How much…?
| Quanto viene una camera doppia a notte? | How much is a double room per night? |
| Quanto viene la pensione completa? | How much is full board? |
| Quanto verrebbe affittare un appartamento per tutto luglio? | How much would it be to rent an apartment for the whole of July? |
How many…?
| Quante camere con bagno vi sono rimaste? | How many en-suite rooms have you got left? |
| Quanti letti ci sono nella camera famigliare? | How many beds are there in the family room? |
ASKING FOR PERMISSION
Often when you are staying in a hotel or other accommodation you will need to be able to ask whether you can do something. Use Posso…? (Can I …?) or Possiamo…? (Can we…?) to ask if you can do something. These come from the verb potere (to be able). For more information on potere, see here.
Can I…?
| Posso vedere la stanza? | Can I see the room? |
| Posso lasciare le valigie qui per cinque minuti? | Can I leave my suitcases here for five minutes? |
| Possiamo usare la piscina? | Can we use the pool? |
| Possiamo piantare la tenda qui? | Can we camp here? |
You can use Si può…? to ask if something is okay, or possible.
Is it okay to…?
| Si può parcheggiare qui? | Is it okay to park here? |
| Si può fumare in camera? | Is it okay to smoke in the room? |
| Si può mangiare fuori? | Is it possible to eat outside? |
Do you mind if…?
| Le dispiace se parcheggio la macchina qui fuori per un minuto? | Do You mind if I park my car outside for a moment? |
| Le dispiace se pago con la carta di credito? | Do You mind if I pay by credit card? |
| Le dispiace se prendiamo la camera al piano di sopra? | Do You mind if we take the room on the next floor? |
If you want to ask someone if you may do something, you can also use È permesso..? (Am I allowed to…?) followed by the infinitive.
Am I allowed to…?
| È permesso ricevere ospiti? | Am I allowed to have guests? |
| È permesso usare la griglia? | Are we allowed to use the barbecue? |
| È permesso usare il telefono? | May we use the phone? |
| Ci è permesso portare il cane? | Are we allowed to bring our dog? |
SAYING WHAT YOU LIKE, DISLIKE, PREFER
When talking about what you like, use mi piace (I like) with singular nouns and mi piacciono with plural nouns. To say what you don’t like, use non mi piace or non mi piacciono. These come from the verb piacere.
I like…
| Mi piace cenare all’aperto. | I like having dinner outside. |
| Mi piacciono gli alberghi piccoli. | I like small hotels. |
| Mi piacciono i campeggi in montagna. | I like campsites in the mountains. |
| Mi piace tantissimo questa pensione. | I love this guest house. |
I don’t like…
| Non mi piace questo albergo. | I don’t like this hotel. |
| Non mi piace viaggiare in traghetto. | I don’t like going on the ferry. |
| Non ci piace pianificare tutto in anticipo. | We don’t like to plan everything in advance. |
I hate…
| Odio questo arredamento. | I hate this decor. |
| Odio le grandi catene alberghiere. | I hate big chain hotels. |
| Detesto non avere il bagno. | I hate not having a bathroom. |
If you want to say what you prefer, use preferisco (I prefer) or preferirei (I’d prefer). These come from the verb preferire. For more information on -ire verbs like preferire, see here.
I prefer…
| Preferisco questo hotel. | I prefer this hotel. |
| Preferisco stare presso una famiglia. | I prefer to stay with a family. |
| Preferiamo gli ostelli ai campeggi. | We prefer youth hostels to camp sites. |
I’d rather…
| Preferirei stare in centro. | I’d rather be in the town centre. |
| Preferiremmo abitare in campagna. | We’d rather live in the country. |
| Preferirei non dover far file. | I’d rather not have to queue. |
| Preferirei dividere un appartamento piuttosto che abitare da sola. | I’d rather share a flat than live on my own. |
EXPRESSING OPINIONS
You may well be asked what you think of your accommodation. Whether it’s perfect or not up to scratch, to say what you think you can use penso che (I think) or trovo che (I find) followed by the subjunctive. These come from the verbs pensare (to think) and trovare (to find). For more information on -are verbs, see here, and for the use of the subjunctive, see here.
I think…
| Penso che la camera sia un po’ piccola. | I think the bedroom’s a bit small. |
| Penso che la casa sia molto accogliente. | I think the house is very welcoming. |
| Trovo che ci sia troppo rumore la notte. | I find there’s too much noise at night. |
| Ho trovato il servizio eccellente. | I found the service excellent. |
In my opinion…
| A mio avviso, costa troppo per quello che è. | In my opinion, it costs too much for what it is. |
| Secondo me, fa proprio per noi. | In my opinion, it’s just what we want. |
| Secondo me, la stanza è troppo piccola. | In my opinion, the room is too small. |
| A mio avviso, è completamente inaccettabile. | In my view, it’s totally unacceptable. |
MAKING SUGGESTIONS
If you would like to suggest that you do something, use posso (I can) followed by the infinitive and se vuole (if You like) – or se vuoi for a person you know well – at the end. posso comes from the verb potere (to be able). For more information on potere, see here.
I can…, if you like.
| Posso darle conferma delle date domani, se vuole. | I can confirm the dates tomorrow, if You like. |
| Posso mandarle un acconto, se vuole. | I can send You a deposit, if You like. |
| Possiamo cercare un altro albergo, se vuoi. | We can look for another hotel, if you like. |
If you wish to ask what someone would like you to do, you can use Vuole che…? (Would You like me to…?) or, more informally, Vuoi che…?, followed by a verb in the subjunctive, which you can find out more about on here.
Would you like me to…?
| Vuole che paghi in contanti? | Would You like me to pay cash? |
| Vuole che le mostri la prenotazione? | Would You like me to show you my booking? |
| Vuoi che ti aiuti con le borse? | Would You like me to help you with your bags? |
| Vuole tenere i passaporti? | Would You like to keep our passports? |
ASKING FOR SUGGESTIONS
You may want to ask for advice or a recommendation concerning your accommodation. To ask for advice, use Mi consiglia…? (Would You advise me to…?). This comes from the verb consigliare (to advise).
Would you advise me to…?
| Mi consiglia di prenotare in anticipo? | Would You advise me to book in advance? |
| Mi consiglia di portare qualcosa da mangiare? | Would You advise me to bring something to eat? |
| Ci consiglia di portare dei sacchi a pelo? | Would You advise us to bring sleeping bags? |
Would you recommend…?
| Mi consiglierebbe questo hotel? | Would You recommend this hotel? |
| Mi consiglierebbe questa agenzia immobiliare? | Would You recommend this estate agency? |
| Ci consiglierebbe di affittare settimanalmente? | Would You recommend that we rent by the week? |
| Ci consiglierebbe di prendere un appartamento in città? | Would You recommend us to take a flat in town? |
SAYING WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO
If you want to say that you have to do something with regard to your accommodation in Italian, you use devo (I have to) or dovrei (I ought to), from the verb dovere (to have to). For more information on dovere, see here.
I have to…
| Devo prendere nota dell’indirizzo dell’albergo. | I have to write down the address of the hotel. |
| Devo passare alla reception per pagare. | I have to go to reception to pay. |
| Dobbiamo partire domattina alle sei. | We have to leave at six tomorrow morning. |
BUONO A SAPERSI!
The word domattina is a contraction of domani (tomorrow) and mattina (morning).
I ought to…
| Dovrei scaricare la macchina. | I ought to unpack the car. |
| Dovrei fare il bucato. | I ought to do a load of washing. |
| Dovremmo alzarci entro le sette di mattina. | We ought to be up by seven am. |
| Dovremmo avere un doppione delle chiavi. | We ought to have a spare set of keys. |
In Italian you can tell somebody what you need by using ho bisogno di (I need).
I need…
| Ho bisogno di una culla. | I need a cot. |
| Ho bisogno di telefonare al mio ufficio a Londra. | I need to call my office in London. |
| Abbiamo bisogno di una camera al piano terra. | We need a room on the ground floor. |
You can use Devo …? (Do I have to…?) followed by the infinitive, or Bisogna che…? (Do I need to…?) followed by the verb in the subjunctive to ask about what you have to do. For more information about the subjunctive, see here.
Do I have to…?
| Devo lasciare la chiave alla reception quando esco? | Do I have to leave the key at reception when I go out? |
| Devo passare alla reception per pagare? | Do I have to go to reception to pay? |
| Dobbiamo avvertirvi quando lasciamo l’albergo? | Do we have to let you know when we leave the hotel? |
Do I need to…?
| Bisogna prenotare? | Do I need to book? |
| Bisogna che faccia le pulizie nell’appartamento prima di partire? | Do I need to clean the flat before leaving? |
| Bisogna che portiamo dei sacchi a pelo? | Do we need to bring sleeping bags? |
| Quando bisogna liberare la camera? | When do I have to vacate the room? |
TALKING ABOUT YOUR PLANS
When you are talking about your plans to stay somewhere, you can use the future tense or the present tense in Italian. For more information on the future and present tenses, see here.
I’ll…
| Affitterò un appartamento per le prime tre settimane. | I’ll rent a flat for the first three weeks. |
| Arriverò al campeggio di sera. | I’ll arrive at the campsite in the evening. |
| Trovo un albergo quando sono là. | I’ll find a hotel when I get there. |
I’m going to…
| Mi fermo a Parma. | I’m going to stay in Parma. |
| Affitterò uno chalet in montagna. | I’m going to rent a chalet in the mountains. |
| Faremo campeggio. | We’re going to camp. |
I’m staying…
| Sto in un ostello per la prima settimana. | I’m staying in a youth hostel the first week. |
| Poi sto in un albergo. | After that I’m staying in a hotel. |
| Sono ospite presso una famiglia la prima notte. | I’m staying with a host family the first night. |
If you want to say that you intend to do something, you can use ho intenzione di or conto di (I intend to).
I intend to…
| Ho intenzione di prendere un appartamento in affitto. | I intend to rent a flat. |
| Ho intenzione di trovare un agriturismo. | I intend to find an agriturismo. |
| Conto di fermarmi fino a venerdì. | I intend to stay until Friday. |
| Contiamo di partire domani dopo colazione. | We intend to leave after breakfast tomorrow. |
COMPLAINING
Unfortunately the service you get in your accommodation may not always be perfect. A very simple way of complaining is to say what the problem is using c’è (there is) and ci sono (there are), or non c’è (there isn’t) and non ci sono (there aren’t).
There’s…
| C’è troppo rumore. | There’s too much noise. |
| C’è uno spandimento sul soffitto. | There’s a leak in the ceiling. |
| Ci sono scarafaggi nell’appartamento. | There are cockroaches in the flat. |
There isn’t…
| Non c’è acqua calda. | There isn’t any hot water. |
| Non ci sono asciugamani puliti in camera. | There aren’t any clean towels in the room. |
| La stanza non ha un balcone. | The room doesn’t have a balcony. |
| L’appartamento non ha l’aria condizionata. | The flat doesn’t have air-conditioning. |
You can also use the verb essere (to be) to describe what the problem is.
It’s…
| L’appartamento è sporco. | The flat’s dirty. |
| L’hotel è troppo rumoroso. | This hotel’s too noisy. |
| L’acqua della piscina non è molto pulita. | The water in the swimming pool isn’t very clean. |
| Qua fa troppo caldo. | It’s too hot in here. |
BUONO A SAPERSI!
Remember that with most expressions such as it’s hot or it’s cold in Italian, you should use the verb fare (to do), not essere (to be).
LISTEN OUT FOR
Here are some key phrases which you are likely to hear when you’re looking for somewhere to stay.
| Che tipo di alloggio cercate? | What type of accommodation are you looking for? |
| A che nome è la prenotazione? | Whose name is the booking in? |
| Per quante notti? | For how many nights? |
| Per quante persone? | For how many people? |
| La colazione è compresa nel prezzo. | Breakfast is included in the price. |
| Mi fa vedere il passaporto, per favore? | Can I see your passport, please? |
| Siamo al completo. | We’re full. |
| Va pagata una cauzione di 300 euro. | There’s a 300 euro deposit. |
| Mi date un recapito telefonico? | What number can we contact you on? |
| Non sono ammessi i cani. | We don’t allow dogs. |
| Come desidera pagare? | How would You like to pay? |
| Compili questo modulo, per cortesia. | Please fill in this form. |
| Una firma qui, prego. | Please sign here. |
| Come si scrive il suo nome, per favore? | How do you spell your name, please? |
Lifestyle Tips
• If you are renting a property for a longish period, but haven’t moved to Italy in any kind of permanent way, you are likely to be offered a contratto per non residenti (contract for non-residents).
• Short-term rented property is normally furnished (ammobiliato), while long-term rented accommodation is usually unfurnished (non ammobiliato).
• It is less common in Italy to share a flat with other tenants, unless you are a student. However, it is possible to rent una camera ammobiliata (a furnished room) in a flat or a house.
• Properties are described by size in square metres and number of rooms, for example appartamento ammobiliato di 80 m2, salotto, cucina abitabile, camera da letto, cameretta, bagno con doccia, balcone, cantina (80 m2 furnished flat, sitting room, dining kitchen, double bedroom, single bedroom, bathroom with shower, balcony, storage cellar).
• A studio apartment is called un monolocale in Italian, literally a one-room flat, with sleeping and cooking facilities in the one room. They can be quite smart, and are often rented by professionals who need to be in a town from time to time, or by visitors who prefer them to hotels.
• If a flat is described as being in a stabile d’epoca, it means it is in a period building.
• If you are looking to rent for a longer period, you will find adverts in local papers and on websites, as well as signs on doors of buildings with contact phone numbers. You could also contact the local agenzie immobiliari (estate agents), who will normally charge a commission.
• As a tourist, you may be staying in un hotel or albergo, una pensione, un bed&breakfast (now quite common), un agriturismo (where guests eat the farm’s own produce), un appartamento, una villa or un residence (very often a luxurious option, with serviced furnished flats of different sizes, fitness area, pool, conference rooms, etc.).
Wining and dining
Buon appetito! – Enjoy your meal!
If you’re going out for a meal in Italy either in a local trattoria or in a fancy restaurant, the phrases in this unit will give you the confidence to talk to the waiter and chat with your Italian friends in easy, natural Italian. We’ll also give you some tips on getting advice about what to order, and a few key phrases waiters are likely to use.
MAKING ARRANGEMENTS
If you want to make arrangements such as where and when to meet when you go out for a meal with Italian-speaking people, you can start by asking Dove…? (Where…?) and A che ora…? (What time…?).
Where…?
| Dove andiamo a mangiare? | Where shall we go to eat? |
| Dove ci troviamo? | Where shall we meet? |
| Dove volete che vi venga a prendere? | Where do you want me to pick you up? |
What time…?
| A che ora ci troviamo? | What time shall we meet? |
| A che ora arriva Giulia? | What time is Giulia going to get here? |
| Per che ora hai prenotato il tavolo? | What time did you book the table for? |
If you want to check that the arrangements suit your friends or colleagues, you can use Va bene se…? (Does it suit you if…?).
Does it suit you if…?
| Va bene se andiamo fuori a cena domani sera? | Does it suit you if we go out for a meal tomorrow night? |
| Va bene se ci troviamo alle sette? | Does it suit you if we meet up at seven? |
| Va bene se ci incontriamo là? | Does is suit you if we meet there? |
| Vi andrebbe meglio sabato sera? | Would Saturday evening suit you better? |
It would suit me best to…
| Per me andrebbe meglio incontrarci là. | It would suit me best to meet there. |
| Per me andrebbe meglio andarci per le otto. | It’d suit me best to be there for eight. |
| Per noi andrebbe meglio andarci in macchina. | It’d suit us better to go there by car. |
To check what is the best thing to do for others, use È meglio…? (Had we better…?).
Had we better…?
| È meglio prenotare? | Had we better book? |
| È meglio arrivare presto? | Had we better arrive early? |
| Sarebbe meglio cambiare la prenotazione? | Had we better change our reservation? |
ASKING FOR INFORMATION
When you’re going out for a meal you’ll need to ask for various pieces of information, such as where things are and how much they cost. Dove…? (Where…?), A che ora…? (What time…?) and Quanto viene…? (How much…?) are very useful to know.
Where is…?
| Dov’è il ristorante? | Where is the restaurant? |
| Scusi, dov’è la cassa? | Excuse me, where is the till? |
| Scusi, dov’è il bagno? | Excuse me, where is the toilet? |
What time…?
| A che ora aprite? | What time do you open? |
| A che ora chiudete? | What time do you close? |
| Fino a che ora si può mangiare? | What time do you serve till? |
How much is…?
| Quanto viene una bottiglia di vino locale? | How much is a bottle of local wine? |
| Quanto viene un’insalata? | How much is a side salad? |
| Quant’è il menù turistico? | How much is the set menu? |
What is…?
| Cosa c’è nella ‘ribollita’? | What’s a ‘ribollita’ made of? |
| Con cosa è servito? | What does it come with? |
| Che c’è come dessert? | What is there for dessert? |
Many of the questions you will be asking can be answered by yes or no. To ask this kind of question, you can either put è before what you want to know or alternatively you can raise the tone of your voice at the end of the sentence.
Is it…?
| È caro come ristorante? | Is it an expensive restaurant? |
| È un piatto tipico regionale? | Is it a traditional local dish? |
| È un piatto vegetariano? | Is it a vegetarian dish? |
| È compreso nel menù da 15 euro? | Is it included in the 15 € set menu? |
| È aperto di domenica questo ristorante? | Is this restaurant open on Sundays? |
ASKING FOR THINGS
When you’re out in a restaurant you will need to be able to ask for what you want. If you want to ask for something in Italian, use vorrei (I’d like) or vorremmo (we’d like). vorrei and vorremmo come from the verb volere (to want). For more information on volere, see here.
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