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Karen Antje Möller
Karen Antje Möller is a veteran language teacher and author. She has worked with Berlitz Publishing on German-Italian projects and Italian exercise books.
Articles & Books From Karen Antje Möller
Cheat Sheet / Updated 01-19-2022
Planning a trip to Italy? Learn some basic Italian to make it more fulfilling. Get to know Italian greetings, question words, numbers, and the days of the week. Also, be sure to know how to ask for help in Italian so you're prepared for emergencies. And something very important: how to order food and drink!Italian greetingsKnowing Italian greetings can make a good impression, whether you’re speaking Italian for business or while traveling.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-24-2022
The Italian language is adapting to the rhythms of modern life with the introduction of new idioms and the construction of simpler, more concise sentences and paragraphs. The basic rules of the Italian language, however, stay the same. Despite the ongoing transformation of the language, these rules remain the foundation that stabilizes it.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
If you visit Italy without trying some of the food, you haven't really visited Italy. (You're also probably rather hungry.) The following phrases can come in handy whether you need a bottle of water or you're ordering a lavish Italian dinner:
Un cappucccino, per favore. (oohn kahp-pooh-chee-noh pehr fah-voh-reh) (A cappuccino, please.
Article / Updated 05-01-2017
Knowing Italian greetings can make a good impression, whether you're speaking Italian for business or while traveling. The Italian culture places importance on introductions and salutations as it is often considered a foundational way of showing respect. There are different expressions you can use depending on if the situation is formal (business meeting) or informal (meeting someone at a restaurant).
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
Be sure to know your numbers in Italian. 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:
Counting in Italian
zero
dzeh-roh
0
uno
ooh-noh
1
due
dooh-eh
2
tre
treh
3
quattro
kwaht-t
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
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.
Italian/Abbreviation
Pronunciation
Translation
domenica/do.
doh-meh-nee-kah
Sunday
lunedì/lun.
looh-neh-dee
Monday
martedì/mar.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
Courtesy is important no matter what country you're in. Use these courtesy phrases when speaking in Italian so you can be considerate and polite; they'll also help you communicate easily:
Per favore (pehr fah-voh-reh) (Please.)
Per piacere (pehr pyah-cheh-reh) (Please.)
Grazie (grah-tsee-eh) (Thank you.)
Prego!
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
If you have an emergency while traveling in Italy, you'll be glad to know these basic Italian phrases. Be prepared for emergencies by committing these Italian phrases to memory:
Aiuto! (ah-yooh-toh) (Help!)
Emergenza! (eh-mehr-jehn-tsah) (Emergency!)
Chiamate la polizia! (chee-ah-mah-teh lah poh-lee-tsee-ah) (Call the police!
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
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? (kwahn-doh) (When?)
Dove?
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
In Italian, colors aren't just everyday adjectives; they also appear in idioms to express emotions, fears, feelings, and passions. Colors charge idioms with poetic nuance.
Expressions like cronaca rosa (gossip columns), romanzo giallo (mystery novel), avere una fifa blu (to be filled with terror), dama bianca (the spectre of a woman [folklore has it that her appearance is an omen of death]), and anima nera ([to have] a wicked soul) are common in Italian.