An Italian fluff
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I asked for the bill in Italy by saying "Il conte, per favore" The waiter explained I had asked for the count! Still we both had a laugh.
Don't ever go to an italian Bar and ask for a "latte", you will find out that you just ordered a nice glass of milk..... what you should really say is "caffé latte".
My Italian/English godson, who grew up in Italy and speaks both Italian and English fluently, went to stay in France to learn French. He found he loved the skiing but wasn't too sure why the French looked shocked when he said "j'adore chier" instead of "i'adore skier". He'd actually used a rather unsavoury term for going to the toilet.
Shortly after starting work in Milan, a chap walked into the room on returning from lunch on a hot day and remarked 'Fa caldo!". I considered this to be a little harsh on the fellow named Aldo who worked in the room.
The first time I visited Italy, I queued up in a Roman post office for 20 minutes to buy a stamp for a postcard. Unfortunately, when I was finally served, I asked for 'una fragola'. I should have asked for 'un francobollo', but instead, I asked the very amused man for a strawberry.
I like this new section .
I'm very relieved that I'm not the only one making mistakes in a foreign language. :D
If you're a beginner but have studied French, avoid asking for "un gatto" (rather than un gâteau) for something sweet! If you say un pezzo dolce or una pasta you will in fact succeed in getting a pastry instead of a feline friend.
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© MMIX
My first words of Italian ever spoken to a native was to reply to the question "what is your name?". In panic, I replied in Spanishme llamo Paul which sounded just like the Italian mi amo, Paul - I love myself, Paul ... Hmm, not the best intro.
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