Italian For Dummies

Giuseppe Cavatorta, PhD, is a professor of Italian at the University of Arizona. He has written, edited, and translated several works across disciplines focusing mainly on Italian and American poetry. Teresa L. Picarazzi, PhD, has taught Italian language, literature, and cinema for more than 20 years. She’s also written several For Dummies books, including Italian Workbook For Dummies.

• Introduction 1About This Book 1Conventions Used in This Book 1Foolish Assumptions 3Icons Used in This Book 3Beyond This Book 4Where to Go from Here 4Part 1: Getting Started with Italian 5Chapter 1: Saying Italian Like It Is 7You Already Know Some Italian! 8Cognates 9Sounding Italian: The Essentials 9The alphabet 10Vowels 11Consonants 13Kickstarting your Italian with keywords 17Stressing Words Properly 18Chapter 2: Jumping Into the Basics of Italian 19Setting Up Simple Sentences 19Dealing with Gender and Number (Articles, Nouns, and Adjectives) 20Gender and number 20Indefinite articles 22Definite articles 22Adjectives 23Talking about Pronouns 25Personal pronouns 25Saying “you”: Formal and informal 26Being inclusive? Still a long way to go 26Exploring Verbs 27Introducing regular and irregular verbs 27Having to, wanting to, being able to 35Presenting the Simple Tenses: Past, Present, and Future 36Chapter 3: Buongiorno Italia! 41Looking at Common Greetings and Farewells 41Replying to a greeting 42Reuniting not sure when 43Making Introductions 44Introducing yourself 44Introducing other people 46Getting Acquainted 48Finding out whether someone speaks English 49Talking about where you come from 50Extending and responding to invitations 54Chapter 4: Getting Your Numbers and Time Straight 57Practicing Using Numbers 57Identifying Times of Day and Days of the Week 61Using the Calendar 63Asking about and Giving Dates 64Telling Time 65Asking for the time 65Asking what time something begins 66Chatting about the Weather 67Familiarizing Yourself with the Metric System 72Temperature 73Length and distance 73Weight 74Part 2: Italian in Action 79Chapter 5: Casa Dolce Casa (Home Sweet Home) 81Practicing Ordinal Numbers 81Living in Your Home 83Hunting for a place to live 83Sprucing up your residence 88Furnishing your new pad 89Housekeeping in Style 91Cooking at Home 93Doing Household Chores 95Chapter 6: Where Is the Colosseum? Asking Directions 99Finding Your Way: Asking for Specific Places 99Knowing Where You Are and Following Directions 102Identifying distances when walking 102Recognizing where you’re headed 103Giving and receiving directions 103Getting a Move on It: Verbs You Can Use 106When You Don’t Understand: What to Say 109Looking For a Specific Location 110Chapter 7: Food Glorious Food — and Don’t Forget the Drinks 115Drinking Italian Style 116Expressing your love for espresso 116Enjoying beverages with more of a kick 118Dining Out: The Beginning and the Ending 120Making reservations 120Paying for your meal 122Having Breakfast 123Eating Lunch 124Enjoying Dinner 126Shopping for Food 129At the butcher shop 129At the fish shop 130At the bakery 131At the market 132Chapter 8: Shopping Italian Style 135Figuring Out What to Shop 135Deciding between department stores and boutiques 136Finding your way around stores 136Knowing What You’re Buying 139This one or that one? Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns 140Decoding Italian sizes 140Focusing on colors 142Accessorizing 144Stepping out in style 145Chapter 9: Having Fun Out on the Town 149Diving Into the Culture 150Going to the movies 152Going to the theater 155Going to a museum 158Going to a local festival 159Going to a concert 160Going to a party or other event 162Chapter 10: From Ring to Ping: Phones, Texts, Emails, & More 169Communicating Made Simple 169Connecting via cellphones, texts, and WhatsApp 170Calling for business or pleasure 172Making Arrangements over the Phone 174Handling Missed Calls and Messages 175What Did You Do Last Weekend? — Talking about the Past 178Using avere 179Using essere 181Discussing Your Job 183The human element 183Office equipment 184Chapter 11: Recreation and the Outdoors 187Enjoying the Great Outdoors 187Speaking Reflexively 191Playing Sports 194Talking about Hobbies and Interests 198Part 3: Italian on the Go 205Chapter 12: Planning a Trip 207Deciding When and Where to Go 207Taking a Tour 208Booking a Trip/Traveling to a Foreign Country 209Arriving and Leaving: The Verbs “Arrivare” and “Partire” 212Going to the Beach or to the Spa 213Using the Simple Future Tense 214Chapter 13: Money, Money, Money 217Going to the Bank 217Changing Money 219Using Credit Cards 221Looking at Various Currencies 224Chapter 14: Getting Around: Planes, Trains, Taxis, & Buses 229Getting through the Airport 229Checking in 230Dealing with excess baggage 232Waiting to board the plane 232Going through customs 233Dealing With Lost Luggage 235Renting a Car 238Navigating Public Transportation 240Calling a taxi 240Moving by train 241Going by bus, tram, or subway 244Reading maps and schedules 247Leaving Early or Arriving Late 248Chapter 15: Finding a Place to Stay 251Choosing a Place to Stay 251Reserving a Room 252Checking In 255Settling in for your hotel stay 255Requesting something during your stay 256Yours, Mine, and Ours: Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns 259Speaking with Authority: The Imperative 262Chapter 16: Handling Emergencies 267Asking for Help: A Quick Overview 267Talking to Doctors 268Describing what ails you 269Understanding professional medical vocabulary 273Getting what you need at the pharmacy 274Braving the dentist 275Reporting an Accident to the Police 276I’ve Been Robbed! Knowing What to Do and Say When the Police Arrive 277Dealing with Car Trouble 280When You Need a Lawyer: Protecting Your Rights 282Reporting a Lost or Stolen Passport 283Chapter 17: Making Small Talk 287Discovering Interrogative Pronouns 287Using interrogative pronouns 288Asking simple questions 289Taking Care of Basic Needs 290Talking about Yourself and Your Family — More about Possessives 294Speaking Perfectly about the Past with the Imperfect 297Talking Shop 299Part 4: the Part of Tens 305Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Pick Up Italian Quickly 307Read Italian Food Labels 307Ask for Food in Italian 307Listen to Italian Music and Podcasts 308Read Italian Publications 308Watch Italian Movies and TV Programs with Italian Subtitles 308Switch Your Apps and Phone to Italian 309Follow Italian Social Media Accounts 309Share Your Interest 309Surf the Net 309Cook like an Italian 310Chapter 19: Ten Things to Know When Traveling to Italy 311Ciao Isn’t for Everyone 311Modesty Sometimes Matters 312Weigh Your Fruit and Vegetables While Wearing Gloves 312Bag It Yourself and Pay for the Bags 312Free Water? Not Here! 312Pepperoni, Cheese on Pasta, and Meatballs 313Tables Are for Diners 313The Cappuccino Conundrum 313Chapter 20: Ten Favorite Italian Expressions 315Mamma mia! 315Dai! 316Uffa! 316Che ne so!/Boh! 316Magari! 316Ti sta bene! 316Non te la prendere! 317Non vedo l’ora! 317Non mi va! 317mi raccomando! 317Part 5: Appendixes 319Appendix A: Italian-English Mini Dictionary 321Appendix B: Verb Tables 335Appendix C: Answer Keys 347Index 357