Dialogue

Vocabulary

Learn New Words FAST with this Lesson’s Vocab Review List

Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.

Or sign up using Facebook
Already a Member?

Lesson Notes

Unlock In-Depth Explanations & Exclusive Takeaways with Printable Lesson Notes

Unlock Lesson Notes and Transcripts for every single lesson. Sign Up for a Free Lifetime Account and Get 7 Days of Premium Access.

Or sign up using Facebook
Already a Member?

Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
Becky: Hello and welcome to Culture Class: Italian Superstitions and Beliefs, Lesson 1 - Seeing a Black Cat and Finding a Ladybug. I'm Becky and I'm joined by Daniele.
Daniele: Ciao! Hi, I'm Daniele.
THE TWO SUPERSTITIONS
Becky: In this lesson, we’ll talk about two common superstitions in Italy. The first superstition is about bad luck. What is the superstition called in Italian?
Daniele: incrociare un gatto nero
Becky: Which literally means "meeting a black cat." Daniele, can you repeat the Italian phrase again?
Daniele: [slow] incrociare un gatto nero [normal] incrociare un gatto nero
Becky: In Italy, it's believed that a black cat is an omen of bad luck.
Daniele: That’s true. A friend of mine gets really upset every time one crosses his path.
Becky: This is probably because in the past, black cats were often thought to be the accomplices of witches.
Daniele: In fact they’re usually depicted together.
Becky: Some people even believed that the Devil himself could transform into a black cat.
Daniele: I have a black cat now. But, I’m pretty sure she’s not the devil.
Becky: The second superstition is about good luck. What’s the superstition called in Italian?
Daniele: trovare una coccinella
Becky: Which literally means "finding a ladybug." Let’s hear it in Italian again.
Daniele: [slow] trovare una coccinella [normal] trovare una coccinella
Becky: So in Italy, it's believed that a ladybug will bring you good luck.
Daniele: Right, so don’t kill it, or you’ll have bad luck instead!
Becky: What should you do if you find a ladybug?
Daniele: When I was a child if a ladybug landed on my fingertip, I would make a wish. I believed that if I could make a wish before it flew away, the wish would come true!
Becky: Did all of your wishes come true?
Daniele: Unfortunately not all!

Outro

Becky: There you have it - two Italian superstitions! Are they similar to any of your country’s superstitions? Let us know in the comments!
Daniele: A presto!

Comments

Hide