Dialogue

Vocabulary

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Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
Consuelo: Hello everyone! I'm Consuelo, and welcome to ItalianPOD101.com.
Ruggero: With us, you'll learn to speak Italian with fun and effective lessons.
Consuelo: We also provide you with cultural insights...
Ruggero: ...and tips you won't find in a textbook.
Ruggero: In today's class, we focus on i comparativi ("comparatives").
Consuelo: This conversation takes place at Ilaria's place.
Ruggero: It's between Alessio, Melissa, Ilaria, and Alberto.
Consuelo: In this conversation, they will be speaking informal Italian.
DIALOGUE
Ilaria: Allora Melissa. Perché hai deciso di rimanere più a lungo in Italia?
Melissa: E' molto semplice. Prima di tutto perché mi piace vivere qui. Poi ho un lavoro stimolante e sicuramente ho più amici qui che in America.
Alessio: Ah bene, solo per questo dunque?
Melissa: Aspetta, volevo dire che poi a Firenze ho anche un ragazzo che mi vuole molto bene.
Alessio: Proprio quello che volevo sentirti dire.
Alberto: Insomma, hai una vita migliore qui.
Melissa: Credo proprio di sì, quindi perché lasciare tutto e tornare? Non avrebbe molto senso.
Ilaria: Poi in America non avresti degli amici e dei colleghi simpatici come noi!
Melissa: Ah, ah. Che buffi che siete tutti e tre!
English Host: Let’s hear the conversation one time slowly.
Ilaria: Allora Melissa. Perché hai deciso di rimanere più a lungo in Italia?
Melissa: E' molto semplice. Prima di tutto perché mi piace vivere qui. Poi ho un lavoro stimolante e sicuramente ho più amici qui che in America.
Alessio: Ah bene, solo per questo dunque?
Melissa: Aspetta, volevo dire che poi a Firenze ho anche un ragazzo che mi vuole molto bene.
Alessio: Proprio quello che volevo sentirti dire.
Alberto: Insomma, hai una vita migliore qui.
Melissa: Credo proprio di sì, quindi perché lasciare tutto e tornare? Non avrebbe molto senso.
Ilaria: Poi in America non avresti degli amici e dei colleghi simpatici come noi!
Melissa: Ah, ah. Che buffi che siete tutti e tre!
English Host: Now let’s hear it with the English translation.
Ilaria: Allora Melissa. Perché hai deciso di rimanere più a lungo in Italia?
Ruggero: So, Melissa. Why have you decided to stay longer in Italy?
Melissa: E' molto semplice. Prima di tutto perché mi piace vivere qui. Poi ho un lavoro stimolante e sicuramente ho più amici qui che in America.
Ruggero: It's very simple. First of all, because I like living here. In addition, I have an interesting job, and I certainly have more friends here than in the United States.
Alessio: Ah bene, solo per questo dunque?
Ruggero: Ah good, only for this then?
Melissa: Aspetta, volevo dire che poi a Firenze ho anche un ragazzo che mi vuole molto bene.
Ruggero: Wait, I wanted to say that in addition, in Florence I have a boyfriend who loves me very much.
Alessio: Proprio quello che volevo sentirti dire.
Ruggero: Just what I wanted to hear you say.
Alberto: Insomma, hai una vita migliore qui.
Ruggero: In other words, you have a better life here.
Melissa: Credo proprio di sì, quindi perché lasciare tutto e tornare? Non avrebbe molto senso.
Ruggero: I really think so. So why leave everything and go back? It wouldn't make a lot of sense.
Ilaria: Poi in America non avresti degli amici e dei colleghi simpatici come noi!
Ruggero: Besides, in the United States, you wouldn't have some friends and likeable colleagues like us!
Melissa: Ah, ah. Che buffi che siete tutti e tre!
Ruggero: Ah, ah. You three are so funny!
POST CONVERSATION BANTER
Ruggero: This was the last lesson for this Absolute Beginner season two. We learned that Melissa is staying longer in Italy!
Consuelo: "Missione compiuta!"
Ruggero: Why are you saying "mission completed?"
Consuelo: Because we made Melissa love Italy so much, and I hope it's what we did with our listeners too!
Ruggero: Ah, okay.
Consuelo: We really want you to fall in love with our language and our country. Let me say, Ruggero, "viva l'Italia!"
Ruggero: "Sì, dai, viva l'Italia!"
VOCAB LIST
Ruggero: Let's take a look at the vocabulary for this lesson.
The first word we shall see is:
Consuelo: decidere [natural native speed]
Ruggero: to decide, to settle
Consuelo: decidere [slowly - broken down by syllable]
Consuelo: decidere [natural native speed]
: Next:
Consuelo: semplice [natural native speed]
Ruggero: simple, plain, sober
Consuelo: semplice [slowly - broken down by syllable]
Consuelo: semplice [natural native speed]
: Next:
Consuelo: stimolante [natural native speed]
Ruggero: interesting
Consuelo: stimolante [slowly - broken down by syllable]
Consuelo: stimolante [natural native speed]
: Next:
Consuelo: amico [natural native speed]
Ruggero: friend
Consuelo: amico [slowly - broken down by syllable]
Consuelo: amico [natural native speed]
: Next:
Consuelo: dunque [natural native speed]
Ruggero: well, therefore
Consuelo: dunque [slowly - broken down by syllable]
Consuelo: dunque [natural native speed]
: Next:
Consuelo: migliore [natural native speed]
Ruggero: better
Consuelo: migliore [slowly - broken down by syllable]
Consuelo: migliore [natural native speed]
: Next:
Consuelo: senso [natural native speed]
Ruggero: sense
Consuelo: senso [slowly - broken down by syllable]
Consuelo: senso [natural native speed]
: Next:
Consuelo: buffo [natural native speed]
Ruggero: funny
Consuelo: buffo [slowly - broken down by syllable]
Consuelo: buffo [natural native speed]
VOCAB AND PHRASE USAGE
Ruggero: Let's have a closer look at the usuage for some of the words and phrases from this lesson.
Ruggero: Consuelo, what word are we studying today?
Consuelo: Today we're studying the word "dunque."
Ruggero: "So" or "therefore."
Consuelo: You know, Marco, this is one of those words we often use in Italian.
Ruggero: Oh, really?
Consuelo: Sure. Normally, it's used during a conversation, like what happened in the dialogue.
Ruggero: Ah, when Alessio says…
Consuelo: "Ah bene, solo per questo dunque."
Ruggero: "Oh well, so, only for this?"
Consuelo: Anyway, "dunque" is also used in some idiomatic expressions.
Ruggero: For example?
Consuelo: "Veniamo al dunque!"
Ruggero: "Let's get down to business" or "let's get to the point!"
Consuelo: Another nice expression is "eccoci al dunque!"
Ruggero: "Here we are at the turning point!"

Lesson focus

Consuelo: Let's take a look at today's grammar point.
Ruggero: In today's class, we focus on "comparatives."
Consuelo: "I comparativi."
Ruggero: Comparatives are of three types—comparisons of equality, superiority, and inferiority.
Consuelo: What is compared can be adjectives, adverbs, nouns, or verbs. The words to use in Italian while making a comparison are "così…come."
Ruggero: "As…as."
Consuelo: "Tanto…quanto."
Ruggero: "As…as" or "as much…as."
Consuelo: "Più…di" or "che."
Ruggero: "More…than" or "adjective ending in -er…than."
Consuelo: "Meno…di" or "che."
Ruggero: "Less…than." And now, let's hear some examples. Let's start with comparatives of equality.
Consuelo: "Armani è (tanto) famoso quanto Gucci."
Ruggero: "Armani is as famous as Gucci."
Consuelo: "Michele ha lavorato tanto quanto me."
Ruggero: "Michele worked as much as me." The next ones are sample sentences with comparisons of superiority.
Consuelo: "Sofia apprende l'inglese più velocemente di me."
Ruggero: "Sofia learns English quicker than me."
Consuelo: "Chiara è più carina di Elena."
Ruggero: "Chiara is prettier than Elena."
Consuelo: "In questa città ci sono più ristoranti che bar."
Ruggero: "In this city, there are more restaurants than bars."
Consuelo: The following are with comparisons of inferiority. "Firenze è meno rumorosa di Napoli."
Ruggero: "Florence is less noisy than Naples."
Consuelo: "Pulire è meno divertente che cucinare."
Ruggero: "Cleaning is less fun than cooking."
Consuelo: Please notice that "che" is used when directly comparing two of the same constructions or parts of a sentence, such as two adjectives, two infinitives, or two nouns.
Ruggero: "Che" must be also used when a preposition precedes the second noun of a comparison, as happens in today's dialogue when Melissa says…
Consuelo: "Ho più amici qui che in America."
Ruggero: "I have more friends here than in the United States." On the other hand, "di" is used when comparing a particular quality of two nouns.
Consuelo: Ruggero, there are two important adjectives that have an alternative form that can be also used in a comparison.
Ruggero: Which ones?
Consuelo: These are "buono," meaning "good," and "cattivo," meaning "bad," which both become "migliore," meaning "better" and "peggiore," meaning "worse."
Ruggero: For instance?
Consuelo: In the dialogue, Alberto says, "Insomma, hai una vita migliore qui."
Ruggero: "In other words, you have a better life here."
Consuelo: Or "Il ritiro della patente è sempre peggiore della multa."
Ruggero: "The withdrawal of the license is always worse than the fine."

Outro

Ruggero: That just about does it for today.
Consuelo: Listeners, can you understand Italian TV shows, movies or songs?
Ruggero: How about friends and loved ones? conversations in Italian?
Consuelo: If you want to know what's going on, we have a tool to help.
Ruggero: Line-by-line audio.
Consuelo: Listen to the lesson conversations Line-By-Line, and learn to understand natural Italian fast!
Ruggero: It's simple really.
Consuelo: With a click of a button, listen to each line of the conversation.
Ruggero: Listen again and again, and tune your ear to natural Italian.
Consuelo: Rapidly understand natural Italian with this powerful tool.
Ruggero: Find this feature on the lesson page under Premium Member resources at ItalianPod101.com.

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