Most phrase lists are padded with sentences no traveler has ever said. This one is built the other way: it follows a real trip through Italy — arriving, greeting, eating, moving around, shopping, handling small problems — and gives you the exact sentence for each moment, with pronunciation you can read off the page.
Two things before you start. First, the pronunciation guides here are approximations for English speakers; capital letters mark the stressed syllable. Second, if you only learn ten of these, learn the first ten. Politeness words carry you further in Italy than grammar ever will.
The essentials (1–10)
| Italian | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Buongiorno | bwohn-JOR-noh | Good morning / good day — the default greeting until mid-afternoon |
| Buonasera | bwoh-nah-SEH-rah | Good evening — from late afternoon on |
| Per favore | pehr fah-VOH-reh | Please |
| Grazie | GRAH-tsyeh | Thank you — the -e is pronounced |
| Grazie mille | GRAH-tsyeh MEEL-leh | Thanks a lot |
| Prego | PREH-goh | You’re welcome / after you / come in — the all-purpose word |
| Scusi | SKOO-zee | Excuse me (to a stranger, formal) |
| Permesso | pehr-MES-soh | Excuse me (squeezing past people) |
| Sì / No | see / noh | Yes / no |
| Arrivederci | ah-ree-veh-DEHR-chee | Goodbye (polite) |
The one rule: always open with a greeting before asking for anything. Walking into a shop and launching straight into a question reads as rude in Italy. Buongiorno first, then the question — it changes every interaction that follows.
Do you speak English? (11–16)
| Italian | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Parla inglese? | PAR-lah een-GLEH-zeh | Do you speak English? (formal) |
| Non parlo italiano | nohn PAR-loh ee-tah-LYAH-noh | I don’t speak Italian |
| Parlo un po’ di italiano | PAR-loh oon poh dee ee-tah-LYAH-noh | I speak a little Italian |
| Non ho capito | nohn oh kah-PEE-toh | I didn’t understand |
| Può ripetere, per favore? | pwoh ree-PEH-teh-reh | Can you repeat that, please? |
| Più lentamente, per favore | pyoo len-tah-MEN-teh | More slowly, please |
At the restaurant (17–36)
| Italian | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Un tavolo per due, per favore | oon TAH-voh-loh pehr DOO-eh | A table for two, please |
| Avete un tavolo libero? | ah-VEH-teh oon TAH-voh-loh LEE-beh-roh | Do you have a free table? |
| Il menù, per favore | eel meh-NOO | The menu, please |
| Cosa mi consiglia? | KOH-zah mee kohn-SEE-lyah | What do you recommend? — waiters love this question |
| Vorrei… | vor-RAY | I would like… — the politest way to order anything |
| Prendo… | PREN-doh | I’ll have… |
| Per me… | pehr meh | For me… — simplest ordering formula |
| Una bottiglia d’acqua naturale | OO-nah bot-TEE-lyah DAHK-wah nah-too-RAH-leh | A bottle of still water |
| Acqua frizzante | AHK-wah freet-TSAHN-teh | Sparkling water |
| Un bicchiere di vino rosso / bianco | oon beek-KYEH-reh dee VEE-noh ROHS-soh / BYAHN-koh | A glass of red / white wine |
| Sono vegetariano/a | SOH-noh veh-jeh-tah-RYAH-noh/nah | I’m vegetarian (-o if you’re male, -a if female) |
| Sono allergico/a a… | SOH-noh al-LEHR-jee-koh/kah ah | I’m allergic to… |
| Senza glutine | SEN-tsah GLOO-tee-neh | Gluten-free |
| È tutto buonissimo | eh TOOT-toh bwoh-NEES-see-moh | Everything is delicious — say it, they mean it when they ask |
| Il conto, per favore | eel KOHN-toh | The bill, please — it will not come until you ask |
| Posso pagare con la carta? | POHS-soh pah-GAH-reh kohn lah KAR-tah | Can I pay by card? |
| Dov’è il bagno? | doh-VEH eel BAH-nyoh | Where is the bathroom? |
| Ancora un po’ di pane, per favore | ahn-KOH-rah oon poh dee PAH-neh | A little more bread, please |
| Era squisito, grazie | EH-rah skwee-ZEE-toh | It was exquisite, thank you |
| Buon appetito! | bwohn ah-peh-TEE-toh | Enjoy your meal — said to others, not about your own food |
Worth knowing: in Italy the bill never arrives unrequested — bringing it uninvited would be rushing you out. When you want to leave, catch the waiter’s eye and ask for il conto. The coperto (a small per-person cover charge) on the bill is normal and legal, not a scam.
Getting around: trains, buses, taxis (37–56)
| Italian | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Dov’è la stazione? | doh-VEH lah stah-TSYOH-neh | Where is the station? |
| Un biglietto per Roma, per favore | oon bee-LYET-toh pehr ROH-mah | One ticket to Rome, please |
| Andata e ritorno | ahn-DAH-tah eh ree-TOR-noh | Round trip |
| Solo andata | SOH-loh ahn-DAH-tah | One way |
| A che ora parte il treno? | ah keh OH-rah PAR-teh eel TREH-noh | What time does the train leave? |
| Da quale binario? | dah KWAH-leh bee-NAH-ryoh | From which platform? |
| Questo treno ferma a…? | KWEH-stoh TREH-noh FEHR-mah ah | Does this train stop at…? |
| È libero questo posto? | eh LEE-beh-roh KWEH-stoh POH-stoh | Is this seat free? |
| Devo cambiare treno? | DEH-voh kahm-BYAH-reh TREH-noh | Do I have to change trains? |
| Dove devo scendere per…? | DOH-veh DEH-voh SHEN-deh-reh pehr | Where do I get off for…? |
| La fermata dell’autobus | lah fehr-MAH-tah del-OW-toh-boos | The bus stop |
| Mi può chiamare un taxi? | mee pwoh kyah-MAH-reh oon TAHK-see | Can you call me a taxi? |
| Quanto costa fino a…? | KWAHN-toh KOH-stah FEE-noh ah | How much to get to…? |
| Può usare il tassametro? | pwoh oo-ZAH-reh eel tahs-SAH-meh-troh | Can you use the meter? |
| Vado a questo indirizzo | VAH-doh ah KWEH-stoh een-dee-REET-tsoh | I’m going to this address (show your phone) |
| Dov’è la metro più vicina? | doh-VEH lah MEH-troh pyoo vee-CHEE-nah | Where is the nearest metro? |
| A destra / a sinistra | ah DEH-strah / ah see-NEE-strah | To the right / to the left |
| Sempre dritto | SEM-preh DREET-toh | Straight ahead |
| È lontano? | eh lohn-TAH-noh | Is it far? |
| Mi sono perso/a | mee SOH-noh PEHR-soh/sah | I’m lost |
One expensive detail: on regional trains, paper tickets must be validated in the small machines on the platform before boarding — an unvalidated ticket can mean a fine even though you paid. High-speed trains with reserved seats don’t need validation. When in doubt: “Devo convalidare?” (DEH-voh kohn-vah-lee-DAH-reh) — do I need to validate?
Hotels and where you’re staying (57–68)
| Italian | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ho una prenotazione | oh OO-nah preh-noh-tah-TSYOH-neh | I have a reservation |
| A nome di… | ah NOH-meh dee | Under the name of… |
| A che ora è la colazione? | ah keh OH-rah eh lah koh-lah-TSYOH-neh | What time is breakfast? |
| La chiave, per favore | lah KYAH-veh | The key, please |
| C’è il wifi? | cheh eel WEE-fee | Is there wifi? |
| Qual è la password? | kwahl eh lah password | What’s the password? |
| L’aria condizionata non funziona | LAH-ryah kohn-dee-tsyoh-NAH-tah nohn foon-TSYOH-nah | The air conditioning doesn’t work |
| Non c’è acqua calda | nohn cheh AHK-wah KAHL-dah | There’s no hot water |
| Posso lasciare la valigia? | POHS-soh lah-SHAH-reh lah vah-LEE-jah | Can I leave my suitcase? |
| A che ora è il check-out? | ah keh OH-rah eh eel check-out | What time is check-out? |
| Può consigliarmi un ristorante? | pwoh kohn-see-LYAR-mee oon ree-stoh-RAHN-teh | Can you recommend a restaurant? — the best restaurant advice in any Italian town |
| Vorrei prenotare per stasera | vor-RAY preh-noh-TAH-reh pehr stah-SEH-rah | I’d like to book for tonight |
Shopping and markets (69–80)
| Italian | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Quanto costa? | KWAHN-toh KOH-stah | How much does it cost? |
| Posso guardare? | POHS-soh gwar-DAH-reh | May I look? — say it entering small shops |
| Sto solo guardando | stoh SOH-loh gwar-DAHN-doh | I’m just looking |
| Posso provarlo? | POHS-soh proh-VAR-loh | Can I try it on? |
| Avete una taglia più grande / piccola? | ah-VEH-teh OO-nah TAH-lyah pyoo GRAHN-deh / PEEK-koh-lah | Do you have a bigger / smaller size? |
| Lo prendo | loh PREN-doh | I’ll take it |
| È troppo caro | eh TROHP-poh KAH-roh | It’s too expensive |
| Mi fa uno sconto? | mee fah OO-noh SKOHN-toh | Can you give me a discount? — markets yes, shops no |
| Un etto di… | oon ET-toh dee | 100 grams of… — the unit Italians actually use at food counters |
| Mezzo chilo di… | MED-dzoh KEE-loh dee | Half a kilo of… |
| Un assaggio, per favore | oon ahs-SAHD-joh | A taste, please — normal to ask at food markets |
| Mi può fare un pacchetto regalo? | mee pwoh FAH-reh oon pahk-KET-toh reh-GAH-loh | Can you gift-wrap it? |
Numbers, money, time (81–90)
| Italian | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque | OO-noh, DOO-eh, treh, KWAHT-troh, CHEEN-kweh | 1–5 |
| Sei, sette, otto, nove, dieci | say, SET-teh, OHT-toh, NOH-veh, DYEH-chee | 6–10 |
| Venti, cinquanta, cento | VEN-tee, cheen-KWAHN-tah, CHEN-toh | 20, 50, 100 |
| Che ore sono? | keh OH-reh SOH-noh | What time is it? |
| A che ora apre / chiude? | ah keh OH-rah AH-preh / KYOO-deh | What time does it open / close? |
| Oggi / domani / ieri | OHD-jee / doh-MAH-nee / YEH-ree | Today / tomorrow / yesterday |
| C’è un bancomat qui vicino? | cheh oon BAHN-koh-maht kwee vee-CHEE-noh | Is there an ATM nearby? |
| Il resto | eel REH-stoh | The change |
| Contanti | kohn-TAHN-tee | Cash |
| È gratis? | eh GRAH-tees | Is it free? |
When something goes wrong (91–100)
| Italian | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Aiuto! | ah-YOO-toh | Help! |
| Chiami la polizia! | KYAH-mee lah poh-lee-TSEE-ah | Call the police! |
| Ho bisogno di un medico | oh bee-ZOH-nyoh dee oon MEH-dee-koh | I need a doctor |
| Dov’è la farmacia? | doh-VEH lah far-mah-CHEE-ah | Where is the pharmacy? — Italian pharmacists handle minor issues brilliantly |
| Dov’è l’ospedale? | doh-VEH loh-speh-DAH-leh | Where is the hospital? |
| Mi hanno rubato il portafoglio | mee AHN-noh roo-BAH-toh eel por-tah-FOH-lyoh | My wallet was stolen |
| Ho perso il passaporto | oh PEHR-soh eel pahs-sah-POR-toh | I’ve lost my passport |
| Non mi sento bene | nohn mee SEN-toh BEH-neh | I don’t feel well |
| Mi fa male qui | mee fah MAH-leh kwee | It hurts here |
| Può aiutarmi? | pwoh ah-yoo-TAR-mee | Can you help me? |
The number to know: 112 is the single European emergency number and works everywhere in Italy, free, from any phone.
How to actually learn these before your trip
Reading a list once does nothing; your mouth needs the reps. What works: pick the ten phrases from the sections that match your trip, say them out loud daily for the two weeks before you fly, and let a pronunciation app correct you. Fifteen minutes a day for two weeks is enough to handle every routine interaction on this page.
If you want structure for those two weeks, see our guide to choosing an Italian course or app — including which ones are worth paying for and which are not. And for the single most common interaction of any Italian day, read how to order coffee like you’ve done it before.