Lesson 13 of 18 · Hotel
Request Basic Linen and Supplies from a Colleague
Tell a coworker what supplies are needed or missing from the housekeeping trolley using towels, pillowcases, and toilet paper, and confirm quantities of one or two.
Learn these expressions
Serve la carta igienica.
We need toilet paper.
Stating a singular need.
Servono due asciugamani.
We need two towels.
Stating a plural need.
Mancano le federe.
The pillowcases are missing.
Reporting missing plural stock.
Nel carrello mancano gli asciugamani.
Towels are missing from the trolley.
Reporting missing stock on trolley.
Puoi portare due federe?
Can you bring two pillowcases?
Informal request to a coworker.
Controllo subito.
I will check right away.
Stating you will verify stock.
New words
- gli asciugamani
- the towels (masculine plural noun; notice the plural article gli)
- le federe
- the pillowcases (feminine plural noun; singular la federa)
- la carta igienica
- the toilet paper (feminine singular noun)
- serve
- is needed / we need (used before singular nouns: serve la carta igienica)
- servono
- are needed / we need (used before plural nouns: servono gli asciugamani)
- mancano
- are missing (used with plural nouns: mancano le federe)
- il carrello
- the trolley; nel carrello = on/in the trolley
- puoi portare...?
- can you bring...? (informal peer request using tu)
You may hear
- Cosa manca nel carrello? = What is missing on the trolley?
- Quanti ne servono? = How many are needed?
- Porto subito tutto. = I will bring everything right away.
Grammar tipsShow
Singular vs. Plural Need (Serve vs. Servono):
Use Serve when you talk about one item or an uncountable supply: Serve la carta igienica.
Use Servono when you talk about two or more items: Servono due asciugamani. / Servono due federe.
Missing Items (Mancano):
Use mancano to report missing items or a shortfall; it does not necessarily mean every item of that kind is absent: Mancano le federe. / Nel carrello mancano gli asciugamani.
Don't promise stock you haven't checked. Say: Controllo subito (I will check right away).
Listen to the conversation
Listen once without reading. Then step through the lines below, one turn at a time.
Listening practice
Listen, pick an answer, then reveal the spoken words to check. Practice only, not an exam.
Question 1
What item is missing from the trolley?
Question 2
What supplies and quantities are requested by the speaker?