Italian · Intermediate (B1) · Chapter 11 of 12
Travel stories
Racconti di viaggio
Tell a travel story in Italian: the condizionale passato, the future in the past, se l'avessi saputo, and ways to react with surprise.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Tell the story of a trip that didn't go to plan
- Say what should have happened with the condizionale passato
- Report what people said about the future
- React to a story with surprise
Listen
In an office in Ferrara, Tiziana tells her colleague Samuele about her holiday in the Aeolian Islands, off Sicily. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Samuele
Tiziana, bentornata! Com'è andata la vacanza alle Eolie?
Tiziana, welcome back. How was your holiday in the Aeolian Islands?
Tiziana
Bene, ma che avventura! Io e Giulia saremmo dovute arrivare a Lipari sabato pomeriggio, ma siamo arrivate domenica sera.
Good, but what an adventure. Giulia and I should have arrived in Lipari on Saturday afternoon, but we got there on Sunday evening.
Samuele
Davvero? Cos'è successo?
Really? What happened?
Tiziana
A Milazzo c'era un vento fortissimo. Al porto ci hanno detto che il traghetto non sarebbe partito fino al giorno dopo.
In Milazzo there was a really strong wind. At the port they told us the ferry wouldn't leave until the next day.
Samuele
Ma dai! E dove avete dormito?
No way! So where did you sleep?
Tiziana
In un piccolo albergo vicino al porto. Avrei voluto dormire, ma sotto la nostra camera c'era una festa di matrimonio fino alle tre.
In a small hotel near the port. I would have liked to sleep, but under our room there was a wedding party until three.
Samuele
Non ci credo! Che sfortuna.
I don't believe it. What bad luck.
Tiziana
Aspetta, adesso viene il bello. Alla festa c'era il mio vecchio professore di italiano del liceo.
Wait, here comes the best part. At the party there was my old Italian teacher from secondary school.
Samuele
Incredibile! E l'hai riconosciuto?
Incredible. And did you recognise him?
Tiziana
Sì, subito. Mi ha detto che si ricordava di me, e alla fine abbiamo ballato anche noi fino all'alba.
Yes, straight away. He told me he remembered me, and in the end we danced until dawn too.
Samuele
Quindi ne è valsa la pena.
So it was worth it.
Tiziana
Sì. Se l'avessi saputo, non mi sarei arrabbiata per il traghetto!
Yes. If I'd known, I wouldn't have got angry about the ferry.
Understand
The condizionale passato: would have
The talks about something that would have happened, but didn't: (I would have liked to sleep). It's the conditional of or + the past participle: , .
It's very common with , and : (We should have arrived on Saturday), (I could have taken the plane). With these three verbs, use if the next verb takes : , but .
| Person | ||
|---|---|---|
| / | ||
| / | ||
| / / | / | |
| / | ||
| / | ||
| / |
The future in the past
In chapter 3 you reported what people said. When their words were about the future, use the condizionale passato after a past verb: “” → (They told us the ferry would leave the next day).
English says “would leave”, but Italian needs the past form of the conditional here. Time words change too: becomes , and becomes .
- Mi ha detto che mi avrebbe chiamato.He told me he would call me.
- Pensavo che sarebbe stato più facile.I thought it would be easier.
- Sapevamo che avrebbe piovuto.We knew it would rain.
If I'd known… and reacting to a story
To imagine a different past, Italian uses + or + the participle, and the condizionale passato: (If I'd known, I wouldn't have got angry). At this level, it's enough to recognise it and to use … as a set phrase.
When you listen to a story, react with these phrases:
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Really? | |
| No way! / Come on! | |
| I don't believe it! | |
| Incredible! | |
| What bad luck! | |
| How lucky! |
More in the grammar: If-clauses: se + present, se + congiuntivo imperfetto · The conditional: would and would have · The trapassato prossimo: had done · Reported speech: il discorso indiretto
New words
- bentornatowelcome back · to a woman: ; to several people:
- la vacanzaholiday · feminine; often plural:
- il portoport, harbour · masculine
- il traghettoferry · masculine
- fino auntil; as far as · = until the next day; = until three
- fortestrong · the same for masculine and feminine; = really strong
- il matrimoniowedding; marriage · masculine
- la sfortunabad luck · feminine; = luck
- vecchioold · = my old teacher (from the past)
- il professore / la professoressateacher (secondary school); professor
- il liceosecondary school, high school · masculine; for students aged about 14 to 19
- riconoscereto recognise · like :
- l'albadawn · feminine; = until dawn
- arrabbiarsito get angry · = I got angry (a woman)
Practise
1.How do you say “I would have liked”?
2.Complete with the condizionale passato of .
They told us the ferry wouldn't leave until the next day.
3.Two women speaking: “We should have arrived on Saturday.”
We should have arrived on Saturday.
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.If I'd known, I would have left earlier.
5.A friend tells you she met her old teacher at a wedding on holiday. How do you react?
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
Avrei voluto dormire di più.
I would have liked to sleep more.
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.