Getting through the Questura: Giving your fingerprints for your permesso di soggiorno
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Key Phrases
Ho un appuntamento per le impronte digitali.
I have an appointment for my fingerprints.
Metta le quattro dita della mano destra qui.
Put the four fingers of your right hand here.
Le arriva un SMS quando è pronto.
You'll get a text message when it's ready.
Skills You'll Learn
Being able to explain the purpose of an official appointment
Saper spiegare lo scopo di un appuntamento ufficiale
Understanding and following physical instructions during a procedure
Capire e seguire istruzioni fisiche durante una procedura
Asking about and confirming next steps after a bureaucratic process
Chiedere e confermare i prossimi passi dopo una pratica burocratica
Lesson Roleplay
Imagine you're at the police immigration office in Italy for your residence permit. You have an appointment to give your fingerprints.
Buongiorno. Ho un appuntamento per le impronte digitali.
Good morning. I have an appointment for my fingerprints.
Buongiorno. Mi dà il passaporto e la ricevuta, per favore?
Good morning. Could you give me your passport and the receipt, please?
Ecco a Lei.
Here you are.
Grazie. Metta le quattro dita della mano destra qui.
Thank you. Put the four fingers of your right hand here.
Così va bene?
Is this okay?
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
Ho un appuntamento
oh oon ap-poon-tah-MEN-toh
I have an appointment
💬 Ho "I have" is spelled with an h that's never pronounced: (oh). The same silent h shows up in hai "you have" and ha "he/she has".
See breakdown →Le impronte digitali
leh eem-PROHN-teh dee-jee-TAH-lee
Fingerprints
💬 digitali comes from dito "finger", not from anything to do with computers. So impronte digitali is literally "finger prints".
See breakdown →Ho un appuntamento per le impronte digitali.
oh oon ap-poon-tah-MEN-toh pehr leh eem-PROHN-teh dee-jee-TAH-lee
I have an appointment for my fingerprints.
🇮🇹 Show the appointment letter or SMS together with your post-office receipt at the entrance. Staff often won't let you in without them.
See breakdown →L'appuntamento
l ap-poon-tah-MEN-toh
Appointment
💬 lo "the" shortens to l' before a vowel and attaches to the noun. Same with l'ufficio "the office".
See breakdown →Mi dà il passaporto?
mee dah eel pahs-sah-POR-toh
Can you give me your passport?
💬 The accent matters. dà means "gives", while da without an accent means "from".
See breakdown →La ricevuta
lah ree-cheh-VOO-tah
The receipt
🇮🇹 This is the slip you got at the post office when you sent your application. Guard it, because it's your proof that you're legally waiting for the permit.
See breakdown →Per favore
pehr fah-VOH-reh
Please
Mi dà il passaporto e la ricevuta, per favore?
mee dah eel pahs-sah-POR-toh eh lah ree-cheh-VOO-tah pehr fah-VOH-reh
Could you give me the passport and the receipt, please?
💬 Italians make polite requests with a plain question, without any "could". Same pattern: Mi passa la penna? "Could you pass me the pen?"
See breakdown →Ecco a Lei.
EH-koh ah LAY
Here you are.
🇮🇹 This is the natural thing to say as you slide your documents across the counter. It's polite and formal, just right for an official.
See breakdown →Learn this vocabulary list the easy way
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