Top Italian Phrases

Italian is one of the most popular languages amongst language learners. For all of those looking to explore and discover the best of Italy, these Italian phrases come in handy. Start by mastering them and improve your Italian.

Italian Phrases:

Greetings in Italian

There many ways to greet people in Italian. Depending on the formality or time of the day you might choose the most appropriate. However, there is a common one that can be use across many situations: Ciao – Hello. Other ways to greet people in Italian include: Buongiorno – Good morning, Buongiorno or Buon pomeriggio – Good afternoon, Buonasera – Good evening and Buonanotte – Good night. And more informally: Ciao! and Come stai? – Hi / How are you? Other ways to say ‘How are you?’ include Come va? and Come sta?

Introduction in Italian

If you are looking to introduce yourself in Italian you could be saying Mi chiamo … – My name is …, and to ask someone’s name you can say Come ti chiami?, or Come si chiama?, which is the formal way to ask someone what is their name.

When wondering where someone coms from, you could ask them Di dove sei?, to which the reply might be Vengo da … or Sono di … – I’m from …

Goodbye in Italian

Ways to say goodbye include Arrivederci or Ci vediamo– See you later. Alternatively, you can say the word that works for most situations, Ciao – Goodbye. You can even just wish them a nice day Buona giornata! – Have a nice day!

Shopping / Eating out

If you are out eating or shopping you might find the following Italian phrases useful: Quanto costa? – How much is this?; Per favore – Please; Scusa! – Excuse me (informal); Grazie/Grazie mille – Thank you / Thank you very much; Dov’è il bagno? – Where’s the toilet/bathroom?

Or you might be asking/saying for something specific: Cameriere – Waiter; Una birra – A beer; Una Coca Cola – A coke; Salute!/Cin cin! – Cheers / Good health! (when celebrating); Il conto per favore! – The bill, please!

And if you don’t understand something…

If you have difficulty understanding what people say to you in Italian, you could say Non capisco and Non ho capito – I don’t understand; Può parlare più lentamente? – Please speak more slowly, or Parli inglese? – Do you speak English? (in an informal way).

Learning Italian – Next Steps

Learning Italian is important if you are looking to embrace the culture of this charming country. It is just as important to learn the correct pronunciation of the words in Italian. You can here the recordings of the Italian Phrases here. Start practising your Italian and improve your Italian language skills. Do not forget to check our helpful Italian guides here.

If you are looking at learning Italian, you can start by joining our Italian language classes. Learn Italian how it suits you best. Online or in a face-to-face in a location close to you. We offer online Italian classes, across the UK, private classes and Italian language holidays. Develop your Italian skills with Cactus.