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🇮🇹 Italian · Intermediate Level 1

PART 2 · LESSON 11 OF 30 · 30 MINUTES

Nonna's Village in Winter

Hear from Nonna how winter was in Fontelupo when she was little, with si andava, the Italian for what everyone used to do.

Audio instruction: English

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THE STORY

Laura's room at the Hotel Hilde, one snowy evening in January, Nonna on the phone from Fontelupo.

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Words and phrases

The lesson is for your ears. Open this afterwards, to see what you learned.
Pronto, tesoro! Com'è il tempo lassù?PROHN-toh, teh-ZOH-roh, koh-MEH eel TEHM-poh lahs-SOOHello, dear! How's the weather up there? To a friend.
Nevica da due giorni. C'è tanta neve!NEH-vee-kah dah DOO-eh JOR-nee, cheh TAHN-tah NEH-vehIt's been snowing for two days. There's so much snow!
Quando ero piccola, c'era tanta neve.KWAHN-doh EH-roh PEEK-koh-lah, CHEH-rah TAHN-tah NEH-vehWhen I was little, there was so much snow. As a woman.
E come facevate, senza macchina?eh KOH-meh fah-cheh-VAH-teh, SEHN-tsah MAHK-kee-nahAnd how did you manage, without a car? To several people.
Si andava a piedi, anche a scuola.see ahn-DAH-vah ah PYEH-dee, AHN-keh ah SKWOH-lahPeople went on foot, to school too.
Senza luce.SEHN-tsah LOO-chehWithout electricity.
E la sera? Non c'era la luce?eh lah SEH-rah, nohn CHEH-rah lah LOO-chehAnd in the evening? Wasn't there electricity?
No. Si accendeva il camino.noh, see ahch-chehn-DEH-vah eel kah-MEE-nohNo. People lit the fireplace.
Che vita dura! Eravate felici?keh VEE-tah DOO-rah, eh-rah-VAH-teh feh-LEE-cheeWhat a hard life! Were you happy? To several people.
Eravamo poveri, ma felici.eh-rah-VAH-moh POH-veh-ree, mah feh-LEE-cheeWe were poor, but happy.