Situations · Italiano
Everyday situations in Italian
Real conversations for life in Italy. Each one has the phrases locals use, what they mean, a short spoken practice and a few things worth knowing.
Cafés & restaurants
- Booking a table at a restaurantYou phone a trattoria to book a table for Saturday night, then call back to change the number of guests.
- Ordering coffee at a barYou walk up to the till of a busy bar in town and order your morning coffee just the way you like it.
- Asking for the bill, splitting it and tippingAt the end of a meal with three friends, you ask for the bill, split it and decide whether to leave a tip.
Shopping & services
- Getting a haircutYou book a haircut and explain to the hairdresser exactly how much to take off.
- Returning or exchanging clothesYou take back a jumper that doesn’t fit and ask for an exchange or your money back.
- Paying at the supermarket checkoutAt the supermarket till, the cashier asks about bags, loyalty cards and how you’ll pay.
Meeting people
- Asking someone to repeat or slow downAt the post office, the clerk talks too fast for you, so you ask them to repeat, slow down and write it down.
- Saying hello and goodbyeThrough the day you greet a shopkeeper, a neighbour and your colleagues, and say goodbye the right way.
- Explaining where you're from and why you movedAt your local bar, a regular strikes up a conversation and asks where you’re from, how long you’ve lived here and what brought you.
Neighbours
- Asking a neighbour to keep the noise downMusic from upstairs keeps you awake, so you knock and ask politely; a week later, you give the same neighbour a heads-up about your own party.
- Small talk with a neighbour in the liftYou share the lift with a neighbour and fill the ride with a few friendly words about the weather.
Home & repairs
- Reporting a broken boiler to your landlordThere’s no hot water or heating, so you call your landlord to explain and get someone sent round.
- Getting home internet installedIn a phone shop, you sign up for fibre broadband and arrange a day for the technician to install it.
- Viewing a flat: questions to askOn a flat viewing with an estate agent, you ask about the heating, the noise, the light and which furniture stays.
Getting around
Admin & banking
- Opening a bank accountAt a bank branch you ask which documents you need and which fees apply to open a current account.
- Registering at the town hall (padrón)You go to the Comune’s registry office, the Ufficio Anagrafe, with your rental contract to register your address, which other paperwork often asks for.