Episode 6 · Real Italian Conversations
Capello or cappello? Don't ask for one hair in Italy
Cappello = hat. Capello = one single hair. Tom walks into a shop and asks for the wrong one.
A hat shop, a friendly assistant, and one very literal answer.
Laura ·
In this lesson
| Italian | Word for word | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Vorrei un cappello | I'd like a hat | two Ps, held a little longer |
| Un capello | one hair | one P; i capelli = the hair on your head |
| Posso aiutarla? | can I help you? | what shop staff say, formal |
| Eccolo! | here it is! |
Hold the double P for a split second: ca-PPel-lo. Rushing it turns a hat into a hair.
The dialogue
Every line from the video, with the English meaning under the Italian.
Laura
Buongiorno! Posso aiutarla?
Good morning! Can I help you?
Tom✗ Mistake
Sì! Vorrei un capello, per favore.
Yes! I'd like one hair, please.
Laura
Un capello? Eccolo!
One hair? Here you go!
Tom
What? No, a hat! For my head!
Laura✓ Correct
Ah, un cappello! Con due P!
Ah, a hat! With two P's!
Tom
Un cappello, per favore!
A hat, please!
Laura
Capello... cappello.
one hair... hat
Tom
Good. I almost bought a single hair.
The voices in this video are synthetic and the on-screen host is generated. The Italian itself is written and checked by a native speaker.
Ready to speak, not just watch?
Practise these phrases out loud with Laura in a small group or a private lesson.
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