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PhrasesOn the MetroHo perso il portafoglio sul metro — cosa faccio?
B1

Ho perso il portafoglio sul metro — cosa faccio?

I lost my wallet on the metro — what do I do?

Pronunciation

'Portafoglio' — por-ta-FO-lyo. The 'gl' before 'i' sounds like 'ly' in 'million'.

When to use it

Use this urgent phrase with station staff immediately after realising something is missing. The faster you report it, the higher the chance of recovery.

What it means

'Ho perso' is the passato prossimo of 'perdere'. Note: with 'avere' verbs in passato prossimo, the past participle does not agree with the subject. 'Cosa faccio?' (What do I do?) is a highly useful phrase expressing helplessness and asking for guidance.

Variations

Mi hanno rubato il portafoglio.

My wallet was stolen.

Use if you suspect theft rather than loss.

Devo fare una denuncia?

Do I need to file a police report?

Necessary for insurance claims and card cancellation.

C'è un ufficio oggetti smarriti?

Is there a lost and found office?

The right place to go for lost items.

Mini Dialogue

— Ho perso il portafoglio sul metro, cosa faccio? — Si calmi. Ha lasciato qualcosa sul treno? — Credo di sì, era nella tasca della giacca. — Vada all'ufficio oggetti smarriti al piano terra.

— I lost my wallet on the metro, what do I do? — Calm down. Did you leave something on the train? — I think so, it was in my jacket pocket. — Go to the lost and found office on the ground floor.

Cultural Note

Rome's metro lost and found (Ufficio Oggetti Rinvenuti) is at Termini station. In Milan it is at the ATM Point offices. Items found on trains are handed in within 24 hours if passengers are honest — and many are.