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PhrasesOn the TrainNon ho capito il motivo del ritardo. Ha sentito lei?
B1

Non ho capito il motivo del ritardo. Ha sentito lei?

I didn't understand the reason for the delay. Did you hear?

Pronunciation

mo-TI-vo — stress on second syllable. ha-SEN-ti-to — three syllables, stress on second.

When to use it

Ask a fellow passenger when the driver announces a delay reason over the PA but the announcement was unclear or too fast to follow.

What it means

Non ho capito (I did not understand) — passato prossimo of capire. Il motivo del ritardo (the reason for the delay) — motivo (reason/motive). Ha sentito lei (did you hear) — formal Lei question using the passato prossimo of sentire.

Variations

Ha detto qualcosa sull'arrivo?

Did it say something about the arrival?

Ha detto (did it say) — asking about the content of the announcement

Sembra un guasto o uno sciopero?

Does it seem like a breakdown or a strike?

Guasto (breakdown) / sciopero (strike) — the two most common delay causes

L'app di Trenitalia cosa dice?

What does the Trenitalia app say?

Checking the app often provides more detail than the announcement

Mini Dialogue

— Non ho capito il motivo del ritardo. Ha sentito lei? — Sì, ha detto che c'è un guasto a un deviatoio vicino a Firenze. — E quanto durerà? — Non l'hanno detto. Di solito un'ora in questi casi.

— I didn't understand the reason for the delay. Did you hear? — Yes, they said there is a fault at a points switch near Florence. — And how long will it last? — They didn't say. Usually an hour in these cases.

Cultural Note

Italian train delay announcements are sometimes deliberately vague — the railway prefers not to commit to estimated resolution times until they have more information, which frustrates passengers but reduces further complaints.