Italian For Dummies Audio Set

Whether you are moving to Italy or just planning a vacation, you’ll want to know some key words and phrases to make sure everything’s va bene.

Italian For Dummies Audio Set has everything you need to introduce you to the language so that you can start to communicate with other Italian speakers (without memorizing a bunch of boring grammar notes and long vocabulary lists!). Each of the three hour-long CDs is filled with interesting conversation topics that allow you to listen to what you want to listen at your own pace. Soon, you’ll be able to communicate in Italian about:

• Work, jobs, and office life
• Making small talk
• Traveling and making arrangements
• Asking for directions
• Getting help and assistance
• Ordering at a restaurant
• Booking a room in a hotel
• Exchanging money at the bank
• Shopping in a store or boutique

Along with all these topics, these CDs cover essential rules and building blocks of the Italian language, such as verb conjugation, tenses, and sentence structure, as well as a list of essential words. With this beginner audio set, you can pop any of the CDs in your CD player or computer and discover the joy and fun of speaking Italian!

Introduction 1

About This Audio Set 1

Conventions Used in This Audio Set 1

Foolish Assumptions 2

How This Audio Set Is Organized 2

Where to Go from Here 3

Lesson 1:1: Introduction and Overview of CD1: The Basics 5

Lesson 1:2: Personal Pronouns and Formalities 6

Lesson 1:3: Saying “Hello” and “Goodbye”. 8

Lesson 1:4: Saying and Replying to “How are you?”. 9

Lesson 1:5: Introducing Yourself and Talking about Where You’re From 11

Lesson 1:6: Indispensable Words and Phrases. 12

Everyday words and phrases 12

People 12

Places and directions 13

Useful adjectives 13

Medical terms 13

Lesson 1:7: Useful Expressions and Phrases 14

Lesson 1:8: Introducing Question Words 15

Question words 15

Lesson 1:9: Useful Questions 17

Chapter 1:10: You Can Count on Me: An Overview of Numbers. 18

Numbers 18

Useful number questions (and answers) 20

Lesson 1:11: Telling Time. 21

Answering questions regarding the time 21

Asking and answering “At what time . . .?” 22

The time of day 22

Lesson 1:12: Going through the Calendar and Forming Dates 23

The days of the week (I giorni della settimana) 23

Day-related questions and answers 23

The months (I mesi) 24

Month-related questions and answers 24

Lesson 1:13: Directions 25

Useful words and phrases 25

Direction questions and answers 25

Lesson 2:1: Welcome and Overview of CD2: The Nitty-Gritty: Language Structure 27

Lesson 2:2: Singular Nouns. 28

Locations 28

Transportation 29

Dining 29

Occupations 29

Education 29

Family and friends 30

Lesson 2:3: Plural Nouns 31

Locations 31

Transportation 31

Occupations 32

Lesson 2:4: Demonstrative Pronouns 33

This 33

These 33

That 33

Those 33

Lesson 2:5: Adjectives 34

Common adjectives 35

Colors 35

Example phrases 36

Lesson 2:6: To Be or Not To Be: A Very Important Verb. 37

Lesson 2:7: Verbs. 38

Common regular verbs 38

Common irregular verbs 39

Sentences using avere (to have) 39

Other verbs 40

Lesson 2:8: Verb Tenses and Commands 41

The past 41

The future 42

The progressive 42

The imperative (commands) 42

Lesson 2:9: Prepositions 43

Common prepositions 43

Example phrases 43

Lesson 2:10: Forming Simple Sentences 45

Lesson 2:11: Introducing More Complete Sentences. 46

Lesson 2:12: Negative Sentences 47

Lesson 2:13: Forming Questions. 48

Question words 48

Sample questions 48

Lesson 3:1: Introduction and Overview of CD3: Real-World Situations 51

Lesson 3:2: At the Office 52

Office items 52

People around the office 52

Office departments 53

More office-speak 53

Helpful verbs 53

Example sentences from around the office 54

Lesson 3:3: On the Job 55

Occupations 55

Work-related verbs 56

Job-related example sentences 56

Lesson 3:4: Making Small Talk. 57

Lesson 3:5: Making Appointments. 58

Lesson 3:6: Making Travel Arrangements 59

Traveling by plane 59

Traveling by train 60

Lesson 3:7: Asking for Directions 61

Lesson 3:8: Asking for and Getting Help. 62

At the pharmacy 62

Health emergencies 62

Needing the police 63

Lesson 3:9: At the Bar or Restaurant 64

At the bar 64

At the restaurant 65

Lesson 3:10: At the Hotel 66

Lesson 3:11: At the Bank 67

Lesson 3:12: At the Store 68

Shopping for clothes and personal items 68

Shopping for groceries 68

Mini-Dictionaries 69

Italian-English Mini-Dictionary 69

English-Italian Mini-Dictionary 77

Teresa L. Picarazzi has a PhD in Italian Literature and has taught Italian at The Hopkins School, Dartmouth College, The University of Arizona, and Wesleyan University.

3 hours of instruction on 3 CDs!

The fun and easy way® to communicate effectively in a new language!

Want to speak Italian? Don't have a lot of time? This practical audio set is designed to help you learn quickly and easily at home or on the road. From basic greetings and expressions to grammar and conversations, you'll grasp the essentials and start communicating right away! Plus, you can follow along with the handy 96-page portable guide — filled with the words and phrases you'll hear on the CDs, plus a mini dictionary.

• Handle greetings and introductions

• Ask questions and understand answers

• Build your vocabulary

• Talk about numbers, time, and the calendar

• Ask for directions

• Get help at a hotel, the bank, or a store