Latest / Learn Italian with Fexingo / Italian at the Post Office - Sending a Package
Transcript
- Lucas: Ciao again, and welcome back to Learn Italian with Fexingo. I'm Lucas. Luna: And I'm Luna! Ready for another tiny Italian adventure? Lucas: Absolutely. Today we're heading to the post office. Have you ever had to send a package in Italy, Luna? Luna: I haven't yet, but I can imagine it's a lot like other countries. You walk in, wait in line, and hope for the best. Lucas: Pretty much. But knowing a few key phrases makes all the difference. Let's start with the most important one: 'Vorrei spedire un pacco.' That means 'I would like to send a package.' Luna: Vorrei spedire un pacco. Vorrei spedire un pacco. That's a mouthful! Vorrei is like 'I would like,' right? Lucas: Exactly. Vorrei is the polite form. And spedire means 'to send,' and pacco is 'package.' So altogether: Vorrei spedire un pacco. Let's say it together: Vorrei spedire un pacco. Luna: Vorrei spedire un pacco. Good. Then after you say that, the clerk will tell you the price. So you need to ask: 'Quanto costa?' How much does it cost? Lucas: Quanto costa. Very straightforward. Quanto costa un pacco? But you can just say Quanto costa if they know what you're referring to. Try it, Luna. Luna: Quanto costa? Perfect. Now, what if I need to find the post office first? Lucas: Great question. You'd ask: 'Dov'è l'ufficio postale?' Where is the post office? Dov'è means 'where is,' and l'ufficio postale is 'the post office.' Luna: Dov'è l'ufficio postale? Dov'è l'ufficio postale. That sounds official. I like it. Lucas: It's formal but useful. Once you're there, you might also need a stamp. For that, say: 'Ho bisogno di un francobollo.' I need a stamp. Luna: Ho bisogno di un francobollo. Ho bisogno di un francobollo. That's a nice phrase. Ho bisogno means 'I need.' Lucas: Exactly. And finally, if you're sending something and want to know when it will arrive, ask: 'Quando arriverà?' When will it arrive? Luna: Quando arriverà? That's future tense, right? Arriverà means 'it will arrive.' Lucas: Yes, future tense. Let's put them all together. Repeat after me: Vorrei spedire un pacco. Luna: Vorrei spedire un pacco. Lucas: Quanto costa? Luna: Quanto costa? Lucas: Dov'è l'ufficio postale? Luna: Dov'è l'ufficio postale? Lucas: Ho bisogno di un francobollo. Luna: Ho bisogno di un francobollo. Lucas: Quando arriverà? Luna: Quando arriverà? Great! I think I've got them. Lucas: Now let's imagine a quick scene. You walk into an Italian post office. The clerk says, 'Buongiorno.' You say, 'Buongiorno. Vorrei spedire un pacco.' He asks, 'Quanto costa?' Wait, you ask that. Sorry, he asks, 'Dove va?' Where is it going? You say, 'In America.' He weighs it and says, 'Venti euro.' You ask, 'Quando arriverà?' He says, 'Tra una settimana.' Then you pay and say, 'Grazie.' Luna: That sounds doable. Vorrei spedire un pacco. Quanto costa. Dov'è l'ufficio postale. Ho bisogno di un francobollo. Quando arriverà. I feel ready for my imaginary trip. Lucas: You are ready. Just remember, if Fexingo has been helping you make actual progress with Italian, a few listeners help keep this show ad-free by supporting us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, it's a small thing that makes a big difference. We really appreciate it. Lucas: So back to our phrases. Let's do one more quick round. Repeat: Vorrei spedire un pacco. Luna: Vorrei spedire un pacco. Lucas: Quanto costa? Luna: Quanto costa? Lucas: Dov'è l'ufficio postale? Luna: Dov'è l'ufficio postale? Lucas: Ho bisogno di un francobollo. Luna: Ho bisogno di un francobollo. Lucas: Quando arriverà? Luna: Quando arriverà? Perfect. Practice these and you'll be all set. Thanks for joining us, and see you next time for another mini lesson. Lucas: Arrivederci from Fexingo!