Al Controllo di Sicurezza
Going through airport security · a free Italian immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Buongiorno, ecco il mio passaporto e la carta d'imbarco.
Good morning, here is my passport and boarding pass.
Literal Good morning, here is my passport and the card of embarkation.
A natural greeting when approaching the security desk and presenting your travel documents.
- 'Ecco' means 'here is/are' and is used to present something to someone.
- 'Il mio' is the masculine possessive adjective 'my', agreeing with 'passaporto'.
Deve togliersi le scarpe e la cintura prima di passare.
You need to remove your shoes and belt before passing through.
Literal You must remove-yourself the shoes and the belt before to pass.
Security instructions telling a traveller to remove shoes and belt before the scanner.
- 'Deve' is the third-person singular of 'dovere' (must/to have to), used formally.
- 'Togliersi' is a reflexive infinitive meaning 'to remove from oneself'.
Metta il computer portatile nel cestino separatamente, per favore.
Please put the laptop in the tray separately.
Literal Put the portable computer in the little basket separately, please.
A formal imperative instruction from a security agent to place the laptop in its own scanning tray.
- 'Metta' is the formal (Lei) imperative of 'mettere' (to put) — used by officials.
- 'Nel' is a contraction of 'in + il' (in the).
Ho dei liquidi in un sacchetto trasparente.
I have some liquids in a transparent bag.
Literal I have some liquids in a little transparent bag.
Proactively declaring that you have liquids in the required clear bag before being asked.
- 'Ho' is the first-person singular of 'avere' (to have).
- 'Dei' is a partitive article meaning 'some', used before masculine plural nouns.
Può aprire il suo bagaglio a mano, per favore?
Can you open your carry-on bag, please?
Literal Can you open the your carry-on luggage, please?
A polite formal request from a security agent to open your bag for inspection.
- 'Può' is the formal (Lei) form of 'potere' (can/to be able to).
- 'Il suo' is the formal possessive 'your' in the Lei register.
Nel mio zaino ho solo vestiti e qualche libro.
In my backpack I only have clothes and a few books.
Literal In the my backpack I have only clothes and some book.
Explaining the contents of your bag to the security agent during an inspection.
- 'Qualche' means 'some/a few' and always takes a singular noun, even when the meaning is plural.
- 'Solo' here acts as an adverb meaning 'only'.
Questo oggetto non è permesso a bordo.
This item is not allowed on board.
Literal This object is not permitted on board.
What a security agent says if they find a restricted item in your luggage.
- 'Permesso' functions as a predicate adjective here, agreeing with 'oggetto' (masculine singular).
- 'A bordo' is a fixed phrase meaning 'on board', used across all transport types.
Mi scusi, non ho capito. Può ripetere più lentamente?
Excuse me, I didn't understand. Can you repeat more slowly?
Literal Excuse me, I have not understood. Can you repeat more slowly?
An essential phrase for asking for clarification when you haven't understood an instruction.
- 'Mi scusi' is the formal (Lei) way to say 'excuse me' — informal would be 'scusa'.
- 'Non ho capito' is the passato prossimo of 'capire' in the negative, meaning 'I didn't understand'.
Proceda al gate B dodici, il suo volo parte tra un'ora.
Proceed to gate B twelve, your flight leaves in one hour.
Literal Proceed to gate B twelve, the your flight departs in one hour.
Post-security guidance on where to go, including your gate and departure time.
- 'Proceda' is the formal (Lei) imperative of 'procedere' (to proceed).
- 'Tra un'ora' means 'in one hour' — 'tra' expresses time intervals counting forward.
Tutto a posto, grazie. Buon viaggio!
Everything is in order, thank you. Have a good trip!
Literal All in place, thank you. Good journey!
The satisfying phrase you hear when you have cleared security successfully.
- 'Tutto a posto' is an idiomatic expression meaning 'everything is fine/in order'.
- 'Buon viaggio' is the standard farewell wishing someone a good journey — no article needed.
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
passaporto
passport
Il mio passaporto è valido per dieci anni.
My passport is valid for ten years.
Always masculine in Italian. Keep it accessible at the security desk.
carta d'imbarco
boarding pass
Ho la carta d'imbarco sul telefono.
I have the boarding pass on my phone.
Literally 'card of embarkation'. Also acceptable: 'biglietto d'imbarco'.
bagaglio a mano
carry-on luggage
Il bagaglio a mano deve entrare nel vano soprastante.
The carry-on luggage must fit in the overhead compartment.
Literally 'luggage by hand'. Contrast with 'bagaglio da stiva' (checked luggage).
cestino
tray / bin
Metta le scarpe nel cestino.
Put your shoes in the tray.
Diminutive of 'cesto' (basket). In security, refers to the plastic scanning tray.
liquidi
liquids
I liquidi devono essere in un sacchetto trasparente.
Liquids must be in a transparent bag.
Plural of 'liquido'. EU airports apply the 100 ml rule for carry-on liquids.
dichiarare
to declare
Ha qualcosa da dichiarare?
Do you have anything to declare?
Used at security and customs. Related noun: 'dichiarazione' (declaration).
vietato
forbidden / not allowed
È vietato portare liquidi oltre i 100 ml.
It is forbidden to carry liquids over 100 ml.
From the verb 'vietare' (to prohibit). Feminine form: 'vietata'.
controllo
check / inspection / checkpoint
Il controllo di sicurezza richiede pochi minuti.
The security check takes only a few minutes.
'Controllo di sicurezza' is the full phrase for airport security screening.
togliersi
to remove (from oneself)
Deve togliersi la giacca al controllo.
You need to remove your jacket at the checkpoint.
Reflexive form of 'togliere'. Formal command: 'Si tolga'. Informal: 'Togliti'.
procedere
to proceed
Può procedere al gate.
You can proceed to the gate.
Formal (Lei) imperative: 'Proceda'. You hear this once you are cleared through.
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Giulia si avvicina al controllo di sicurezza con il passaporto in mano e la carta d'imbarco sul telefono. L'agente le chiede di togliersi le scarpe e mettere tutto nel cestino. Giulia mette il computer portatile separatamente e mostra il sacchetto con i liquidi. Dopo aver attraversato il metal detector senza problemi, l'agente sorride e dice: «Tutto a posto, buon viaggio!»
Sentence by sentence
si avvicina al controllo di sicurezza
approaches the security checkpoint
'Avvicinarsi' is a reflexive verb meaning 'to approach'. 'Al' is the contraction of 'a + il' (to the).
con il passaporto in mano
with her passport in hand
'In mano' is a fixed idiom meaning 'in hand'. No article is used after 'in' in this expression.
le chiede di togliersi le scarpe
asks her to remove her shoes
'Le chiede' uses the indirect object pronoun 'le' (to her) with 'chiedere di + infinitive' (to ask someone to do something).
mette il computer portatile separatamente
places the laptop separately
'Mette' is the third-person singular present of 'mettere' (to put/place).
dopo aver attraversato il metal detector
after having passed through the metal detector
'Dopo aver + past participle' expresses 'after doing something' — a very productive Italian construction.
Tutto a posto, buon viaggio!
Everything is in order, have a good trip!
An idiomatic farewell confirming clearance. 'A posto' literally means 'in place', signalling everything is correct.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Formal Imperative (Lei Form) for Official Instructions
In Italian, security agents and officials use the formal 'Lei' imperative to give polite commands. These forms look counterintuitive: -ARE verbs take an -i ending, while -ERE and -IRE verbs take an -a ending — the reverse of the informal 'tu' forms. Mastering these lets you understand every instruction at a checkpoint and sound natural when you comply or respond.
-ARE verbs → drop -are, add -i (mostrare → mostri). -ERE / -IRE verbs → drop -ere/-ire, add -a (mettere → metta; procedere → proceda).
Metta il laptop nel cestino.
Put the laptop in the tray.
Apra la borsa, per favore.
Open the bag, please.
Proceda al controllo.
Proceed to the checkpoint.
Si tolga le scarpe.
Remove your shoes.
Mostri il passaporto.
Show your passport.
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to Italian: 'Good morning, here is my passport and boarding pass.'
Hint Use 'ecco' to mean 'here is/are'.
Complete the security officer's instruction: 'Deve _______ le scarpe e la cintura prima di passare.'
Hint A reflexive verb meaning 'to remove (from oneself)'.
What does this sentence mean? 'Metta il computer portatile nel cestino separatamente, per favore.'
Hint 'Metta' is the formal imperative of 'mettere'.
You didn't understand the officer. Which is the most natural thing to say?
Rewrite this sentence using the formal Lei imperative: 'Apri il tuo bagaglio a mano.' (informal → formal)
Hint Change 'apri' → 'apra' and 'tuo' → 'suo'.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
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