Phrases › At the Bookshop › Cerco un dizionario italiano-inglese.

Cerco un dizionario italiano-inglese.

I am looking for an Italian-English dictionary.

Pronunciation

'Dizionario' — di-tsyo-NA-ryo. Five syllables.

When to use it

Essential phrase for language learners visiting Italian bookshops. Specifying the direction (italiano-inglese vs inglese-italiano) matters — they are different tools for different needs.

What it means

'Dizionario' = dictionary. 'Italiano-inglese' = Italian-English (goes from Italian to English — for translating Italian you find). 'Inglese-italiano' = English-Italian (goes from English to Italian — for finding the Italian word). Bidirectional dictionaries cover both.

Variations

Cerco un dizionario bilingue.

I am looking for a bilingual dictionary.

Both directions in one volume.

Avete dizionari tascabili?

Do you have pocket dictionaries?

'Tascabile' = pocket-sized (from 'tasca' = pocket).

Avete dizionari monolingue italiano?

Do you have Italian monolingual dictionaries?

For advanced learners — all in Italian.

Mini Dialogue

Cliente: Cerco un dizionario italiano-inglese. Libraia: Abbiamo Zanichelli, Garzanti e Collins. Ha preferenze? Cliente: Quale mi consiglia? Libraia: Il Zanichelli è il più completo — lo usano le scuole. Il Collins è ottimo per praticità.

Customer: I am looking for an Italian-English dictionary. Bookseller: We have Zanichelli, Garzanti, and Collins. Do you have preferences? Customer: Which do you recommend? Bookseller: The Zanichelli is the most comprehensive — schools use it. The Collins is excellent for practicality.

Cultural Note

Zanichelli (Bologna) is Italy's most prestigious dictionary publisher. 'Lo Zingarelli' (Italian monolingual dictionary) and the 'Vocabolario Treccani' are considered the gold standard for Italian lexicography. The publisher Treccani, based in Rome, also maintains Italy's national encyclopaedia.

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