Traveling to Italy? Easy Language Guide to Get You Around

When planning a short or long trip to Italy, one of the most challenging decisions to make is how to get around. Italy is not as large as some other countries like Australia or Canada, but learning some basic Italian phrases will make it easier to navigate the country.

It is always a good idea to pick up a few words, phrases, and sentences. This detailed guide takes you through some easy language guides to help you get around Italy. Moreover, language is a big part of Italian culture. Hence, you need to learn some key phrases to have the best experience during your stay. 

Learning these words and phrases is not simply out of respect; native speakers appreciate it when you speak to them. In addition, more experiences open up what probably wouldn’t be possible if you spoke your native language. So, this article contains basic Italian words and phrases that you can learn and will help you get around while in Italy.

Easy language guide to getting you around

When planning your trip to Italy, some common words and phrases will prove that you have made efforts to learn the local language. Learning these valuable and basic Italian words will help you to communicate with different people during your trip or time in Italy.

So, let’s get started with basic Italian words and phrases. 

Expressions

English	Italian
Hello	Ciao (for friends) Sálv (being professional)
Good Morning	Bun’jorno
Good evening	Bona’sera
Good night	Bona-notte
Good bye	Chao (friends) arrevi’derechi (professional)
Please	Pere’favoure
Thank you	Grad’ziye
Yes	Si
Friend	Ameeco (Male) & Ameeca (Female)
Help	A’yuto
You’re welcome	Prego
Beautiful	Bello (Male) & Bella (Female)
Good	Buonu (male) & Buona (Female)
Family	Famiglia
Well	Bene
Bad	Non male
No	No
Who?	Chi?
What	Che?
Where	Dove
When	Quando
Why	Perche
How much	Quanto

Some Italian phrases with greetings

One of the most interesting things to love about Italy is the cultural differences. In Italy, saying “good day” is not just a throwaway line. You must learn to greet people anytime and wherever you go. For example, when visiting a supermarket, restaurant, hotel, or museum, you are expected to greet whoever you meet.

So, here are some of the common greetings in English and their translations to help you get it right. First, however, you must learn to be formal with people you don’t know, especially elders.

English	Italian
Nice to meet you	Piacere di conoscerti
How are you	Come stai?
Have a nice day	Buona giornata
Have a good weekend	Buon fine settimana
This is an emergency	Questa è un’emergenza.
See you later	A piu’ tardi
Best wishes	I miei migliori auguri
Excuse me	Mi scusi
I am sorry	Mi dispiace
Help me	Aiutami
Safe travels	Buon viaggio
I am bored	Mi annoio
No thank you	No grazie
God bless you	Dio ti benedica
Get well soon	Guarisci presto!
Enjoy your meal	Buon appetite
I am tired	Sono stanco
I speak English	Parlo inglese.
Do you speak English?	Parli inglese.
What is your name	Come ti chiami?
Where are you from	Di dove sei?
What are you doing	Che stai facendo?
How old are you	Quanti anni hai?
Who are you	Chi sei?
How can I help you	Come posso aiutarti?
Where is the toilet	Dov’è il bagno?
How are you doing	Come va?
Where are you	Dove sei?
How was your day	Com’è andata oggi?
Where are you going	Dove stai andando?
Are you okay?	Stai bene?
Where do you live	Dove abiti?
Are you hungry	Hai fame?
When is your birthday	Quand’è il tuo compleanno?
I agree	Sono d’accordo
I understand	Capisco
I am hungry	Ho fame
I am good	Sto bene
I hope	Spero
Same to you	Anche a te
I don’t know	Non lo so
I don’t understand	Non capisco
I don’t care	Non mi interessa
I go to work	Vado al lavoro

Some social talks that can come in handy

Learning to use the right social words and phrases while conversing with Italian native speakers will help you make new friends and have the best experience.

English	Italian
Happy birthday	Buon compleanno!!
Happy anniversary	Buon anniversario!!
Happy new year	Felice anno nuovo!
Belated happy birthday	Buon compleanno in ritardo!
Happy Friday	Buon venerdì

Relations in Italian that can be used

If you want to introduce your family or any relations, you can pick up any of these words.

English	Italian
Mother	Madre
Sister	Sorella
Son	Figlio
Wife	Moglie
Grandmother	Nonna
Grandmother	Nuora
Sister-in-law	Cognata
Father	Padre
Brother	Fratello
Daughter	Figlia
Husband	Marito
Grandfather	Nonno
Grandfather	Genero
Brother-in-law	Cognato

Some romance phrases that may come in handy

Well, it’s no news that Italy is a place of love. There are several romantic places to visit, and here are some romantic phrases to use when you wish to capture the heart of your partner or compliment people.

English	Italian
I love you	Ti amo
I love you too	Ti voglio bene anch’io
You are beautiful	Sei bellissima
I want you	Ti voglio
Good morning, beautiful	Buongiorno, bellissima.
Very pretty	Molto carina
I will miss you	Mi mancherai
I miss you	Mi manchi
I like you	Mi Piaci
We love you	Ti amiamo
I love you more	Ti amo di più
Will you marry me?	Vuoi sposarmi?
You are very beautiful	Sei davvero bellissima

Some instructions that may come in handy

Here are some words to help give the right instruction and enjoy the best services in Italy.

English	Italian
Good job	Ottimo lavoro
Be quiet	Stai zitto
Hurry up	Sbrigati
Wake up	Svegliati
Follow me	Seguimi
Go to bed	Vai a letto
Play-well	Gioca bene
Play well	Riscontro positive
Go away	Vai via
Sit down	Siediti
Leave me alone	Lasciami in pace
Go to sleep	Andare a letto

Some shopping statements that can come in handy

Trips to Italy are incomplete without shopping. So, let’s get you prepared with these basic shopping phrases to help you have the best of your time shopping.

English	Italian
How much does it cost	Quanto costa?
Is it free??	È gratis?
Is there an ATM?	Dove trovo un bancomat??
That’s expensive	È davvero caro!
I’d like to change money	Vorrei cambiare del denaro.

Some technological phrases that will come in handy

If you want to get into a deeper conversation or you are in Italy for a business meeting, here are some technological words to help convey the right message.

English	Italian
I need a printer	Mi serve una stampante.
I need to check my e-mail	Devo controllare le mie e-mail
Can you change it to English settings	Puoi cambiarlo con l’impostazione inglese?
What’s the Wi-Fi password	QuWhat’sla password del Wi-Fi?
I need a projector	Mi serve un proiettore?.
Could you take a photo	Può fare una foto?
Is there? WI-FI?	È disponibile il Wi-Fi?
The WI-FI isn’t working	Il Wi-Fi non funziona.
What’s your phone number?	QuaWhat’sl suo numero di telefono?
I need to charge my laptop	Devo caricare il mio portatile
I need to charge my Phone	Devo caricare il mio telefono.
I need an adapter	Mi serve un adattatore.
I lost my laptop	Ho perso il mio portatile.

Some emergency Phrases that will come in handy

English	Italian
Is there a nickname?	Ha un soprannome?
Is someone missing?	Manca qualcuno?
Can you describe the person?	Può descrivere la persona?
What’s the person’s name?	Qual è il nome della persona?
Can you show me a recent picture?	Può mostrarmi una foto recente?
I’m sick	Sono ammalato.
I need to go to a pharmacy	Devo andare in farmacia.
I have a fever	Ho la febbre.
I have asthma	Soffro d’asma.
I need a doctor	Ho bisogno di un dottore.
I need to go to the hospital	Devo andare all’ospedale.

Some lodging phrases that will come in handy

Undoubtedly, an Italian vacation includes a plan to lodge in hotels. So, if you wish to enjoy the comfort of the beautiful hotels, here are basic Italian phrases to get you started.

English	Italian
I will like to make a reservation	Vorrei fare una prenotazione.
How much is the room	Quanto costa la camera?
I would like a room	Vorrei una camera.
Is there room service	C’è il servizio in camera?
My room  needs to be cleaned	La mia camera ha bisogno di essere pulita.
Do you have a vacancy?	Avete una camera libera?
Is? breakfast included?	La colazione è inclusa?
Is it air-conditioned	C’è l’aria condizionata?
No Vacancy	Nessuna camera libera
I would like to pay my bill	Vorrei pagare il conto.

Some directional phrases

If you get lost in Italy and need help finding your way, here are some words to help you.

English	Italian
Right	A destra
Left	A sinistra
Straight ahead	Sempre diritto
Downhill	In discesa
Uphill	In salita
Traffic light	Semaforo
Stop sign	Segnale di stop
North	A nord
South	A sud
West	A ovest
East	A est

 Conclusion

There are several resources and language learning apps that you can use to learn Italian. You can get any of these resources or apps to help you enjoy your time in Italy. Opt for language learning apps like Duolingo, Busuu, Babbel, and others. These apps have good learning approaches and are the best method to help you learn basic Italian words in no time.