The boiler is broken: calling your landlord

The sentences you need

• Scusi il disturbo.

  Sorry to bother you.

• La caldaia non funziona.

  The boiler isn't working.

• Da ieri sera non c'è acqua calda.

  There's been no hot water since last night.

• Ho provato a spegnerla e riaccenderla.

  I tried turning it off and on again.

• Va bene nel pomeriggio?

  Is the afternoon OK?

• La riparazione la paga lei?

  Do you pay for the repair?

• È a carico suo.

  It's your responsibility, you pay for it.

Chapters

1. 0:00The conversation
2. 0:58Welcome
3. 1:35Line by line
4. 4:07Your turn
5. 5:12Italy, decoded
6. 5:51The conversation, again
7. 6:49See you next time

Full transcript

Italian lines are highlighted. Tap a time to listen from there.

1. 0:00Host

   Can you follow this? Don't worry if you can't. By the end of this episode, you will.

2. 0:05Voice 2

   Pronto?

3. 0:06Voice 1

   Buongiorno, signor Bianchi. Sono Kate, l'inquilina di via Mascarella.

4. 0:12Voice 2

   Ah, buongiorno. Mi dica.

5. 0:14Voice 1

   Scusi il disturbo. La caldaia non funziona. Da ieri sera non c'è acqua calda.

6. 0:21Voice 2

   Accidenti. C'è una luce rossa accesa?

7. 0:24Voice 1

   Sì, lampeggia. Ho provato a spegnerla e riaccenderla, ma niente.

8. 0:30Voice 2

   Va bene, chiamo il tecnico. Domani mattina è a casa?

9. 0:34Voice 1

   Domani lavoro fino alle due. Va bene nel pomeriggio?

10. 0:38Voice 2

    Gli dico di passare verso le tre. Le mando il suo numero per messaggio.

11. 0:42Voice 1

    Perfetto. E la riparazione la paga lei, vero?

12. 0:46Voice 2

    Se è un guasto, sì. Il controllo annuale invece è a carico suo.

13. 0:51Voice 1

    Giusto. Grazie mille, buona giornata.

14. 0:55Voice 2

    Buona giornata a lei.

15. 0:58Host

    "Ciao!" And welcome to Living in Italian, by Adesso Italian. One real situation from life in Italy, in under ten minutes.

16. 1:07Host

    Today: the phone call nobody wants to make. It's cold, there's no hot water, and you have to call your landlord, in Italian.

17. 1:16Host

    By the end, you'll be able to explain the problem, agree on a time for the technician, and ask who pays.

18. 1:23Host

    Quick note: the voices you hear are AI-generated. Every script is written for real life in Italy and checked by a native Italian speaker.

19. 1:31Host

    Let's go, line by line.

20. 1:34Host

    Italians answer the phone with "Pronto?" Literally: ready? It only means hello on the phone.

21. 1:42Host

    Then you say who you are:

22. 1:44Voice 1

    Buongiorno, signor Bianchi. Sono Kate, l'inquilina di via Mascarella.

23. 1:50Host

    "Sono Kate": I'm Kate. On the phone, Italians say "sono", not "mi chiamo". "L'inquilina" is the tenant, for a woman. A man is "l'inquilino". Saying the street helps: your landlord may have more than one flat.

24. 2:09Host

    He says "Mi dica", tell me, and you start politely:

25. 2:13Voice 1

    Scusi il disturbo. La caldaia non funziona.

26. 2:17Host

    "Scusi il disturbo": sorry to bother you. Perfect for any call to someone you don't know well. "La caldaia" is the boiler, the gas boiler that gives you hot water and, in many flats, heating too. "Non funziona": it's not working.

27. 2:34Host

    Then the detail: "Da ieri sera non c'è acqua calda." There's been no hot water since last night. Same trick as the pharmacy episode: present tense, plus "da".

28. 2:46Host

    He asks: "C'è una luce rossa accesa?" Is there a red light on? And you answer:

29. 2:52Voice 1

    Sì, lampeggia. Ho provato a spegnerla e riaccenderla, ma niente.

30. 2:58Host

    "Lampeggia": it's blinking. "Ho provato a spegnerla e riaccenderla": I tried turning it off and on again. Yes, it works in Italian too. "Ma niente": but nothing.

31. 3:11Host

    He'll call "il tecnico", the technician, and asks: "Domani mattina è a casa?" Are you home tomorrow morning? You suggest another time:

32. 3:21Voice 1

    Domani lavoro fino alle due. Va bene nel pomeriggio?

33. 3:26Host

    I work until two tomorrow. Is the afternoon OK? He says: "Gli dico di passare verso le tre." I'll tell him to come by around three. "Passare" is the verb for a quick visit.

34. 3:38Host

    Now the important question:

35. 3:41Voice 1

    E la riparazione la paga lei, vero?

36. 3:44Host

    And you pay for the repair, right? The answer: "Se è un guasto, sì. Il controllo annuale invece è a carico suo." If it's a breakdown, yes. The yearly check, though, is on you.

37. 3:57Host

    "A carico suo" means it's your cost, your responsibility. You'll see "a carico" in every rental contract.

38. 4:06Host

    Your turn. I'll say a sentence in English. In the pause, say it in Italian, out loud. Then listen to the answer.

39. 4:15Host

    Sorry to bother you.

40. 4:19Voice 1

    Scusi il disturbo.

41. 4:22Host

    The boiler isn't working.

42. 4:28Voice 1

    La caldaia non funziona.

43. 4:31Host

    There's been no hot water since last night.

44. 4:38Voice 1

    Da ieri sera non c'è acqua calda.

45. 4:42Host

    I tried turning it off and on again.

46. 4:49Voice 1

    Ho provato a spegnerla e riaccenderla.

47. 4:53Host

    Is the afternoon OK?

48. 4:58Voice 1

    Va bene nel pomeriggio?

49. 5:00Host

    One more, a little harder. Do you pay for the repair?

50. 5:08Voice 1

    La riparazione la paga lei?

51. 5:12Host

    Italy, decoded. Who pays for what?

52. 5:16Host

    As a general rule, ordinary maintenance is the tenant's job, and that usually includes the yearly boiler check. Repairs for a real breakdown, or a part that's simply worn out, are usually the landlord's. Your contract can say more, so read the part that says "a carico".

53. 5:33Host

    And if you have central heating in your building, it can only be switched on in certain months, depending on your climate zone. So if the radiators are cold in early October, it might not be broken at all.

54. 5:44Host

    One last tip: after the call, send a short message too. That way it's in writing.

55. 5:51Host

    Now, the full conversation again. This time, you'll understand all of it.

56. 5:56Voice 2

    Pronto?

57. 5:57Voice 1

    Buongiorno, signor Bianchi. Sono Kate, l'inquilina di via Mascarella.

58. 6:02Voice 2

    Ah, buongiorno. Mi dica.

59. 6:05Voice 1

    Scusi il disturbo. La caldaia non funziona. Da ieri sera non c'è acqua calda.

60. 6:11Voice 2

    Accidenti. C'è una luce rossa accesa?

61. 6:15Voice 1

    Sì, lampeggia. Ho provato a spegnerla e riaccenderla, ma niente.

62. 6:20Voice 2

    Va bene, chiamo il tecnico. Domani mattina è a casa?

63. 6:24Voice 1

    Domani lavoro fino alle due. Va bene nel pomeriggio?

64. 6:28Voice 2

    Gli dico di passare verso le tre. Le mando il suo numero per messaggio.

65. 6:33Voice 1

    Perfetto. E la riparazione la paga lei, vero?

66. 6:37Voice 2

    Se è un guasto, sì. Il controllo annuale invece è a carico suo.

67. 6:42Voice 1

    Giusto. Grazie mille, buona giornata.

68. 6:46Voice 2

    Buona giornata a lei.

69. 6:48Host

    That's it for today. If you want to practise situations like this one, with exercises and instant correction, Studio has a whole path about your home in Italy, and Unit 1 is free. The link is in the show notes.

70. 7:01Host

    Next episode: the "comune", and how to register your new address.

71. 7:07Host

    This was Living in Italian, by Adesso Italian. See you next time.