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8 Italian reading texts for A1, with translation

Short Italian texts for level A1: 8 stories, about 32 minutes of reading. Every sentence carries its English translation, and each text ends with comprehension questions. Read them right here — no sign-up needed.

A coffee at the bar

A1 · 4 min

Marco entra in un bar vicino alla stazione.
Marco walks into a bar near the station.

È mattina presto e il bar è pieno di gente.
It is early morning and the bar is full of people.

"Un caffè, per favore", dice Marco al barista.
"A coffee, please," Marco says to the barista.

Il barista sorride e prepara il caffè in un minuto.
The barista smiles and makes the coffee in a minute.

Marco beve il caffè in piedi, come fanno gli italiani.
Marco drinks the coffee standing up, the way Italians do.

Poi chiede: "Quanto costa?"
Then he asks: "How much is it?"

"Un euro e dieci", risponde il barista.
"One euro ten," the barista answers.

Marco paga, saluta e va al lavoro.
Marco pays, says goodbye and goes to work.

Check yourself

  1. Where is the bar?
    Show answer

    Near the station

  2. How does Marco drink his coffee?
    Show answer

    Standing up

  3. How much does the coffee cost?
    Show answer

    1.10 euro

Shopping at the supermarket

A1 · 4 min

Oggi Olena fa la spesa al supermercato.
Today Olena is doing the shopping at the supermarket.

Ha una lista corta: pane, latte, uova e pomodori.
She has a short list: bread, milk, eggs and tomatoes.

Il pane è vicino all’entrata, a destra.
The bread is near the entrance, on the right.

Olena non trova le uova e chiede aiuto.
Olena cannot find the eggs and asks for help.

"Scusi, dove sono le uova?", domanda a una commessa.
"Excuse me, where are the eggs?" she asks a shop assistant.

"In fondo, accanto al latte", risponde la commessa.
"At the back, next to the milk," the assistant answers.

Alla cassa Olena paga con la carta.
At the till Olena pays by card.

Torna a casa contenta: ha parlato italiano tutto il tempo.
She goes home happy: she spoke Italian the whole time.

Check yourself

  1. What is NOT on Olena’s list?
    Show answer

    Cheese

  2. Where are the eggs?
    Show answer

    At the back, next to the milk

  3. How does she pay?
    Show answer

    By card

The bus ticket

A1 · 4 min

Ahmed aspetta l’autobus numero 12.
Ahmed is waiting for bus number 12.

Non ha il biglietto e la fermata non ha una macchinetta.
He has no ticket and there is no machine at the stop.

In Italia il biglietto si compra al tabaccaio o al bar.
In Italy you buy the ticket at a tobacconist or at a bar.

Ahmed entra nel tabaccaio all’angolo.
Ahmed goes into the tobacconist on the corner.

"Un biglietto per l’autobus, per favore."
"One bus ticket, please."

Costa un euro e cinquanta.
It costs one euro fifty.

Sull’autobus Ahmed timbra subito il biglietto.
On the bus Ahmed validates the ticket straight away.

Senza il timbro il biglietto non è valido.
Without the stamp the ticket is not valid.

Check yourself

  1. Where does Ahmed buy the ticket?
    Show answer

    At the tobacconist

  2. What does he do on the bus?
    Show answer

    He validates the ticket

  3. Why is the stamp important?
    Show answer

    Without it the ticket is not valid

The new neighbour

A1 · 4 min

Katia abita a Bologna da due settimane.
Katia has been living in Bologna for two weeks.

Una mattina incontra la vicina sulle scale.
One morning she meets her neighbour on the stairs.

"Buongiorno! Io sono Katia, abito al terzo piano."
"Good morning! I am Katia, I live on the third floor."

"Piacere, io sono Giulia. Sei straniera, vero?"
"Nice to meet you, I am Giulia. You are foreign, right?"

"Sì, sono ucraina. Studio italiano ogni giorno."
"Yes, I am Ukrainian. I study Italian every day."

"Parli bene!", dice Giulia. "Se hai bisogno, chiedi pure."
"You speak well!" says Giulia. "If you need anything, just ask."

Katia sorride: è la sua prima conversazione con una vicina.
Katia smiles: it is her first conversation with a neighbour.

La sera scrive nel quaderno cinque parole nuove.
In the evening she writes five new words in her notebook.

Check yourself

  1. How long has Katia lived in Bologna?
    Show answer

    Two weeks

  2. Where do they meet?
    Show answer

    On the stairs

  3. What does Katia do in the evening?
    Show answer

    She writes down five new words

At the pharmacy

A1 · 4 min

Luca ha mal di gola da due giorni.
Luca has had a sore throat for two days.

Entra in una farmacia con la croce verde.
He goes into a pharmacy with the green cross.

"Buongiorno, ho mal di gola."
"Good morning, I have a sore throat."

"Ha la febbre?" chiede la farmacista.
"Do you have a fever?" the pharmacist asks.

"No, solo la gola."
"No, only my throat."

Lei gli dà delle pastiglie e un po' di miele.
She gives him some lozenges and a bit of honey.

Per queste pastiglie non serve la ricetta.
You do not need a prescription for these lozenges.

"Se fra tre giorni non passa, vada dal medico."
"If it does not pass in three days, go to the doctor."

Check yourself

  1. What is wrong with Luca?
    Show answer

    A sore throat

  2. Does he need a prescription?
    Show answer

    No, not for these lozenges

  3. What should he do if it does not improve?
    Show answer

    See a doctor after three days

Buying bread by weight

A1 · 4 min

In Italia il pane si compra spesso a peso.
In Italy bread is often bought by weight.

Sofia entra nel panificio sotto casa.
Sofia goes into the bakery below her flat.

Non sa come chiedere una quantità piccola.
She does not know how to ask for a small amount.

La signora davanti a lei dice: "Mezzo chilo, per favore."
The lady in front of her says: "Half a kilo, please."

Sofia ripete la stessa frase e funziona.
Sofia repeats the same phrase and it works.

Per il prosciutto invece si dice "un etto".
For ham, though, you say "un etto" — a hundred grams.

Il pane caldo profuma per tutta la strada.
The warm bread makes the whole street smell good.

Sofia ne mangia un pezzo prima di arrivare a casa.
Sofia eats a piece of it before she gets home.

Check yourself

  1. How is bread usually sold?
    Show answer

    By weight

  2. How did Sofia learn the phrase?
    Show answer

    She copied the customer in front of her

  3. What does "un etto" mean?
    Show answer

    A hundred grams

A parcel from home

A1 · 4 min

La madre di Olha ha spedito un pacco dall'Ucraina.
Olha's mother has sent a parcel from Ukraine.

Il postino suona, ma Olha è al lavoro.
The postman rings, but Olha is at work.

Lascia un avviso nella cassetta della posta.
He leaves a notice in the letterbox.

Sull'avviso c'è l'indirizzo dell'ufficio postale.
The notice has the address of the post office on it.

Il giorno dopo Olha va lì con la carta d'identità.
The next day Olha goes there with her ID card.

C'è una fila lunga e lei aspetta venti minuti.
There is a long queue and she waits twenty minutes.

Nel pacco ci sono due libri e una sciarpa di lana.
In the parcel there are two books and a woollen scarf.

La sciarpa sa ancora di casa sua.
The scarf still smells of her home.

Check yourself

  1. Why did Olha miss the delivery?
    Show answer

    She was at work

  2. What did she take to the post office?
    Show answer

    Her ID card

  3. What was in the parcel?
    Show answer

    Two books and a woollen scarf

The regional train

A1 · 4 min

Andrii deve andare in un paese vicino al mare.
Andrii has to go to a town near the sea.

Il treno regionale è lento ma costa poco.
The regional train is slow but cheap.

Compra il biglietto alla macchinetta in stazione.
He buys the ticket from the machine at the station.

Il biglietto di carta va convalidato prima di salire.
A paper ticket has to be validated before you board.

Le macchinette verdi sono all'inizio del binario.
The green validating machines are at the start of the platform.

Il treno parte con dieci minuti di ritardo.
The train leaves ten minutes late.

Nessuno si lamenta: qui succede spesso.
Nobody complains: it happens often here.

Dopo un'ora Andrii vede il mare dal finestrino.
After an hour Andrii sees the sea from the window.

Check yourself

  1. What must you do with a paper ticket?
    Show answer

    Validate it before boarding

  2. Where are the validating machines?
    Show answer

    At the start of the platform

  3. How do people react to the delay?
    Show answer

    Nobody complains

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