Italian All-in-One For Dummies (54 page)

la scala mobile
(lah
skah
-lah
moh
-bee-leh) (
escalator
)

l'ascensore
(lah-shehn-
soh
-reh) (
elevator
)

la cassa
(lah
kahs
-sah) (
cash register
)

Avere bisogno di
(ah-
veh
-reh bee-
zoh
-nyoh dee) (
to need
) is a frequent expression in Italian. You use it in any kind of store. The form that you use as a speaker goes like this:

Ho bisogno di . . .
(oh bee-
zoh
-nyoh dee) (
I need . . .
)

When you're in a store and have a question or need some advice, you turn to
la commessa/il commesso
(lah kohm-
mehs
-sah/eel kohm-
mehs
-soh) (
the sales clerk
[feminine/masculine]) and say
Mi può aiutare, per favore?
(mee pwoh ah-yooh-
tah
-reh, pehr fah-
voh
-reh?) (
Can you help me, please?
) Of course, if you're just looking and a salesperson asks
Desidera?
(deh-
zee
-deh-rah?) (
Can I be of help?
)
(
Can I help you?
), you can answer
Posso dare un'occhiata?
(
pohs
-soh
dah
-reh oohn-ohk-
kyah
-tah?) (
Is it all right if I just look?
)

Admiring shop displays

Guardare le vetrine
(gwahr-
dah
-reh leh veh-
tree
-neh) (
window shopping
) is an Italian pastime.
Le vetrine
(leh veh-
tree
-neh) (
the shop windows
) are artistically set up to attract the attention
dei passanti
(
deh
-ee pahs-
sahn
-tee) (
of passersby
) and to inform even the most distracted person of the latest trends. Variety and color diversity are indicators of good taste and a sense of style, so watching the window displays is almost like admiring an art exhibit!

Clothing Yourself

Shopping can be an informative and fun way to learn about a culture because of the ways that colors and fabrics differ. For example, you can always tell what color is in fashion and how careful Italians are about wearing ironed
vestiti
(veh-
stee
-tee) (
clothes
) just by walking down a city street. In Italy, you can explore lots of boutiques and designer shops, as well as numerous department stores.

Checking out various items

The Italian wardrobe is generally a piece of furniture. Given the size of houses in Italy, there's often no room for walk-in closets. Looking inside one of these wardrobes, you'll likely find the following:

abito
(
ah
-bee-toh) (
suit
)

camicetta
(kah-mee-
cheht
-tah) (
blouse
)

camicia
(kah-
mee
-chah) (
shirt
)

cappotto
(kahp-
poht
-toh) (
coat
)

completo
(kohm-
pleht
-oh) (
outfit; suit
)

costume da bagno
(kohs-
tooh
-meh dah
bahn
-yoh) (
bathing suit; swimming trunks
)

giacca
(
jahk
-kah) (
jacket; sports jacket
)