Learn Basic Italian Phrases

Twenty basic Italian phrases to start with

If you only have a few minutes, begin with these. Each one is useful on a trip or in a first conversation.

The rest of this page groups these and many more by situation, so you can learn them in the context where you will use them.

Greetings and goodbyes

• Ciao: informal “hi” and “bye”. Use it with friends, family and people your age or younger.
• Salve: a neutral “hello” that sits between informal and formal.
• Buongiorno: “good morning”, used until around lunchtime, and often as a general daytime hello.
• Buonasera: “good evening”, used from the afternoon onwards. Exactly when people switch from buongiorno varies by region and habit.
• Buonanotte: “good night”, said when going to bed or leaving late at night.
• Arrivederci: “goodbye” in most situations; ArrivederLa is a more formal version.
• A presto: “see you soon”. A domani: “see you tomorrow”. Ci vediamo: “we’ll see each other”.

What does “ciao tutti” mean?

Ciao tutti means “hi, everyone” (tutti is “all”). Italians more commonly say ciao a tutti (“hello to everyone”) or ciao ragazzi (“hi guys”). The shorter version is understood, and you may see it in captions and informal messages, but “ciao a tutti” is the more standard form.

Formal or informal: tu and Lei

Italian has an informal “you” (tu) and a formal “you” (Lei, with a capital L in writing). The verb changes with it:

• Informal: Come stai? (How are you?) / Parli inglese? (Do you speak English?)
• Formal: Come sta? / Parla inglese?

With friends, children and people your own age in casual settings, tu is normal. With older strangers, in shops, hotels or at work, Lei is the safer choice until the other person suggests using tu. Many beginner phrases in this article give the formal form where it matters.

Politeness and saying sorry

• Per favore or per piacere: please.
• Grazie: thank you. Grazie mille: thanks a lot (literally “a thousand thanks”).
• Prego: you’re welcome. It is also used to say “go ahead” or “please, after you”.

How do Italians say “I’m sorry”?

There are a few options, and they are not identical:

• Mi dispiace: “I’m sorry”, used to express regret or sympathy (“Mi dispiace molto” means “I’m very sorry”).
• Scusa (informal) and Scusi (formal): “sorry” or “excuse me”, used to apologise for a small mistake or to get someone’s attention.
• Scusami or Mi scusi: “excuse me / forgive me”.
• Perdonami (informal) and Mi perdoni (formal): “forgive me”, a stronger apology.
• Chiedo scusa: “I apologise”, a more formal wording.

A simple rule: use scusi to get past someone or ask a question, and mi dispiace when something went wrong or someone is upset.

Introducing yourself and small talk

• Mi chiamo Anna. My name is Anna.
• Come ti chiami? / Come si chiama? What’s your name? (informal / formal)
• Piacere! Nice to meet you.
• Di dove sei? / Di dov’è? Where are you from? (informal / formal)
• Sono di Londra. I’m from London.
• Sono americano / americana. I’m American (masculine / feminine).
• Come stai? How are you?
• Sto bene, grazie. E tu? I’m fine, thanks. And you?
• Non c’è male. Not bad.

Notice the masculine and feminine endings in nationality words and adjectives: a man says sono stanco (I’m tired), a woman says sono stanca.

When you do not understand

• Non capisco. I don’t understand.
• Può ripetere, per favore? Could you repeat that, please? (formal)
• Può parlare più lentamente? Could you speak more slowly?
• Non parlo bene l’italiano. I don’t speak Italian well.
• Parla inglese? Do you speak English?
• Come si dice “thank you” in italiano? How do you say “thank you” in Italian?
• Che cosa significa…? What does… mean?

What does “boh” mean?

If you heard something like “bo bo bo”, it was most likely boh, an informal interjection meaning “I don’t know” or “no idea”, often said with a shrug. It is casual speech, so keep it for friends rather than formal situations. I am not aware of “bo bo bo” as a standard phrase, so it is probably either a repeated boh or a transcription of something else, depending on where you heard it.

Phrases for cafes and restaurants

• Un caffè, per favore. A coffee (an espresso), please.
• Vorrei un cappuccino. I would like a cappuccino.
• Avete un tavolo per due? Do you have a table for two?
• Il menù, per favore. The menu, please.
• Cosa consiglia? What do you recommend?
• Sono allergico / allergica a… I’m allergic to… (masculine / feminine)
• Senza glutine / senza carne: gluten-free / without meat.
• Acqua naturale / frizzante. Still / sparkling water.
• Il conto, per favore. The bill, please.

Vorrei (“I would like”) is more polite than voglio (“I want”), and it is the form to use when ordering.

Asking for directions and getting around

• Dov’è la stazione? Where is the station?
• Dov’è il bagno? Where is the bathroom?
• A destra / a sinistra. To the right / to the left.
• Sempre dritto. Straight ahead.
• Mi sono perso / persa. I’m lost (masculine / feminine).
• Un biglietto per Roma, per favore. A ticket to Rome, please.
• A che ora parte il treno? What time does the train leave?
• Da che binario? From which platform?

Another useful verb is vorrei andare a… (“I would like to go to…”).

Shopping and numbers

• Quanto costa? How much is it?
• Posso pagare con la carta? Can I pay by card?
• Lo prendo. I’ll take it.
• Sto solo guardando, grazie. I’m just looking, thanks.
• Aperto / chiuso. Open / closed.

Numbers one to ten: uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque, sei, sette, otto, nove, dieci. Knowing these helps with prices, times and addresses.

Asking for help

• Aiuto! Help!
• Ho bisogno di aiuto. I need help.
• Può aiutarmi? Can you help me? (formal)
• Chiami un medico / la polizia. Call a doctor / the police.
• Dov’è l’ospedale? Where is the hospital?

Learn these before you need them, and check the local emergency number for your destination from an official source before travelling.

Pronunciation basics

You do not need perfect pronunciation, but a few rules go a long way (the case for early sound training is in the importance of phonetics in language learning):

• Italian vowels are fairly consistent: a, e, i, o, u each have a stable sound.
• c before e or i sounds like English “ch”: ciao, cena. Before other letters it is a “k” sound: casa.
• ch before e or i is a “k” sound: che, chi.
• g before e or i is a soft “j”: gelato. gh makes it hard: spaghetti.
• gn sounds like the “ny” in “canyon”: gnocchi.
• sc before e or i sounds like “sh”: scena.
• Double consonants are held slightly longer: pala (shovel) and palla (ball) are different words.
• Most words stress the second-to-last syllable, and a written accent (as in città or caffè) marks stress on the final syllable.

How to practice phrases

Lists are only a starting point. A few ways to make them stick:

1. Learn by situation. Choose one setting, such as ordering at a cafe, and rehearse the whole exchange rather than isolated words.
2. Say them aloud. Repeat after an audio recording, then record yourself and compare.
3. Use spaced repetition. (See the importance of review in learning.) Put phrases into a flashcard app, with the English on one side and the Italian on the other.
4. Swap parts. Once you know Vorrei un caffè, try Vorrei un tavolo, Vorrei un biglietto. This is how a phrase becomes a pattern.
5. Role-play. Practise both sides of a short dialogue, or with a language partner or tutor.
6. Notice them in the wild. Watch Italian videos or read menus and signs and see which phrases you recognise.

Where to go next

Once you can handle basic exchanges, grammar helps you build your own sentences instead of repeating fixed ones. Our Italian grammar activities give you ideas for practising on your own, and the Italian plural exercises cover one of the first things to get right: how nouns change in the plural. When you reach more advanced sentences, the double object pronouns exercises are a good step.

FAQ

What are 20 basic Italian phrases for beginners?

The table at the top of this article lists twenty: ciao, buongiorno, buonasera, arrivederci, per favore, grazie, prego, scusi, mi dispiace, sì, no, come stai, sto bene, mi chiamo, piacere, non capisco, parla inglese, quanto costa, dov’è and vorrei.

Is “ciao” formal or informal?

Informal. Use buongiorno, buonasera or salve with people you do not know well.

Should I use tu or Lei with strangers?

Lei is the safer choice with older people or in formal settings, such as shops, hotels and offices. Switch to tu if the other person does.

Do I need to learn grammar to use these phrases?

Not to start. Phrases can be learned as chunks. Grammar becomes more important when you want to say things that are not on a list.