Italian for the Copy Shop: Saying an Emailed File Hasn't Arrived
Handle a print deadline in Italian: explain that your emailed file hasn't arrived, ask staff to check, and offer to resend it or bring it on a USB stick.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
You are at the copy shop (il centro copie or la copisteria) minutes before a deadline, and the file you emailed has not arrived. This lesson gives you calm, polite Italian to explain the problem, ask staff to check the inbox, and offer two solutions: resend the email or bring the file on a USB stick (una chiavetta USB). You will practise the key phrase il file non è arrivato and the question L'ho inviato ieri, può controllare la posta? You will also learn to understand the staff's troubleshooting questions, so the conversation moves toward a solution instead of stalling.
By the end, you can…
- explain that an emailed file has not arrived and say when I sent it.
- ask staff to check the inbox and offer to resend the file or bring it on a USB stick.
- understand common troubleshooting questions about file name, address and format.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Buongiorno, ho inviato un file ieri sera, ma non è arrivato.
Good morning, I sent a file yesterday evening, but it hasn't arrived.
bwon-JOR-no, o in-vee-AH-to oon FEE-leh YEH-ree SEH-rah, ma non eh ar-ree-VAH-to
Use this to open the conversation at the counter. Ieri sera means yesterday evening; ieri mattina means yesterday morning.
L'ho inviato ieri, può controllare la posta?
I sent it yesterday, can you check the email?
lo in-vee-AH-to YEH-ree, pwo kon-trol-LAH-reh la POS-tah
L'ho inviato is the natural contracted form of lo ho inviato. La posta here means email, not physical mail.
Posso portarlo su chiavetta.
I can bring it on a USB stick.
POS-so por-TAR-lo soo kyah-VET-tah
Portarlo agrees with the masculine object il file. For a feminine object, use portarla.
Lo rimando subito, qual è il vostro indirizzo?
I'll resend it right away, what's your address?
lo ree-MAN-do SOO-bee-to, kwal eh eel VOS-tro in-dee-REET-tso
Use this if you want to resend immediately. Rimandare means to send again; it is not the same as mandare, to send.
Il file si chiama preventivo_definitivo.pdf.
The file is called preventivo_definitivo.pdf.
eel FEE-leh see KYAH-mah pre-ven-TEE-vo de-fee-nee-TEE-vo
Give the exact file name. Si chiama is the standard way to say something is called.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To report a missing file, use the passato prossimo with essere: il file non è arrivato. The participle arrivato agrees with the masculine subject il file. If you are talking about la mail or la email, which is feminine, say la mail non è arrivata. To say when you sent it, use the passato prossimo with avere: L'ho inviato ieri. The participle inviato stays the same because the direct object pronoun lo comes before the verb. Compare: Ho inviato il file ieri and L'ho inviato ieri.
When to use it
Use these patterns at the counter or on the phone when a deadline is close. Start with a polite greeting and the problem: Buongiorno, il file non è arrivato. Then give the time: L'ho inviato ieri sera. Ask staff to check: Può controllare la posta? If they cannot find it, offer a solution: Posso rimandarlo subito or Posso portarlo su chiavetta. If they ask about the file name or format, answer with Il file si chiama... and the exact name. Keep the tone collaborative, not accusatory.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Buongiorno, ho inviato un file ieri sera, ma non è arrivato.
Good morning, I sent a file yesterday evening, but it hasn't arrived.bwon-JOR-no, o in-vee-AH-to oon FEE-leh YEH-ree SEH-rah, ma non eh ar-ree-VAH-toControllo subito. A quale indirizzo l'ha mandato?
I'll check right away. Which address did you send it to?kon-TROL-lo SOO-bee-to. a KWA-leh in-dee-REET-tso la MAN-dah-toAll'indirizzo sul sito. Posso rimandarlo adesso o portarlo su chiavetta.
To the address on the website. I can resend it now or bring it on a USB stick.al-lin-dee-REET-tso sool SEE-to. POS-so ree-man-DAR-lo a-DES-so o por-TAR-lo soo kyah-VET-tahProvi a rimandarlo. Se non arriva, lo copi sulla chiavetta.
Try resending it. If it doesn't arrive, copy it onto the USB stick.PRO-vee a ree-man-DAR-lo. seh non ar-REE-vah, lo KO-pee SOOL-lah kyah-VET-tahA little context goes a long way
In Italian copy shops, staff usually address customers with the polite lei form. Use può controllare, not puoi controllare, unless you already know the person well. La posta can mean email in this context, while la posta elettronica is the full term. Chiavetta is the common everyday word for a USB stick; the full form is chiavetta USB. Regional usage varies: in some areas people say la copisteria, in others il centro copie.
One thing to watch for
Ho inviato il file ieri, ma non è arrivato ancora.
Try this instead: The adverb ancora usually goes before the participle in this structure: non è ancora arrivato. Say Ho inviato il file ieri, ma non è ancora arrivato. You can also say non è arrivato, but the placement non è ancora arrivato is the standard neutral order.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say that the file has not arrived, using the correct participle agreement?
Show a sample answer
Il file non è arrivato.
Il file is masculine singular, so the participle is arrivato. If you were talking about la mail, the correct form would be la mail non è arrivata.
2You want to offer to bring the file on a USB stick. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
Posso portarlo su chiavetta.
Portarlo agrees with il file. You could also say Posso portare il file su chiavetta, which is equally correct and slightly more explicit.
3Staff ask A quale indirizzo l'ha mandato? What are they asking?
Show a sample answer
They are asking which email address you sent it to.
A quale indirizzo means to which address, and l'ha mandato is the polite past form. A valid answer is All'indirizzo sul sito or the exact address.
At the copy shop, state the problem clearly with il file non è arrivato, say when you sent it, then offer a concrete next step: rimandarlo or portarlo su chiavetta.
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