Italian Phrases

Shopping

On a trip to Italy, it may occur to you to buy something!  If you are hungry, but not hungry enough for a  ristorante  or  trattoria,  you could go to a  tavola calda  (hot food bar).  Then pick up some  paste  (pastries) or  biscotti  (cookies) at a  pasticceria  (pastry shop) or some  frutta  (fruit) at a  fruttivendolo  (produce market),  un panino  (a sandwich) at a bar,  pane  (bread) or  pizza al taglio  (slices) at a  panificio  or  forno,  or general items at an  alimentari  (grocery store).

After eating, you are ready for some serious shopping.  Look for  vestiti  (clothes) at a  negozio di abbigliamento   (apparel store), some  scarpe  (shoes),  calze  (socks, stockings) or a  cinta  (belt) where you see  calzature  (shoes), or a  borsetta  (handbag) at a  pelleteria  (leather store).  For something special like  orecchini  (earrings),  una spilla   (a pin) or  una collana  (a necklace), head to a  gioelleria  (jewelry store).

In Rome, the  negozi di marca   (brand name stores) are clustered around Piazza di Spagna, but the  prezzi sono alti  (prices are high).   Prezzi medi  (moderate prices) can be found on Via Nazionale and  prezzi bassi  (low prices) or  sconti   (discounts) favor the area around Largo Argentina.
June 2008
Betsy Mignani

Magari

Magari is an expression much used in Italian.   Magari comes from the Greek and means "   o beato " (Oh, blessed). It's used in different ways.

First, as an interjection, used to express   speranza  (hope) or    desiderio  (desire).

For example:     Hai vinto la lotteria? Magari!  (Did you win the lottery? I wish!).   Ti piacerebbe venire al mare? Magari!  (Would you like to come to the beach?  If only I could!)

Or, second, as an adverb of doubt;   forse  (maybe)

    Magari domani piove, ma è meglio innaffiare il giardino . (Maybe tomorrow it will rain, but it's better to water the garden.)

    Magari non viene all'appuntamento, aspetterò solo altri 5 minuti.   (Maybe he's not coming to the appointment, I'll wait only 5 more minutes.)

Lastly, as a conjunction, anche a costo di   (even if).

    Verrò anch'io a pescare con voi, dovessi magari partire all'alba.   (I'll come fishing with you even if I have to leave at dawn.)
June 2008

Gelato

One of the greatest pleasures of a trip to Italy is eating gelato .  In many places you pay the cashier first and take the scontrino (receipt) to the bancone (counter), usually with a small mancia  (tip - 20 cents or so).  You ask, "Per favore,  (please) vorrei (I would like) un gelato. "  Or you could, using the formal style say "Mi dia uno piccolo"  (May I have a small one?).  You may want a cono  (cone) or a coppetta  (dish).

The barista  (barman) may ask "Quale sapore?"  (What flavor?)  You will note that most locals ask for two flavors together.  So you say "cioccolato e vaniglia " (chocolate and vanilla).  But don't stop there.  Why not cocco  (coconut), limone  (lemon), caffé  (coffee), fragola  (strawberry), melone  (melon), stracciatella  (a sort of chocolate chip), zabaglione  (egg custard with a hint of port) or tiramisu .  Very popular are nocciola  (hazelnut) and bacio  (chocolate hazelnut).  It will take you many tries to eat them all but you are in luck, Italy is full of gelaterie  (ice cream shops)!
May 2008
Betsy Mignani

Ristrutturare (remodeling)

After the massive migrations to the cities of the 50's and 60's, nowadays the Italians want to go back to the country: they want " una casa per le vacanze " (a vacation home).

Since the real estate prices have been soaring also in the countryside, the word in fashion today is " da ristrutturare " (to remodel): "comprare una casa da ristrutturare " (to buy a home to remodel).  The work could include " il sistema elettrico " (the electrical system) and " l’impianto di riscaldamento e raffreddamento " (the heating and cooling system) and " i bagni " (the bathrooms), but it could extend to " i pavimenti " (the floors) or even " il tetto " (the roof), etc.

" Un casolare " (farmhouse), " casetta o appartamento " with work to be done is less expensive, can be owned immediately and can be " ristrutturato con comodo " (remodeled at leisure).
April 2008