Saturday, September 12, 2009

My New 3rd Language

Because I want to return to Italy hopefully next Summer, I thought it a great investment in my time to learn some Italian. Having grown up knowing how to communicate in Spanish, it really helps to understand this new language. When David and I were there last year to pick up Tigist and celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary, we picked up enough to eat and shop, but now I really want to be able to speak it.
It is such a beautiful language to speak ... wanna join me? Here is our first lesson. Break this into 5 lessons, study them Monday through Friday and try so speak it on the weekend. It'll be fun.

Ciao
I have a message below for you. Can you figure out what it says?

Ciao gli amici, lei amerebbe unirmi in italiano di cultura? Fare un commento di sotto se lei è così so chi lei è.

Sinceramente, Lisa


yes - si - (see)
no - no - (noh)
excuse me - mi scusi - (mee skoo-zee)
hello - buon giorno - (bwon jor-noh)
goodbye - arrivederci - (ah-ree-vuh-dare-chee)
thank you - grazie - (grah-tsee-eh)
yesterday - ieri - (ee-air-ee)
today - oggi - (oh-jee)
tomorrow - domani - (doh-mah-nee)
what? - quale? - (kwal-eh)
where? - dove? - (doh-ve)
The Shopping Phrases - You cannot go to Italy without a little shopping. After all, Italy is one of the leading fashionable cities in the world.
How much does this cost? - Quante’e, per favore? - (kwan-teh pair-fuh-vor-eh)
What time do you close? - A che ora chiude? - (ah keh or-ah kee-yoo-deh)
I am just looking. - Sto soltanto guardando. - (stoh sol-thahn -toh gwar-dan-doh)
I would like... - Vorrei - (vor-ray)
Do you accept credit cards? - Accettate carte di credito? - (ah-che-tah-the kar-teh dee creh-dee-toh)
The Restaurant Phrases - Naturally, you will want to dine out to taste authentic Italian cuisine while you are there, so these phrases should help you order and decode the menu.
breakfast - colzaione - (koh-lah-tsee-oh-neh)
lunch - pranzo - (prawn-tsoh)
dinner - cena - (che-nah)
waiter - cameriere - (cah-mair-ee-air-eh)
dessert - il dolce - (eel dole-che)
carbonated water - l’acqua minerale gassata - (lah-kwah mee-nair-ah-leh gah-zah-tah)
non-carbonated water - l’acqua minerala naturale - (lah-kwah mee-nair-ah-leh na-too-rah-leh)
garlic - aglio - (ah-lee-oh)
steak - la bistecca - (lah bee-steh-kah)
coffee - il caffe - (eel kah-feh)
cheese - il formaggio - (eel for-mah-joh)
ice cream - il gelato - (eel jeh-lah-toh)
milk - il latte - (eel lah-the)
bread - il pane - (eel pah-neh)
knife - il coltello - (eel kol-tell-oh)
fork - la forchetta - (lah for-ket-tah)
spoon - il cucchiahio - (eel koo-kee-eye-oh)
Numbers - If you know any Spanish, you may see many similarities in the way the Italian numbers are spelled and pronounced.
one - uno - (ooh-noh)
two - due - (doo-eh)
three - tre - (treh)
four - quattro - (kwa-troh)
five - cinque - (cheen-kweh)
six - sei (say)
seven - sette - (seh-teh)
eight - otto - (oh-toh)
nine - nove - (noh-veh)
ten - dieci (dee-eh-che)
twenty - dodici - (doh-dee-chee)
thirty - tredici - (treh-dee-chee)
forty - quattordici (kwah-tor-dee-chee)
fifty - quindici - (kwin-dee-chee)
sixty - sessanta (seh-sahn-tah)
seventy - settanta - (seh-tahn-tah)
eighty - ottanta - (oh-tan-tah)
ninety - novanta - (noh-vahn-tah)
one hundred - cento - (chen-toh)
Time Phrases
one hour - un’ora - (oon-oh-rah)
one minute - un minuto - (oohn mee-noo-tah)
Monday - lunedi - (loo-neh-dee)
Tuesday - martedi -(mar-teh-dee)
Wednesday -mercoledi - (mair-koh-leh-dee)
Thursday - giovedi - (gee-oh-veh-dee)
Friday - venerdi - (ven-aire-dee)
Saturday - sabato - (sah-bah-toh)
Sunday -domenica - (doh-men-ee-kah)

2 comments:

Barbara said...

Bravi per voi! YOu're well on your way to learning Italian, and I hope you get back here soon so you can practice - no amount of 'book learning' will ever take the place of having to speak it every day with the locals! Come on over - and bring those great kids too - they'll love it!

Thanks for the kind words on my blog, and just as you faced each adoption hurdle, we did the same during our move to Italy, just one step at a time.

Stephanie and Gary said...

Having been to Italy myself for the first time this summer, I really enjoyed your virtual lesson. don't forget "Allora!" which everyone seems to say constantly. I have figured out it means any of the following:
Ok, then!
Well!
Here you go!
Fine!
I agree!