In most large cities and closely touristed areas in Italy, resort and restaurant workers, shopkeepers, and museum attendants will virtually actually communicate no less than some English. However enterprise to smaller cities and out-of-the-way locations, and also you’re much less prone to be understood if you ask a query in English. And wherever you go in Italy, making an attempt to talk no less than some Italian with the folks you encounter is a standard courtesy and is often very a lot appreciated. 

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

As my professor stated, Italians will likely be affected person with you if you attempt to communicate—and probably mangle—their language. Listed below are some tips, phrases, and phrases to get you prepared to 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 key’s figuring out how letters are pronounced in Italian. Listed below are some basic examples:

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

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

I is pronounced as an extended 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 essential one: CH creates a Okay 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 loads 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, if 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 undecided 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 too can say salve (sal-vay), which is a proper howdy good for any time of day. As I shared in my article, unspoken rules to follow when you visit Italy, ciao (chow) ought to solely be used as a salutation if you’re already on acquainted phrases with the particular person.

On the finish of a night, say, if 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—an excellent one to make use of if you try of your resort, 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 essential bases lined. 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 chances are 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 most likely 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 interrupt or get somebody’s consideration. Permesso (pehr-mehs-soh) applies if you’re shifting via a crowd or must ask somebody to step out of your approach. Say scusa (skooz-ah) when you 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 test 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 now
• 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)