In a previous lesson, we talked about transportation vocabulary, specifically ground transportation. Now, let's look at some other terms to know. To speak generally, we refer to mezzi di trasporto (means of transportation). And getting more specific, we can talk about mezzi pubblici (public transportation).
Nella grande città per fare qualsiasi cosa hai bisogno della macchina, hai bisogno dei mezzi pubblici, devi aspettare l'autobus, devi prendere la metropolitana, devi farti largo in mezzo alle persone, invece qui è tutto tranquillo.
In the big city in order to do anything you have to take the car, you need public transportation; you have to wait for the bus, you have to take the subway, you have to get out of people's way, whereas here it's all very quiet.
Captions 9-12, Giuliano in Vacanze a Riva del Garda
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The noun or adjective mezzo has multiple meanings. One important meaning is "half" but it also means "middle," or "means." When the context is clear, i mezzi di trasporto can be shortened to i mezzi. In the following example, mezzi refers to vehicles of various kinds, such as trucks and tanks. The context is World War I.
Altre invece costituivano più le retrovie che alimentavano di uomini, mezzi, munizioni, eccetera,
Others instead made up the rear that supplied men, transport, munitions, et cetera
Captions 50-51, Meraviglie EP. 5 - Part 9
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We can also use the noun il veicolo. It mainly refers to a mechanical means of transportation operated by a person, such as una macchina (a car) or un camion (a truck).
La via è una strada lunga e larga, adatta alla circolazione di persone e veicoli.
The street is a long and broad, suitable for the circulation of people and vehicles.
Captions 17-18, Marika spiega La strada
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In the context of a town or city, it's clear that i mezzi refer to public transportation.
Oppure è meglio prendere delle biciclette? Ci sono dei mezzi? Come funziona? -Quanto tempo hai a disposizione?
Or is it better to get bicycles? Is there public transportation? How does it work? -How much time do you have available?
Captions 23-25, In giro per l'Italia Lucca - Part 1
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When we talk about getting around, especially locally, one verb we can use is spostare, in its reflexive form, spostarsi. This is an interview with some high school students.
Come ti sposti? -Coi mezzi o in bici.
How do you get around? -With public transportation or by bike.
Captions 59-60, Le Interviste I liceali - Part 3
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To get around using a specific means of transportation, we use the verb prendere (to take), just like in English.
Eh, la madre dei ragazzi è morta tre anni fa, ma il padre, Cosimo, ieri ha preso un treno per Napoli
Uh, the mother of the kids died three years ago, but the father, Cosimo, yesterday, took a train to Naples
Captions 51-52, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone S1EP4 Gelo - Part 3
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We can use the verb collegare (to connect) to refer to how to reach places such as cities and towns. We note also that we use the preposition in (in) to refer to the specific means of transportation.
Com'è collegata? -La Campania è collegatissima, quindi ci si può arrivare in treno, in aereo, in macchina o in nave.
How is it connected? -Campania is very accessible, meaning you can get there by train, by plane, by car, or by ship.
Captions 81-84, L'Italia a tavola Interrogazione sulla Campania
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Some towns, notably hilltop towns, are not very accessible by car. There is very limited parking and the streets are narrow. One solution is to have a small bus that shuttles people back and forth from a parking lot to the center of town. It's called la navetta.
Ci sono delle navette che tutto il giorno, con una cadenza oraria, visitano tutti i luoghi che fanno parte del programma.
There are shuttles, which, all day, with hourly frequency, visit all the places that are part of the program.
Captions 30-31, Ferrari Museo Ferrari Maranello
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In future lessons, we'll talk about other topics related to getting around.
Let's look at the different names Italians have for vessels that travel on water.
The most basic word, and the first word you'll likely learn, is la barca (the boat). It's general, it starts with B, just like "boat!"
A Villa Borghese si possono fare tantissime cose: si può noleggiare una barca... per navigare nel laghetto;
At Villa Borghese, you can do many things: you can rent a boat... to sail on the small lake;
Captions 10-12, Anna presenta Villa Borghese - Part 1
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If we want to specify the kind of boat, such as a sailboat, then we use the preposition a (to, at) to indicate the type: barca a vela (sailboat).
E lui fa il cuoco sulle barche a vela, in giro per il mondo.
And he's a cook on sailboats, going around the world.
Caption 28, La Ladra EP. 1 - Le cose cambiano - Part 9
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A motorboat would be una barca a motore.
A fishing boat can be una barca da pesca, but also, and more commonly, un peschereccio.
E... questa tartaruga è arrivata in... proprio ieri, portata da un peschereccio di Lampedusa.
And... this turtle arrived... just yesterday, brought to us by a Lampedusa fishing boat.
Captions 4-5, WWF Italia Progetto tartarughe - Part 2
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The second word you'll learn will likely be la nave (the ship):
La Campania è collegatissima, quindi ci si può arrivare in treno, in aereo, in macchina o in nave.
Campania is very accessible, meaning you can get there by train, by plane, by car, or by ship.
Captions 82-84, L'Italia a tavola Interrogazione sulla Campania
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There are the ships we see on the sea, but there are ferryboats, too, especially the ones that take you from Italy's mainland to le isole (the islands): Sicilia (Sicily), Sardegna (Sardinia), Corsica (although not part of Italy — a common destination), and l'Isola d'Elba. This specific kind of boat is called un traghetto. But if you call it la nave, that's perfectly understandable, too. Some of these ferries are huge. In the following example, we're talking about getting to Sardinia.
Ci sono tre aeroporti, se si vuole arrivare in aereo. Oppure con il traghetto da Civitavecchia, da Genova o da Napoli.
There are three airports if one wishes to arrive by plane. Or by ferry from Civitavecchia, from Genoa, or from Naples.
Captions 70-71, L'Italia a tavola Interrogazione sulla Sardegna
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If you go to Venice, you will undoubtedly take a ferry at some point. Here, the local means of transportation is il vaporetto (the steamship). The name comes from il vapore (the steam). There are stops you get off at, just like for busses, subways, and trains in mainland cities.
When you need speed, you opt for un motoscafo (a motorboat, a speedboat). That's what the police use.
Another boat name used in Venice, but other places, too, is battello.
Per arrivare a Murano, basta prendere un battello a Venezia e in pochi minuti si arriva.
To get to Murano, all you have to do is take a passenger boat in Venice, and in just a few minutes, you get there.
Captions 23-25, In giro per l'Italia Venezia - Part 8
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Interestingly, when Italians use the noun la canoa, they often mean "kayak." The noun kayak exists as well. When they want to refer to a canoe, they'll say la canoa canadese (the Canadian canoe).
Nelle gole dell'Alcantara, si possono praticare sport estremi come l'idrospeed, che consiste nello scendere attraverso le gole, ma anche la più tranquilla canoa.
In the Alcantara gorges one can practice extreme sports like riverboarding, which consists of going down the gorges, but also the calmer kayak.
Captions 19-21, Linea Blu Sicilia - Part 10
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To use a canoe or a kayak you need a paddle— la pagaia.
If we want to talk about a rowboat, it's una barca a remi. Un remo is "an oar," so we need 2 of them in una barca a remi. The verb to row is remare.
In Venice, there are gondolas, and they are rowed or paddled with just one oar.
Questa asimmetria è voluta per dare più spazio al gondoliere per remare con il suo unico remo.
This asymmetry is needed to give more space to the gondolier to row with his one and only oar.
Captions 18-19, In giro per l'Italia Venezia - Part 5
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A common expression having to do with rowing is:
Tirare i remi in barca (to pull the oars back in the boat). You stop rowing. Figuratively, you stop trying, you give up. Or, you've finished your job so you don't have to "row" any longer. Maybe you've retired! This nuanced expression can tend towards a positive or negative intention and interpretation.
Finally, we have la zattera (the raft). It's often primitive, often made of wood.
Are there kinds of boats for which you would like to know the Italian equivalent? Write to us. newsletter@yabla.com.
There are undoubtedly other kinds of seafaring vessels we have missed here. Feel free to volunteer some you might have come across.
And to sum up, we will mention that in general, when talking about vessels that travel on the water, we can use l'imbarcazione. It's good to recognize this word and understand it, but you likely won't need it in everyday conversation. You'll hear it on the news, you'll read it in articles...
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