Italian For Dummies

Italian Greetings

Knowing Italian greetings can make a good impression whether you're speaking Italian for business or while traveling. Offer polite greetings to friends and associates or as a way to break the ice when meeting new people. These are common greetings in Italian:

• Buongiorno! (boo-ohn-johr-noh) (Hello! and Good morning!)

• Arrivederci! (ahr-ree-veh-dehr-chee) (Goodbye!) (Formal)

• Ciao! (chah-oh) (Hello! and Good-bye!) (Informal)

• Salve! (sahl-veh) (Hello! and Good-bye!) (Neutral)

• Buonasera! (boo-oh-nah-seh-rah) (Good afternoon! Good evening!) (Formal)

• Buonanotte! (boo-oh-nah-noht-teh) (Good night!) (Informal)

• Mi chiamo…(mee kee-ah-moh) (My name is. . .)

• Come sta? (koh-meh stah) (How are you?) (Formal)

• Come stai? (koh-meh stah-ee) (How are you?) (Informal)

• Bene, grazie. (beh-neh grah-tsee-eh) (Fine, thank you.)

Italian Courtesy Phrases

A general rule for Italians is to be respectful and courteous to everyone. Use these courtesy phrases when speaking in Italian so you’re equally polite and can communicate easily:

• Per favore? (pehr fah-voh-reh) (Please.)

• Grazie. (grah-tsee-eh) (Thank you.)

• Non c'è di che. (nohn cheh dee keh) (You’re welcome.)

• Mi dispiace. (mee dees-pee-ah-cheh) (I’m sorry.)

• Mi scusi. (mee skoo-zee) (Excuse me.)

• Sì. (see) (Yes.)

• No. (noh) (No.)

Basic Question Words in Italian

To communicate in Italian and to travel with ease, there are practical questions in Italian (or any language for that matter) that you'll use daily and have to know:

• Parla inglese? (pahr-lah een-gleh-zeh) (Do you speak English?)

• Chi? (kee) (Who?)

• Cosa? (koh-sah) (What?)

• Quando? (koo-ahn-doh) (When?)

• Dove? (doh-veh) (Where?)

• Perché? (pehr-keh) (Why?)

• Come? (koh-meh) (How?)

• Quanto? (koo-anh-toh) (How much?)

• Permesso? (pehr-mehs-soh) (May I?)

Days of the Week in Italian

In Italian, the days of the week aren't capitalized. Eyeball this table of the days of the week in Italian (along with pronunciations and abbreviations) to ensure you get your days straight while in Italy.

Getting Help in Italian for Emergencies

If you have an emergency while traveling in Italy, you'll be glad to know these basic phrases. Be prepared for emergencies by committing these Italian phrases to memory:

• Aiuto! (ah-yoo-toh) (Help!)

• Emergenza! (eh-mehr-jehn-tsah) (Emergency!)

• Chiamate la polizia! (chee-ah-mah-teh lah poh-lee-tsee-ah) (Call the police!)

• Chiamate un'ambulanza! (kee-ah-mah-teh oo-nahm-boo-lahn-tsah) (Call an ambulance!)

• Ho bisogno di un medico. (oh bee-zoh-nyoh dee oon meh-dee-koh) (I need a doctor.)

• Dov' è l'ospedale? (doh-veh lohs-peh-dah-leh) (Where is the hospital?)

Getting Started with Italian Numbers

Be sure to know your numbers in Italian. When in Italian-speaking areas, you'll be dealing with numbers for transportation, while shopping, and when dining. Use this chart to get a good start with learning Italian numbers: