Episode 2 · Real Italian Conversations
Nonno or nono? Don't turn your grandpa into a number
Nonno = grandpa. Nono = ninth. Drop one N and your grandpa becomes a number.
Emma shows Laura a photo of her grandpa. It does not go as planned.
Laura ·
In this lesson
| Italian | Word for word | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Mio nonno | my grandpa | no article before a single family member: mio nonno |
| Nono | ninth | 9°, as in il nono piano, the ninth floor |
| Quante N? | how many Ns? | N is read enne |
| Ha novant'anni | he is ninety | literally: he has ninety years |
| Auguri! | best wishes | birthdays, holidays, any celebration |
Double consonants are held longer: no-no (ninth) vs non-no (grandpa). Hold the N like a short hum.
The dialogue
Every line from the video, with the English meaning under the Italian.
Emma✗ Mistake
Questo è mio nono!
This is my ninth!
Laura
Nono? Il nono... cosa?
Ninth? The ninth... what?
Emma
No! My grandpa!
Laura
Ah! Ascolta: nonno. Quante N?
Ah! Listen: nonno. How many N's?
Emma✓ Correct
Due! È mio nonno!
Two! He's my grandpa!
Laura
Brava! Nono... nonno.
ninth... grandpa
Emma
Mio nonno ha novant'anni!
My grandpa is ninety!
Laura
Novant'anni? Auguri al nonno!
Ninety? Best wishes to grandpa!
Laura
Seguimi, per la prossima parola!
Follow me, for the next word!
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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