If you’re visiting Italy, and you don’t have your own mezzo di trasporto (means of transport), then you will probably have to use i trasporti pubblici (public transport). Here is a bit of vocabulary to help you get around:
1. l’autobus (the bus)
| prendere l’autobus |
to take, or catch the bus |
| domani mattina prendo l’autobus per Santa Margherita |
tomorrow morning I’ll catch the bus to Santa Margherita |
| comprare un biglietto |
to buy a ticket |
| vorrei un biglietto per Santa Margherita per favore |
I’d like a ticket for Santa Margherita please |
| che autobus devo prendere per Santa Margherita? |
which bus do I have to take for Santa Margherita? |
N.B. You normally buy the bus ticket either from the appropriate biglietteria (ticket office), or from a tabacchino, bar, etc. and not on the bus itself. When you get on the bus, you insert the ticket into a machine, usually located near the driver. This is to obliterare il biglietto (literally: obliterate the ticket). Make sure you keep the ticket for possible inspection.
You can get on and off the bus at:
| la stazione degli autobus |
the bus station |
| una fermata |
a bus stop |
| una pensilina |
a bus shelter |
getting on and off:
| salire sull’autobus |
to get on the bus |
| scendere dall’autobus |
to get off the bus |
| può dirmi dove devo scendere? |
can you tell me where I have to get off? |
| deve scendere alla prossima fermata |
you have to get off at the next stop |
you might have to wait for the bus to arrive:
| aspettare |
to wait |
| arrivare |
to arrive |
| ho dovuto aspettare mezz’ora prima che arrivasse l’autobus! |
I had to wait half an hour before the bus arrived! |
| forza, sbrigati, l’autobus sta per arrivare! |
come on hurry up, the bus is about to arrive! |
try to find a place on the bus:
| trovare posto |
to find a place to sit |
| c’è posto? |
is there anywhere to sit? |
| scusi, questo posto è libero? |
excuse me, is this seat free/unoccupied? |
| non c’è posto, dobbiamo restare in piedi |
there are no seats (no room), we’ll have to stand |
some more useful words:
| il/la conducente or l’autista |
the driver |
| un/una pendolare |
a commuter |
| la tariffa |
the fare |
| la tessera dell’abbonamento |
the season ticket |
| l’orario |
the timetable/the schedule |
| il pullman |
the coach |
Comments:
Rafael Chaves:
Hi Serena. I’m from Brazil and “sto inparando l’italiano” by myself. What’s the difference between “comprare il biglieto” and “fare il biglieto”
Thank’s a lot!!!
Serena:
@Rafael Chaves Ciao Rafael,
‘Comprare il biglieto’ (to buy the ticket) is correct. ‘Fare il biglieto’ (to do the ticket) means the same thing, but is more colloquial.
A presto, Serena
Vince Mooney:
Salve Serena:
The word ‘prendo’ seems to be in the present tense in the phrase, “domani mattina prendo l’autobus per Santa Margherita”. Could you have used ‘prenderò’ or would that sound stilted in Italian?
Vince
Serena:
@Vince Mooney Salve Vince!
The future tense is not commonly used when we talk about something that has already been decided and will happen in a fairly near future.
Saluti da Serena
Edoardo:
Serena, as far as I can remenber “il biglietto deve essere validato, validare mi sembra la parola che ho visto. Any way thank you a lot for your help with the italian language. Edoardo
Gabi:
Edoardo, I suppose that the verb should not be “VALIDARE il biglietto” but “CONVALIDARE”. Serena, could you help us please?Grazie.Gabi
Serena:
@Gabi Salve Edoardo, salve Gabi!
Allora, ‘obliterare’ was the verb first used when the stamping machines were introduced on buses and trains, in fact the machine is still called ‘obliteratrice’, and many people, including me, tend to use this verb. It is true that today the verbs ‘validare’ and ‘convalidare’ are both used. ‘Validare’ is probably the most common one in this particular case, despite being an antique form of ‘convalidare’, according to my Italian Dictionary!
I hope I’ve been helpful.
Saluti da Serena
Lany:
Ciao Serena,
I just wanted to say thank you so much for having this blog! It’s really very helpful. =] You are appreciated!
– Lany
Serena:
@Lany Grazie Lany, e benvenuta nel mio blog.
A presto, Serena
andreas:
Salve, Serena!
Ancora una spiegazione utilissima. Grazie.
Andreas