Traveling to another country can be such an exhilarating experience and can give you memories that will last you a lifetime. When you go abroad, while most people do speak English, it is best if you try to learn the language of the country you are going to. It is a very useful thing to do and can help you better appreciate the local atmosphere and the people you interact with.

While you can’t expect to master an entire language overnight, you CAN, however, learn some short, useful words that can get you through your trip. Here are some phrases and words that you should at least commit to memory (or create a cheat-sheet with) before you board your plane to Italy:

Greetings

• Buongiorno (bwohn-johr-noh)- Good Morning
• Bounasera (bwoh-nah-seh-rah)- Good Evening
• Bounanotte (bwoh-nah-noht-teh)- Good Night
• Come Sta (koh-meh stah)- How are you?
• Mi chiamo (mee kyah-moh) – My name is…
• Come ti chiami? (koh-meh tee kyah-mee) – What is your name?
• Ciao (chou) – Hello and/or Goodbye
• Arrivederci! (ahr-ree-veh-dehr-chee) – Goodbye

Courtesy

• Per favore (pehr fah-voh-reh) – Please
• Per piacere (pehr pyah-cheh-reh) – Please
• Grazie (grah-tsee-eh) – Thank You
• Prego (preh-goh) – You’re Welcome
• Mi dispiace (mee dees-pyah-cheh) – I’m sorry
• Mi scusi (mee skooh-zee) – Excuse me
• Permesso? (pehr-mehs-soh) – Excuse me or May I come in?
• Sì. (see) – Yes
• (noh) – No

Basic Phrases and Words

• Parla inglese? (pahr-lah een-gleh-zeh) – Do you speak English?
• Chi? (kee) – Who?
• Cosa? (koh-sah) – What?
• Quando? (kwahn-doh) – When?
• Dove? (doh-veh) – Where?
• Perché? (pehr-keh) – Why?
• Come? (koh-meh) – How?
• Quanto? (kwanh-toh) – How Much?
• Scusi, dov’è il bagno? (skooh-zee doh-veh eel bahn-yoh) – Where is the bathroom?
• Dov’è la stazione? (doh-veh lah stah-tsyoh-neh) – Where is the station?
• Aiuto! (ah-yooh-toh) – Help!
• Chiamate la polizia! (chee-ah-mah-teh lah poh-lee-tsee-ah) – Call the police!
• Ho bisogno di un medico. (oh bee-zoh-nyoh dee oohn meh-dee-koh) – I need a doctor.
• Chiamate un’ambulanza! (kee-ah-mah-teh ooh-nahm-booh-lahn-tsah) – Call an ambulance!

Ordering

• Un cappuccino, per favore (oohn kahp-pooh-chee-noh pehr fah-voh-reh) – One cappuccino please
• Quanto viene? (kwahn-toh vyeh-neh) – How much is the total?
• Un gelato, per favore (oohn geh-lah-toh, pehr fah-voh-reh) – One ice cream please.
• Ci fa il conto, per favore?/Ci porta il conto? (chee fah eel kohn-toh pehr fah-voh-reh/chee pohr-tah eel kohn-toh) – Will you bring us the bill please?

Numbers

• 1 – uno
• 2 – due
• 3 – tre
• 4 – quattro
• 5 – cinque
• 6 – sei
• 7 – sette
• 8 – otto
• 9 – nove
• 10 – dieci
• 20 – venti
• 50 – cinquanta
• 100 – cento

Days of the Week

• Domenica – Sunday
• Lunedi – Monday
• Martedi – Tuesday
• Mercoledì – Wednesday
• Giovedi – Thursday
• Venerdi – Friday
• Sabato – Saturday

More Common Words

• Albergo – Hotel
• Ristorante – Restaurant
• Farmacia – Pharmacy
• Aeroporto – Airport
• Museo – Museum
• Tratorria – Café or Diner
• Acqua – Water
• Vino – Wine
• Birra – Beer

We also put together this short video for you, to make it easier to learn some Common Italian Expressions for your next Italian vacation.

So give it a look, learn the words, use them, and the next time you walk around Rome and hear someone tell you, “Figo!” remember to smile!

You can also view this presentation as slides over at SlideShare! 🙂

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