Italian · BeginnerTaxi, per favoreTaxi, please

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00:00Intro
Hello everyone! Welcome to our simple Italian podcast.
Hi Giulia! Hello to all our friends at home.
How are you today, Marco? You look smiling and relaxed!
I am doing great! But yesterday I had an afternoon full of events.
Really? Tell me everything! What happened that was interesting?
I was in Turin for work, in the historic center.
Turin is a beautiful city, large and elegant.
Yes, I drank a hot coffee in the square.
And then? Why was the afternoon full of events?
I had a very heavy suitcase full of books.
Ouch! Was Porta Nuova station not nearby?
It was two kilometers away. And suddenly there was heavy rain.
What a disaster! And was your train coming up soon?
There were only twenty-five minutes until the train departure.
And so what did you do? Did you run in the rain?
No, luckily! I said right away: Taxi, per favore.
Great choice! Taxis in Turin are comfortable and fast.
Very true. In Italy taking a taxi in town is very useful.
Especially when it rains, or when you have heavy bags.
Today we talk precisely about this practical topic.
Taking a taxi in town: useful words and expressions.
We have chosen six perfect phrases for beginners.
Short and natural phrases, to travel peacefully.
First let's listen together to the six phrases, in order.
The first phrase is: Taxi, per favore.
The second phrase is: A questo indirizzo, per favore.
The third phrase is: Possiamo andare alla stazione?
The fourth phrase is: Quanto costa la corsa?
The fifth phrase is: Posso pagare con la carta?
And the sixth phrase is: Scendo qui, grazie.
Six clear phrases to speak with the driver without fear.
Before the explanations, let's listen to an example story.
Let's listen to your taxi adventure in Turin!
Yesterday afternoon I was in Turin, near Piazza San Carlo.
Piazza San Carlo is the drawing room of the city.
I had a heavy suitcase, and there was heavy rain.
Walking in the rain with luggage is exhausting!
I looked at the clock on the phone in a big hurry.
Time was short before the train!
I see the yellow taxi sign, in the square.
In Italy taxis wait at their official taxi stands.
Taxis in Italy are white and very clean.
There are always cars in line at the taxi stand.
I take a white taxi, the first in line.
You always get into the first ready taxi in line.
I get on board. The driver is named Bruno.
Did Mr. Bruno greet you with kindness?
Yes, he said right away: Good morning sir, where are we going?
And did you show your destination?
I say calmly: A questo indirizzo, per favore.
Perfect! Showing the address on the screen helps a lot.
I show the station on the screen of my mobile phone.
The driver looked at the map and understood right away.
I ask: Possiamo andare alla stazione di Porta Nuova?
Did Mr. Bruno answer with a nice kind smile?
He says: Certainly, we arrive right away at the station.
But in the center of Turin there is often traffic.
There was a green tram in front, and little space.
What a scary moment! There were only a few minutes left!
I watched the minutes pass on my watch.
Did the driver take a clearer street?
Yes, he was very good and turned right.
Local taxi drivers know every corner of the city.
I look at the taximeter, and ask: Quanto costa la corsa?
The ride is always paid with the taximeter in town.
The price was twelve euros and fifty cents.
A good price for a fast and safe ride.
Posso pagare con la carta? Mr. Bruno says yes.
All taxis have the electronic card reader.
I tapped the debit card on the terminal in a second.
Electronic payment is very convenient when you are in a rush.
Scendo qui, grazie! And I reach the platform on time.
What a nice story that ended well, Marco!
I got on the train three minutes before departure.
Did you find a seat near the window?
Yes, and I rested peacefully for the whole trip.
Now let's go examine our six phrases carefully.
Let's start with our first phrase: Taxi, per favore.
This phrase is very useful: Taxi, per favore.
It is a simple and direct expression to ask for a taxi.
It means getting into a public car with a driver.
We can say for example: Taxi, per favore.
Or at the front desk: Taxi, per favore.
In Italy official taxis are always white in color.
They have the illuminated TAXI sign on the roof.
And they also have the city crest on the door.
They do not usually stop with a hand wave on the street.
In Italy we go to the taxi stand, or we call by phone.
Taxi stands are located near stations, or in the squares.
Let's move on now to the second phrase: A questo indirizzo, per favore.
A questo indirizzo, per favore. It is a very useful phrase.
The address is the street, with the house number.
Often we show the address written on our mobile phone.
I get into the car and say: A questo indirizzo, per favore.
The driver reads the street on the phone and departs calmly.
Saying please at the end is very polite and nice.
Being kind always helps a lot when traveling.
We can also add the name of the neighborhood or the square.
For example: In Piazza Vittorio, a questo indirizzo, per favore.
Now the third important phrase: Possiamo andare alla stazione?
Possiamo andare alla stazione? It is a very clear question.
Possiamo is the verb to be able to, first person plural.
Andare is a very common movement verb.
We can change the destination as we want.
For example: Possiamo andare in centro?
Or: Possiamo andare all'aeroporto?
Or: Possiamo andare al museo d'arte?
The driver answers yes and turns on the navigation system.
We arrive at the fourth phrase: Quanto costa la corsa?
Quanto costa la corsa? Very useful question for the bill.
The word corsa indicates the trip made in a taxi.
It is not a fast running race! It is the trip in a car.
Up front, in the car, there is always a small device.
That device is called a taximeter.
The taximeter calculates the exact price during the trip.
At the end of the trip we ask: Quanto costa la corsa?
The driver looks at the screen and tells us the exact price.
Let's continue with the fifth phrase: Posso pagare con la carta?
Posso pagare con la carta? It is very useful every day.
Posso is the first person singular of the verb to be able to.
Paying by card means using a debit card, or a credit card.
In Italy all taxis have the electronic POS terminal.
We show our card and ask with a smile.
The driver prepares the reader and we tap the card.
The payment beep confirms that everything went well.
And we arrive at the sixth phrase: Scendo qui, grazie.
Scendo qui, grazie. Short, direct and perfect to finish.
The verb is to get off/out. I get out of the car.
We say it when we have arrived in front of the main door.
Or at the corner of the square, near our hotel.
We say: Scendo qui, grazie! And the car stops gently.
We can open the door and take our bag.
We have seen all six phrases with many details.
Now let's do some practice together with dialogues!
Let's do a first practice together, Marco. You play the driver!
Alright, Giulia! Good morning miss, where are we going today?
Good morning! A questo indirizzo, per favore.
Perfect! I know this street near the park well.
Possiamo andare alla stazione dopo, if we have time?
Certainly! The road is clear and we arrive soon.
Thank you very much! You are a very kind and good driver.
Here we are, we have arrived in front of the main entrance.
Quanto costa la corsa?
It is fourteen euros in total on the taximeter.
Posso pagare con la carta?
Yes, of course! Here is the terminal ready for payment.
Scendo qui, grazie! Have a good day and good work!
Thank you very much and goodbye! Have a good trip!
Well done Marco! This dialogue was very natural.
Now let's do the opposite: you are the taxi driver!
Gladly! Hello sir, where are we going today?
Hello! I am in a hurry: Taxi, per favore! I need to go to the museum.
Great, the museum is open! A questo indirizzo?
Yes, a questo indirizzo, per favore. Near the river.
Perfect, let's fasten the seatbelts and leave right away.
Possiamo andare alla stazione se ho tempo dopo?
Certainly, the station is five minutes from there.
Quanto costa la corsa fino al museo?
It is ten euros exact on the taximeter.
Posso pagare con la carta senza problemi?
Yes, I accept all credit and debit cards.
Scendo qui, grazie! The museum is right in front.
Do you see how these six phrases always work?
They work in every real situation in town.
Do you prefer using the phone app to call?
In my opinion the app is convenient when you are at home.
For me instead it is nicer to go to the taxi stand.
Yes, because you immediately see the white cars in line.
And you can chat a little with the driver cheerfully.
Taxi drivers in Italy know wonderful stories about the city.
And they always give great advice on where to eat well!
Now at home, everyone is ready for the quiz!
Test yourselves: six situations are coming for you!
Let's begin our quick quiz on the taxi phrases.
I am very ready! I will answer all situations with great joy.
Situation number one. It is raining hard and you have a heavy suitcase. What do you do?
I call a car right away: Taxi, per favore.
Correct! Taxi, per favore is the most comfortable choice.
Especially when it rains and we are in a hurry to arrive!
Situation number two. You got into the car and show your phone. What do you say?
I show the screen and say: A questo indirizzo, per favore.
Well done! A questo indirizzo, per favore.
The driver reads the street name and departs calmly.
Situation number three. Your train departs shortly. What do you ask the driver?
I ask with kindness: Possiamo andare alla stazione?
Perfect! Possiamo andare alla stazione?
This way the driver takes the fastest route possible.
Situation number four. You have arrived at your destination and want to pay. What do you ask?
I look at the taximeter and ask: Quanto costa la corsa?
Great! Quanto costa la corsa?
It is the classic question to know the exact total.
Situation number five. You have no coins in your wallet, only the debit card. What do you ask?
I take the debit card and ask: Posso pagare con la carta?
Very right! Posso pagare con la carta?
In Italy all taxi drivers accept card payments.
Situation number six. The taxi is in front of your hotel. What do you say to get out?
With a nice smile I say: Scendo qui, grazie.
Excellent! Scendo qui, grazie.
Six correct answers out of six! What a great result!
You did a perfect quiz today, Marco!
Now let's do a quick review of all the phrases.

Key phrases

6 to keep
Taxi, per favoreTaxi, per favore
Taxi, please
Taxi, per favore.Taxi, per favore.
A questo indirizzo, per favoreA questo indirizzo, per favore
To this address, please
Salgo in macchina e dico: A questo indirizzo, per favore.I get in the car and say: A questo indirizzo, per favore.
Possiamo andare alla stazione?Possiamo andare alla stazione?
Can we go to the station?
Con gentilezza chiedo: Possiamo andare alla stazione?I kindly ask: Possiamo andare alla stazione?
Quanto costa la corsa?Quanto costa la corsa?
How much does the ride cost?
A fine viaggio chiediamo: Quanto costa la corsa?At the end of the trip we ask: Quanto costa la corsa?
Posso pagare con la carta?Posso pagare con la carta?
Can I pay by card?
Mostro il bancomat: Posso pagare con la carta?I show my debit card: Posso pagare con la carta?
Scendo qui, grazieScendo qui, grazie
I get off here, thank you
Diciamo: Scendo qui, grazie! E l'auto si ferma piano.We say: Scendo qui, grazie! And the car stops gently.

Tocca a te

Your turn
dillo ad alta voce
Today's small task

Immagina di arrivare in aeroporto con le valigie. Quale frase dici subito ad alta voce?Imagine you arrive at the airport with your suitcases. What phrase do you say right away, out loud?

cocoaTaxi, per favore
0:0014:58