The only country in the world in the shape of a boot, Italy is the cradle of European civilization, and its contributions to gastronomy, music, and soccer are undeniable. It is widely known that Italian is a direct descendant of Latin, but it is a lesser-known fact that the Sun hymn by Francis of Assisi (Cantico delle Creature – The Song of the Creatures) is the first written record of vernacular. Naturally, the language has changed and evolved – let us list a few expressions to help you contact others when you are in Italy.

Facts and Figures: The History of the Italian Language

Before we dive into vocabulary, here are a few interesting facts about the Italian language:

  • Italian is the official language in Italy, San Marino, and parts of Switzerland, and is spoken as a native language in 13 other countries.
  • Modern standard Italian is based on the Tuscan dialect (especially Florentine) and has its roots in the Indo-European language family.
  • Italian has been officially recognized as the national language since 1861. Since 2017, it is also considered a cultural heritage of Italy.
  • There are around 65 million native Italian speakers worldwide, making it the 28th most spoken language globally (as of 2022).
  • The Italian alphabet contains only 21 letters. J, K, W, X, and Y are excluded.
  • Italian is closely related to other Romance languages like French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Tricky Pronunciations in Italian

Most of the time, Italian words are pronounced exactly as they are written. But if you’ve ever tried to order gnocchi, bruschetta, or stracciatella at a restaurant, you already know: there are exceptions – and they’re not always easy.

C and G:

  • Before the letters H, A, O, or U, “C” is pronounced like a “k”.
    Example: carne = „karne“ (meat)
  • Words beginning with “G” are pronounced just as written – with a hard “g”.
    Examples: galoppini = „galoppini“ (helper), gatto = „gatto“ (cat)
  • Before “I” or “E”, “C” and “G” are softened – pronounced like “ch” and “j”.
    Examples: gelato = „dschelato” (ice cream), ciao = “chow” (hi/bye), stracciatella = “stratch-a-tella” (chocolate chip ice cream)

GL:
The combination “GL” is pronounced like “ly”.

Example: aglio e olio = „aljo e olio“ (garlic and oil)

GN:
The combination is pronounced like „ny“, similar to the Spanish “ñ” in niño.

Beispiel: Gnocchi = „njo-ki“ (Italian pasta)

CH:
In Italian, “CH” is always pronounced as a hard “k”.

Beispiel: Gnocchi = „njo-ki“ (Italian pasta)

H:
In standard Italian, the letter “H” is always silent.

Example: huomo = „uomo“ (man)

SC:

  • Before A, O, U, or an H, “SC” is pronounced like “sk”.
    Examples: scala = “skah-lah” (stairs), bruschetta = “broos-keh-tah” (grilled bread with tomato)
  • Before E, I, IA or IO, it turns into a soft “sh” sound.
    Example: scimmia = „schimmia“ (monkey)


Basic Italian Vocabulary: Basics for your next trip

When you’re traveling in Italy – especially in popular tourist areas – you’ll often find locals who speak some English or even a bit of German. But using a few Italian words yourself is a guaranteed way to earn a smile (and maybe even better service 😉). Here are some everyday basics for beginners – your essential Italian for any vacation:

Yes – sì („si“)

No – nò („no“)

Hello – ciao („tschau“)

Goodbye – ciao („tschau“)

Good morning/Good day – Buongiorno! („Bonschorno“)

Good evening – Buonasera! („Bonasera“)

Good night – Buona notte!

Have a nice weekend! – Buon fine settimana! („buon fine settimana“)

How are you? – Come stai? („kome s-tai“)

I´m fine. – Sto bene. („sto bene“)

What’s new? – Cosa c’è di nuovo?

What are you doing? – Che cosa stai facendo?

Please – per favore („per fawore“)

Thank you – grazie („grazi-e“)

I´m sorry.! – Scusa! („skusa“)

My name is... – Mi chiamo/a… („me kiamo/a“)

Happy birthday! – Buon compleanno! („buon compleanno“)

Cheers! – Salute! („salute“)

Enjoy your meal! – Buon appetito! („Buon apetitto“)

What time is it? – Che ore sono? („ke ore sono“)

How much does it cost? – Quanto costa? („kuanto kosta“)

The bill, please! – Il conto, per favore! („il konto, per fawore“)

Sure – certo (“tscher-to”)

Love – amore (“a-mo-re”)

Everything – tutto (“tut-to”)

Italian Greetings Matter

Greetings are especially important in Italy – and they change depending on the time of day and the situation:

  • Buongiorno! (Good morning!)
  • Buona sera! (Good evening!)
  • Buona notte! (Good Night!)
  • Come stai? (How arey you?)
  • Stai bene? (Are you doing well?)
  • Cosa c’è di nuovo? (What’s new?)
  • Che cosa stai facendo? (What are you doing right now?)

The simplest Italian questions: It is hard to maintain a conversation without questions. You’ll find a few ones below to help you move things along.

  • Come ti chiami? (What is your name?)
  • Che ora é? (What time is it?)
  • Di dove sei? (Where do you come from?)
  • Dove abiti? (Where do you live?))
  • Puoi aiutarmi? (Can you help me?)
  • Posso aiutarti? (Can I help you?)
  • Quanto costa? (How much does it cost?)
  • Hai capito? (Do you understand?)

Italian expressions for people

One of the central elements of Italian culture is family - without the related terms, this dictionary would be incomplete for sure.

  • Famiglia (family)
  • Figlio / Figlia (son / daughter)
  • Fratello / Sorella (brother / sister)
  • Amico / Amica (friend)
  • Ragazzo / Ragazza (boy(-friend) / girl(-friend)
  • Uomo / Donna (man / woman)

Common Italian Verbs You’ll Often Hear and Use

Italian verbs typically end in -are, -ere, or -ire. Some -ire verbs belong to a special category called “-isc” verbs, which follow a slightly different conjugation pattern. Plenty of exceptions make learning Italian fun – but also a bit of a challenge! Here are some of the verbs you’re most likely to come across in everyday conversations:

  • Essere (to be)
  • Avere (to have)
  • Sapere (to know)
  • Volere (to want)
  • Piacere (to like / to be pleasing)
  • Giocare (to play)
  • Aprire (to open)
  • Aiutare (to help)
  • Chiamare (to call / to name)
  • Vivere (to live)

UAnd how do you talk about the weather?

Weather in Italy is indeed variable – and the many related expressions reveal just that.

  • Fa caldo. (It´s hot.)
  • Fa freddo. (It´s cold.)
  • Piove. (It´s raining.)
  • C’è il sole. (It´s sunny.)
  • C’è la luna. (The moon has risen.)
  • Sta nevicando. (It’s snowing.)
  • C’è vento. (It’s windy.)

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