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Getting started with Italian 1
Getting started with Italian 1

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2 Pronouncing the names of drinks

Now that you know the names of some drinks, it’s time to learn to pronounce them and learn more.

Activity _unit2.3.1 Activity 2

Listen and repeat the names of different cold and hot drinks, trying to match the pronunciation and intonation of the speaker. Use the transcript to help you follow the audio and to learn how each word is written.

Cold drinks

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Hot drinks

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Box _unit2.3.1 Un caffè, per favore!

You may find coffee-drinking traditions in Italy different from those in the UK or in your own culture. If you ask for un caffé, you will be served an espresso coffee. A caffè ristretto is an espresso which is even more concentrated than usual. An espresso with a tiny amount of milk is a macchiato, sometimes described as a macchiato caldo (if the milk is hot) or a macchiato freddo (if the milk is cold). You might like to try a caffè corretto, a coffee with a drop of a spirit or liqueur such as grappa in it.

For Italians un cappuccino is a morning drink only, never taken after a meal. If you want a long coffee, you should ask for un caffè americano. Another milky but not so frothy coffee is un caffelatte, which is sometimes served in hotels at breakfast.

Such is the importance of coffee in Italian life that some customers pay for two coffees, one to drink themselves and one paid for in advance as a charitable act for anyone in need who might drop in in the hope of a free coffee – the so-called caffè sospeso.