Maya: Ciao, travelers, and welcome back to Italian for Gringos! I'm Maya, and with me as always is Devon.
Devon: Ciao, everyone. Lesson four is here, and it's a big one, because today we talk money.
Maya: That's right. Lesson four is numbers from twenty to one hundred, plus the money words you'll use at every market, shop, and restaurant in Italy. After yesterday's numbers one through twenty, this unlocks everything up to a hundred. Let's build it one step at a time.
Maya: First up, twenty is venti. Say VEHN-tee. A soft v sound, then tee at the end, and the stress is on the first syllable.
Devon: VEHN-tee. Twenty. Nice and simple.
Maya: Thirty is trenta. Say TREHN-tah. Give the r a little roll if you can, but a plain treh works perfectly fine too.
Maya: Fifty is cinquanta. Say cheen-KWAHN-tah. That first sound is the ch of chair, just like in ciao, which you already learned.
Devon: Cheen-KWAHN-tah. Fifty. I love how these just roll off the tongue.
Maya: And one hundred is cento. Say CHEHN-toh. Same ch sound at the start, short and sweet.
Maya: Now the money words, and these are pure gold for travelers. How much does it cost is quanto costa. Say KWAHN-toh KOHS-tah. This is your magic question in Italy. Use it everywhere, markets, shops, street stalls.
Devon: KWAHN-toh KOHS-tah. I can already picture myself pointing at a gelato.
Maya: The euro is just euro. Say EH-oo-roh. Simple. And cents are centesimi. Say chehn-teh-ZEE-mee. You will hear this when prices are not round numbers, like two euros and fifty cents.
Maya: Last one, and this is my favorite. It's too expensive is è troppo caro. Say eh TROHP-poh KAH-roh. Notice the double p in troppo, hold it a beat longer, trohp-poh. And say it with a smile, it works much better that way.
Devon: Eh TROHP-poh KAH-roh. Too expensive. I feel like a local already.
Maya: Let's try a quick market dialogue so you can hear the phrases in action. I'll be the vendor, Devon is the tourist.
Devon: Buongiorno! Quanto costa questa maglietta?
Maya: Buongiorno! Trenta euro.
Devon: Trenta euro. È troppo caro! Venti euro?
Maya: Venti euro? Va bene. Venticinque.
Devon: Venticinque euro. Perfetto, grazie!
Maya: Did you catch that? Devon asked the price, said it's too expensive, and bargained from thirty down to twenty-five. That is real Italy right there.
Devon: I think I actually haggled. My grandmother would be proud.
Maya: Time for our cultural note. In Italy, the price on the tag already includes tax, so there are no surprises at the register. Tipping is not like back home. A euro or two in coins at a restaurant is a warm thank-you, five to ten percent is generous. And watch for coperto on your restaurant bill, that is a small cover charge per person, totally normal, not a scam.
Devon: Good to know about coperto. I would have stared at that line on the bill for ten minutes.
Maya: And one café trick. At many coffee bars, you pay at the register first, then take your receipt to the bar to order. It is often cheaper to drink standing at the bar than to sit at a table, where a service charge applies. Now you know.
Maya: Let's close with our recap drill. Repeat after me, three phrases. Number one, how much does it cost, quanto costa. Say it with me: KWAHN-toh KOHS-tah.
Devon: KWAHN-toh KOHS-tah. Quanto costa.
Maya: Number two, cents, centesimi. Chehn-teh-ZEE-mee.
Devon: Chehn-teh-ZEE-mee. Centesimi.
Maya: And number three, it's too expensive, è troppo caro. Eh TROHP-poh KAH-roh.
Devon: Eh TROHP-poh KAH-roh. Troppo caro!
Maya: Beautifully done. You've now got numbers to a hundred and the money talk to survive any Italian market. Tomorrow, lesson five, we order food and drink like locals. A domani, see you tomorrow!
Devon: A domani! And remember, troppo caro, said with a smile, is a superpower.