Ciao a tutti! Sono Consuelo. Hi everybody! I’m Consuelo. |
Welcome back to ItalianPod101.com’s Italiano in tre minuti, the fastest, easiest, and most fun way to learn Italian. |
In the last lesson we learned the phrase quanto costa? How much is it? Today let’s see how we could answer that question by counting euros in Italian. In Italy the currency is the EURO. |
Please pay attention to this word's pronunciation. In Italian we pronounce it as it is written: |
E-U-RO. EURO. |
The currency includes 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 Euro bills and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cent coins and 1 and 2 Euro coins. There are a hundred cents in one Euro. |
Let’s try to say prices in Italian. Let’s start with 26 Euros and 56 cents. |
Ventisei euro e cinquantasei centesimi. |
(One more time, slowly: Ventisei euro e cinquantasei centesimi.) |
Un centesimO is one cent, and centesimI is the plural form of cents. |
This is really straightforward. First, we say the number of Euros, then euro, then e, the number of cents, and finally centesimi. |
Let’s try another example: |
34 Euros and 60 cents. |
Trentaquattro euro e sessanta centesimi. |
(One more time, slowly: trentaquattro euro e sessanta centesimi.) |
Get ready for the next example. This one’s longer: |
99 Euros and 99 cents. |
Novantanove Euro e novantanove centesimi. |
(One more time, slowly: novantanove Euro e novantanove centesimi.) |
However, the short way to say it is novantanove e novantanove. |
In this case it might not be immediately clear which number is Euros and which is cents, but remember that the two numbers are separated by e, which means “and”. |
So before the e you have always the Euros and after the e you have the cents. |
Now let’s see two practical examples: |
Clerk: Sono quindici Euro e trenta centesimi. |
Consuelo: Sì, quindici Euro e trenta centesimi. |
Clerk: Grazie, arrivederci. |
Consuelo: Arrivederci. |
In the next example the clerk gives me the change. |
(Consuelo talks with someone outside shot, she’s holding a wallet and pays with real euros. Someone is giving her the change.) |
Clerk: Diciannove e settanta. |
Consuelo: Sì. |
(Consuelo gives a bill of twenty euros) |
Clerk: Ecco a Lei il resto. |
Consuelo: Grazie, arrivederci. |
Clerk: La ringrazio, arrivederci. |
As you have seen in both cases we used the formal Italian courtesy form for you: Lei. |
In the last scene the clerk doesn’t say Euro and centesimi and he gives me the change. Did you understand the word he used for ‘change’? Let’s see this last scene again […] |
Resto means change. |
Now it’s time for Consuelo’s tips. |
The euro (€ mark on the screen) has been the Italian currency since 2002, when most countries of the European Union adopted it. Before the Euro, the currency in Italy was the LIRA (“£” mark on the screen). |
When you find some prices in EURO with the equivalent price in LIRA, don’t get confused—it’s just something to help elderly people get used to the currency. |
In this lesson we learned how to count EURO. Next time we are going to tell you how to negotiate with someone to lower the price of something. Yes, we'll continue shopping! |
We’ll be waiting for you in our next Italiano in tre minuti lesson. |
Ciao, alla prossima lezione!! |
Comments
Hide