By Bridget Castner ✔ Reviewed by travel expert Alexandra Falbo
If you're planning to travel to Italy and want to communicate effectively, it's best to know some common Italian phrases to help you get by. Locals always appreciate the effort visitors make to speak their language, and knowing a little Italian can really go a long way.
To help you out, we've compiled a list of some helpful Italian phrases for travel to use throughout your journey, from ordering delicious food to navigating your way to the train station!
Ready to start exploring? View our vacation packages to Italy.
Main Phrases and Greetings
This first list should help get you through some main Italian phrases and greetings from “hello” and “goodbye” to asking someone if they speak English, and letting someone know you don't understand what they are saying. There are some basic courtesy phrases as well, so you can ask someone how they are, and introduce yourself!
Ciao! (Chow)
Hello! or Goodbye! (Informal)
Parla Inglese? (Pah-la een-glay-zeh)
Do you speak English?
Non parlo Italiano (No-n par-lo Itali-ano)
I don't speak Italian
Arrivederci (Ahr-ree-veh-dehr-chee)
Goodbye
Mi chiamo (Mee kyaho-moh)
My name is
Come ti chiama (Com-e ti chi-am)
What's your name?
Non capisco (Non kah-pee-skoh)
I don't understand
Piacere (Pyah-cheh-rh)
Pleased to meet you
Come Sta? (Koh-meh stah)
How are you?
Prego! (Prey-go!)
You're welcome
Scusa (Scoo-sa)
Sorry, excuse me (Informal)
Scusi (Scoo-si)
Sorry, excuse me (Formal)
Come va (Com-e va)
How's it going?
Sto benissimo, grazie! (Stow beni-ssimo, grah-tsee)
I am very good, thanks!
Di dove sei (Dee do-ve say)
Where are you from?
Sono di... (your city) (So-no dee)
I am from...
Grazie (Grah-tsee)
Thank you!
Permesso (Pehr-mehs-soh)
Excuse me (When you want to pass by)
Helpful Phrases When Dining Out
Immersing yourself in Italy's culinary scene is a must when you're visiting. These Italian phrases will help you when eating out, from letting your server know you have a food allergy, to asking for the check. This list can also help you ask for the menu, ask the server for their recommendations, or letting your server know that you are vegetarian or vegan.
Il menu, per favore (Eel-men-oo, pehr fah-voh-reh)
Can I see the menu, please?
Sono allergica/o (Son-oh ah-ler-gee-koh)
I'm allergic to…
Che cosa ci consiglia? (Kay koh-za chee kon-sel-y)
What do you recommend?
Avete (Av-ay-te)
Do you have?
Prendo (Pren-do)
I'll have
Salute! (Sah-loo-tay)
Cheers!
Ho bisogno (Ho bisog-no)
I need…
Un bicchiere (Oon beech-er-e)
A glass
Una forchetta (Oona for-kay-ta)
A fork
Un cucchiaio (Oon coo-ci-ayo)
A spoon
Sale (Sa-lay)
Salt
Pepe (Pe-pay)
Pepper
Dolce (Dul-che)
Dessert
Sono/a vegetariano/a (So-no/a vege-tari-ano/a)
I am vegetarian
Sono/a vegano/a (So-no/a vey-gan-o/a)
I am vegan
Il conto, per favore (Eel kon-toh, per fah-voh-red)
The check, please
Il bagno (Eel ban-nyo)
The bathroom
Clarification Phrases/Asking for Directions
This short list of Italian travel phrases can also help you communicate important information during various situations. If you need someone to clarify what they're saying, you can politely ask them to rephrase or slow down their speech. If you're lost, or simply looking to travel in the right direction to your location, some of the phrases in this list can help you ask where the nearest train station is, or simply ask for the time.
Può ripetere? (Pu-ua re-pet-ere)
Could you repeat that?
Parli più lentamente, per favore (Po-tre-stay parl-aray pu-ua lenta-mente pehr fah-voh-reh)
Speak more slowly, please
Sinistra (See-nee-strah)
Left
Destra (Deh-stra)
Right
L'autobus (Le auto-boos)
The bus
Dov'e (Doh-veh?)
Where is...?
Dov'e la stazione? (Doh-veh lah stah-tzee-oh-neh)
Where is the train station?
Un biglietto/due biglietti (Oon beel-yet-toh/tee)
One ticket/two tickets
Scusi, come arrivo a...? (Scoo-si, com-e arr-ivo a)
Excuse me, how do I get to...?
Che ora e (Kay o-ra e)
What time is it?
Ritorno (Ree-torn-oh)
Return
Dritto (Dree-toh)
Straight ahead
Uscita (Ooh-shee-tah)
Exit
Entrata (En-trah-tah)
Entrance
L'aereo (La-er-ayo)
The plane
L'aeroporto (La-ayro-porto)
The airport
In Case of Emergency
Being in a place where you don't speak the language can often be intimidating, especially if an emergency arises. Having these simple sayings on hand can help you get the assistance you need in an unfortunate circumstance. While no one wants to think of anything serious happening on a vacation, it's always better to be safe than sorry!
Aiuto!(Ay-oo-toh!)
Help!
Chiami la polizia (Kee-ya-mee la po-lee-zee-ah)
Call the police
Ho bisogno di un dottore (Ho biz-on-nyo dee oon dot-tor-reh)
I need a doctor
Mi sono persa (Mee so-no per-sa)
I'm lost
Non trovo il mio passaporto (No-n tro-vo il mio pasa-porto)
I can't find my passport
Per favore mi aiuti (Per fav-ore mi ai-uti)
Please help me
Helpful Phrases When Shopping
A visit to Italy certainly is not complete without indulging in some shopping! Whether you're looking for souvenirs, simply browsing, or looking for something specific, having these useful phrases on hand will help to enhance your shopping experience.
Quanto costa (Quan-to cos-ta)
How much is it?
Vorrei (Vorr-ei)
I would like
Puo spedire a? (Pwaw speh-dee-reh ah?)
Can you ship to?
La libreria (La libr-eria)
The library
La farmacia (La farm-ac-ia)
The pharmacy
La panetteria (La panet-ter-ia)
The bakery
Sto cercando (Sto cerc-ando)
I am looking for
Sto solo guardando, grazie (Sto solo guard-ando, grah-tsee)
I am just looking, thank you
Lo prendo (Lo pren-do)
I will take this
Contanti (Cont-anti)
Cash
Carta di credito (Car-ta di cred-ito)
Credit card
Bancomat (Banc-o-mat)
ATM/debit card
Avete…? (Av-ete)
Do you have…?
Get ready for your trip by using flashcards. With the AI flashcard maker at edubrain.ai, you can create a set of cards for phrases you’ll need, like 'La libreria' or 'Sto solo guardando. It’s a great way to prepare, so you can fully embrace your adventure with ease!
More Everyday Phrases for Travelers
Simple conversation starts can make the process of relationship-forming in new countries so much easier. Of course, there's the obstacle of not knowing the language, but chances are the locals will be kind and helpful if you notify them that you are attempting to learn.
Especially in Italy, it's common for people to be warm and friendly towards tourists, and they'll appreciate it if you make the effort to even speak in their language. Here are some conversation starters or filler phrases you can say when talking with locals in Italy.
È la mia prima volta in Italia (Eh lah mee-ah pree-ma vol-tah in It-ah-lee-ah)
It's my first time in Italy
Sono qui in vacanza (So-no kwee in vah-kahn-tsah)
I'm here on vacation
Rimango per una settimana (Ree-man-go per oo-nah sett-ee-mah-nah)
I'm staying for a week
Mi piace l'Italia! (Mee pyah-cheh lee-tah-lee-ah)
I like Italy!
Sto imparando l'italiano (Stoh im-pah-ran-doh lee-tah-lee-ah-noh)
I'm learning Italian
Può scriverlo, per favore? (Pwo skree-ver-lo, per fah-voh-reh)
Can you write it down, please?
Tutto bene! (Too-toh beh-neh)
Everything's good!
Non importa (Non im-por-tah)
It doesn't matter / No problem
Memorizing these phrases and the grammar behind them will help connect with locals on a more personal level. Even short exchanges can help you build new friendships, and you might learn some cool travel tips or hidden gems along the way.
Quick Grammar and Pronunciation Tips
Italian pronunciation is rhythmic and consistent, with every letter usually pronounced, and emphasis often falls on the second-to-last syllable. Practice rolling your “r's” and pronouncing vowels clearly:
- A as in father
- E as in bed
- I as in see
- O as in not
- U as in zoo
Nouns and adjectives are gendered in Italian. Masculine words usually end in -o, and feminine words in -a. Plurals change to -i (masculine) and -e (feminine). For example:
- Ragazzo (boy) → Ragazzi (boys)
- Ragazza (girl) → Ragazze (girls)
To be polite, use “Lei” (formal “you”) when addressing strangers, elders, or anyone you wish to show respect to. Use “tu” (informal “you”) with friends or peers.
Now that you've gotten some basic Italian phrases under your belt, check out our affordable vacation packages to Italy!
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