Local services and shops
Servizi locali e negozi
- Know the names of local services and shops.
- Discuss what you find in the shopping center.
- combined pronouns
This lesson covers pronomi combinati used in everyday Italian for navigating local shops and services. Key phrases include chiedo (I ask), posso (I can), glieli (to him/her them), and te li (to you them), essential for asking directions and offering help in stores and neighborhoods.
Vocabulary (15) 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
Il negozio d'arredamento
The furniture shop
2
La tabaccheria
The tobacconist
3
Il negozio d'elettronica
The electronics store
4
Il negozio d'abbigliamento
The clothing store
5
Il commesso
The shop assistant
Exercise 2: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 3: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Se andassi al centro commerciale, _______________ un regalo per mia sorella.
(If I went to the mall, _______________ a gift for my sister.)2. Se tu fossi in città, _______________ dal fruttivendolo la frutta fresca.
(If you were in the city, _______________ fresh fruit from the greengrocer.)3. Se andassimo dal calzolaio, _______________ le scarpe per la festa.
(If we went to the shoemaker, _______________ the shoes for the party.)4. Se voleste un consiglio, _______________ qualche negozio interessante vicino a casa.
(If you wanted advice, _______________ some interesting shops near home.)Exercise 4: A day at the shopping mall
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Volere - Want
Presente
- io voglio
- tu vuoi
- lui/lei vuole
- noi vogliamo
- voi volete
- loro vogliono
Dovere - Have to
Presente
- io devo
- tu devi
- lui/lei deve
- noi dobbiamo
- voi dovete
- loro devono
Chiedere - Ask
Presente
- io chiedo
- tu chiedi
- lui/lei chiede
- noi chiediamo
- voi chiedete
- loro chiedono
Potere - Can
Presente
- io posso
- tu puoi
- lui/lei può
- noi possiamo
- voi potete
- loro possono
Comprare - Buy
Presente
- io compro
- tu compri
- lui/lei compra
- noi compriamo
- voi comprate
- loro comprano
Chiamare - Call
Presente
- io chiamo
- tu chiami
- lui/lei chiama
- noi chiamiamo
- voi chiamate
- loro chiamano
Dire - Tell
Presente
- io dico
- tu dici
- lui/lei dice
- noi diciamo
- voi dite
- loro dicono
Exercise 5: I pronomi combinati
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Combined pronouns
Show translation Show answersGliele, Glieli, ve lo, Me lo, Ce le, Te l', Te la
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Acquistare to buy Share Copied!
Imperfetto
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) acquistavo | I was buying |
| (tu) acquistavi | you were buying |
| (lui/lei) acquistava | he/she was buying |
| (noi) acquistavamo | we were buying |
| (voi) acquistavate | you bought |
| (loro) acquistavano | they were buying |
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Lesson Overview: Local Services and Shops with Combined Pronouns
This lesson focuses on using Italian combined pronouns (pronomi combinati) in real-life contexts related to local services and shopping. It's designed for A2 learners and helps you communicate efficiently when asking for directions, describing shops, or discussing everyday tasks such as grocery shopping and neighborhood errands.
Key Topics Covered
- How to ask for and give information about local shops and services at places like shopping centers, supermarkets, and neighborhoods.
- Usage of Italian combined pronouns to replace direct and indirect object phrases, making conversations more fluid and natural.
- Common verbs in the present tense linked to daily activities such as buying, asking, and recommending.
- Dialogues illustrating practical situations, for example, asking for the location of a pharmacy ("sa dirmi dove si trova la farmacia?") or finding products in a supermarket ("può darmeli un momento?").
Understanding Combined Pronouns
Combined pronouns in Italian merge a direct and an indirect object pronoun into a single form, for example:
- te l'ho già indicata – "I have already shown it to you" (te + la)
- glielo spiego – "I explain it to him/her" (gli + lo)
- ce l'ho mostrata – "I have it shown to us" (ci + la)
Mastering these pronouns helps in speaking more naturally and avoiding repetitive phrases.
Sample Useful Vocabulary and Expressions
- Centro commerciale – shopping center
- Farmacia – pharmacy
- Negozi di abbigliamento – clothing shops
- Reparto prodotti biologici – organic products section
- Consigliare – to recommend
- Chiedere informazioni – to ask for information
Present Tense Verbs You'll Use
The lesson provides conjugations for useful verbs to describe daily activities related to shopping and errands:
- volere (to want): io voglio, tu vuoi, lui/lei vuole...
- dovere (to have to): io devo, tu devi, lui/lei deve...
- chiedere (to ask): io chiedo, tu chiedi, lui/lei chiede...
- potere (can/to be able to): io posso, tu puoi, lui/lei può...
- comprare (to buy): io compro, tu compri, lui/lei compra...
- chiamare (to call): io chiamo, tu chiami, lui/lei chiama...
- dire (to say): io dico, tu dici, lui/lei dice...
Practical Applications
With this lesson, you will be able to handle conversations such as:
- Asking where shops are located inside a mall.
- Requesting help to find items in a supermarket.
- Discussing what shops exist in your neighborhood with a conversation partner.
Notes on Language Differences
Since the instruction language is English and the learning language is Italian, it is important to note that Italian often uses combined pronouns where English would just use separate object pronouns. For example, English might say "I show it to you" but Italian combines these into "te lo mostro". This can require students to think differently about sentence structure and pronoun placement.
Useful phrases highlighting these differences include:
- Ti do il libro (I give you the book) vs. Te lo do (I give it to you) - combined pronoun replaces the object and indirect object.
- Glieli compro (I buy them for him/her) combines gli (to him/her) + li (them).
Understanding this structure is key to sounding natural and fluent in Italian when talking about local shops and services.
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