Getting to know you - Lesson 3 - Conversation:
Lavora alla NSA?
(Do you work at NSA )
(photo
by Karl used
under terms of Creative Commons license.)
Capitano Gentile: |
Signora ha figli? |
Signora Smith: |
Si, un figlio e una figlia. |
Capitano Gentile: |
Lavora alla NSA, Signor Smith? |
Tenente Smith: |
No, lavoro alla NATO. |
Capitano Gentile: |
Oh, allora abitate a Pozzuoli? |
Tenente Smith: |
No, non abitiamo a Pozzuoli ma a Posillipo |
Translation:
Captain Gentile: |
Ma'am, do you have any children? |
Mrs. Smith: |
Yes, a son and a daughter. |
Captain Gentile: |
Do you work at NSA, Mr. Smith? |
Lieutenant Smith: |
No, I work at NATO. |
Captain Gentile: |
Ah, then you live in Pozzuoli? |
Lieutenant Smith: |
No, we don't live in Pozzuoli but in Posillipo |
Notes on conversation
1.
When it occurs
in front of a vowel, h is never pronounced.
2.
Notice that in
lavora, the a ending means that one person is being addressed. The ate
ending,
as in abitate, is used when addressing more than one person. In the
South
(especially in Naples) Italians often use the plural form (ate) to be
polite
when
they address
one person.
3.
Alla = a + la.
Alla NATO, "To the NATO."
4. A sentence is negated by placing non before the verb.