Italian (italiano) is the official language of Italy and San Marino, and one of the four official languages of Switzerland, spoken mainly in the cantons of Ticino and Grigioni. It is a co-official language in Istria, a coastal region of Slovenia and Croatia. Furthermore, it is the primary language of the Vatican City, where it is co-official with Latin, and is widely used and understood in Monaco, Corsica, Malta, Albania, and Romania. It is also used outside of Europe in parts of Libya and Somalia.
In most of the touristy resorts along Italy's coasts, English and German are widely spoken, but in any part of Italy, it will hold you in good stead to know at least basic phrases of polite Italian and not to assume that whoever you are speaking with will know your language.
Italian is the most important language in classical music, with most operas being written in Italian, and musical notation on scores being primarily in Italian. All musicians who play Western music are required to be familiar with Italian musical terminology, and it was de rigeur for European composers from the Renaissance to the first half of the 20th century to have at least some basic knowledge of Italian.
If you speak Spanish or even Portuguese, be careful as there are a lot of words that look and sound almost the same in these languages but convey very different meanings: for example, Spanish guardar ("to store, shelve") vs. Italian guardare ("to see, watch"), Spanish salir ("to get out") vs. Italian salire ("to go up"), Spanish burro ("donkey") vs. Italian burro ("butter"), Spanish caldo ("soup") vs. Italian caldo ("hot") and Spanish aceite ("oil") vs Italian aceto ("vinegar").
Grammar
Nouns
All Italian nouns are assigned one of two genders: masculine or feminine. Unlike in English, even inanimate objects are assigned a gender (e.g. tavolo [table] is masculine, casa [house] is feminine). The article before a noun depends on its gender: e.g. il (m for most cases), lo (m if word starts with s + consonant, z, gn, ps, pn, x, y and consonant clusters), la (f for most cases) or l' (if word starts with a vowel). Likewise, third person subject pronouns also depend on the grammatical gender of the subject : lui/egli/esso (m) and lei/ella/essa (f).
Adjectives
In Italian, adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun or pronoun they modify. So for example, the word for "child" in Italian is bambino (masculine), plural bambini, or bambina (feminine), plural bambine. If you want to say "a small boy", you'd use un piccolo bambino, whereas two small boys would be due piccoli bambini, a small girl would be una piccola bambina and two small girls would be due piccole bambine. If a group of children you are speaking of includes both boys and girls, use the masculine plural form. Unlike English, Italian has no capitalized adjectives, so, for example, "Italian" is always represented in lowercase in Italian, but again must agree in gender and number: un bambino italiano; una bambina italiana.
Formal and familiar pronouns
In Italian, you use the polite form of you ("lei") with all the people you don't know; it doesn't matter whether they are older or younger than you, unless they are children. You'll use the familiar form ("tu") with the people you know and with children. The two forms differ in that 2nd person singular verb forms are used for "tu" and 3rd person singular verb forms are used for "lei" (which can also mean "she").
Addressing people
The formal way to address a man you meet for the first time is signore, while the equivalent when addressing a woman is signora. Signorina may sometimes be used to address a very young, unmarried woman, but unless you are absolutely sure, it is best to default to signora. The corresponding plurals are signori (all-male and mixed male and female groups) and, somewhat confusingly, signore (all-female groups). The Italian equivalent for the salutation "ladies and gentlemen" is thus "signore e signori". In informal situations, these terms are frequently dispensed with.
Possessives
English speakers are used to using possessive pronouns before nouns, as in "my book" or "your car". In Italian, things are usually a bit more complicated. With the exception of individual family members (mia moglie is "my wife"; suo figlio is "his/her son"), these kinds of phrases are replaced by article + possessive pronoun + noun, and both the article and the pronoun must agree in gender and number with the noun being modified. For example, "my book" would be il mio libro; "your car" would be la tua macchina; "our houses" would be le nostre case. If you leave out the article, people will understand you, but it's good to be prepared to hear native speakers use these kinds of common phrases even before you are comfortable enough to use them yourself.
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is relatively easy in Italian since most words are pronounced exactly how they are written. The main letters to watch out for are c and g, since their pronunciation varies based on the following vowel. Also, make sure to pronounce r and rr differently: caro means dear, whereas carro means chariot.
Vowels
; a : as in "father" ; e : sometimes as in "set", sometimes more closed, identical to "e" in New Zealand English ; i : as in "machine" ; o : as in "oh", but make sure to avoid any "w" or "oo" sound at the end ; u : like 'oo' in "hoop"
Consonants
Silent I
If ci, gi, gli or sci is followed by another vowel, the i is silent. For example, giallo (yellow) is pronounced "JAHL-loh".
; b : like 'b' in "bed"
; c : like 'ch' in "chipper" when before 'i' or 'e', like 'k' in "skin" otherwise
; d : like 'd' in "dog"
; f : like 'f' in "fear"
; g : like 'g' in "go" (before 'a', 'o', 'u')<br>like 'j' in "jello" (before 'i' or 'e')
; h : silent
; j : generally only appears in proper nouns (e.g. Juventus). Pronounced like 'y' in "yet".
; l : like 'l' in "love"
; m : like 'm' in "mother"
; n : like 'n' in "nice"
; p : like 'p' in "spray"
; q : like 'q' in "quest" (always with "u" except in some Arabic loanwords)
; r : trill with the tip of the tongue just as in Spanish. A double r (rr) requires a stronger trill.
; s : like 's' in "gas", like 'z' in "lizard" when between vowels only in the North of Italy.
; t : like 't' in "stop"
; v : like 'v' in "victory"
; z : like 'ds' in "toads" or like 'ts' in "coats"
Common diphthongs
; ai : like 'i' in "fight" ; au : like 'ow' in "brown"
; ei : like 'ay' in "say" ; eu : like h__ey you__ ; ee : identical vowels [stress on the first vowel "idee" (ee-DEH-eh)]
; ia : like s__ee ya__, but with the 'a' as in "father" ; ie : similar to "yeah" ; ii : identical vowels [stress on the first vowel "addii" (ahd-DEE-ee)] ; io : "EE-oh" like the 'eo' in "Leo" ; iu : like 'ew' in "few"
; oi : like 'oy' in "boy" ; oo : identical vowels [stress on the first vowel "zoo" (DZOH-oh)]
; ua : like 'wa' in "want" ; ue : like 'we' in "went" ; ui : like "we" ; uo : like "woe"
Digraphs
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; ch : like 'k' in "keep"
; sc : before "e" or "i", like 'sh' in "sheep"; before "a", "o" or "u" like 'sk' in "sky"
; sch : before 'e' or 'i' like 'sk' in "sky"
; gn : like the 'ny' in "canyon"
; gh : like "g" in "get"
; gli : like the 'li' in "million"; rarely like "glee" in words of Greek origin
Emphasis
Accented words have the emphasis on the syllable with the accented letter. Unaccented words are normally pronounced with the emphasis on the penultimate or antepenultimate syllable.
Phrase list
For this phrasebook, we use the polite form for all phrases, on the presumption that you'll mostly be talking to people you don't already know.
Basics
Common signs
; OPEN : APERTO (ah-PEHR-toh) ; CLOSED : CHIUSO (KYOO-soh) ; ENTRANCE : ENTRATA (ehn-TRAH-tah) ; EXIT : USCITA (oo-SHEE-tah) ; PUSH : SPINGERE (SPEEN-jeh-reh) ; PULL : TIRARE (tee-RAH-reh) ; TOILET : TOILETTE (twah-LEHT) / WC (wee-CHEEH) ; MEN : UOMINI (WOH-mee-nee) ; WOMEN : DONNE (DOHN-neh) ; FORBIDDEN : PROIBITO (proy-BEE-toh) / VIETATO (vee-eh-TAH-toh) ; NO SMOKING : NON FUMATORI (nohn foo-mah-TOH-ree) / VIETATO FUMARE (vee-eh-tah-toh foo-MAH-reh)
; Hello. (formal) : Salve. (SAHL-veh)
; Hello. (informal) : Ciao. (chow)
; How are you? : Come stai? (informal)(koh-meh STAHEE?), Come sta? (formal)(koh-meh STAH?)
; Fine, thank you. : Bene, grazie. (BEH-neh, GRAHT-tsyeh)
; What is your name? : Come ti chiami? (informal)(KOH-meh tee kee-AH-mee?), Come si chiama? (formal)(KOH-meh see kee-AH-mah?)
; My name is ______ . : Mi chiamo ______ . (_mee kee-AH-moh ______)
; Nice to meet you. : Piacere di conoscerla. (formal)(pyah-CHEH-reh dee koh-noh-SHEHR-lah); Piacere di conoscerti (pyah-CHEH-reh dee koh-noh-SHEHR-tee) or just Ciao, piacere ("chow, pyah-CHEH-reh") (informal)
; Please. : Per favore (PEHR fah-VOH-reh) or Per piacere (pehr pyah-CHEH-reh)
; Thank you. : Grazie. (GRAHT-tsyeh)
; You're welcome. : Prego. (PREH-goh)
; No problem. : Non c'è problema or Nessun problema (non cheh proh-BLEH-mah, neh-SOON proh-BLEM-mah)
; Yes : Sì. (SEE)
; No : No. (noh)
; Excuse me : Mi scusi. (formal)(mee SKOO-zee), Scusa (informal)(SKOO-zah)
; What's that? : Che cos'è? (KAY kohz-AY)
; I'm sorry. : Mi dispiace. (mee dee-SPYA-chee)
; Goodbye. (informal) : Ciao. (chow)
; Goodbye. (formal) : Arrivederci. (ahr-ree-veh-DEHR-chee)
; See you. : Ci vediamo. (chee veh-DYAH-moh)
; Sure. : Certamente, or Certo (cher-tah-MEN-teh or CHEHR-toh)
; Really? : Davvero? (dahv-VEH-roh?)
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; I don't speak Italian. : Non parlo italiano. (non PAHR-loh ee-tah-LYAH-noh)
; Do you speak English? : Parla inglese? (Formal)(PAHR-lah een-GLEH-zeh?) Parli inglese? (Informal)(PAHR-lee een-GLEH-zeh?)
; Speak more slowly, please. : Parli più lentamente, per favore. (formal)(PAHR-lee pyoo lehn-tah-MEHN-teh, pehr fah-VOH-reh), Parla più lentamente/piano (per favore). (informal)(PAHR-lee pyoo lehn-tah-MEHN-teh/ PYAH-noh (pehr fah-VOH-reh))
; I understand Italian a little. : Capisco l’italiano solo un po'. (kah-PEES-koh lee-tah-LYAH-noh SOH-loh oon poh)
; I speak just a few words of Italian. : Conosco solo poche parole in italiano. (koh-NOHS-koh SOH-loh POH-keh pah-ROH-leh een ee-tah-LYAH-noh)
; Is there someone here who speaks English? : Qualcuno qui parla inglese? (kwahl-KOO-noh PAHR-lah een-GLEH-zeh?)
; What does it mean? : Cosa significa? or Cosa vuol dire? (KOH-zah see-NYEE-fee-kah?, KOH-zah vwohl DEE-reh?)
; I forgot. : Ho dimenticato. (oh dee-mehn-tee-KAH-toh)
; Now I remember. : Ora ricordo. (OH-rah ree-KOHR-doh)
; I don’t know.: Non lo so. (nohn loh soh)
; After : Dopo (DOH-poh)
; Before : Prima (PREE-mah)
; Wait! : Aspetti! (formal)(ahs-PEHT-tee), Aspetta! (informal)(ahs-PEHT-tah)
; I have a question. : Ho una domanda. (oh OO-nah doh-MAHN-dah)
; Can you tell me... : Può dirmi... (formal)(pwoh DEER-mee), Puoi dirmi... (informal)(pwoh-ee DEER-mee)
; How to get to... : Come arrivo a... (KOH-meh ahr-REE-voh ah)
; Where/When do we meet? : Dove/Quando ci incontriamo? (DOH-veh/ KWAHN-doh chee een-kohn-TRYAH-moh?)
; How is the weather? : Che tempo fa? (keh TEHM-poh fah)
; While : Mentre (MEHN-treh)
; So : Così (koh-ZEE)
; Why/Because : Perché (pehr-KEH)
; Pardon? : Come? (KOH-meh?)
; Help! : Aiuto! (ah-YOO-toh!)
; Good morning. : Buon giorno. (bwohn JOHR-noh)
; Good afternoon. : Buon pomeriggio. (bwohn poh-meh-REE-joh)
; Good evening. : Buona sera. (bwoh-nah SEH-rah)
; Good night. : Buona notte. (bwoh-nah NOHT-teh)
; I don't understand. : Non capisco. (nohn kah-PEES-koh)
; Where are the restrooms? (public place) :Dov'è un bagno? (doh-VEH oon BAHN-yoh)
; Where is the bathroom? (someone's home) : Dov'è il bagno? (doh-VEH eel BAHN-yoh)
Problems
; Leave me alone. : Mi lasci in pace. (formal) / Lasciami in pace. (informal) (mee LAH-shee een PAH-cheh) (or Mi lasci stare [...STAH-reh]) ; Don't touch me! : Non mi toccare! (informal) (NOHN mee toh-KAH-reh!) ; I'll call the police. : Chiamo la polizia. (KYAH-moh lah poh-lee-TSEE-ah!) ; Help me! : Aiutami! (informal) ("ah-YOO-tah-mi") ; Police! : Polizia! (poh-lee-TSEE-ah!) ; Stop! Thief! : Al ladro! (ahl LAH-droh!) ; I need your help. : Ho bisogno del tuo aiuto (informal). (oh bee-ZOH-nyoh dehl too-oh ah-YOO-toh) ; It's an emergency. : È un'emergenza. (eh oo-neh-mehr-JEN-tsah) ; I'm lost. : Mi sono perso (male)(mee soh-noh PEHR-soh) / Mi sono persa (female)(mee soh-noh PEHR-sah). ; I lost my bag. : Ho perso la mia borsa. (oh PEHR-soh lah MEE-ah BOHR-sah) ; I lost my wallet. : Ho perso il mio portafoglio. (oh PEHR-soh eel myoh pohr-tah-FOH-lyoh) ; I'm sick. : Sono malato. (male)(SOH-noh mah-LAH-toh) / Sono malata (female)(SOH-noh mah-LAH-tah) ; I've been injured. : Sono ferito (male)(SOH-noh feh-REE-toh) / Sono ferita (female)(SOH-noh feh-REE-tah) ; I need a doctor. : Ho bisogno di un dottore. (oh bee-ZOH-nyoh dee oon dot-TOH-reh) ; Can I use your phone? : Posso usare il suo telefono? (formal)(POS-soh oo-ZAH-reh eel soo-oh teh-LEH-foh-noh?) / Posso usare il tuo telefono? (informal)(POS-soh oo-ZAH-reh eel too-oh teh-LEH-foh-noh?)
Numbers
Unlike English, Italian uses the long scale, so un bilione and un trilione are not the same as the English "one billion" and "one trillion".
; 1 : uno (OO-noh)
; 2 : due (DOO-eh)
; 3 : tre (treh)
; 4 : quattro (KWAH-troh)
; 5 : cinque (CHEEN-kweh)
; 6 : sei (SEH-ee)
; 7 : sette (SEH-teh)
; 8 : otto (OH-toh)
; 9 : nove (NOH-veh)
; 10 : dieci (DYEH-chee)
; 11 : undici (OON-dee-chee)
; 12 : dodici (DOH-dee-chee)
; 13 : tredici (TREH-dee-chee)
; 14 : quattordici (kwahr-TOHR-dee-chee)
; 15 : quindici (KWEEN-dee-chee)
; 16 : sedici (SEH-dee-chee)
; 17 : diciassette (dee-chah-SSEH-teh)
; 18 : diciotto (dee-CHOH-toh)
; 19 : diciannove (dee-chah-NOH-veh)
; 20 : venti (VEHN-tee)
; 21 : ventuno (vehn-TOO-noh)
; 22 : ventidue (vehn-tee-DOO-eh)
; 23 : ventitré (vehn-tee-TREH)
; 30 : trenta (TREHN-tah)
; 40 : quaranta (kwah-RAHN-tah)
; 50 : cinquanta (cheen-KWAHN-tah)
; 60 : sessanta (sehs-SAHN-tah)
; 70 : settanta (seht-TAHN-tah)
; 80 : ottanta (oht-TAHN-tah)
; 90 : novanta (noh-VAHN-tah)
; 100 : cento (CHEHN-toh)
; 200 : duecento (dweh-CHEHN-toh)
; 300 : trecento (treh-CHEHN-toh)
; 1,000 : mille (MEEL-leh)
; 2,000 : duemila (dweh-MEE-lah)
; 1,000,000 : un milione (oon mee-LYOH-neh)
; 1,000,000,000 : un miliardo (oo mee-LYAHR-doh)
; 1,000,000,000,000 : un bilione (oo bee-LYOH-neh)
; number _____ (train, bus, etc.) : numero_____ (NOO-meh-roh)
; half : mezzo (MEHD-dzoh)
; less : meno (MEH-noh)
; more : più (pyoo)
Time
; now : adesso (ah-DEHSS-oh) / ora (OH-rah) ; later : più tardi (PYOO TAR-dee) - dopo ("DOH-poh") ; before : prima (PREE-ma) ; morning : mattino (mah-TEEN-oh) / mattina (mah-TEEN-ah) ; afternoon : pomeriggio (poh-meh-REEJ-joh) ; evening : sera (SEH-rah) ; night : notte (NOHT-teh)
Clock time
; one o'clock AM : l'una or l'una del mattino (LOO-nah)
; two o'clock AM : le due or le due del mattino (leh DOO-eh)
; noon : mezzogiorno (mehd-dzoh-JOHR-noh)
; one o'clock PM : le tredici or l'una del pomeriggio (leh TREH-dee-chee)
; two o'clock PM : le quattordici or le due del pomeriggio (leh kwaht-TOHR-dee-chee)
; midnight : mezzanotte (mehd-dzah-NOHT-teh)
Duration
; _____ minute(s) : _____ minuto/ti (mee-NOO-toh/tee) ; _____ hour(s) : _____ ora/e (OH-rah/eh) ; _____ day(s) : _____ giorno/ni (JOHR-noh/nee) ; _____ week(s) : _____ settimana/ne (seht-tee-MAH-nah/neh) ; _____ month(s) : _____ mese/si (MEH-zeh/zee) ; _____ year(s) : _____ anno/ni (AHN-noh/nee)
Days
; today : oggi (OHJ-jee) ; yesterday : ieri (YEH-ree) ; tomorrow : domani (doh-MAH-nee) ; day after tomorrow : dopo domani (doh-poh doh-MAH-nee) ; this week : questa settimana (KWEHS-tah seht-tee-MAH-nah) ; last week : la settimana scorsa (lah set-tee-MAH-nah SKOR-sah) ; next week : la prossima settimana (lah PROHS-see-mah set-tee-MAH-nah)
; Sunday : domenica (doh-MEH-nee-kah) ; Monday : lunedì (loo-neh-DEE) ; Tuesday : martedì (mahr-teh-DEE) ; Wednesday : mercoledì (mehr-koh-leh-DEE) ; Thursday : giovedì (joh-veh-DEE) ; Friday : venerdì (veh-nehr-DEE) ; Saturday : sabato (SAH-bah-toh)
Months
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; January : gennaio (jehn-NAH-yoh)
; February : febbraio (fehb-BRAH-yoh)
; March : marzo (MAR-tso)
; April : aprile (ah-PREE-leh)
; May : maggio (MAHD-joh)
; June : giugno (JOO-nyoh)
; July : luglio (LOO-lyoh)
; August : agosto (ah-GOHS-toh)
; September : settembre (seht-TEM-breh)
; October : ottobre (oht-TOH-breh)
; November : novembre (noh-VEHM-breh)
; December : dicembre (dee-CHEM-breh)
Writing time and date
Italy uses the 24 hour clock.
First in dates is the day, then is the month, and last is the year.
For example: 23/1/2010 is in letters 23 gennaio 2010.
To write clock times, the hour is before the minutes and they are separated by "e" (and).
For example: 6:43 (written 6.43 in Italy) is read sei e quarantatre.
In informal speech, Italians can use a more complex system with a 12 hours clock and words meaning "a quarter past/to" (e.g., 2.45 is le tre, meno un quarto), but you won't find it written anywhere and everyone understands the 24-hour system. Only remember that you must mention the part of the day (mattina, pomeriggio etc.) instead of saying "am" and "pm".
Colors
; black : nero (NEH-roh) ; white : bianco (BYAHN-koh) ; gray : grigio (GREE-joh) ; red : rosso (ROHS-soh) ; blue : blu (bloo) / azzurro (ahd-DZOOHR-roh) ; yellow : giallo (JAHL-loh) ; green : verde (VEHR-deh) ; orange : arancione (ah-rahn-CHOH-neh) ; purple : viola (vee-OH-lah) ; brown : marrone (mahr-ROH-neh)
Transportation
Bus and train
; Train : treno (TREH-noh) ; Bus : autobus (OW-toh-boos) or pullman (POOL-mahn) ; How much is a ticket to _____? : Quanto costa un biglietto per _____? (KWAHN-toh KOHS-tah oon bee-LYEHT-toh pehr) ; One ticket to _____, please. : Un biglietto per _____, per favore. (oon bee-LYEHT-toh pehr....pehr fah-VOH-reh) ; Where does this train/bus go? : Dove va questo treno/autobus/pullman? (DOH-veh vah KWEHS-toh TREH-noh/OW-toh-boos/POOL-mahn) ; Where is the train/bus to _____? : Dov'è il treno/l'autobus per _____? (doh-VEH eel TREH-noh/ low-TOH-boos) ; Does this train/bus stop in _____? : Questo treno/autobus si ferma a _____? (KWEHS-toh TREH-noh/ OW-toh-boos see FEHR-mah ah) ; When does the train/bus for _____ leave? : Quando parte il treno/l'autobus per _____? (KWAHN-doh PAHR-teh eel TREH-noh / LOW-toh-boos) ; When will this train/bus arrive in _____? : Questo treno/autobus quando arriva a _____? (KWEHS-toh TREH-noh/ OW-toh-boos KWAHN-doh ahr-REE-vah ah....)
Directions
; How do I get to _____ ? : Come arrivo a _____ ? (Koh-meh ahr-REE-voh ah...?)
; ...to the railway station? : ...alla stazione ferroviaria? (...ahl-lah stah-DSYOH-neh fehr-roh-VYAH-ryah?)
; ...to the bus station? : ...alla stazione degli autobus? (...ahl-lah stah-DSYOH-neh del-lee-OW-toh-boos?)
; ...to the bus stop? : ...alla fermata dell'autobus? (...ahl-lah fer-MAH-tah dehl-LOW-toh-boos?)
; ...to the airport? : ...all'aeroporto? (...ahl-lah-eh-roh-POHR-toh?)
; ...downtown? : ...in centro? (...een CHEHN-troh)
; ...the youth hostel? : ...all'ostello? (...ahl-LOHS-tehl-loh?)
; ...the small hotel? / hotel? : ...all'albergo? hotel? (...ahl-lahl-BEHR-goh/ oh-TEHL?)
; ...the American/Canadian/Australian/British consulate? : ...al consolato americano/canadese/australiano/britannico? (...ahl kohn-soh-LAH-toh ameh-ree-KAH-noh/ kah-nah-DEH-zeh/ ows-trah-LYAH-noh/ bree-TAHN-nee-koh?)
; Where are there a lot of... : Dove ci sono molti... (DOH-veh chee SOH-noh MOHL-tee...)
; ...hotels? : ...hotel? (...oh-TEHL?)
; ...restaurants? : ...ristoranti? (...rees-toh-RAHN-tee?)
; ...bars? : ...bar? (bahr?)
; ...sites to see? : ...cose da vedere? (KOH-zeh dah veh-DEH-reh?) or ...luoghi da vedere? (...LWOH-gee dah veh-DEH-reh?)
; Can you show (it to) me on the map? : Potreste mostrarmelo sulla mappa/carta stradale? (plural "you")(poh-TREHS-teh mohs-TRAHR-meh-loh sool-lah MAHP-pa/KAHR-tah strah-DAH-leh?) / Potrebbe mostrarmelo sulla mappa/carta stradale? (singular formal "you")(poh-TREHB-beh mohs-TRAHR-meh-loh sool-LAH MAHP-pa/KAHR-tah strah-DAH-leh?) / Puoi mostrarmelo sulla mappa/carta stradale? (singular informal "you")(poo-OH-ee-mohs-TRAHR-meh-loh sool-LAH MAHP-pa/KAHR-tah strah-DAH-leh?)
; street : strada (STRAH-dah)
; Turn left. : Giri a sinistra. (formal)(JEE-ree ah see-NEES-trah) / Gira a sinistra. (informal)(JEE-rah ah see-NEES-trah)
; Turn right. : Giri a destra. (formal)(JEE-ree ah DEHS-trah) / Gira a destra. (informal)(JEE-ree ah DEHS-trah)
; left : sinistra (see-NEES-trah)
; right : destra (DEHS-trah)
; straight ahead : diritto (dee-REET-toh) / dritto (DREET-toh)
; towards the _____ : verso il _____ (VEHR-zoh eel...)
; past the _____ : dopo il _____ (DOH-poh eel...)
; before the _____ : prima del _____ (PREE-mah dehl...)
; Watch for the _____. : Cerchi il (formal)(CHEHR-kee eel...) / Cerca il _____. (informal)(CHEHR-kah eel...)
; Beware of the _____. : "Presti attenzione al .... (formal)/ Attento al ....! (informal))
; intersection : incrocio (een-KROH-choh)
; north : nord (nohrd) abbreviation N
; south : sud (sood) abbreviation S
; east : est (ehst) abbreviation E
; west : ovest (oh-VEHST) abbreviation O
Taxi
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; Taxi! : Taxi! (TAHK-see)
; Take me to _____, please. : Mi porti a ____, per favore. (mee POHR-tee ah..., pehr fah-VOH-reh)
; How much does it cost to get to ? : Quanto costa andare a ? (KWAHN-toh KOHS-tah ahn-DAH-reh ah...?)
; Please take me to. : Per favore, mi porti a. (pehr fah-VOH-reh, mee POHR-tee ah...)
; I'm in a hurry! : Vado di fretta! / Ho fretta! (VAH-doh dee FREHT-tah/ oh FREHT-tah)
; Stop here, please! : Fermi qui, per favore! (FEHR-mee kwee pehr fah-VOH-reh)
; How much do I owe you? : Quanto le devo? (formal) (KWAHN-toh leh DEH-voh)
Lodging
; Are there any rooms available? : Ci sono camere libere? (chee soh-noh KAH-meh-reh LEE-behr-reh?)
; How much is a room for one person/two people? : Quanto costa una stanza singola/doppia? (KWAHN-toh KOHS-tah OO-nah STAHN-tsah SEEN-goh-lah/ DOHP-pyah)
; Does the room come with... : La stanza ha ... (lah STAHN-tsah ah...)
; ...bedsheets? : ...lenzuola? (...lehn-ZWOH-lah?)
; ...a bathroom? : ...un bagno? (...oon BAH-nyoh?)
; ...a telephone? : ...un telefono? (...oon teh-LEH-foh-noh)
; ...a TV? : ...un televisore? (...oon teh-leh-VEE-soh-reh?)
; May I see the room first? : Posso prima vedere la stanza? (POHS-soh PREE-mah veh-DEH-reh lah STAHN-tsah?)
; Do you have anything quieter? : Ha una stanza più silenziosa? (ah OO-nah STAHN-tsah pyoo see-lehn-TSYOH-zah?)
; ...bigger? : ...più grande? (pyoo GRAHN-deh?)
; ...cleaner? : ...più pulita? (pyoo poo-LEE-tah?)
; ...cheaper? : ...più economica? (pyoo eh-koh-NOH-mee-kah?)
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; OK, I'll take it. : Va bene, la prendo. (vah BEH-neh, lah PREHN-doh)
; I will stay for _____ night(s). : Mi fermo per _____ notte(i). (mee FEHR-moh pehr...NOHT-teh(ee))
; Can you suggest another hotel? : Può suggerirmi un altro hotel? (pwoh soo-jeh-REER-mee oon AHL-troh OH-tehl?)
; Is there a safe? : C'e una cassaforte? (cheh OO-nah kahs-sah-FOHR-teh?)
; Is breakfast/supper included? : È inclusa la colazione/cena? (EH een-KLOO-zah la koh-lah-TSYOH-neh/CHEH-nah?)
; What time is breakfast/supper? : A che ora è la colazione/cena? (ah keh OH-rah EH lah koh-lah-TSYOH-neh/CHEH-nah)
; Please clean my room. : Potrebbe pulire la mia camera, per favore. (poh-TREHB-beh poo-LEE-reh lah myah kah-MEH-rah, pehr fah-VOH-reh)
; Can you wake me at _____? : Potrebbe svegliarmi alle _____? (poh-TREHB-beh sveh-LYAHR-mee AHL-leh....?)
; I want to check out. : Vorrei fare il check out. (vohr-RAY FAH-reh eel check out)
Money
; Are American/Australian/Canadian dollars accepted here? : Si accettano dollari americani/australiani/canadesi qui? (see aht-CHEHT-tah-noh DOHL-lah-ree ah-meh-ree-KAH-nee/ ows-trah-LYAH-nee/ kah-nah-DEH-see kwee?) ; Are British pounds accepted? : Si accettano sterline inglesi? (see aht-CHEHT-tah-noh stehr-LEE-neh een-GLEH-zee?) ; Are credit cards accepted? : Si accettano carte di credito? (see aht-CHEHT-tah-noh KAHR-teh dee kreh-DEE-toh?) ; Can you change money for me? : Potrebbe cambiarmi del denaro? (poh-TREHB-beh kahm-BYAHR-mee dehl deh-NAH-roh?) ; Can you change British pounds for me? : Potrebbe cambiarmi delle sterline inglesi? (poh-TREHB-beh kahm-BYAHR-mee DEHL-leh stehr-LEE-neh een-GLEH-zee?) ; Can you change American/Australian/Canadian dollars for me? : Potrebbe cambiarmi dei dollari americani/australiani/canadesi? (poh-TREHB-beh kahm-BYAHR-mee day DOHL-lah-ree ah-meh-ree-KAH-nee/ ows-trah-LYAH-nee/ kah-nah-DEH-see?) ; Where can I get money changed? : Dove posso cambiare del denaro? (DOH-veh POHS-soh kahm-BYAH-reh dehl deh-NAH-roh?) ; Where can I get foreign money changed? : Dove posso cambiare una valuta straniera? (DOH-veh POHS-soh kahm-BYAH-reh DEHL-lah vah-LOO-tah strah-NYEH-rah?) ; Can you change a traveler's check for me? : Potrebbe cambiarmi questi traveller's cheque? (poh-TREHB-beh kahm-BYAHR-mee KWEHS-tee TRAH-veh-lehrs checks?) ; Where can I get a traveler's check changed? : Dove posso cambiare un traveller's cheque? (Doh-veh POHS-soh kahm-BYAH-reh oon TRAH-veh-lehrs check?) ; What is the exchange rate? : Quant'è il tasso di cambio? (KWAHN-teh eel KAHM-byoh?) ; Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)? : Dove posso trovare uno sportello Bancomat? (DOH-veh POHS-soh troh-VAH-reh oon bahn-KOH-maht?) ; NOTE : In Italy it is more common to say "Bancomat" for "ATM" and many people don't know the word "ATM" at all. Don't look for "ATM" on signs!
Eating
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; A table for one person/two people, please. : Un tavolo per uno/due, per favore. (oon tah-VOH-loh pehr OO-noh/ dweh, pehr fah-VOH-reh)
; Can I look at the menu, please? : Posso vedere il menu, per favore? (POHS-soh veh-DEH-reh eel meh-NOO, pehr fah-VOH-reh?)
; Can I look in the kitchen? : Posso dare un'occhiata in cucina? (POHS-soh DAH-reh oon ohk-KYAH-tah een koo-CHEE-nah?)
; Is there a house specialty? : C'è una specialità della casa? (cheh OO-nah speh-chah-lee-TAH DEHL-lah KAH-zah?)
; Is there a local specialty? : C'è una specialità locale? (cheh OO-nah speh-chah-lee-TAH loh-KAH-leh?)
; I'm a vegetarian. : Sono vegetariano/a (SOH-noh veh-jeh-tah-RYAH-noh/ ah)
; I don't eat pork. : Non mangio il maiale. (nohn MAHN-joh eel mah-YAH-leh)
; I don't eat beef. : Non mangio il manzo. (nohn MAHN-joh eel MAHN-dzoh)
; I only eat kosher food. : Mangio solamente cibo kosher. (MAHN-joh soh-LAH-mehn-teh CHEE-boh KOH-shehr)
; Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard) : Potrebbe farlo leggero, per favore? (poh-TREHB-beh FAHR-loh lehd-JEH-roh, pehr fah-VOH-reh?)
or Potrebbe farlo con pochi grassi? (with little fat) or Potrebbe farlo con poco olio? (with little oil) (poh-TREHB-beh FAHR-loh kohn poh-KHEE GRAHS-see?, poh-TREHB-beh FAHR-loh kohn POH-koh OH-lyoh?) ; fixed-price meal : pranzo a prezzo fisso (PRAH-tsoh ah PREHD-zoh FEES-soh) ; à la carte : à la carte or alla carta (AH lah KAHR-tah) ; breakfast : colazione (koh-lah-TSYOH-neh) ; lunch : pranzo (PRAHN-dzoh) ; tea (meal) : tè (teh) if you mean the meal at the 4 or 5 in the afternoon, in Italian this is called merenda (meh-REHN-dah), but it usually is only for kids ; supper : cena (CHEH-nah) ; I would like _____. : Vorrei _____. (vohr-RAY) ; I would like a dish containing _____. : Vorrei un piatto con _____. (vohr-RAY oon PYAHT-toh kohn....) ; chicken : il pollo (eel POHL-loh) ; beef : il manzo (eel MAHN-dzoh) ; fish : il pesce (eel PEH-sheh) ; ham : il prosciutto (eel proh-SHOOT-toh) ; sausage : salsiccia (sahl-SEE-chah) ; cheese : formaggio (fohr-MAHD-joh) ; eggs : uova (WOH-vah) ; salad : insalata (een-sah-LAH-tah) ; (fresh) vegetables : verdure (fresche) (vehr-DOO-reh FREHS-keh) ; (fresh) fruit : frutta (fresca) (FROOT-tah FREHS-kah) ; bread : pane (PAH-neh) ; toast : toast (tohst)
; noodles : pasta (PAHS-tah), or there are a number of different kinds of noodles, such as linguine (leen-GWEE-neh), spaghetti (spah-GET-tee), tagliatelle (tah-lyah-TEHL-leh), fettuccine (feht-too-CHEE-neh), etc. ; rice : riso (REE-zoh) ; beans : fagioli (fah-JOH-lee) or fagiolini (fah-joh-LEE-nee)(similar to beans but different) ; May I have a glass of _____? : Posso avere un bicchiere di _____? (POHS-soh ah-VEH-reh oon beek-KYEH-reh dee....?) ; May I have a cup of _____? : Posso avere una tazza di _____? (POHS-soh ah-VEH-reh OO-nah TAHT-tsah dee...?) ; May I have a bottle of _____? : Posso avere una bottiglia di _____? (POHS-soh ah-VEH-reh OO-nah boht-TEE-lyah dee...?) ; coffee : caffè (kahf-FEH) ; tea (drink) : tè (TEH) ; juice : succo (SOOK-koh) ; water : acqua (AHK-kwah) ; bubbly water : acqua frizzante (AHK-kwah free-DZAHN-teh) ; beer : birra (beer-RAH) ; red/white wine : vino rosso/bianco (VEE-noh ROHS-soh/ BYAHN-koh) ; May I have some _____? : Posso aver del _____? (POHS-soh AH-vehr dehl...?) or Posso avere un po' di ____? (POHS-soh ah-VEH-reh oon POH dee...?) ; salt : sale (SAH-leh) ; black pepper : pepe (PEH-peh) ; butter : burro (BOOR-roh) ; Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server) : Scusi, cameriere?(m)/cameriera?(f) (SKOO-zee, kah-meh-RYEH-reh?/ kah-meh-RYEH-rah?) ; I'm finished. : Ho finito. (oh fee-NEE-toh) ; It was delicious. : Era squisito. (EH skwee-ZEE-toh) ; Please clear the table. : Potrebbe pulire il tavolo, per favore? (poh-TREH-beh poo-LEE-reh eel tah-VOH-loh, pehr fah-VOH-reh) ; The check, please. : Il conto, per favore. (eel KOHN-toh, pehr fah-VOH-reh)
Bars
; Do you serve alcohol? : Servite alcolici? (sehr-VEE-teh ahl-KOH-lee-chee?)
; Is there table service? : C'è il servizio al tavolo? (cheh eel sehr-VEE-zyoh ahl tah-VOH-loh?)
; A beer/two beers, please. : Una birra/due birre, per favore. (OO-nah BEER-rah/ dweh BEER-reh, pehr fah-VOH-reh)
; A glass of red/white wine, please. : Un bicchiere di vino rosso/bianco, per favore. (oon beek-KYEH-reh dee VEE-noh ROHS-soh/ BYAHN-koh, pehr fah-VOH-reh)
; A pint, please. : Un boccale, per favore. (oon bohk-KAH-leh, pehr fah-VOH-reh)
; A bottle, please. : Una bottiglia, per favore. (OO-nah boht-TEE-lyah, pehr fah-VOH-reh)
; I'd like a_______? : Vorrei un_____? (vohr-RAY oon...?)
; beer : birra (BEER-rah)
; wine : vino (VEE-noh)
; gin : gin (jeen)
; whiskey : whisky (WEES-kee)
; vodka : vodka (VOHD-kah)
; rum : rum (rohm)
; water : acqua (AHK-kwah)
; club soda : club soda (kloob SOH-dah)
; tonic water : acqua tonica (AHK-kwah toh-NEE-kah)
; orange juice : succo di arancia (SOOK-koh dee ah-RAHN-chah)
; Coke (soda) : Coca Cola (KOH-kah KOH-lah)
; A soda. : Una soda. (OO-nah SOH-dah)
; Are there some bar snacks? : Ci sono degli stuzzichini? (CHEE SOH-noh deh-lyee stoo-zee-KEE-nee?)
; One more, please. : Un altro, per favore. (oon AHL-troh, pehr fah-VOH-reh)
; Another round, please. : Un altro giro, per favore. (oon AHL-troh JEE-roh, pehr fah-VOH-reh)
; When is closing time? : Qual è l'ora di chiusura? (kwah-LEH loh-RAH dee KYOO-zoo-rah?)
Shopping
; Do you have this in my size? : Ha questo della mia taglia? (ah KWEHS-toh DEHL-lah myah tah-LYAH?)
; How much is this? : Quanto costa questo? (KWAHN-toh KOHS-tah KWEHS-toh?)
; That's too expensive. : È troppo caro/a. (EH TROHP-poh KAH-roh/ah)
; Would you take _____? : Prenderebbe _____? (formal singular "you")(prehn-deh-REB-beh....?) Prenderesti _____? (informal singular "you")(prehn-deh-REHS-tee....?) / Prendereste _____? (plural "you")(prehn-deh-REHS-teh....?)
; expensive : caro (KAH-roh)
; cheap : economico (eh-koh-NOH-mee-koh)
; I can't afford it. : Non posso permettermelo. (nohn POHS-soh pehr-MEHT-tehr-meh-loh)
; I am looking for something cheaper. : Cerco qualcosa di più economico. (CHEHR-koh KWAHL-koh-zah dee pyoo eh-koh-NOH-mee-koh)
; I don't want it. : Non lo voglio. (nohn loh VOH-lyoh)
; You're cheating me. : Mi state imbrogliando. (mee STAH-teh eem-broh-LYAHN-doh)
; I'm not interested. : Non son interessato. (male)(_nohn sohn een-teh-rehs-SAH-toh) / Non son interessata. (female)(_nohn sohn een-teh-rehs-SAH-tah)
; OK, I'll take it. : Va bene, lo prendo. (vah BEH-neh, loh PREHN-doh)
; Can I have a bag? : Posso avere una borsa/un sacchetto? (POHS-soh AVEH-reh OO-nah BOOS-tah?)
; Do you ship (overseas)? : Può spedirlo (all'estero)? (PWOH speh-DEER-loh (AHL-LEHS-teh-roh)?)
; I need... : Ho bisogno di... (oh bee-ZOH-nyoh dee...)
; ...toothpaste. : ...dentifricio. (dehn-tee-FREE-choh)
; ...toothbrush. : ...spazzolino da denti. (spaht-tsoh-LEE-noh dah DEHN-tee)
; ...tampons. : ...tampone/assorbente. (tahm-POH-neh/ ahs-sohr-BEHN-teh)
; ...soap. : ...sapone. (sah-POH-neh)
; ...shampoo. : ...shampoo. (SHAHM-poh)
; ...pain reliever. : ...aspirina. (ahs-pee-REE-nah)
; ...cold medicine. : ...medicina per il raffreddore. (meh-dee-CHEE-nah pehr eel rahf-frehd-DOH-reh)
; ...stomach medicine. : ...una medicina per lo stomaco. (meh-dee-CHEE-nah pehr loh STOH-mah-koh)
; ...a razor. : ...un rasoio. (oon rah-ZOH-yo)
; ...an umbrella. : ...un ombrello. (oon ohm-BREHL-loh)
; ...sunblock lotion. : ...una crema solare. (KREH-mah soh-LAH-reh)
; ...a postcard. : ...una cartolina. (OO-nah kahr-toh-LEE-nah)
; ...postage stamps. : ...francobolli. (frahn-koh-BOHL-lee)
; ...batteries. : ...batterie. (baht-teh-REE-eh)
; ...writing paper. : ...carta. (KAHR-tah)
; ...a pen. : ...una penna. (OO-nah PEHN-nah)
; ...a pencil. : ...una matita. (OO-nah mah-TEE-tah)
; ...English-language books. : ...libri in inglese. (LEE-bree een een-GLEH-zeh)
; ...English-language magazines. : ...riviste in inglese. (ree-VEES-teh een een-GLEH-zeh)
; ...an English-language newspaper. : ...un giornale in inglese. (oon johr-NAH-leh een een-GLEH-zeh)
; ...an English-Italian dictionary. : ...un dizionario inglese-italiano. (oon dee-tsyoh-NAH-ryoh een-GLEH-zeh-ee-tah-LYAH-noh)
Driving
; I want to rent a car. : Desidero noleggiare una macchina. (deh-SEE-deh-roh noh-lehd-JAH-reh OO-nah mahk-KEE-nah) or Vorrei noleggiare una macchina (vohr-REY noh-lehd-JAH-reh OO-nah mahk-KEY-nah)
; Can I get insurance? : Posso avere un'assicurazione? (POHS-soh ah-VEH-reh oo-nahs-see-koo-rah-TSYOH-neh?)
; stop (on a street sign) : stop (stohp)
; one way : senso unico (SEHN-soh OO-nee-koh)
; yield : dare la precedenza (DAH-reh lah preh-cheh-DEHN-tsah)
; no entry : divieto di accesso (dee-VYEH-toh dee aht-CHEHS-soh)
; no parking : sosta vietata (SOHS-tah vyeh-TAH-tah) or divieto di sosta (dee-VYEH-toh dee SOHS-tah) or vietato parcheggiare (vyeh-TAH-toh pahr-kehd-JAH-reh)
; speed limit : limite di velocità; (lee-MEE-teh dee veh-loh-chee-TAH)
; gas (petrol) station : benzinaio (behn-dzee-NAH-yoh) or distributore (di benzina) (dee-stree-buh-TOH-reh (dee behn-ZEE-nah)) or stazione di rifornimento (stah-TSYOH-neh dee ree-fohr-nee-MEHN-toh) or (on an autostrada / motorway) area di servizio (AH-reh-ah dee sehr-VEE-tsyoh)
; petrol : benzina (only unleaded one) (behn-DZEE-nah)
; diesel : diesel (DEE-zehl) or gasolio (gah-SOH-lyoh)
Authority
; I haven't done anything wrong. : Non ho fatto nulla di male. (nohn oh FAHT-toh nool-lah dee MAH-leh) ; It was a misunderstanding. : È stato un malinteso. (eh STAH-toh oon mah-LEEN-teh-zoh) ; Where are you taking me? : Dove mi sta portando? (DOH-veh mee STAH pohr-TAHN-doh?) ; Am I under arrest? : Sono in arresto? (SOH-noh een ahr-REHS-toh?) ; I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen. : MALE: Sono un cittadino americano/australiano/britannico/canadese. (SOH-noh oon cheet-tah-DEE-noh ah-meh-ree-KAH-noh/ ows-trah-LYAH-noh/ bree-TAHN-nee-koh/ kah-nah-DEH-zeh). FEMALE: Sono una cittadina americana/australiana/britannica/canadese. (SOH-noh oo-nah CHEET-tah-dee-nah ah-meh-ree-KAH-nah/ ows-trah-LYAH-nah/ bree-TAHN-nee-kah/ kah-nah-DEH-zeh) ; I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate. : Voglio parlare con l'ambasciata/il consolato americano/australiano/britannico/canadese. (VOH-lyoh pahr-LAH-reh kohn lahm-bah-SHAH-tah/ eel kohn-soh-LAH-toh ah-meh-ree-KAH-noh/ ows-trah-LYAH-noh/ bree-TAHN-nee-koh/ kah-nah-DEH-zeh) ; I want to talk to a lawyer. : Voglio parlare con un avvocato. (VOH-lyoh pahr-LAH-reh kohn oon ahv-voh-KAH-toh) ; Can I just pay a fine now? : Posso semplicemente pagare una multa adesso? (POHS-soh sehm-plee-cheh-MEHN-teh pah-GAH-reh OO-nah MOOL-tah ah-DEHS-soh?)