Italian All-in-One For Dummies (33 page)

il tappeto
(eel tahp-
peht
-toh) (
rug
)

il tavolino
(eel tah-voh-
lee
-noh) (
coffee table
)

il tavolo
da pranzo
(eel
tah
-voh-loh dah
prahn
-tzoh) (
dining table
)

il televisore
(eel teh-leh-vee-
soh
-reh) (
TV set
)

Talkin' the Talk

Valerio has found a new,
non ammobiliato
(nohn ahm-moh-bee-
lyah-
toh) (
unfurnished
) apartment. His friend Eugenia is asking him what he needs.

Valerio:
Ho trovato un appartamento! Devo comprare dei mobili.

oh troh-
vah
-toh oohn ahp-pahr-tah-
mehn
-toh!
deh
-voh kohm-
prah
-reh deh
moh
-bee-lee.

I just found an apartment! I have to buy some furniture.

Eugenia:
Tutto?

tooht
-toh?

(Do you need) everything?

Valerio:
No, per la camera da letto il letto e l'armadio.

noh, pehr lah
kah
-meh-rah dah
leht
-toh eel
leht
-toh eh lahr-
mah
-dyoh.

No, a bed and a wardrobe for my bedroom.

Eugenia:
Nient'altro?

nyehnt-
ahl
-troh?

Anything else?

Valerio:
Ho due comodini e una cassettiera.

oh
dooh
-eh koh-moh-
dee
-nee eh
ooh
-nah kahs-seht-
tyeh
-rah.

I have two bedside tables and a dresser.

Eugenia:
E per il soggiorno?

eh pehr eel sohj-
johr
-noh?

And for the living room?

Valerio:
Ho una poltrona. Mi mancano ancora il divano e un tavolino.

oh
ooh
-nah pohl-
troh
-nah. mee
mahn
-kah-noh ahn-
koh
-rah eel dee-
vah
-noh eh oohn tah-voh-
lee
-noh.

I have an armchair. I still need a couch and a coffee table.

 

La cucina: The kitchen

Much of the activity in any home occurs in
la cucina
(lah kooh-
chee
-nah) (
the kitchen
). Stereotypically, the kitchen is the most important room for Italians; is it for you as well? Whatever the answer, you'll make a good impression on native Italian speakers if you know some kitchen vocabulary. What if the nice lady who has just served you delicious food at your favorite Italian restaurant is curious about
your
kitchen? You don't want to disappoint her by not even being able to say that you use only
cibo surgelato
(
chee
-boh soohr-jeh-
lah
-toh) (
frozen food
) defrosted in the
microonde
(mee-kroh-
ohn
-deh) (
microwave oven
), and that you don't use a
lavastoviglie
(lah-vah-stoh-
vee-
lyeh) (
dishwasher
) because your food comes in plastic containers!

Here are common items found in the kitchen:

l'apribottiglia
(lah-pree-boht-
tee
-lyah) (
bottle opener
)

la
caffettiera
(lah kahf-feht-
tyeh
-rah) (
coffee maker
)

il congelatore
(eel kohn-jeh-lah-
toh
-reh) (
freezer
)

i fornelli
(ee fohr-
nehl
-lee) (
stove-top burners
)

il forno
(eel
fohr
-noh) (
oven
)

il frigorifero
(eel free-goh-
ree
-fehr-oh) (
refrigerator
)