The s before another consonant in Italian

1. 1
   sveglia/ˈzveʎʎa/

   alarm clocknoun

   A clock that rings at the time you've set to wake you up.
2. 2
   svegliare/zveʎˈʎare/

   to wake upverb

   To make someone stop sleeping.
3. 3
   sbrigarsi/zbriˈɡarsi/

   to hurryverb

   To do something quickly.
4. 4
   smettere/ˈzmettere/

   to stopverb

   To no longer do something.
5. 5
   sbagliare/zbaʎˈʎare/

   get wrongverb

   To do or say something in a way that isn't correct.
6. 6
   stanco/ˈstanko/

   tiredadjective

   Needing to rest.
7. 7
   stufo/ˈstufo/

   fed upadjective

   Unable to put up with something any longer.
8. 8
   scuola/ˈskwɔla/

   schoolnoun

   A place you go to learn.
9. 9
   strada/ˈstrada/

   roadnoun

   A way where cars and people pass.
10. 10
    spuntino/spunˈtino/

    snacknoun

    A small, quick meal.

The sentences

1. La sveglia non ha suonato e sono già le otto.

   The alarm didn't go off and it's already eight.

2. Potevi svegliare anche me, sono in ritardo.

   You could have woken me up too, I'm late.

3. Bisogna sbrigarsi, tra cinque minuti dobbiamo essere fuori.

   We need to hurry, we have to be out in five minutes.

4. Devi smettere di rimandare la sveglia ogni mattina.

   You need to stop hitting snooze every morning.

5. Non voglio sbagliare autobus proprio questa mattina.

   I don't want to get the wrong bus this morning of all mornings.

6. Sono ancora stanco, ieri sono andato a letto tardi.

   I'm still tired, I went to bed late last night.

7. Sono stufo di arrivare sempre in ritardo.

   I'm sick of always being late.

8. Oggi arriviamo tardi a scuola, prendi lo zaino.

   We're going to be late for school today, grab your backpack.

9. Se prendi questa strada arrivi prima in ufficio.

   If you take this road you'll get to the office sooner.

10. Mangio uno spuntino per strada, non ho tempo.

    I'll eat a snack on the way, I don't have time.

Pronunciation

• sveglia/ˈzveʎʎa/

  The s before v is voiced, as in sbaglio; -gli- is a single, long sound.

• svegliare/zveʎˈʎare/

  The gli is a single long sound, as in figlio.

• sbrigarsi/zbriˈɡarsi/

  The s before the b is voiced, like the s in rosa.

• smettere/ˈzmettere/

  The s before the m is voiced, like the s in rosa.

• sbagliare/zbaʎˈʎare/

  The initial s sounds like a soft z, and the gli cluster is held long: sba-GLIA-re.

Good to know

coperto

In restaurants many places add a cover charge to the bill, a small amount per person for bread and the table. It is usually printed on the menu.

caffè al banco

Italian breakfast is often a coffee and a pastry taken standing at a café bar. You usually pay at the till first and show the receipt at the counter.

scontrino

After buying something in a shop or café you usually get a receipt, called a scontrino. It's best to keep it while you are still in the place.

Questions

How do you say "hurry up" in Italian?

Use sbrigarsi, which means to do something quickly. In the collection: "Bisogna sbrigarsi, tra cinque minuti dobbiamo essere fuori."

What do I say if I'm tired of being late?

You can say "Sono stufo di arrivare sempre in ritardo." Stufo means fed up, unable to put up with something any longer.

What does svegliare mean in Italian?

Svegliare means to make someone stop sleeping. The gli is a single long sound, as in figlio.