Italian for Elementary Learners: Talking About an Upcoming Trip to Japan
Learn to say you are going to Japan next month, share a simple itinerary, and distinguish a big trip from a weekend plan in Italian.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
In this lesson you will learn to talk about a bigger, longer trip in Italian, not just a weekend plan. You will use the near future with andare a plus an infinitive, say when you are leaving, and share a simple itinerary. Italian has grammatical gender and different articles, so you will see how to choose il, la, l', i, le, gli with places. You will also practise the difference between a short weekend plan and a real trip abroad.
By the end, you can…
- say that I am going to Japan next month using the near future.
- share a simple itinerary with days and cities.
- distinguish a big trip from a weekend plan in Italian.
- ask and answer where someone is going and for how long.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Il mese prossimo vado in Giappone.
Next month I'm going to Japan.
eel MEH-zeh PROHS-see-moh VAH-doh een jahp-POH-neh
Use vado in the present for a fixed near-future trip. In Giappone uses in for countries.
Parto il cinque e torno il venti.
I leave on the fifth and return on the twentieth.
PAR-toh eel CHEEN-kweh eh TOHR-noh eel VEN-tee
Use il plus a number for a date. Parto and torno are common for travel dates.
Resto in Giappone per due settimane.
I'm staying in Japan for two weeks.
REHS-toh een jahp-POH-neh pehr DOO-eh seht-tee-MAH-neh
Per expresses duration. Due settimane is feminine plural.
Prima visito Tokyo, poi vado a Kyoto.
First I visit Tokyo, then I go to Kyoto.
PREE-mah VEE-zee-toh TOH-kee-oh, poy VAH-doh ah KYOH-toh
Prima and poi organize an itinerary. A is used with cities.
È un viaggio lungo, non un fine settimana.
It's a long trip, not a weekend.
eh oon VYAHD-joh LOON-goh, nohn oon FEE-neh seht-tee-MAH-nah
Use this to contrast a big trip with a short weekend plan.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
For a planned near-future trip, Italian often uses the present tense: vado in Giappone, parto lunedì, torno il venti. You can also use the near future with andare a plus infinitive: vado a visitare Tokyo. Use in with countries: in Giappone, in Italia, in Francia. Use a with cities: a Tokyo, a Kyoto, a Roma. Articles change with gender and number: il Giappone, la Francia, l'Italia, i Paesi Bassi, le Filippine, gli Stati Uniti. For duration, use per: per due settimane, per un mese. For dates, use il plus the number: il cinque, il venti.
When to use it
Use these patterns when the trip is bigger and longer than a weekend. A weekend plan is often vado al mare sabato or faccio un fine settimana a Firenze. A real trip abroad sounds like il mese prossimo vado in Giappone, parto il cinque e torno il venti, resto due settimane. If you are asking a friend, say Dove vai? Quanto resti? Quando parti? If you are sharing your itinerary, use prima, poi, dopo: prima visito Tokyo, poi vado a Kyoto, dopo torno a casa. These phrases work in standard Italian; in informal speech you may hear parto il cinque and torno il venti without a subject pronoun.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Ciao! Ho sentito che hai un viaggio in programma.
Hi! I heard you have a trip planned.CHAH-oh! oh sehn-TEE-toh keh eye oon VYAHD-joh een proh-GRAHM-mahSì, il mese prossimo vado in Giappone. Parto il cinque e torno il venti.
Yes, next month I'm going to Japan. I leave on the fifth and return on the twentieth.see, eel MEH-zeh PROHS-see-moh VAH-doh een jahp-POH-neh. PAR-toh eel CHEEN-kweh eh TOHR-noh eel VEN-teeChe bello! Quanto resti?
How nice! How long are you staying?keh BEHL-loh! KWAHN-toh REHS-teeResto due settimane. Prima visito Tokyo, poi vado a Kyoto. È un viaggio lungo, non un fine settimana.
I'm staying two weeks. First I visit Tokyo, then I go to Kyoto. It's a long trip, not a weekend.REHS-toh DOO-eh seht-tee-MAH-neh. PREE-mah VEE-zee-toh TOH-kee-oh, poy VAH-doh ah KYOH-toh. eh oon VYAHD-joh LOON-goh, nohn oon FEE-neh seht-tee-MAH-nahA little context goes a long way
In Italian, a trip abroad is often described with in plus the country, while a city uses a. The present tense is very common for near-future plans, so vado in Giappone is normal even when you mean next month. In formal situations, use Lei: Quando parte? Quanto resta? In informal speech with friends, use tu: Quando parti? Quanto resti? Regional usage may vary slightly, but these standard forms are understood everywhere.
One thing to watch for
Saying vado a Giappone or vado in Tokyo.
Try this instead: Use in with countries and a with cities: vado in Giappone, vado a Tokyo. Also remember the article with the country name when needed: il Giappone, la Francia, l'Italia.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'Next month I'm going to Japan' in Italian?
Show a sample answer
Il mese prossimo vado in Giappone.
This uses the present tense for a near-future plan and in with a country. You can also say andrò in Giappone, but the present is very common.
2How do you say 'I'm staying for two weeks'?
Show a sample answer
Resto per due settimane.
Per expresses duration, and due settimane is feminine plural. You may also hear resto due settimane without per in informal speech.
3How do you contrast a long trip with a weekend in Italian?
Show a sample answer
È un viaggio lungo, non un fine settimana.
This sentence uses è un viaggio lungo and non un fine settimana. You could also say non è un fine settimana, è un viaggio lungo.
For a bigger, longer trip, use the present tense for near-future plans: vado in Giappone, parto il cinque, torno il venti, resto due settimane. Use in with countries and a with cities, and contrast it with a weekend plan.
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