Places & Areas

1. Casteddu

   Cagliari (the capital of Sardinia)

   Usage

   The Sardinian name of the island's largest city; maps and signs often add the Italian Cagliari

   Grammar Note

   A place name ending in -u; it is a different form from the Italian name Cagliari

2. Tàtari

   Sassari (a city in the north-west)

   Usage

   The Sardinian name of the island's second-largest city; Italian is Sassari

   Grammar Note

   A place name stressed on the first syllable, which the standard spelling marks with à

3. Nùgoro

   Nuoro (a city in the centre of the island)

   Usage

   The main town of the Barbagia region, at the foot of Monte Ortobene; Italian is Nuoro

   Grammar Note

   A place name stressed on the first syllable, which the standard spelling marks with ù

4. Aristanis

   Oristano (a city on the west side)

   Usage

   The Sardinian name of the city on the west of the island; Italian is Oristano

   Grammar Note

   A place name; the final -s is part of the name, not a plural ending

5. Casteddu est sa capitale de sa Sardigna.

   Cagliari is the capital of Sardinia.

   Usage

   Handy for explaining or checking which city is the island's main one

   Grammar Note

   The island name takes the article sa; "A est B" means "A is B". Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

6. Cale est sa tzitade prus manna de sa Sardigna?

   Which is the biggest city in Sardinia?

   Usage

   A question for sizing up towns when planning a route

   Grammar Note

   Article + noun + prus + adjective gives the superlative, and manna is the feminine form agreeing with tzitade. The question word comes first with no inversion. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

7. Comente si lompet a Tàtari?

   How do I get to Sassari?

   Usage

   Asks how to reach another town; swap in any place name

   Grammar Note

   Si plus the third person is an impersonal "one ..." form; lompet comes from lòmpere (to arrive). Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

8. Cheria bisitare Nùgoro.

   I would like to visit Nuoro.

   Usage

   Says which town you want to visit; swap in any place name

   Grammar Note

   "Cheria" plus an infinitive is a polite "I would like to ..."; the place name takes no preposition here. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

9. Su Monte Ortobene

   Monte Ortobene (the mountain above Nuoro)

   Usage

   The mountain right beside Nuoro; useful as a name when asking how to get there

   Grammar Note

   The mountain name takes the masculine article su. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

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