If you plan to travel to Italy or your dreams are to visit it, you need to know the key Italian phrases to communicate in the language, so you can talk with the locals and you can travel calmly, move to any part of the city you are visiting and demonstrate your interest in the language and Italian culture.
Keep reading so you don’t miss the key Italian Phrases
Cominciamo!
Ciao: An informal way to say both hi and bye. The more formal way to say hello is salve.
Grazie: Use this to say thank you. To say thank you very much, simply say grazie mille!
Prego: This is how to say you’re welcome.
Buon giorno: This greeting means good day. You can use it in the morning and afternoon.
Mi chiamo: Use this phrase, which means my name is to introduce yourself to new people.
Mi scusi: This phrase, which translates to excuse me or pardon me, comes in handy on busy sidewalks in cities like Rome or Venice.
Come stai?: An informal way to ask how are you? Reply with bene, grazie to say you’re doing fine.
Per favore: You’ll use this phrase often to say please.
Parli inglese?: Do you speak English? If the answer is sì (yes), then you can continue speaking in English. If it’s no, you can ask someone to translate for you.
Il conto per favore: The check/bill please. This is important, and you may need to ask a few times because servers don’t want to rush or kick you out — it’s considered rude to do so in Italian culture.
Aperto/chiuso: Look for these words, which mean open and closed, on signs of stores and restaurants.
Uscita: Translated to exit, this word is a common one you’ll see on various signs on the streets.
Vorrei…: You will use this word when trying to order food or buy a ticket. You can translate it as I would like… .
Scusi, dov’è il bagno / la toilette?: When you are in a restaurant or in a public place, and you have to go to the toilet, just use this sentence which you can translate as: “Excuse me, where is the toilet / the loo?”.
What would you add to this list? Let us know what phrases you’ve found helpful to know while traveling in Italy!
Find more helpful Italian phrases to know before you go in our helpful infographic below.
