Italian All-in-One For Dummies (62 page)

la via principale
(lah
vee
-ah preen-chee-
pah
-leh) (
main street
)

il viale
(eel
vyah
-leh) (
parkway; avenue
)

il vicolo
(eel
vee
-koh-loh) (
alley; lane
)

Talkin' the Talk

Laurie is visiting Florence from Oregon and has just finished a mid-morning coffee break in Piazza della Repubblica. She asks the man standing near her how to get to the post office. (Track 17)

Laurie:
Scusi, dov'è l'ufficio postale?

skooh
-zee, doh-
veh
loohf-
feech
-oh poh-
stah
-leh?

Excuse me, where is the post office?

Enzo:
È dietro l'angolo, là, sotto i portici. L'accompagno?

eh
dyeh
-troh
lahn
-goh-loh, lah,
soht
-toh ee
pohr
-tee-chee. lah-kohm-
pah
-nyoh?

It's around the corner, over there, underneath the porticoes. Shall I accompany you?

Laurie:
No grazie, vado da sola.

noh
grah
-tsyeh,
vah
-doh dah
soh
-lah.

No thank you, I can go by myself.

 

La strada
and
la via
are synonymous, but you always use
via
when the name is specified:

È una strada molto lunga.
(
eh
ooh
-nah
strah
-dah
mohl
-toh
loohn
-gah.) (
It's a very long road.
)

Abito in via Merulana.
(
ah
-bee-toh een
vee
-ah meh-rooh-
lah
-nah.) (
I live in Via Merulana.
)

Talkin' the Talk

Mary is in
Bologna
(boh
-loh-
nyah) for the first time. She has visited the city and walked a lot, and now she wants to go back to the train station. Because she can't remember the way, she asks a passerby. (Track 18)

Mary:
Scusi?

skooh
-zee?

Excuse me?

Man:
Sì?

See?

Yes?

Mary:
Dov'è la stazione centrale?

doh-
veh
lah stah-
tsyoh
-neh chehn-
trah
-leh?

Where is the central station?

Man:
Prenda la prima a destra.

prehn
-dah lah
pree
-mah ah
dehs
-trah.

Take the first right.

Mary:
Poi?

Pohy?

Then?

Man:
Poi la terza a sinistra.

pohy lah
tehr
-tsah ah see-
nees
-trah.

Then the third left.

Mary:
Sì?

See?

Yes?

Man:
Poi la seconda, no la prima . . .

pohy lah seh-
kohn
-dah, noh lah
pree
-mah . . .

Then the second, no the first . . .

Mary:
Grazie; prendo un taxi!

grah
-tsyeh;
prehn
-doh oohn
tahk
-see!

Thank you; I'll take a taxi!

 

Expressing verbs on the move

You need to know certain verbs when trying to understand directions. Some of the verbs you'll find handy for finding your way include the following:

andare
(ahn-
dah
-reh) (
to go
)

girare a destra/a sinistra
(jee-
rah
-reh ah
dehs
-trah/ah see-
nees
-trah) (
to turn right/left
)

prendere
(
prehn
-deh-reh) (
to take
)

proseguire
(proh-seh-
gwee
-reh) (
to go on
)