Coffee costs less at the counter
Many bars charge less if you drink standing at the counter, al banco, than at a table, al tavolo. In busy bars you often pay at the cassa first, then hand your receipt to the barista as you order.
Phrase guide · Italian
Italian phrases for travelers
43 phrases for greeting people, buying train tickets, ordering in cafés and restaurants, and getting help in Italy. Every one comes with an easy pronunciation guide, so you can say it, or point to it.
How to read the pronunciation
- Capital letters show the stressed syllable
- Double consonants are held a beat longer, as in POHS-soh and bee-LYET-toh
- gn sounds like the ny in canyon, and gli like the ly in million
- c and g are soft before e and i, like ch and j, and hard before other letters. ch and gh are always hard: k and g
Italian · Travel phrasesGrazie.
GRAHT-tsyeh
Thank you.
YouBuongiorno! Un biglietto per Pisa, per favore.Good morning! A ticket to Pisa, please.
Greetings and goodbyes
Buongiorno turns into buonasera in the afternoon, earlier in some regions than others. If you're not sure which to use, salve works all day.
| Italian | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Buongiorno! | bwon-JOR-noh | Good morning! / Hello! |
| Buonasera! | bwoh-nah-SEH-rah | Good evening! / Hello!From the afternoon on |
| Salve! | SAHL-veh | Hello!A neutral hello for any time of day |
| Ciao! | CHOW | Hi! / Bye!Informal. With strangers, buongiorno or salve is safer |
| Come sta? | KOH-meh STAH | How are you?Polite (Lei). To a friend: Come stai? |
| Bene, grazie. E Lei? | BEH-neh, GRAHT-tsyeh. eh LAY | Fine, thanks. And you?To a friend: E tu? |
| Arrivederci! | ahr-ree-veh-DEHR-chee | Goodbye! |
Please, thank you and other basics
The words you'll use most, in shops, bars and on the bus.
| Italian | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Per favore. | pehr fah-VOH-reh | Please. |
| Grazie. | GRAHT-tsyeh | Thank you. |
| Prego. | PREH-goh | You're welcome.You'll also hear it for “go ahead” or “can I help you?” |
| Sì. / No. | SEE / NOH | Yes. / No. |
| Va bene. | vah BEH-neh | OK. |
| Scusi! | SKOO-zee | Excuse me! / Sorry!Polite (Lei), to get attention or say sorry. To a friend: Scusa! |
| Permesso! | pehr-MES-soh | Excuse me, can I get past?To squeeze past people, like on a crowded bus |
| Dov'è il bagno? | doh-VEH eel BAH-nyoh | Where's the restroom? |
When you don't understand
If someone talks too fast, just ask. People are usually happy to slow down, write it down or try some English.
| Italian | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Parla inglese? | PAHR-lah een-GLEH-seh | Do you speak English?Polite (Lei). To a friend: Parli inglese? |
| Non ho capito. | nohn oh kah-PEE-toh | I didn't understand. |
| Più lentamente, per favore. | pyoo len-tah-MEN-teh, pehr fah-VOH-reh | More slowly, please. |
| Può scriverlo, per favore? | pwoh SKREE-vehr-loh, pehr fah-VOH-reh | Could you write it down, please? |
Shopping
Most shops have fixed prices. At a market stall, ask before you touch the fruit: vendors prefer to pick it for you.
| Italian | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Quanto costa questo? | KWAHN-toh KOH-stah KWEH-stoh | How much is this? |
| Sto solo guardando, grazie. | stoh SOH-loh gwahr-DAHN-doh, GRAHT-tsyeh | I'm just looking, thanks. |
| Posso provarlo? | POHS-soh proh-VAHR-loh | Can I try it on?For a feminine word, like la giacca (jacket): Posso provarla? |
| Lo prendo. | loh PREN-doh | I'll take it.For a feminine word: La prendo. |
| Quant'è? | kwahn-TEH | How much do I owe?At the register, for the total |
| Posso pagare con la carta? | POHS-soh pah-GAH-reh kohn lah KAHR-tah | Can I pay by card? |
Trains, buses and taxis
Bus tickets are often sold at a tabaccheria, a shop with a T sign. You generally can't hail a taxi in the street, so find a taxi stand or ask someone to call one.
| Italian | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Dov'è la stazione? | doh-VEH lah staht-TSYOH-neh | Where's the train station? |
| Un biglietto per Roma, per favore. | oon bee-LYET-toh pehr ROH-mah, pehr fah-VOH-reh | A ticket to Rome, please. |
| Solo andata. / Andata e ritorno. | SOH-loh ahn-DAH-tah / ahn-DAH-tah eh ree-TOR-noh | One way. / Round trip. |
| Da quale binario parte? | dah KWAH-leh bee-NAH-ryoh PAHR-teh | Which platform does it leave from? |
| Devo convalidare il biglietto? | DEH-voh kohn-vah-lee-DAH-reh eel bee-LYET-toh | Do I need to validate the ticket? |
| Questo autobus va in centro? | KWEH-stoh OW-toh-boos vah een CHEN-troh | Does this bus go to the center? |
| Mi può chiamare un taxi? | mee pwoh kyah-MAH-reh oon TAHK-see | Could you call me a taxi? |
Food and drink
In restaurants, nobody will rush you, and the check usually comes only when you ask for it.
| Italian | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Un tavolo per due, per favore. | oon TAH-voh-loh pehr DOO-eh, pehr fah-VOH-reh | A table for two, please. |
| Cosa ci consiglia? | KOH-sah chee kohn-SEE-lyah | What do you recommend? |
| Acqua naturale o frizzante? | AHK-kwah nah-too-RAH-leh oh freed-DZAHN-teh | Still or sparkling water?What the waiter asks when you order water |
| Sono vegetariano. | SOH-noh veh-jeh-tah-RYAH-noh | I'm vegetarian.A woman says vegetariana. |
| Si paga alla cassa? | see PAH-gah ahl-lah KAHS-sah | Do I pay at the register? |
| Il servizio è compreso? | eel sehr-VEET-tsyoh eh kohm-PREH-soh | Is service included? |
| Ci porta il conto, per favore? | chee POR-tah eel KOHN-toh, pehr fah-VOH-reh | Could we have the check, please? |
If something goes wrong
Hopefully you won't need these. For any emergency, call 112. For an ambulance, you can also call 118.
| Italian | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Aiuto! | ah-YOO-toh | Help! |
| Chiamate un'ambulanza! | kyah-MAH-teh oon ahm-boo-LAHN-tsah | Call an ambulance!To people around you. To one person: Chiami un'ambulanza! |
| Ho bisogno di un medico. | oh bee-ZOH-nyoh dee oon MEH-dee-koh | I need a doctor. |
| Mi hanno rubato il portafoglio. | mee AHN-noh roo-BAH-toh eel por-tah-FOH-lyoh | My wallet has been stolen.Literally “They stole my wallet.” |
Buying a train ticket in Florence
Greet the clerk, say where you're going, then ask about the platform and validating. This is how it sounds at a ticket window in Florence.
YouBuongiorno! Un biglietto per Pisa, per favore.Good morning! A ticket to Pisa, please.
ClerkSolo andata o andata e ritorno?One way or round trip?
YouSolo andata. Da quale binario parte?One way. Which platform does it leave from?
ClerkLo trova sul tabellone. Ecco a Lei.You'll find it on the departures board. Here you are.
YouDevo convalidare il biglietto?Do I need to validate the ticket?
ClerkSì, lo convalidi prima di salire. Buon viaggio!Yes, validate it before you get on. Have a good trip!
YouGrazie mille, buona giornata!Thanks a lot, have a nice day!
Numbers and money
An espresso at the bar costs around 1.20 euros, which you say un euro e venti.
| Italian | Say it like | Number |
|---|---|---|
| uno | OO-noh | 1 |
| due | DOO-eh | 2 |
| tre | TREH | 3 |
| quattro | KWAHT-troh | 4 |
| cinque | CHEEN-kweh | 5 |
| sei | SAY | 6 |
| sette | SET-teh | 7 |
| otto | OHT-toh | 8 |
| nove | NOH-veh | 9 |
| dieci | DYEH-chee | 10 |
| venti | VEN-tee | 20 |
| cinquanta | cheen-KWAHN-tah | 50 |
| cento | CHEN-toh | 100 |
| mille | MEEL-leh | 1,000 |
| euro | EH-oo-roh | euro, euros |
Good to know in Italy
Coperto and servizio
Many restaurants charge a coperto, a cover charge of a few euros per person for bread and the table setting. It must be listed on the menu, and so must servizio, a service charge some places add.
Greet when you walk in
Say buongiorno or buonasera when you enter a shop. Ignoring the person behind the counter comes across as rude. On the way out, grazie, arrivederci is all you need.
Validate paper tickets
Paper tickets for regional trains must be validated (convalidare) in a machine at the station before the train leaves. Paper bus tickets get stamped in the machine on board. Without validation, you can be fined. Regional tickets bought online or in the Trenitalia app are validated automatically, but only for the train you chose.
Questions travelers ask
How do you say hello in Italian?
Buongiorno (bwon-JOR-noh) is the polite hello in the morning, and buonasera (bwoh-nah-SEH-rah) from the afternoon on. Salve works at any time of day, and ciao is for friends.
How do you say thank you in Italian?
Grazie (GRAHT-tsyeh). Pronounce the final e: it's GRAHT-tsyeh, not GRAHT-see. For thanks a lot, say grazie mille. The reply you'll hear is prego, you're welcome.
How do you ask how much something costs in Italian?
Quanto costa? (KWAHN-toh KOH-stah) means how much is it? When you're paying for everything at once, Quant'è? asks for the total.
Do people in Italy speak English?
In hotels, at major sights and in big cities, many people speak some English. Away from them, and in small towns, it's less common, so a few Italian words help a lot.
Do you tip in Italy?
Tipping isn't expected. If there's no servizio on the check and you enjoyed the meal, a euro or two per person is a kind extra. In bars and taxis, rounding up is plenty.
More phrase guides
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