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

In most large cities and closely touristed areas in Italy, lodge and restaurant workers, shopkeepers, and museum attendants will virtually definitely converse 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 once you ask a query in English. And wherever you go in Italy, making an attempt to talk a minimum of some Italian with the folks you encounter is a standard courtesy and is normally very a lot appreciated. 

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

As my professor mentioned, Italians will likely be affected person with you once you attempt to converse—and doubtlessly mangle—their language. Listed below 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 virtually no silent letters—as an alternative we pronounce each letter within the phrase. Which means, for instance, probably 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 is realizing how letters are pronounced in Italian. Listed below 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, normally pronounced oo. Instance: uva (grape) is oo-vah.

Right here’s one other vital 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 kind 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 suggests bathtub or rest room, is bah-nyoh.

Greetings and Goodbyes

Buongiorno (bwohn-jor-noh) has quite a lot of meanings for one little phrase. It actually interprets to “good day,” however is an umbrella time period for saying howdy, particularly earlier than the afternoon, once you’d say buonasera (bwohn-ah sayr-ah) which suggests 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 normally say buonasera from about 3 or 4 p.m. 

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

On the finish of a night, say, once 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 once you try 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 vital bases coated. Notice that prego has a number of connotations—it’s used when answering the cellphone; your restaurant server might use the time period after serving your meals, and somebody holding open a door for chances are you’ll say it as a well mannered gesture.

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

To say “I don’t converse Italian” (which they’ve most likely already found out), 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 once you’re shifting by way of a crowd or have to ask somebody to step out of your method. 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 toilet
• 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 test at a restaurant, say: il conto, per favore (eel kon-toh pehr fah-vohr-ey).

Frequent Phrases to Know

• Quando (kwan-doh): When
• Oggi (oh-gee): At present
• 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)