At the bank
In banca
- Open a bank account.
- Make online purchases and be familiar with common payment methods.
- Get to know the biggest banks of the country.
- time expressions
Learn to use Italian passato prossimo expressions while discussing banking activities like aprire (to open), depositare (to deposit), and ricevere (to receive). Master practical phrases for opening accounts and making online payments.
Vocabulary (17) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Fare un pagamento elettronico
To make an electronic payment
2
Aprire un conto bancario
To open a bank account
3
Il trasferimento
The transfer
4
Il bancomat
The cash machine
5
Prelevare
To withdraw
Esercizio 2: Conversation exercise
Istruzione:
- Discuss the different payment methods that you see. (Discuss the different payment methods that you see.)
- Do you prefer shopping online or in a store? Do you like talking on the phone? (Do you prefer shopping online or in a store? Do you like talking on the phone?)
- Is it common in your country to leave a tip? (Is it common in your country to leave a tip? )
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Preferisco pagare con la carta perché è più veloce. I prefer paying by card because it is faster. |
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Mi piace avere contanti perché a volte non puoi pagare con la carta. I like to have cash because sometimes you can not pay by card. |
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Preferisco fare acquisti online perché è meno stressante per me. I like online shopping more because it is less stressful for me. |
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Preferisco pagare con l'applicazione della mia banca. I prefer paying with my bank application. |
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Paghiamo tramite bonifico bancario. We pay by bank transfer. |
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Quasi nessuno lascia una mancia nel mio paese quindi non lo faccio mai. Almost nobody leaves a tip in my country so I never do it. |
| ... |
Exercise 3: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 4: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Ho ________ un conto corrente la settimana scorsa perché avevo bisogno di depositare i soldi.
(I ________ a checking account last week because I needed to deposit the money.)2. Dopo aver aperto il conto, ho ________ la carta di credito due giorni fa.
(After opening the account, I ________ the credit card two days ago.)3. Due ore prima avevamo ________ i soldi al nostro fornitore tramite pagamento elettronico.
(Two hours earlier we had ________ the money to our supplier via electronic payment.)4. Il giorno prima avevi ________ contanti dal bancomat per pagare in negozio.
(The day before you had ________ cash from the ATM to pay in the store.)Exercise 5: At the bank: opening an account and making payments
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Aprire - Open
Passato prossimo
- io ho aperto
- tu hai aperto
- lui/lei ha aperto
- noi abbiamo aperto
- voi avete aperto
- loro hanno aperto
Parlare - Talk
Passato prossimo
- io ho parlato
- tu hai parlato
- lui/lei ha parlato
- noi abbiamo parlato
- voi avete parlato
- loro hanno parlato
Decidere - Decide
Passato prossimo
- io ho deciso
- tu hai deciso
- lui/lei ha deciso
- noi abbiamo deciso
- voi avete deciso
- loro hanno deciso
Depositare - Deposit
Passato prossimo
- io ho depositato
- tu hai depositato
- lui/lei ha depositato
- noi abbiamo depositato
- voi avete depositato
- loro hanno depositato
Ricevere - Receive
Passato prossimo
- io ho ricevuto
- tu hai ricevuto
- lui/lei ha ricevuto
- noi abbiamo ricevuto
- voi avete ricevuto
- loro hanno ricevuto
Exercise 6: Le espressioni temporali
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Time expressions
Show translation Show answersAbbiamo depositato, Avevo prelevato, ha aperto, abbiamo pagato, avevi ricevuto, aveva trasferito, avevi depositato, Hai trasferito
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Prelevare to withdraw Share Copied!
Trapassato prossimo
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) avevo prelevato | I had withdrawn |
| (tu) avevi prelevato | you had withdrawn |
| (lui/lei) aveva prelevato | he/she had withdrawn |
| (noi) avevamo prelevato | we had withdrawn |
| (voi) avevate prelevato | You had withdrawn |
| (loro) avevano prelevato | they had withdrawn |
Ricevere to receive Share Copied!
Trapassato prossimo
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) avevo ricevuto | I had received |
| (tu) avevi ricevuto | You had received |
| (lui/lei) aveva ricevuto | he/she had received |
| (noi) avevamo ricevuto | we had received |
| (voi) avevate ricevuto | you had received |
| (loro) avevano ricevuto | they had received |
Trasferire to transfer Share Copied!
Passato prossimo
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) ho trasferito | I transferred |
| (tu) hai trasferito | You transferred |
| (lui/lei) ha trasferito | He/she transferred |
| (noi) abbiamo trasferito | we transferred |
| (voi) avete trasferito | You have transferred |
| (loro) hanno trasferito | they have transferred |
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Lesson Overview: At the Bank
This lesson focuses on essential vocabulary and expressions related to banking situations in Italian, with a particular emphasis on using temporal expressions to describe past actions. It's designed for A2 level learners who want to improve their ability to talk about banking activities such as opening accounts, making payments, and discussing major banks in Italy, all while practicing past tenses.
Key Themes Covered
- Opening a bank account: Learn to simulate conversations about starting new accounts and the necessary documentation, with phrases like "Buongiorno, vorrei aprire un conto corrente." and "La settimana scorsa abbiamo aggiornato la documentazione."
- Online shopping and payment methods: Understand how to explain various payment options, such as credit cards and PayPal, using past experiences to describe actions like "L'ho usato la settimana scorsa per comprare un libro."
- Major banks in Italy: Discuss important banks like UniCredit and Intesa Sanpaolo and talk about recent events or acquisitions, for example, "Il mese scorso ho chiuso un conto in un'altra filiale."
Temporal Expressions and Past Tenses
The lesson emphasizes temporal expressions (e.g., "la settimana scorsa", "due giorni fa", "il giorno prima") combined with the passato prossimo tense to narrate recent past events, which is crucial for conversational fluency.
Sample Verbs in Passato Prossimo
- Aprire (to open): io ho aperto, tu hai aperto
- Parlare (to speak): io ho parlato, tu hai parlato
- Decidere (to decide): io ho deciso, tu hai deciso
- Depositare (to deposit): io ho depositato, tu hai depositato
- Ricevere (to receive): io ho ricevuto, tu hai ricevuto
A Useful Mini Story
This story, "In banca: aprire un conto e fare pagamenti," integrates the key verbs and expressions in a practical context, narrating actions like opening accounts and making online payments, helping learners practice comprehension and usage.
Language Notes: Italian vs. English Temporal and Banking Expressions
In Italian, temporal expressions often precede the verb phrase, using passato prossimo to indicate completed actions, e.g., "Ho aperto un conto la settimana scorsa." English places similar expressions either at the beginning or end of a sentence, e.g., "I opened an account last week." Italian banking vocabulary may differ slightly; for instance, "conto corrente" specifically means "checking account," while English might just say "bank account." Phrases like "codice fiscale" translate to "tax code," an important identity document in Italy. Being familiar with these distinctions aids in understanding and authentic communication.
Helpful Expressions:
- "Vorrei aprire un conto corrente" – "I would like to open a checking account."
- "La settimana scorsa" – "Last week."
- "Ho fatto un pagamento" – "I made a payment."
- "Documento di identità" – "Identity document."
- "Metodo di pagamento" – "Payment method."
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