As a Tourist in the City
Come turista nella città
- Common activities during a city trip.
- Asking information at the tourist office.
- Know practical survival phrases as a tourist to navigate in the city.
- The use of ne
Explore practical dialogues for tourists in Italian, covering phrases like "mappa" (map), "biglietto" (ticket), and "ristorante tipico" (typical restaurant), to confidently ask for tourist information, buy public transport tickets, and get directions.
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
L'entrata della metro
The entrance to the underground
2
Decidere
To decide
3
La chiesa
The church
4
La strada pedonale
The pedestrian street
5
Prendere un taxi
Take a taxi
Esercizio 2: Conversation exercise
Istruzione:
- Describe what this tourist in Copenhagen is doing in the pictures. (Describe what this tourist in Copenhagen is doing in the pictures.)
- What could the person say in any of the situations? (What could the person say in any of the situations?)
- Do you still send postcards from your holidays? To whom do you send them? (Do you still send postcards from your holidays? To whom do you send them?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
La donna prende un taxi. The woman takes a taxi. |
|
Ho cercato le indicazioni sulla mappa. I looked up the directions on the map. |
|
Puoi dirmi come arrivare al monumento? Can you tell me how to get to the monument? |
|
Hai uno sconto per studenti? Do you have a student discount? |
|
Uso il mio telefono per arrivare al museo. I use my phone to navigate to the museum. |
|
Puoi farmi una foto? Can you take a picture of me? |
|
Devo mandare una cartolina alla mia famiglia. I have to send a postcard to my family. |
| ... |
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. Quando arrivo in città, per prima cosa __________ la mappa.
(When I arrive in the city, the first thing I __________ the map.)2. __________ quali monumenti visitare durante la giornata.
(__________ which monuments to visit during the day.)3. __________ sempre qualche souvenir per gli amici.
(__________ always some souvenirs for friends.)4. Alla fine della visita guidata, __________ una foto vicino al monumento più bello.
(At the end of the guided tour, __________ a photo near the most beautiful monument.)Exercise 5: A Day as a Tourist in the City
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Decidere - Decidere
Presente
- io decido
- tu decidi
- lui/lei decide
- noi decidiamo
- voi decidete
- loro decidono
Controllare - Controllare
Presente
- io controllo
- tu controlli
- lui/lei controlla
- noi controlliamo
- voi controllate
- loro controllano
Fare - Fare
Presente
- io faccio
- tu fai
- lui/lei fa
- noi facciamo
- voi fate
- loro fanno
Comprare - Comprare
Presente
- io compro
- tu compri
- lui/lei compra
- noi compriamo
- voi comprate
- loro comprano
Inviare - Inviare
Presente
- io invio
- tu invii
- lui/lei invia
- noi inviamo
- voi inviate
- loro inviano
Prendere - Prendere
Presente
- io prendo
- tu prendi
- lui/lei prende
- noi prendiamo
- voi prendete
- loro prendono
Exercise 6: L'uso di ne
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: The use of ne
Show translation Show answersne vedo, ne abbiamo, ne compro, ne voglio, ne compriamo, ne ho, non ne
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!
Decidere to decide Share Copied!
Passato prossimo
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) ho deciso | I decided |
| (tu) hai deciso | You have decided |
| (lui/lei) ha deciso | he/she has decided |
| (noi) abbiamo deciso | we decided |
| (voi) avete deciso | You have decided |
| (loro) hanno deciso | they have decided |
Don't see progress when learning on your own? Study this material with a certified teacher!
Do you want to practice Italian today? That is possible! Just contact one of our teachers today.
As a Tourist in the City: Lesson Overview
This lesson is designed for A2 level learners of Italian who want to communicate effectively when visiting an Italian city. It focuses on practical dialogues and vocabulary helpful for tourists, including asking for tourist information, buying public transport tickets, and requesting directions to restaurants.
Key Dialogue Situations
- At the Tourist Office: Practice common phrases like "Buongiorno, potrei avere una mappa della città?" (Good morning, could I have a city map?) and learn how to ask for recommendations, such as museums or tours.
- Buying Transport Tickets: Master phrases used when purchasing tickets or daily passes, for example, "Vorrei un biglietto per il tram" (I would like a tram ticket) and questions about ticket validity.
- Asking for Restaurant Directions: Learn how to inquire about local restaurants and understand directions, with expressions like "Dove si trova un buon ristorante tipico vicino?" (Where is a good traditional restaurant nearby?).
Verb Practice: Present and Past Tenses
The lesson includes multiple-choice exercises on verb conjugations in the present tense, as well as a short story using the passato prossimo and imperfetto past tenses to describe a day as a tourist. Verbs such as controllare (to check), decidere (to decide), fare (to do/make), and inviare (to send) are practiced with their correct forms.
Short Story Summary
"Una giornata da turista in città" recounts a visit to the historic center, buying a map, deciding on a guided tour, asking fellow tourists questions, taking photos, and sending postcards. This story helps learners see vocabulary and grammar in a natural, contextualized format.
Useful Vocabulary and Expressions
- Map-related: mappa (map), ufficio turistico (tourist office), indicazioni (directions)
- Transport: biglietto (ticket), tram, abbonamento giornaliero (daily pass)
- Restaurants: ristorante tipico (typical restaurant), Trattoria da Luigi, Osteria 'Bella Napoli'
- Common Verbs in Context: controllare (to check), decidere (to decide), fare (to do), inviare (to send)
Important Language Notes
Since both the instruction and learning languages are the same (Italian instructions for learning Italian), the lesson focuses entirely on Italian language usage without translation comparisons. For example, Italian verbs show clear conjugation patterns, especially in passato prossimo (present perfect) and imperfetto (imperfect) tenses, which express completed actions and ongoing past actions respectively. Phrases such as "ho comprato" (I bought) and "facevo" (I was doing) illustrate these differences well.
Some useful expressions include:
- Potrei avere... - polite way to ask for something, e.g., a map.
- Mi può consigliare... - asking for recommendations.
- Quanto dista...? - asking for distance.
- Va dritto, poi gira a sinistra... - giving directions.
This lesson equips learners with practical phrases and verb forms needed to navigate common tourist situations confidently in Italy.
These lessons would not be possible without our amazing partners🙏
