Reading Comprehension: Everyday Texts

Beyond news articles and literature, everyday life in Italy is full of texts you need to read and understand — menus, signs, timetables, emails, advertisements, and recipes. These practical texts use specific vocabulary and formats. Mastering them makes daily life in Italy much smoother and more enjoyable.

---

Reading Menus (Il Menù)

Italian restaurant menus follow a standard structure based on the traditional Italian meal.

Menu Sections

Italian	English	What You'll Find
Antipasti	Starters	Bruschetta, affettati misti, caprese
Primi (piatti)	First courses	Pasta, risotto, soup
Secondi (piatti)	Main courses	Meat, fish, seafood
Contorni	Side dishes	Vegetables, salads, potatoes
Dolci	Desserts	Tiramisù, panna cotta, gelato
Bevande	Drinks	Water, wine, soft drinks
Coperto	Cover charge	A per-person charge (usually 1–3 euros)

Common Menu Vocabulary

Italian	English
del giorno	of the day
della casa	of the house (house special)
fatto in casa	homemade
alla griglia	grilled
al forno	baked / oven-roasted
fritto/a	fried
ripieno/a	stuffed
stagionale	seasonal
su prenotazione	by reservation / pre-order
prezzo fisso	fixed price
IVA inclusa	VAT included

Sample Menu

TRATTORIA DA NONNA MARIA
Menù del giorno — Pranzo

ANTIPASTI
  Bruschetta al pomodoro .............. €4,00
  Affettati misti della casa .......... €7,00
  Mozzarella di bufala con pomodorini .. €6,50

PRIMI
  Spaghetti alla carbonara ............ €9,00
  Risotto ai funghi porcini ........... €10,00
  Minestrone della casa ............... €6,00

SECONDI
  Pollo alla griglia con rosmarino ..... €11,00
  Filetto di branzino al forno ........ €14,00
  Scaloppine al limone ................ €12,00

CONTORNI
  Insalata mista ...................... €3,50
  Patate arrosto ...................... €4,00
  Verdure grigliate ................... €4,50

DOLCI
  Tiramisù fatto in casa .............. €5,00
  Panna cotta ai frutti di bosco ...... €5,00

Coperto: €2,00 a persona — IVA inclusa

---

Reading Signs (I Cartelli)

Signs in Italy range from official to informal. Here are the most common ones you will encounter.

Essential Signs

Italian	English	Where You See It
Entrata / Ingresso	Entrance	Buildings, stations
Uscita	Exit	Buildings, stations
Uscita di emergenza	Emergency exit	Public buildings
Aperto	Open	Shops, restaurants
Chiuso	Closed	Shops, restaurants
Tirare / Spingere	Pull / Push	Doors
Vietato fumare	No smoking	Public places
Vietato l'ingresso	No entry	Restricted areas
Attenzione	Warning / Attention	Various
Pericolo	Danger	Construction sites, roads
Lavori in corso	Works in progress	Roads, buildings
Deviazione	Detour	Roads
Saldi / Sconti	Sales / Discounts	Shops
Cassa	Cash register / Checkout	Shops
Camerino / Camerini	Fitting room(s)	Clothing shops
Bagno / Servizi / WC	Toilet	Restaurants, public places
Uomini / Donne	Men / Women	Toilets
Occupato / Libero	Occupied / Free	Toilets, parking

---

Reading Timetables (Gli Orari)

Italian timetables for trains, buses, and ferries use the 24-hour clock.

Key Timetable Vocabulary

Italian	English
orario	timetable / schedule
partenza / partenze	departure(s)
arrivo / arrivi	arrival(s)
binario	platform (trains)
fermata	stop (buses)
capolinea	terminus
ritardo	delay
in orario	on time
soppresso	cancelled
giornaliero	daily
feriale	weekdays (Monday–Saturday)
festivo	Sundays and public holidays
andata	one way
andata e ritorno	return / round trip

Sample Train Timetable

TRENITALIA — Roma Termini → Firenze Santa Maria Novella

Partenza    Arrivo      Durata     Tipo         Binario
06:20       07:51       1h 31m     Frecciarossa    15
07:45       09:38       1h 53m     Intercity        8
08:50       10:22       1h 32m     Frecciarossa    12
10:15       12:45       2h 30m     Regionale        3
12:30       14:02       1h 32m     Frecciarossa    18

Nota: I treni regionali fermano a tutte le stazioni intermedie.

---

Reading Emails (Le Email)

Email communication in Italian has clear conventions for formal and informal writing.

Formal Email Structure

Part	Italian	English
Greeting	Gentile Sig./Sig.ra [Cognome],	Dear Mr/Mrs [Surname],
Greeting (very formal)	Egregio/Egregia Dott./Dott.ssa [Cognome],	Distinguished Dr [Surname],
Opening	Le scrivo in merito a...	I am writing to you regarding...
Body	Come da accordi... / In riferimento a...	As agreed... / With reference to...
Request	La prego di... / Vorrei chiederLe...	I ask you to... / I would like to ask you...
Closing	In attesa di un Suo riscontro...	Awaiting your reply...
Sign-off	Cordiali saluti / Distinti saluti	Kind regards / Best regards

Sample Formal Email

Oggetto: Richiesta informazioni — Corso di italiano

Gentile Sig.ra Rossi,