
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.
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
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