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PhrasesOn the TrainFa molto caldo qui. L'aria condizionata funziona?
A2

Fa molto caldo qui. L'aria condizionata funziona?

It's very hot here. Is the air conditioning working?

Pronunciation

ar-ia-con-di-zio-NA-ta — six syllables, stress on fifth. fun-ZIO-na — stress on second syllable.

When to use it

On a hot day when the carriage temperature is uncomfortably high.

What it means

'Fa caldo' (it is hot) — Italian weather expressions use 'fare' (to make/to do) + adjective. 'L'aria condizionata funziona?' (is the air conditioning working?) — 'funzionare' (to work/function) is the key verb for asking about broken things.

Variations

Fa molto freddo in questo vagone.

It's very cold in this carriage.

Report excessive cold — crew can adjust temperature

Possono alzare la temperatura?

Can they turn up the temperature?

Ask the inspector to contact the driver

Ha la giacca? Fa un freddo polare.

Do you have a jacket? It's freezing cold.

Be prepared for very cold air conditioning in Italian summer trains

Mini Dialogue

— Fa molto caldo qui. L'aria condizionata funziona? — No, è guasta. L'hanno annunciato. — Terribile! Siamo a luglio. — Lo so. Hanno detto che provano a sistemare alla prossima sosta.

— It's very hot here. Is the air conditioning working? — No, it's broken. They announced it. — Terrible! It's July. — I know. They said they'll try to fix it at the next stop.

Cultural Note

Broken air conditioning on Italian regional trains in summer is an unfortunately common experience. The newer Flirt and Rock regional train models have reliable climate control, but older rolling stock can fail in heat. The winter equivalent is equally common — broken heating on cold days. Report failures to the inspector who can escalate to Trenitalia maintenance.