Over the last few lessons of Coffee Break Spanish Season 4, we’ve seen Rory, María and Alejandro figure out what to do with the treasure they found at the bottom of the ocean. Their discovery has now made the newspapers in Mallorca, and in lesson 30 we’re taking a look at one of the newspaper articles. This provides a fantastic opportunity for you to look at different styles of writing, as this journalistic text is possibly much more formal than what you may be used to. Mark is on hand to explain everything.
Month: June 2016
Medicine in Italian: basic vocabulary for beginners
If you’re travelling to Italy or Switzerland and suddenly feel unwell, knowing how to describe your symptoms and ask for medicine in Italian can be incredibly helpful. To help you get by when visiting a pharmacy, speaking to a doctor, or asking for advice from a local friend, we prepared this article with a couple of phrases and vocabulary that can make all the difference for beginners!
With this vocabulary in hand, you will also be able to confidently handle minor health concerns while enjoying your time abroad! And don’t forget – to perfect your pronunciation and practise what you’ve learned, listen to the podcast below!
Describing your symptoms in Italian
You’ll need to explain what’s wrong before you can get the right medicine in Italian. In order to do that, you will need to know the Italian words for body parts. If you are already familiar with the basic ones, then it shouldn’t be too hard to describe your symptoms.
In any case, let’s review some essential phrases:
- Non mi sento molto bene. I don’t feel very well.
- Mi fa male la testa. I have a headache.
- Ho mal di gola. I have a sore throat.
- Ho la febbre. I have a fever.
- Mi fa male lo stomaco. I have a stomachache.
- Ho la tosse. I have a cough.
- Ho il raffreddore. I have a cold.
- Ho un’allergia. I have an allergy.
If you need to describe how long you’ve had your symptoms, you might hear someone say, Da quanto tempo si sente così? How long have you been feeling like this?’ to which you can respond, ‘Da due giorni più o meno. For about two days, for example.
Asking for medicine in Italian
Once you’ve described your symptoms, you may need to ask for medication from a pharmacist in an Italian pharmacy. Here’s how you can ask for medicine in Italian:
- Posso avere qualcosa per il mal di testa? Can I have something for a headache?
- Ha qualcosa per il raffreddore? Do you have something for a cold?
- Vorrei delle pastiglie per la gola. I’d like some throat lozenges.
- Mi può consigliare qualcosa per la febbre? Can you recommend something for a fever?
While most health concerns can be managed with over-the-counter medicine, sometimes you may need to see a doctor. Here are a few emergency phrases to know:
- Mi serve un dottore. I need a doctor.
- C’è un ospedale vicino? Is there a hospital nearby?
- Ho bisogno di aiuto! I need help!
- Ho un’allergia a… I am allergic to…
- È un’emergenza! It’s an emergency!
Knowing how to ask for medicine in Italian and describe your symptoms can help make your adventure smoother and ensure you get the right treatment when needed. Even if you just speak the basics, making an effort to communicate in Italian will be greatly appreciated by locals and pharmacists alike.
Would you like to feel even more confident using Italian in everyday situations or when reading an authentic Italian tiramisù recipe? Check out our blog post, which includes an authentic tiramisù recipe that you can try at home while revising some key vocabulary!
CBI 1:37 | Ho qualche domanda…
When you’re travelling, one of the most common situations encountered is that you need to ask for information. In this episode of Coffee Break Italian Mark is asking for information in his hotel in Stresa. You’ll review some of the language areas already covered and learn new words and phrases through the conversation.
Shopping in Italian: a review of key vocabulary
Imagine strolling through chic Milan boutiques, exploring Roman markets, or picking up souvenirs in charming Tuscan towns … Would you know the essential vocabulary for shopping in Italian?
It might seem silly, but being able to communicate the basics helps you connect with locals and ensures you find exactly what you’re looking for while leaving a good impression – especially in small villages where English is not so widely spoken. To help you with that, in this blog post, we’ll dive into useful phrases and tips for shopping in Italian, inspired by lesson thirty-six from Coffee Break Italian Season 1.
If you want to learn how to pronounce these sentences and words better and listen to locals speaking the language, make sure to listen to the episode below:
Essential phrases for shopping in Italian
While many Italians, especially in tourist hotspots, speak English, being able to communicate in Italian can enhance your shopping experience. Speaking the local language makes interactions smoother, from understanding discounts to ensuring the right fit.
With that in mind, let’s review some key vocabulary for going shopping in Italian:
Starting the conversation
If you are familiar with some of the essential Italian phrases for shopping, you already know that you should greet the shop assistant when you enter the shop and that you should use the word vorrei to ask for something specific.
But let’s review how to say that you are just window shopping:
- Sto solo guardando. I’m just looking.
- Stiamo solo guardando. We’re just looking.
In addition, shopkeepers often start with the polite question, ‘Desidera?’ ‘Can I help you?’ to which you can respond with sì or no or even use the phrase we mentioned before.
Trying on clothes
The next topic about shopping in Italian that deserves a brief review is the vocabulary for trying on clothes. We will use a piece of vocabulary we mentioned on the last topic for that as that word is used to make polite requests:
- Vorrei provare questa xxx. I would like to try on this xx (item of vocabulary).
The shop assistant may ask you for your size by saying che taglia?, to which you can respond with porto una S o una M I wear a small or a medium, for example. When something feels a bit too loose, you can then say C’è una taglia più piccola? Is there a smaller size?.
Clothes in Italian
To be able to ask for specific clothing items, you need to know what they are called. For that reason (and also to help you review some of this important vocabulary), here are the names of some common items:
- la maglietta t-shirt
- la camicia shirt
- i pantaloni pants
- i pantaloncini shorts
- il vestito dress
- la gonna skirt
- il maglione sweater
- le scarpe shoes
- gli stivali boots
Asking about prices
A staple question when shopping is Quanto costa? How much does it cost? For simplicity, you can also use Quant’è?. As you can imagine, people will answer using numbers in Italian, so you should be familiar with them too!
When you are hunting for bargains or shopping during Italy’s famous saldi sales, you can then say:
- È scontato/a? Is it discounted?
At the cash desk
When you’re ready to make a purchase, these phrases come in handy:
- Lo/la prendo. I’ll take it.
- Posso pagare con carta di credito? Can I pay with a credit card?
The cashier then might ask you:
- Vuole una busta? Do you want a bag?
Shopping in Italian is about more than transactions and with these phrases and tips in hand, you’re ready to explore Italy’s vibrant shops and markets confidently. The small efforts to speak the language and put your Italian skills to the test will make your shopping adventure much more fulfilling.
You need to keep practising to improve your Italian skills, right? So check out the blog post we prepared on how to ask for information in Italian at the hotel reception!
Episode 29 – Season 4 – Coffee Break Spanish
In this episode Rory is updating Alejandro on the latest developments about the treasure they have found. María has now spoken to her professor and they’ve made a plan to notify the authorities. In this episode we see a number of interesting language points including a discussion on the use of the verb salir when talking about “appearing” in the press or on TV. All these langauge points are discussed by Mark and Carmen, and there’s also some exciting news about the Podcast Awards.
