Episode 17 · Living in Italy
Sto imparando l'italiano - what to say when you freeze
Frozen at an Italian counter? Say: sto imparando l'italiano, può parlare piano? - and people slow down.
Sam at the post office. The clerk speaks at full speed. Laura hands him the rescue phrase.
Laura ·
In this lesson
| Italian | Word for word | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Sto imparando l'italiano | I'm learning Italian | people become kinder and slower instantly |
| Può parlare piano? | can you speak slowly? | formal; with a friend: puoi parlare piano? |
| Mi sente? | can you hear me? | |
| Spedire un pacco | to send a parcel | raccomandata = registered mail |
Say sto imparando l'italiano BEFORE you panic. It turns a stressful counter into a patient one.
The dialogue
Every line from the video, with the English meaning under the Italian.
Laura
Buongiorno, deve spedire un pacco? Raccomandata o posta prioritaria?
Good morning, sending a parcel? Registered or priority mail?
Sam
Uh...
Laura
Signore? Mi sente?
Sir? Can you hear me?
Sam
I understood nothing. What do I say?
Laura
Dica: sto imparando l'italiano. Può parlare piano?
Say: I'm learning Italian. Can you speak slowly?
Sam✓ Correct
Sto imparando l'italiano. Può parlare piano?
I'm learning Italian. Can you speak slowly?
Laura
Certo! Pacco... veloce... o normale?
Of course! Parcel... fast... or normal?
Sam
Normale, grazie!
Normal, thanks!
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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