Listening traps: changes, 'no', in the end
By the end of this lesson you can recognise the words that signal a change, a negation or a decision, and you choose what is decided in the end.
5 min · Level B1
In listening, the wrong options are often things that are really said: a time mentioned and then changed, a place suggested and then rejected. That's why you must listen to the end and understand the final decision.
When you hear one of these signals, pay attention to what comes next: it is usually the right information. What you heard before often becomes a wrong option.
Listen carefully for non: in fast speech it is short and hard to hear (non c'è, non serve). One single word changes the meaning of the whole sentence.
On the page
Ci vediamo alle cinque... anzi no, alle sei.
Let's meet at five... actually no, at six.
Il colloquio non è martedì, ma giovedì.
The interview isn't on Tuesday, but on Thursday.
Di solito il medico riceve il lunedì; questa settimana invece riceve il martedì.
The doctor usually sees patients on Mondays; this week, instead, he sees them on Tuesday.
Il certificato non serve più: basta la tessera sanitaria.
The certificate is no longer needed: the health card is enough.
Il parcheggio è gratuito solo per chi abita nel quartiere.
Parking is free only for people who live in the neighbourhood.
Va bene, allora prendo il treno delle otto.
OK, then I'll take the eight o'clock train.
Common mistakes
✗ Sento «alle cinque» e scelgo subito le cinque.→ Ascolto fino alla fine: «... anzi no, alle sei». Scelgo le sei.
The first time or place you hear is often not the right one. Wait for the end of the sentence and the decision.
✗ «L'autobus non passa più di qui» = l'autobus passa di qui.→ «L'autobus non passa più di qui» = prima passava di qui, adesso no.
In fast speech non is short and easy to miss. Listen carefully just before the verb: non c'è, non serve, non passa più.
✗ «Alle cinque, anzi alle sei» = alle cinque.→ «Alle cinque, anzi alle sei» = alle sei.
Anzi and invece don't look like any English or Arabic words, so speakers of these languages often don't hear them as signals. Anzi corrects what you have just heard, like actually, I mean in English and bal in Arabic. Invece is like instead.
✗ «Perciò» = però, ma.→ «Perciò» = quindi, per questo.
Però looks like Spanish pero and means ma (but): fine. But perciò means quindi (so), like por eso in Spanish and por isso in Portuguese: Il treno è in ritardo, perciò prendo l'autobus.
Check yourself
Giulia e Youssef si vedono:
Dove fanno la festa?
Per fare l'abbonamento Elira deve portare:
João compra:
In one line
Listen to the end: after anzi, ma, invece, non... più, solo per chi and allora the right information usually comes, and what is said before is often the trap.
civicoach practice booklet · not an official document