Italian · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 4 of 12
Home and housing
Cercare casa
Look at a flat to rent in Italy: ask about the rent and the neighbourhood, and compare places with più, meno, come and -issimo.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Ask about a flat and the rent
- Describe a neighbourhood
- Compare two places with più and meno
- Say “very” with -issimo
Listen
Irene is looking for a flat to rent in Perugia. The estate agent, Signor Neri, shows her a second one. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Signor Neri
Ecco il soggiorno. È molto luminoso, con due finestre.
Here's the living room. It's very bright, with two windows.
Irene
Sì, è bello, e più grande dell'altro appartamento.
Yes, it's nice, and bigger than the other flat.
Signor Neri
E ci sono due camere da letto e due bagni.
And there are two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Irene
Quanto costa l'affitto?
How much is the rent?
Signor Neri
Settecento euro al mese.
Seven hundred euros a month.
Irene
Allora è più caro. L'altro è meno caro: costa seicento euro.
So it's more expensive. The other one is cheaper: it costs six hundred euros.
Signor Neri
Sì, ma questo è più vicino al centro, e il quartiere è più tranquillo.
Yes, but this one is closer to the centre, and the neighbourhood is quieter.
Irene
Ci sono negozi qui vicino?
Are there any shops near here?
Signor Neri
Sì, c'è un supermercato, e la fermata dell'autobus è a due minuti.
Yes, there's a supermarket, and the bus stop is two minutes away.
Irene
Ma la cucina è più piccola.
But the kitchen is smaller.
Signor Neri
Sì, ma è nuovissima.
Yes, but it's brand new.
Irene
Mi piace molto. Io e il mio compagno cerchiamo casa da due mesi. Posso tornare domani con lui?
I like it a lot. My partner and I have been looking for a place for two months. Can I come back tomorrow with him?
Understand
More and less: più… di, meno… di
To compare two things, put (more) or (less) before the adjective, and (than) before the second thing: (This flat is bigger than the other one). English often uses “-er”: bigger, cheaper, quieter.
joins with “the”, as you saw in chapter 2: , , . Before a name there's no article: . The adjective agrees as usual: .
- Il quartiere è più tranquillo del centro.The neighbourhood is quieter than the centre.
- Questo appartamento è meno caro.This flat is cheaper. (literally “less expensive”)
- Perugia è più piccola di Roma.Perugia is smaller than Rome.
As… as, better and worse
To say two things are the same, use (as, like): (The kitchen is as big as the living room).
“Better” and “worse” have their own words. and are adjectives, so they describe a noun: , . and describe how you do something: (I sleep better here).
| Word | Comparison | English |
|---|---|---|
| (good) | better | |
| (bad) | worse | |
| (well) | better | |
| (badly) | worse |
Very: -issimo
To say “very”, you can use : . Or you can take off the last vowel of the adjective and add -issimo: → , → . It sounds a little stronger, like “really” or “extremely”.
-Issimo agrees like any adjective: -issimo, -issima, -issimi, -issime. So a kitchen is and two flats are .
- La cucina è nuovissima.The kitchen is brand new.
- Il quartiere è tranquillissimo.The neighbourhood is really quiet.
- Gli affitti in centro sono carissimi.Rents in the centre are really expensive.
More in the grammar: Comparisons: più, meno, come and -issimo
New words
- luminosobright, full of light · feminine:
- l'altrothe other one · feminine:
- l'appartamentoflat, apartment · masculine
- il bagnobathroom · masculine
- l'affittorent · masculine; = a month
- settecentoseven hundred · = 100, = 200, = 600, = 1,000
- caroexpensive; dear · = cheaper
- il centrotown centre · masculine; = in the centre
- il quartiereneighbourhood, area · masculine
- tranquilloquiet, calm · feminine:
- il negozioshop · masculine; plural:
- la fermata dell'autobusbus stop · feminine
- cercareto look for · : the h keeps the c hard; = to look for a place to live
- il compagno / la compagnapartner · also: classmate
Practise
1.Complete: “Il soggiorno è più grande ___ cucina.”
2.Write + as one word.
This neighbourhood is quieter than the centre.
3.Say “brand new” in one word, with -issimo.
The kitchen is brand new.
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.The living room is as big as the kitchen.
5.This flat costs €700 a month. The other one costs €600. Which sentence is true?
6.Match the Italian with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Quanto costa l'affitto?
How much is the rent?
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.