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PhrasesOn the TrainPosso aprire il finestrino?
A1

Posso aprire il finestrino?

Can I open the window?

Pronunciation

fi-nes-TRI-no — stress on third syllable. A-pri-re — stress on first syllable.

When to use it

On regional trains in warm weather when the carriage is hot and ventilation is needed.

What it means

'Aprire' (to open) is one of the four fundamental verbs alongside 'chiudere' (to close), 'accendere' (to turn on), and 'spegnere' (to turn off). On modern high-speed trains windows cannot be opened. On older regional trains they can — but it is polite to ask other passengers first.

Variations

Ha caldo anche lei?

Are you also hot?

Check that others share your need before opening the window

Posso chiudere il finestrino? C'è corrente.

Can I close the window? There's a draught.

The opposite request

Fa troppo caldo qui. C'è l'aria condizionata?

It's too hot here. Is there air conditioning?

Better long-term solution than opening a window

Mini Dialogue

— Posso aprire il finestrino? C'è molto caldo. — Sì, certo. Fa caldo anche a me. — Grazie. Purtroppo l'aria condizionata non funziona bene. — No, è un treno vecchio. D'estate soffriamo tutti.

— Can I open the window? It's very hot. — Yes, of course. I'm hot too. — Thank you. Unfortunately the air conditioning isn't working well. — No, it's an old train. In summer we all suffer.

Cultural Note

Italy's regional train fleet includes both modern air-conditioned units and older carriages without climate control. Summer journeys on older regional trains can be very hot. High-speed trains (Frecciarossa, Italo) are fully climate-controlled. Italians use the expression 'corrente d'aria' (draught) as a general danger to health — opening windows can cause complaints.