Italian · Intermediate (B1) · Chapter 10 of 12
Money and everyday services
In banca
Deal with a bank in Italian: open an account, make formal requests, say large numbers and amounts, and use combined pronouns like glielo.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Open a bank account and ask about costs
- Make formal requests with sarebbe possibile and vorrei sapere
- Say large numbers, decimals and percentages
- Use combined pronouns: me lo, glielo
Listen
In Vicenza, Gabriele Santoro, who has just started his first job, opens an account at a bank. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Donatella
Buongiorno. Come posso aiutarLa?
Good morning. How can I help you?
Gabriele
Buongiorno. Vorrei aprire un conto corrente. Ho appena cominciato a lavorare, e l'azienda mi ha chiesto un IBAN per lo stipendio.
Good morning. I'd like to open a current account. I've just started work, and the company has asked me for an IBAN for my salary.
Donatella
Certo. Ha un documento d'identità e il codice fiscale?
Of course. Do you have an ID document and your tax code?
Gabriele
Sì, eccoli.
Yes, here they are.
Donatella
Perfetto. Il conto costa tre euro al mese, e la carta di debito è compresa.
Perfect. The account costs three euros a month, and the debit card is included.
Gabriele
E la carta quando me la date?
And when will you give me the card?
Donatella
Gliela spediamo a casa entro dieci giorni. Il PIN, invece, glielo mandiamo con un SMS.
We'll send it to your home within ten days. The PIN, on the other hand, we'll send you by text message.
Gabriele
Benissimo. Sarebbe possibile avere anche l'app della banca?
Great. Would it be possible to have the bank's app too?
Donatella
Sì, si scarica gratis. Se vuole, gliela installo io sul telefono.
Yes, you can download it for free. If you like, I'll install it on your phone for you.
Gabriele
Grazie, molto gentile. E per i bonifici all'estero ci sono commissioni?
Thank you, that's very kind. And are there any fees for transfers abroad?
Donatella
Sì, l'uno virgola cinque per cento: per un bonifico di mille euro, sono quindici euro. Vuole che Le prepari un foglio con tutti i costi?
Yes, one point five per cent: for a transfer of a thousand euros, that's fifteen euros. Would you like me to prepare a sheet with all the costs?
Gabriele
Sì, me lo prepari, per favore. Lo leggo a casa.
Yes, please prepare it for me. I'll read it at home.
Understand
Combined pronouns: me lo, glielo
When an indirect pronoun (to me, to him…) and a direct one (it, them) come together, the indirect one goes first and changes its vowel: → , → , → , → . So + becomes : (When will you give it to me?).
, and the polite all become glie-, written as one word with the direct pronoun: . So can mean “we'll send it to him”, “to her” or “to you (Lei)”. works the same way: , .
| Indirect | + | + | + | + |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| / / | ||||
Where they go
Combined pronouns go where single pronouns go: before the verb (), or joined to the end of an infinitive () and of a imperative (). With the polite imperative, they go before the verb: (Please prepare it for me).
In the passato prossimo, and become before , and the participle agrees with them: (The card? They sent it to me yesterday).
- La carta? Gliela spediamo a casa.The card? We'll send it to your home.
- Mi dai il numero? – Sì, te lo do subito.Will you give me the number? – Yes, I'll give it to you right away.
- Il foglio? Me l'ha preparato la signora Bassi.The sheet? Ms Bassi prepared it for me.
Formal requests and amounts
At the bank or the post office, formal requests often use the conditional: …? (Would it be possible…?), … (I'd like to know if…), …? (Could you… for me?). …? + congiuntivo offers to do something: (Would you like me to prepare a sheet for you?).
For decimals, Italian uses a comma, called : 1,5% is . For thousands, Italians write a full stop: 2.500 €. Numbers are written as one word up to a million.
| Written | Said |
|---|---|
| 1,5% | |
| 1.000 € | |
| 2.500 € | |
| 10.000 € | |
| 1.000.000 € |
More in the grammar: Italian numbers: from 0 to a million · Object pronouns: lo, la, li, le, gli… · The conditional: would and would have
New words
- il conto correntecurrent account · masculine; = to open an account
- appenajust · = I've just started
- lo stipendiosalary, pay · masculine
- il codice fiscaletax code · masculine; an Italian personal ID number for tax and health
- la carta di debitodebit card · feminine; = credit card
- spedireto send (by post or courier) · like :
- inveceinstead; on the other hand
- scaricareto download; to unload · = you can download it
- gratisfree (of charge)
- gentilekind · = that's very kind (of you)
- il bonificobank transfer · masculine; plural:
- la commissionefee, commission · feminine
- la virgolacomma; decimal point · feminine; 1,5 =
- il fogliosheet (of paper) · masculine
Practise
1.Complete: “La carta? ___ spediamo a casa.” (to you, Lei)
2.Complete with + .
The sheet? Yes, please prepare it for me.
3.Write 1,5% in words.
one point five per cent
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.I'd like to open a current account.
5.Which sentence means “I'll send it (the PIN) to him”?
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
Vorrei aprire un conto corrente.
I'd like to open a current account.
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.