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.)
posillipo


 






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.