Italian Phrases

The words Italians use constantly that no dictionary explains properly — prego, allora, magari, boh, mamma mia and more. What each really means and when to use it.

Italians really do say mamma mia — just not the way films suggest. It expresses dismay, exhaustion or admiration, and the tone decides which.

Magari means maybe, if only, I wish, and hopefully — and which one depends entirely on tone. It is the most useful untranslatable word in Italian.

Boh is not slang and not rude — it is a complete Italian sentence meaning “I have no idea and I am not going to speculate.” Here is how and when to use it.

Allora is the word Italians say constantly and no dictionary explains well. It means so, then, well, right — and mostly it means the speaker is thinking. Here is every use.

Italian has two words for “you” and choosing wrong is the most common way polite travelers accidentally sound rude. The rule is simpler than textbooks make it.

Italian gestures are not decoration — they carry real grammatical work. Here are the ones you will actually see, what they mean, and the two you should never use.

Italian is phonetic, which means once you learn the rules you can pronounce any word you read. Here are all of them, including the ones English speakers reliably get wrong.

Prego means you are welcome, after you, come in, go ahead, help yourself, pardon, please do, and several other things. Here is how to tell which one is happening.

The hundred phrases that cover a real trip to Italy — greetings, restaurants, trains, shops, emergencies — with pronunciation you can read at a glance.