FUNCTIONAL LANGUAGE ENGLISH – Frasi utili per ogni situazione

You didn't hear what someone just said.

"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that. Could you repeat it?" (Scusa, non ho capito bene. Puoi ripetere?)

You want to add your opinion to a group discussion.

"If I could just jump in here, I think..." (Se posso intervenire un attimo, penso che...)

You need a moment to think of the right word.

"Let me think... It's on the tip of my tongue..." (Fammi pensare... Ce l’ho sulla punta della lingua...)

Someone is speaking too fast for you to understand.

"Could you slow down a little bit, please?" (Potresti parlare un po’ più piano, per favore?)

You want to check if the other person understands you.

"Does that make sense?" (Ti torna? È chiaro?)

You want to politely disagree with someone's opinion.

"I see your point, but I'm not sure I agree." (Capisco il tuo punto di vista, ma non sono sicuro di essere d’accordo.)

You want to completely agree with someone.

"Absolutely. I couldn't agree more." (Assolutamente. Sono completamente d’accordo.)

You want to interrupt someone politely to add a quick point.

"Sorry to cut in, but I wanted to mention..." (Scusa se ti interrompo, ma volevo dire...)

You want to return to the original topic after a distraction.

"Anyway, as I was saying..." (Comunque, come stavo dicendo...)

You don't know the answer to a question.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I can find out for you." (Non ne sono del tutto sicuro, ma posso informarmi per te.)

You want to ask for someone's opinion in a meeting.

"What are your thoughts on this, Alex?" (Tu cosa ne pensi, Alex?)

You need to leave a conversation or meeting early.

"I'm sorry, I have to run. Let's catch up later!" (Scusa, devo scappare. Ci sentiamo dopo!)

You want to show that you are actively listening.

"Right, I see what you mean." (Certo, capisco cosa intendi.)

Someone asked a question and you need a few seconds to think.

"That's a good question. Let me consider that for a moment." (Bella domanda. Lasciami pensare un attimo.)

You want to explain something in a simpler way.

"In other words, we need to start over." (In altre parole, dobbiamo ricominciare da capo.)

You want to politely stop someone who is rambling.

"Sorry to interrupt, but just to make sure I understand..." (Scusa se interrompo, solo per essere sicuro di aver capito...)

You didn't understand a specific word someone used.

"What do you mean by that exactly?" (Cosa intendi esattamente?)

You want to summarize what someone just told you to confirm it.

"So, if I understand correctly, you mean..." (Quindi, se ho capito bene, intendi...)

You want to ask for a recommendation at a restaurant.

"What would you recommend from the menu?" (Cosa mi consiglia del menù?)

You want to pay for everyone's meal at a restaurant.

"It's on me tonight." (Stasera offro io.)

You want to split the restaurant bill equally.

"Shall we split the bill?" (Facciamo alla romana? Dividiamo il conto?)

You want to order a drink to go.

"Can I get a large iced coffee to go, please?" (Posso avere un caffè freddo grande da portare via, per favore?)

You are looking for the restroom in a public place.

"Excuse me, could you tell me where the restrooms are?" (Mi scusi, sa dirmi dove sono i bagni?)

You need to get past someone in a crowded space.

"Excuse me, sorry, just squeezing past." (Permesso, scusi, devo solo passare.)

You want to ask someone for directions to the train station.

"Excuse me, how do I get to the nearest station?" (Mi scusi, come arrivo alla stazione più vicina?)

You want to politely ask someone to move out of the way.

"Excuse me, do you mind if I just slip past?" (Mi scusi, posso passare un attimo?)

You want to say goodbye to someone you just met for the first time.

"It was great meeting you! Hope to see you around." (È stato un piacere conoscerti! Spero di rivederti.)

You want to check if someone has a moment to talk.

"Do you have a quick minute to chat?" (Hai un minuto per parlare?)

You want to ask someone to change the subject.

"Can we talk about something else?" (Possiamo parlare d’altro?)

You want to change the subject yourself.

"By the way, did you hear about...?" (A proposito, hai sentito di...?)

You want to tell someone you will think about their offer.

"Let me sleep on it and get back to you tomorrow." (Ci dormo su e domani ti faccio sapere.)

You want to tell someone you can't make an event but appreciate the invite.

"I'd love to go, but I already have plans. Rain check?" (Mi piacerebbe molto venire, ma ho già un impegno. Facciamo un’altra volta?)

You want to ask a shop assistant for a different size.

"Do you have this shirt in a medium?" (Avete questa camicia in taglia M?)

You want to know if a shop takes credit cards.

"Do you accept cards, or is it cash only?" (Accettate le carte o solo contanti?)

You want to thank a host for a lovely dinner.

"Thank you so much for having me. The food was amazing!" (Grazie mille per l’ospitalità. Il cibo era buonissimo!)

You want to ask a coworker for help with a task.

"Could you give me a hand with this project when you have a moment?" (Mi daresti una mano con questo progetto quando hai un momento?)

You want to offer help to someone who looks busy.

"Do you need a hand with that?" (Ti serve una mano?)

You want to accept an offer of help.

"That would be wonderful, thank you so much!" (Sarebbe fantastico, grazie mille!)

You want to decline an offer of help politely.

"That's okay, I think I've got it covered. Thanks anyway!" (Non preoccuparti, penso di farcela da solo. Grazie lo stesso!)

You want to apologize for arriving late.

"Sorry I'm late, the traffic was terrible." (Scusate il ritardo, c’era un traffico terribile.)

You want to reassure someone who apologized to you.

"No worries at all. Don't worry about it!" (Nessun problema. Non preoccuparti!)

You want to ask for the price of something in a market.

"How much are you asking for this?" (Quanto vuole per questo?)

You want to confirm a meeting time for next week.

"Are we still on for Tuesday at two o'clock?" (Confermato per martedì alle due?)

You want to tell someone you are running late.

"I'm running a few minutes behind. I should be there by five." (Sono in ritardo di qualche minuto. Dovrei arrivare entro le cinque.)

You want to tell someone you don't care which option is chosen.

"Either way is fine by me. It's up to you." (Per me va bene in tutti e due i casi. Decidi tu.)

You want to ask for a receipt after buying something.

"Could I get a receipt, please?" (Posso avere lo scontrino, per favore?)

You want to ask someone to turn down loud music.

"Do you mind turning that down a little bit?" (Ti dispiace abbassare un po’ il volume?)

You want to ask if it's okay to sit next to someone.

"Is anyone sitting here?" (È occupato questo posto? C’è qualcuno seduto qui?)

You want to check if a seat is taken.

"Is this seat free?" (È libero questo posto?)

You want to wish someone good luck before an exam or interview.

"Best of luck! You're going to do great." (In bocca al lupo! Andrà benissimo.)

You want to congratulate someone on a big achievement.

"Congratulations! I'm so happy for you." (Congratulazioni! Sono davvero felice per te.)

You want to express sympathy to someone going through a tough time.

"I'm so sorry to hear that. Let me know if you need anything." (Mi dispiace tanto. Fammi sapere se hai bisogno di qualcosa.)

You want to tell someone you can't hear them well over the phone.

"You're breaking up a bit. Can you say that again?" (Ti sento a tratti. Puoi ripetere?)

You want to tell someone you will call them back later.

"I'm right in the middle of something. Can I call you right back?" (Sono nel bel mezzo di una cosa. Ti posso richiamare subito?)

You want to ask someone to hold the elevator doors.

"Could you hold the door for me, please?" (Mi tiene la porta, per favore?)

You want to ask a neighbor to keep the noise down.

"Sorry to bother you, but could you keep it down a little?" (Scusate il disturbo, potreste fare un po’ meno rumore?)

You want to ask for a bag at a grocery store check-out.

"Could I get a bag for these, please?" (Posso avere una busta per questi, per favore?)

You want to ask if an ingredient can be left out of a dish.

"Is it possible to get this without onions?" (È possibile averlo senza cipolla?)

You want to ask a hotel receptionist for the Wi-Fi password.

"Excuse me, what's the Wi-Fi password for the rooms?" (Mi scusi, qual è la password del Wi-Fi per le camere?)

You want to end a phone call politely.

"Anyway, I'll let you go. Speak to you soon!" (Bene, ti lascio andare. Ci sentiamo presto!)