Italian Phrases and Phrases Each Traveler Ought to Know Earlier than a Go to

In most massive cities and closely touristed areas in Italy, lodge and restaurant employees, shopkeepers, and museum attendants will nearly definitely communicate a minimum of some English. However enterprise to smaller cities and out-of-the-way locations, and also you’re much less prone to be understood whenever you ask a query in English. And wherever you go in Italy, attempting to talk a minimum of some Italian with the folks you encounter is a typical courtesy and is often very a lot appreciated. 

“Italians will enable you whenever you attempt to communicate Italian,” a professor in Rome as soon as informed me, “as a result of they’re so grateful when anybody tries to be taught their loopy language.”

As my professor mentioned, Italians shall be affected person with you whenever you attempt to communicate—and doubtlessly mangle—their language. Listed here are some tips, phrases, and phrases to get you prepared on your subsequent journey to Italy.

Pronunciation Fundamentals 

A key distinction between Italian and French—and Italian and English for that matter—is that in Italian, there are nearly no silent letters—as an alternative we pronounce each letter within the phrase. Which means, for instance, essentially the most ubiquitous Italian phrase, grazie, shouldn’t be pronounced grat-zee, however graht-tzee-yey—with three syllables, with the i and the e distinct from each other.  

One other secret’s understanding how letters are pronounced in Italian. Listed here are some normal examples:

A is pronounced as a brief A, so ah. Instance: space is pronounced ah-reh-ah.

E is pronounced as a protracted A, so ay, and it’s by no means silent. Instance: carne (meat) is car-nay.

I is pronounced as a protracted E, so ee. Instance: ieri (yesterday) is ee-yehr-ree.

U is a tough vowel, often pronounced oo. Instance: uva (grape) is oo-vah.

Right here’s one other necessary one: CH creates a Ok sound, as when utilized in two of my favourite phrases, chianti (key-ahn-tee) and bruschetta (broo-skeh-tuh).

The one factor near a silent letter mixture is GN, which is a type of nyee sound for which there’s no actual equal in English. So Bologna is buh-lon-yah, gnocchi is nyo-key, and bagno, which implies bathtub or rest room, is bah-nyoh.

Greetings and Goodbyes

Buongiorno (bwohn-jor-noh) has plenty of meanings for one little phrase. It actually interprets to “good day,” however is an umbrella time period for saying good day, particularly earlier than the afternoon, whenever you’d say buonasera (bwohn-ah sayr-ah) which implies good night. After all of the years I’ve lived right here, I’m nonetheless unsure when the cut-off level is between the 2 phrases, however I often say buonasera from about 3 or 4 p.m. 

When unsure, you may as well say salve (sal-vay), which is a proper good day good for any time of day. As I shared in my article, unstated guidelines to observe whenever you go to Italy, ciao (chow) ought to solely be used as a salutation whenever you’re already on acquainted phrases with the individual.

On the finish of a night, say, whenever you’re leaving a restaurant, buonanotte (bwohn-ah noh-tay) is the way you say goodbye or good night time. Arrivederci (ah-ree-vah-dehr-chee) actually means “till we meet once more” and is a extra formal goodbye—a great one to make use of whenever you take a look at of your lodge, for instance. 

Fundamental Italian Phrases and Phrases for Vacationers

Si (see) means sure, and no (no) means no. Add a please: per favore (pehr fah-vohr-ey), thanks: grazie (graht-tzee-yey), and also you’re welcome: prego (prey-go), and also you’ll have some necessary bases coated. Observe that prego has a number of connotations—it’s used when answering the telephone; your restaurant server could use the time period after serving your meals, and somebody holding open a door for it’s possible you’ll say it as a well mannered gesture.

To ask somebody in the event that they communicate English, say “parla inglese?” (par-lah een-gleh-zeh?).

To say “I don’t communicate Italian” (which they’ve in all probability already discovered), say “non parlo italiano” (nohn par-low ee-tah-lyah-noh).

There are a number of types of “excuse me.” Mi scusi (mee skoo-zee) is used when it’s essential to interrupt or get somebody’s consideration. Permesso (pehr-mehs-soh) applies whenever you’re shifting by means of a crowd or must ask somebody to step out of your approach. Say scusa (skooz-ah) if you happen to bump them or step on their foot whereas doing so.

To ask the place one thing is, begin with: dov’è (doh-vey)…? 

• la stazione (lah stat-tzee-oh-neh): the station
• il bagno (eel bah-nyoh): the lavatory
• una farmacia (oo-nuh far-mah-chee-ah)?: a pharmacy 

To ask how a lot one thing prices, say: quanto costa (kwan-toh coh-sta)?

To ask for the verify at a restaurant, say: il conto, per favore (eel kon-toh pehr fah-vohr-ey).

Widespread Phrases to Know

• Quando (kwan-doh): When
• Oggi (oh-gee): Right this moment
• Ieri (ee-yehr-ree): Yesterday
• Domani (doh-mah-nee): Tomorrow
• Colazione (coh-laht-tzee-ohn-ay): Breakfast
• Pranzo (prahn-zoh): Lunch
• Cena (chay-nah): Dinner
• Dolce (dohl-chay): Dessert

Numbers 1-10

• 1  uno (oo-noh)
• 2 due (doo-ay)
• 3  tre (tray)  
• 4 quattro (kwah-troh)
• 5 cinque (cheen-kway)
• 6  sei (say)
• 7 sette (set-tay)
• 8 otto (ott-oh)
• 9 nove (noh-vay)
• 10 dieci (dee-ay-chee)