Dialogue

Vocabulary

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Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
Ciao! Hello and welcome back to Italian Survival Phrases brought to you by ItalianPod101.com. This course is designed to equip you with the language skills and knowledge to enable you to get the most out of your visit to Italy. You’ll be surprised at how far a little Italian will go.
Now, before we jump in, remember to stop by ItalianPod101.com, and there, you will find the accompanying PDF and additional info in the post. If you stop by, be sure to leave us a comment.
In the last lesson, we learned how to make a reservation in a restaurant. And so, now that you know how to get a table, you have another big issue to care about. If you want to enjoy your meal, the smoking issue is very important. If you are a smoker and you enter a non-smoking establishment, or if you are a non-smoker and enter a smoking establishment, this could ruin your meal.
GRAMMAR POINT
So, in today’s lesson, we'll cover how to ask for a smoking or non-smoking table.
Let’s imagine first you are a smoker and before entering a restaurant you need to ask: “Excuse me, is smoking allowed here?” Scusi, si può fumare qui? Scusi, si può fumare qui?
Scusi, as we have seen, is the formal translation of “Excuse me,” and it’s followed by Si può fumare qui. Si può is the impersonal form of the verb Potere, “can”, used at the third person and it is followed by Fumare, which in English means “to smoke.” After, you have Qui, “here”.
Let's breakdown these words and hear them one more time. Si-può-fu-ma-re-qui. Scusi, si può fumare qui?
Now, let’s go and see the possible answers. “Yes, there is a smoking room” Si, c’è una sala fumatori. In this sentence, Si, “yes” is followed by C’è, which in English means “there is.”
Then we have Una, “a.” And finally, Sala fumatori, “smoking room”.
Please don’t forget that in Italian, the adjective normally goes after the noun. So first, you have Sala, which is the Italian word for “room.” And then, Fumatori, which literally means "smokers," and is used to translate “smoking”.
Let's breakdown these words and hear them one more time. Si-c’è-u-na-sa-la fu-ma-to-ri. Si, c’è una sala fumatori. “No, I am sorry, it’s forbidden.” No, mi dispiace, è vietato. No, mi dispiace, è vietato.
In this sentence, you find “I am sorry,” Mi dispiace, as a way to express kindness while you’re about to be told it isn’t allowed. And in fact, Mi dispiace is followed by è vietato, “it’s forbidden”.
Let's breakdown these words and hear them one more time. No-mi di-spia-ce è vie-ta-to. No, mi dispiace, è vietato.
Okay, to close out this lesson, we'd like for you to practice what you've just learned. I'll provide you with the English equivalent of the phrase and you're responsible for shouting it aloud. You have a few seconds before I give you the answer. So, buona fortuna, which means “good luck” in Italian.
“Excuse me, is smoking allowed here?” - Scusi, si può fumare qui?
Scusi, si può fumare qui?
Scusi, si può fumare qui?
“Yes, there is a smoking room.” - Si, c’è una sala fumatori.
Si, c’è una sala fumatori.
Si, c’è una sala fumatori.
“No, I am sorry, it’s forbidden.” - No, mi dispiace, è vietato.
No, mi dispiace, è vietato.
No, mi dispiace, è vietato.
That’s going to do it for today. Remember to stop by ItalianPod101.com and pick up the accompanying PDF. If you stop by, be sure to leave us a comment. Ciao ciao!

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