you always dreamedLearn Italian?
Perhaps you are fascinated by Italian culture. Or the Italians and their way of life.
To get started and have your first basic conversations in Italian, you need to learn your first words!
In this post you will learn 83 basic phrases in Italian that will help you in your first interactions in the language.
To make it easier, I have divided the phrases into different categories according to the different situations in which they are used:
- simple italian greetings
- "I don't understand!"
- italian numbers
- Visit to an Italian restaurant
- traffic in italy
- ask the way
- go shopping in Italian
- Attend medical emergencies
Supervision:Do you want to go beyond basic Italian phrases and learn Italian with confidence and fluency? The best way to do this is with a well-designed comprehensive course. My main recommendation isdiscovered italian, my intensive online Italian course for beginners delivered through StoryLearning®.Click herefor your free trial.
Anyway, back to our basic Italian phrases… Let's see what they are!
Why learn Italian phrases?
In certain parts of Italy, you will probably find that some of the locals speak good English. In big cities like Rome and Venice, the tourism industry is well developed and for the locals who work there, speaking English is a must!
But once you get out of the way, you'll find a little Italian goes a long way! In smaller cities, many people speak little to no English, so knowing how to communicate in Italian makes a world of difference.
Learn the basic Italian phrases from this post and you can have a much more enjoyable and authentic experience in Italy.
And you can also find out more about it at home while learning Italian.culture and history of the country.
You don't have to have a natural talent for languages. Learning a few essential Italian phrases and being willing to speak the language is all you need.
You never know, maybe learning these phrases will motivate you to keep going and goingspeak italian fluently.
To make it as easy as possible for you to practice these phrases in your Italian conversations, I have created an audio of the phrases and a special PDF version of this article that you can save to your phone to listen anywhere, anytime for practice. your italian
Click here to secure your copy now. (It's free!)
Supervision:The English pronunciation shown for each sentence is approximate. There are certain aspectsitalian pronunciation(such as double consonants) which are unique sounds not commonly found in English. In order to clearly understand how each word and phrase in this post is pronounced, I have created a set of free audio files to accompany the post. To download them for free, simpleClick here.
simple italian greetings
The first thing to learn in any language is to meet and greet people!
After all, you use greetings every time you have a conversation in Italian!
These phrases are simple, easy to remember and will help you a lot when making friends and in your first conversations in the language.
- #1 Take care! – hello/goodbye (informal)
- (Food)
- Salve #2!– hello [at any time of the day]
- (Sorry)
- #3 Hello, how are you?- Hi how are you?
- (sal-vay ko-may va?)
- #4 Good morning- Hello
- (bu-am-day-no)
- #5 Good morning- Good afternoon
- (bu-on po-mer-eej-jio)
- #6 Good night- Good night
- (bu-on-a-say-ra)
- #7 Good night- Good night
- (bu-ona-no-tay)
- #8 thank you very much- Many thanks
- (gra-tsee mee-lay)
- #9 thanks to you- Thank you too [in response to another person's "thank you]]
- (gra-tsee a leigo)
- #10 Until next time- See you soon.
- (arr-ee-va-der-chee al-la pros-see-ma)
- #11 Good day today, huh?- It's nice weather today, isn't it?
- (beautiful jee-o-na-ta are you a vay-ro?)
- #12 My name is...- My name is_
- (mee kee-amo)
- #13 I am American/Canadian/English– I am American/Canadian/British
- (so don't am-er-ee-kah-no / can-a-day-say / een-glay-say)
- #14 Where is she from?- Where it is?
- (¿Lay dee do-vay?)
- #15 Placer- Nice to meet you
- (pipi-a-chay-ray)
- #16 I have a lot of fun- I'm having a great time!
- (mee sto dee-ver-ten-do mol-to)
Italian vocabulary to say "I don't understand"
As a beginner, you will often get stuck and not be able to understand what people are saying in Italian.
In this case, don't worry! This is a normal part of the learning process, and over time you will understand more and more of what you hear.
In the meantime, it's important to know how to deal with situations you can't understand. Let's learn some simple phrases that will allow you to stay in control of the situation even if you don't know what you are being told.
- #17 I'm sorry I don't understand- I don't understand!
- (mee scoo-ver non ka-pee-sko)
- #18 I don't speak Italian very well– I don't speak Italian very well.
- (I don't speak ital-ee-ah-no mol-to beh-nay)
- #19 Could you repeat that please?- Could you say that again?
- (po-three-bay ree-peh-teh-reh by fa-vawr-ay)
- #20 Could you send me a text?- Please write me that
- (po-tre-bay skree-ver-may-lo?)
- #21 What does he mean?- What does that mean?
- (ko-sa vu-ol-ay dee-ray?)
Supervision:
- What does this/that mean?= "What does that mean?" seeing something written
let's not sayWhat does that mean?hinting at something the other person said. we just sayWhat does it mean?= "What do you mean by that?"
- #22 Do you speak English?- Do you speak English?
- (for-the-a-glay-sagen?)
- #23 I'm sorry- Very sorry
- (mee skoo-ver)
- #24 I don't know- I do not know
- (I do not know)
- #25 It's okay- Intestine
- (was-not)
- #26 It doesn't matter- It doesn't matter
- (after eem-port-ta)
pay in italian
Whether you're ordering drinks, paying a bill, or buying a train ticket, you need to know the numbers up front in Italian.
The good news is that the numbers in Italian are quite logical and simple. Once you've learned 1-20, the rest will follow from there!
- 1- 1
- (If not)
- due- From
- (du-ay)
- Three- Three
- (Tablet)
- Four- four
- (suit-ro)
- cinco- Cinco
- (chee-kway)
- to be- six
- (say)
- define- Seven
- (Things)
- otto- Act
- (o-a)
- nuevo- nuevo
- (do not go)
- dez- dez
- (Dee-ay-chee)
- our- our
- (oon-dee-chee)
- doze- doze
- (do-dee-chee)
- pass- pass
- (Tableta-dee-chee)
- catorce- catorce
- (kwa-tor-dee-chee)
- quince- quince
- (Kween-dee-chee)
- sixteen- sixteen
- (Sag-di-chi)
- seventeen- seventeen
- (no-chee-set-tay)
- Eighteen- Eighteen
- (dee-chee-ot-to)
- nighteen- nighteen
- (Di-chee-no-vay)
- vento- twenty
- (come-te)
- twenty-one- twenty-one
- (come-to-not)
- twenty two- Twenty two
- (ven-te-doo-ay)
- thirty- thirty
- (trend-do)
- forty- forty
- (every day)
- fifty- fifty
- (cheen-kwan-ta)
- sixty- sixty
- (ses-san-ta)
- seventy- seventy
- (se-ten-ta)
- eighty- eighty
- (o-tan-ta)
- ninety- ninety
- (no-van-ta)
- hundred- cem
- (chen-zu)
- two hundred fifty- two hundred fifty
- (doo-ay-chen-a-cheen-kwan-ta)
- five hundred- five hundred
- (cheen-kway-chen-zu)
- Seven hundred eighty-three- Seven hundred eighty-three
- (place-tay-chen-on-ot-tan-ta-tray)
- mille- Mio
- (mee-lay)
Italian expressions for the restaurant
Arguably one of the most motivating reasons to learn Italian is to explore the country's cuisine.
Italian food is famous all over the world and for good reason! The following sentences will help you navigate the restaurants so you can try some of these delicious Italian recipes.
- #27 A table for one/two please- A table for 1/2 please
- (oon ta-vo-lo per oo=no / doo-ay, per fa-vo-ray?)
- #28 Is it open yet?- Is it still open?
- (see-et-ay jee-ah a-per-tee?)
- #29 Can we wait (for a table)?– Can we wait (for a table)?
- (Poss-ee-amo as-pett-ah-ray per oon ta-va-lo?)
- #30 Can we sit there?- Can we sit there?
- (Poss-ee-amo se-der-chee la-jee-oo)
- #31 Sorry!- We are sorry! [call a waiter]
- (mee skoo-ver)
- #32 What do you recommend?- What do you recommend?
- (ko-sa mee kon-sihl-ya?)
- #33 What is the specialty of the house?- What is your favorite dish?
- (¿Kwal e la spe-chee-a-lee-tay de-la ka-sa?)
- #34 What is this?- What is?
- (¿ko-decir kwes-zu?)
- #35 Would you make me a selection of the best dishes?– Please bring me a selection of nice things
- (mee fa-ray-bay un a-sor-tee-men-to day pee-a-tee mil-yor-ee?)
- #36 Do it! / I'll let you decide.– It depends on you / you can decide
- (fach-ee-a lie! / las-chee-o de-chee-day-ray a lie)
- #37 The account please- The check, please.
- (o kon-to, bevorzuge fa-vor-ay)
- #38 Can I have the menu please?- Can I have the menu?
- pot-ray a-vay-ray eel me-noo, for fa-vo-ray?)
traffic in italy
If you're planning a trip to Italy, you'll probably need public transportation to get around. These phrases will help you buy tickets and find your destinations easily.
- #39 I would like to go to ___- I wanna go_
- (vo-ray e-da-ray a_)
- #40 When is the next train/bus to ___?What time does the next train/bus leave?_?
- (to kay oh-ra part-tay enguia pros-see-mo tray-no / auw-to-boos per_?)
- #41 How much does it cost?- How much?
- (where does it cost?)
- #42 1 ticket / 2 tickets (for ___ please– 1 input / 2 inputs (for_), You are welcome
- (oon bil-yeto / doo-ah bil-yetti por_, please shine)
- #43 How long is the trip?- How long does it take?
- (Kwan-to-doo-ra Ziege vi-ahj-o)
- #44 Where should I go now?- Where should I go now?
- (do-vay day-vo e-da-ray a-day-sso?)
- #45 When is he leaving?- When will you know?
- (kwan-do par-tay?)
- #46 What time is it (now)?- What time is it)?
- (kay ora so-no a-day-sso?)
- #47 Does this train/bus stop at ___?– This train/bus stops_?
- (kwes-to-tray-no / auw-to-boos fer-ma a_?)
- #48 Excuse me, is ___ here?- Sorry, that's all._? [Useful when you are on the bus/train and don't know when to get off]
- (mee skoo-ver, ee kwee_?)
- #49 Where is ___ on the map?- Where is_no map?
- (do-loy ver tro-va_Soo-la kar-ta?)
Request information in Italian
Exploring new places is exciting, but getting lost can also be frustrating! But fear not, by learning to say and understand the following phrases, you will be able to ask the locals for directions and get directions from them.
- #50 Excuse me, can I ask you a question?- Excuse me, can I ask you something?
- (Please, skoo-si, can you lie down oo-na do-man-da away?)
- #51 I would like to go to ___- I wanna go_[If you know the name of your destination]
- (vo-ray e-da-ray a_)
- #52 I would like to go here– I want to come here [points to his destination on the map]
- (vo-ray an-da-ray kwee)
- #53 I am lost / I am lost- I'm lost
- (mee so-no per-so / mee so-no per-sa)
- #54 How do I get there?- How do I get there?
- (ko-mo pos-so a-rree-var-chee?)
- #55 Is he from here?- And so? [Useful to check if you are going in the right direction]
- (you have money?)
- #56 Could you put me on the map?- Can you show me on the map?
- (po-tray-bay een-di-kar-may-lo soo-la kar-ta?)
- #57 Where is ___?- Where is_?
- (Wow_?)
Whether it's the supermarket, the mall or the local market, eventually you will want to buy something!
To do this, you need to be able to ask questions [or even haggle a bit!] just like in English! Here are the Italian phrases you need:
- #58 I like that- I like this
- (mee pee-a-chay kwes-to)
- #59 How much is that?- How much?
- (How much does a question cost?)
- #60 What happens if I buy both?– If I buy these together? [A useful way to lower the price]
- (see read com-pro in-tram-bee?)
Supervision:
limeans "she" for masculine nouns. It is fine to use it with two masculine nouns or a mix of masculine and feminine nouns, but when referring to two feminine nounsashould be used instead
- #61 is too expensive for me- It's too expensive for me.
- (it's troh-poh ca-roh for May)
- #62 Can you give me a discount?- Can you give me a discount?
- (poo-o far-mee oo-no skon-to?)
- #63 Looking for a ___- I'm looking for a_
- (cher-ko sim-na)_)
- #64 Just look- I'm just looking around
- (Sto so-hold it and do it)
- #65 Thank you, keep watching- Thanks, I'll keep looking [if you have trouble buying something]
- (gra-tsee, con-tee-noo-o sentinel ray)
- #66 bad moment- One moment
- (I'm attee-mo)
- #67 Yes, thanks- Yes please
- (see, gra-tsee)
- #68 No thanks- No, thanks
- (nein, gra-tsee)
Handling medical emergencies in Italian
I hope you never need the prayers in this section! However, it is always good to know a little basic medical vocabulary to be able to act in an emergency in case of illness or accident.
- #69 Can you help me please?- Could you help me?
- (poo-o ay-oo-tar-mee, pro fa-vo-ray?)
- #70 I have to go to the doctor- I need to see a doctor
- (de-vo an-day-ray da oon me-dee-ko)
- #71 I don't feel well- I don't feel well
- (no mee sen-to bay-nay)
- #72 Doesn't feel good– He/She is not feeling well
- (don't see send-tay bay-nay)
- #73 Is there a hospital near here?– Is there a hospital nearby?
- (chay oon os-pay-da-lay da kwes-tay par-tee)
- #74 Please take me to the hospital– Please take me to the hospital [to a taxi driver]
- (mee por-tee en house-pay-the-lay, por fa-vo-ray)
- #75 Here it hurts– It hurts here [points to a part of the body]
- (mee fa ma-lay kwee)
- #76 I need medicine- I need a medicine
- (or bi-son-yo dee me-dee-cee-nay)
Finally, let's learn some simple phrases that will help you discover the hidden gems on your next trip to Italy! The locals are always happy to share their favorite restaurants and cafes with visitors, but if you want to know more about them, you should know how to ask!
- #77 I'm sorry, but...- I'm sorry to bother you, but...
- (mee skoo-ver ma)
- #78 Can I ask a question?- Can I ask you something for a moment?
- (Can I lay down, oh they?)
- #79 I am looking for a place in the area where I can eat well– I am looking for a place with good food nearby
- (cher-ko oon pos-to kwee em zo-na do-vay ver man-gee bay-nay)
- #80 I am looking for a good bar here in the region– I am looking for a good coffee nearby
- (cher-ko que bar-ee-no kwee em zo-na)
- #81 Do you know someone?– Do you know anyone [here]?
- (no kon-os-chay kwal-koo-no?)
- #82 Is there any interesting place to visit around here?– Is there anything interesting to see in this area?
- (What is the possibility of inter-es-santay da vee-see-ta-ray kwee in zo-na?)
- #83 Thanks anyway– Thanks anyway [if they can't help you]
- (grat-ver ko-moon-kway)
Your next steps in Italian
There you have it: all the basic Italian phrases you need to discover and start using the Italian language.
With these phrases in your back pocket, you will soon have your first basic conversations with native speakers and will be looking forward to developing your Italian conversation.
Now that you've learned the basics,Are you ready for the next step in your Italian adventure?
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It is my Italian course in the open and it is designed to take you from beginner level to intermediate B1.Click herefor more information and to try the method for free.