A Guide to the Italian language

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Jan 04, 2025

Florence

A Guide to the Italian Language for English-Speaking Visitors to Italy

When visiting Italy, knowing a few basic phrases in Italian can make your trip much more enjoyable and immersive. Italians will appreciate your effort to speak their language, and it will enrich your experience. Here is a guide with useful phrases for greetings, cafes/restaurants, and public transport. Why not also get yourself booked onto a Lingua Learn UK Italian course?

1. Greetings and Basic Phrases

Starting with simple phrases will help you make a good impression.

Ciao! – Hi! / Bye! (That’s right, it means both/either).
Buongiorno! – Good morning!
Buonasera! – Good evening!
Arrivederci! – Goodbye!
Come stai? – How are you?
Sto bene, grazie. – I’m good, thank you.
E tu? – And you?
Mi chiamo… – My name is…
Piacere di conoscerti. – Nice to meet you.
Scusa! – Excuse me! (informal)
Mi scusi! – Excuse me! (formal)
Per favore. – Please.
Grazie. – Thank you.
Prego. – You’re welcome.
Sì. – Yes.
No. – No.
Non capisco. – I don’t understand.
Parli inglese? – Do you speak English?
Un momento, per favore. – One moment, please.
Dove si trova…? – Where is…?
Quanto costa? – How much does it cost?
Cosa significa…? – What does … mean?
Parla più lentamente, per favore. – Speak slower, please.

2. Visiting a Cafe or Restaurant

Italy is famous for its cafes and restaurants, and knowing some phrases will help you enjoy your dining experience.

Un tavolo per due, per favore. – A table for two, please.
Posso vedere il menu? – Can I see the menu?
Cosa mi consiglia? – What do you recommend?
Vorrei… – I would like…
Un caffè, per favore. – A coffee, please.
Un espresso, per favore. – An espresso, please.
Un cappuccino, per favore. – A cappuccino, please.
Il latte. – The milk (not cafe latte!)
Un bicchiere d’acqua, per favore. – A glass of water, please.
Con o senza zucchero? – With or without sugar?
Il conto, per favore. – The bill, please?
Posso pagare con la carta di credito? – Can I pay by credit card?
Quanto costa? – How much is it?
Questo è delizioso! – This is delicious!
Il servizio è incluso? – Is the service included?
Avete piatti vegetariani? – Do you have vegetarian dishes?
Mi scusi, ma… – Excuse me, but…
La carta dei vini, per favore. – The wine list, please.
Un altro piatto, per favore. – Another dish, please.
Vorrei una bottiglia di vino rosso. – I would like a bottle of red wine.
Acqua frizzante o naturale? – Sparkling or still water?
Da mangiare qui o da portare via? – Eat in or to take away?
Mi può portare un altro cucchiaio? – Can you bring me another spoon?
Siamo pronti per ordinare. – We’re ready to order.
È troppo salato! – It’s too salty!

3. Using Public Transport

Getting around in Italy is easy with the help of public transport, and knowing some key phrases can help you navigate buses, trains, and metros.

Dove si trova la stazione? – Where is the station?
A che ora parte il prossimo treno? – What time does the next train leave?
Quanto costa il biglietto? – How much is the ticket?
Un biglietto per…, per favore. – A ticket to … please.
Vorrei un biglietto andata e ritorno. – I’d like a return ticket.
Dove si trova la fermata dell’autobus? – Where is the ‘bus stop?
Quando arriva il prossimo autobus? – When does the next ‘bus arrive?
A che ora parte l’ultimo treno? – What time does the last train leave?
Che numero ha questo autobus? – What number is this bus?
Mi scusi, devo scendere alla prossima fermata. – Excuse me, I need to get off at the next stop.
È lontano da qui? – Is it far from here?
Mi può dire dove scendere? – Can you tell me where to get off?
Ho perso il mio treno! – I missed my train!
È la mia fermata. – This is my stop.
Un biglietto per Milano, per favore. – A ticket to Milan, please.
Dove posso comprare il biglietto? – Where can I buy the ticket?
Ho bisogno di un taxi. – I need a taxi.
Quanto tempo ci vuole per arrivare a…? – How long does it take to get to …?
È in ritardo? – Is it delayed?
C’è una connessione diretta? – Is there a direct connection?
Dove posso prendere il metro? – Where can I take the tube?
Posso pagare con la carta? – Can I pay with a card?
A che ora arriva il prossimo treno per… – What time does the next train to … arrive?
Dove posso trovare un taxi? – Where can I find a taxi?
Mi scusi, dove sono le scale mobili? – Excuse me, where are the escalators?

Bonus: Helpful Words

These common words can help you get around in Italy:

Sì – Yes
No – No
Forse – Maybe
Dove – Where
Quando – When
Perché – Why
Come – How
Che ore sono? – What time is it?
Oggi – Today
Domani – Tomorrow
Ieri – Yesterday
Quanti anni hai? – How old are you?
Che giorno è oggi? – What day is it today?
Aiuto! – Help!
Emergenza – Emergency

By learning these phrases, you’ll be able to navigate Italy with confidence, whether you’re chatting with locals, dining in a restaurant, or hopping on a train. Enjoy your trip and don’t hesitate to practise your Italian!

Resources to help you with Italian

The Duolingo learning app – a great supplement to any course

Quizlet – a huge range of flashcards are searchable alongside some simple games.

Memrise – a great variety of content to help with your learning, particularly flashcards.

Youtube’s Easy Italian channel – lovely videos of approx. 10 minutes with English and Italian subtitles to help you get a feel for the sound of the language.

Youtube’s Italian Made Easy channel – especially useful for pronunciation.

The BBC’s Learn Italian page (no longer curated, but it still has some useful material to get you going).

Ten great places to visit: How many are on your list?

Here’s a list of our top ten great places to visit in Italy:

Rome – The Roman Forum
Steeped in ancient history, the Roman Forum offers a glimpse into the heart of ancient Roman politics and daily life. Wander through the ruins of temples, and monuments that tell the story of one of the greatest empires in history.
Vatican City – St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums
A visit to the Vatican is a must for history and art lovers as well as those inspired by religious faith. Explore the stunning Vatican Museums, which house the famous Sistine Chapel ceiling, and marvel at the grandeur of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Florence – Uffizi Gallery
Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance, is home to the Uffizi Gallery, an art lover’s paradise – be sure to book though! Enjoy iconic works by Botticelli, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci, all while strolling through the city’s charming medieval streets. As with most Italian cities, it’s really worth walking a few hundred yards away from the main sights to find equally delightful yet less well-known spots.
Venice – Piazza San Marco
Venice’s Piazza San Marco is the heart of the city, surrounded by the awe-inspiring St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace. Take a gondola ride along the canals, immersing yourself in the unique atmosphere of this floating city.
Cinque Terre – The Coastal Villages
Cinque Terre offers breathtaking views of colourful cliffside villages along the Ligurian Sea. Ideal for those seeking tranquility, hiking, and fresh seafood, these five picturesque towns offer an escape into Italy’s natural beauty.
Naples – Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius
Explore the haunting ruins of Pompeii (or lesser-visited Herculaneum), preserved under volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. You can also hike to the crater of Mount Vesuvius, where they can enjoy panoramic views of the Bay of Naples.
Amalfi Coast – Positano and Ravello
The Amalfi Coast’s dramatic cliffs and sparkling waters provide a stunning, romantic backdrop. Positano’s colourful buildings and Ravello’s historic villas offer both beauty and cultural charm for an unforgettable experience.
LuccaLucca is a city on the Serchio river in Italy’s Tuscany region. It’s known for the well-preserved Renaissance walls encircling its historic city centre and its cobblestone streets. Broad, tree-lined pathways along the tops of these massive 16th- and 17th-century ramparts are popular for strolling and cycling. Lucca’s size and relative lack of crowds make it an alternative to the equally lovely city of Siena.
Verona – Juliet’s House and the Roman Arena
Verona, the setting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, invites couples to visit the famed Juliet’s House and the well-preserved Roman Arena. The romantic atmosphere of the city, with its cobbled streets and historical sites, is perfect for lovers.
Milan – The Last Supper and the Duomo
Milan blends modernity with history, offering art and culture to admire at every turn. You can view Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper and marvel at the stunning Gothic architecture of the Duomo, with panoramic views from its rooftop.

Sample German Teacher Profile
NAME	Ms Xxxxxx Xxxxx
NATIONALITY	German
LANGUAGES	German (Native) English (Fluent) French (B2)
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE	7 years of teaching / assessing experience
QUALIFICATIONS	- DAAD Teaching German as a Foreign Language - Master Degree - Education - ALPT qualified assessor issued by ICCI - Qualified Translator; German & English

Sample Arabic Teacher Profile
NAME	Mrs Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx
NATIONALITY	Jordanian
LANGUAGES	Arabic (native) English (Fluent) French (Fluent)
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE	16 years of teaching / Assessing experience
QUALIFICATIONS	- TAFL-Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language - Diploma in Business Administration- Jordan - ALPT qualified assessor issued by ICCI - Qualified Translator; Arabic, English & French

Sample Italian Teacher Profile
NAME	Mr Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx
NATIONALITY	Italian
LANGUAGES	Italian (Native) English (Advanced) Russian (Advanced)
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE	8 years of teaching / assessing experience
QUALIFICATIONS	- CEDILS - certificazione in didattica dell'italiano a stranieri. - BA in Literature - Diploma in Linguistics - Qualified translator Italian, English & Russian.

Sample Spanish Teacher Profile
NAME	Mrs xxxxxx xxxxxx
NATIONALITY	Spanish
LANGUAGES	Spanish (Native) English (Fluent)
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE	14 years of teaching / Assessing Experience.
QUALIFICATIONS	- Pedagogical Aptitud Certificate - CAP - Intensive Course in Spanish as a Foreign Language Teacher Training Course by International House Madrid - Postgraduate in Spanish as a Foreign Language Teacher by Universidad Virtual de Barcelona
EXPERIENCE	- Provision of tailor-made group /one to one online and face to face sessions that focus on developing the professional skills needed in the workplace. - Creation and delivery of training in developing critical thinking skills, presentation skills, negotiation skills and pitching skills. - Delivery of blended courses that use online tools such as google/zoom classroom. - Creation and delivery of professional development courses to business professionals in numerous sectors including customer service, medical, aviation and telecommunications.

Sample French Teacher Profile
NAME	Ms xxxxxx xxxxxx
NATIONALITY	French
LANGUAGES	French (Native) English (Fluent)
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE	7 years of teaching / assessing experience
QUALIFICATIONS	- DAEFLE (Teaching French as a foreign language) - Bachelor's degree in business - 7 years teaching the French language

A Guide to the Italian language

A Guide to the Italian Language for English-Speaking Visitors to Italy

1. Greetings and Basic Phrases

2. Visiting a Cafe or Restaurant

3. Using Public Transport

Bonus: Helpful Words

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4 Skills Assessment Full Detailed Report
General Evaluation
Xxxxxxx has a great grasp of the English Language; however, there is definitely room for improvement. Specifically, in terms of grammar, some tenses need a brush-up to further emphasise their use and placement within a sentence.

Recommended Program: B1.4
The use of advanced vocabulary should be encouraged, followed by tips and tricks on how to avoid using basic vocabulary. In general, all areas could be improved, and reading/listening to certain media types, such as: articles, journals, e-books etc., would help to improve that.

Fluency
xxxxxxx is a confident speaker and is proficient at using the target language. He is talkative and can 'hold his own' during a conversation. He tries to answer in as much detail as possible, although he could be more informative. The conversation often fell short, with just a few short-phrase answers or awkward silences, between topics. There were some issues when linking sentences to each other, such as his heavy usage of 'and' and 'but' without using other linking words. Passive forms were also ok, but when posed to ask a question in the passive form he had some difficulty. Despite making a few mistakes here and there he tried his best to keep the conversation going and he did not let his mistakes ruin the flow of the conversation. He has limited knowledge on certain topics such as education, law and history in terms of vocabulary and his lack of knowledge in these subjects was quite noticeable.

Grammar
xxxxxxx showed a great use of grammatical rules and construction. He has a very good grasp of certain tenses, such as simple present / past perfect and past continuous tenses. He made a few mistakes with the past perfect simple / continuous, as he sometimes misused them. He also had some issues with the future continuous tense, not always using it when it was appropriate to do so. In general, he used passive structures correctly and also used inquisitive tags and phrasal verbs properly. In some cases, he did put the pronoun after the verb but once the structure was explained he was always quick to self-correct.

Pronunciation
His pronunciations were great overall; however, it should be mentioned that he has a strong accent and this does sometimes affect the clarity of his speech. Even though this was the case, it was not always so noticeable and he did not make many mistakes. The biggest issues are with certain advanced vocabulary related to certain themes and with adjectives such as 'reputable', 'overshadowed', etc. He also had several issues with the pronunciation of the past simple tense, especially with the (t) sound.

Vocabulary
He exhibited a great command of a broad range of vocabulary and its use during a variety of topics. He used extensive words and absolute adjectives, although he would more often than not use more simple vocabulary. The use of advanced adverbs was a little sparse, and words like 'very' and 'a lot' were used to replace them.

Writing
His writing skills are very good although, as with his speaking assessment, similar mistakes were made. In general, tense use was ok, but he was unable to use more advanced tenses in writing or speaking. He therefore didn't use them to their full potential and ended up using more basic tenses instead. The third and second conditional were not used to their full effect, especially considering the essay topic was about where he sees himself in the future.

Suggestions:
Xxxxxxx has a great grasp of the English Language; however, there is definitely room for improvement. Specifically, in terms of grammar, some tenses need a brush-up to further emphasise their use and placement within a sentence. In general, all areas could be improved, and reading/listening to certain media types, such as articles, journals, e-books etc., would help to improve that. The use of advanced vocabulary should be encouraged, followed by tips and tricks on how to avoid using basic vocabulary.

4 Skills Assessment Spoken & Writing Listening & Reading
Name of participant	ID No.	Date	Overall Grade	Oral Score	Written Score	Listening Score	Reading Score	Comments
			A2.2	A2.2	B1.1	A2.1	A2.2	Fluency is good. Accuracy is good. Tenses are OK. Does not use past tense. Vocabulary is OK. Understands questions asked, but struggles a little to speak due to lack of confidence.
			A2.2	A2.1	A2.2	A2.2	A2.2	Good sentence structure and good knowledge of the language. Fluency and accuracy are good. Speaks clearly. Some grammar gaps.
			A1.2	A1.1	A1.2	A1	A1.2	Has basic English skills. Sentence structure is OK. Fluency and accuracy are not very good. Bad habits from home language, does not use past tense (simple)
			A1.2	A1.2	A1.2	A1.2	A1.2	Has good fluency. Gets their point across easily. Tends to stick to the basics only. Lots of bad habits. e.g. continuous tense for everything.
			B1.1	B1.1	B1.2	B1.1	A2.2	Has good, clear sentence structure. Wide range of vocabulary. Has done English courses before.
			A1.1	A1.1	A1.2	A1.1	A1.1	Has some basic knowledge. Tends to use simple structure. No complex grammar. Their writing seems to be a bit better than their spoken.
			B1.3	B1.3	B1.3	A2.2	B2.1	Has very good fluency and OK accuracy. Tends to use continuous tense form for more structures. Bad habits and grammar gaps.
			B1.2	B1.2	B1.3	B1.1	B1.2	Shy, has good fluency. Wide range of vocabulary. Uses simple present and past tenses and sometimes past participles.
			A1.1	A2.2	A2.1	A1.2	A1.2	Spanish accent. Speaks very well. Sentence structure is good but not accurate, some grammar gaps and bad habits. Very chatty.
			A1.2	A1.1	A1.2	A1.2	A1.1	Speaks with an Ethiopian accent. Has good knowledge of the language. Sentence structure is good, has both good habits and grammar gaps.

2 Skills Assessment Spoken & Writing
Name of participant	ID No.	Date	Overall Grade	Oral Score	Speaking	Comments
			B2.2	B2.2	B2.2	Excellent language range. Some minor bad habits due to limited exposure and practice. This is also confirmed in their writing.
			B2.1	B2.2	B2.4	Very good language range and ability. Some minor bad habits. Writing skills are somewhat weaker than speaking skills.
			B1.4	B1.4	B1.4	Is very fluent when speaking. Has very good range and accuracy. Has just returned from the USA after completing studies. Writing is very good.
			B1.2	B1.2	B1.2	Very good fluency and understanding of the language. Has travelled to Scotland, UK and USA. Uses present perfect tense and past simple tense very comfortably.
			B1.2	B1.2	B1.1	Has very good fluency and range. Some grammar gaps due to limited exposures. Not always totally confident.
			A2.2	A2.2	A2.2	Good fluency and range. Has lost some accuracy and confidence due to limited exposure to the target language.
			A2.1	A2.1	A1.2	Has good language ability and knowledge but does not always use it unless prompted. Tends to stick to simple and familiar language structures and grammar. Writing skills are somewhat weak.
			A1.2	A2.1	A1.2	Has good fluency and range. Struggles with using more complex grammar and structure. Writing skills are somewhat weak.
			A1.2	A1.2	A1.2	Has good fluency and range. Does not use correct structure or grammar and tends to translate mentally from Arabic before speaking. Writing and comprehension are weak.

Spoken Assessment
Name of participant	ID No.	Date	Overall Grade	Speaking	Comments
			B1.4	B1.4	Is relatively fluent in their speaking and can relay their message across clearly. However, they lack the professional ambience.
			B1.4	B1.4	Two main weaknesses: pronunciation, and the need to learn to use short, precise, direct sentences which sound professional and accurate, rather than casual and inefficient. Also tends to speak quickly and thus articulate poorly because they want to show a strong command of the language, which is unfortunately reflecting negatively on their speaking abilities.
			B1.2	B1.2	Has an elementary background of the target language. However, they need to practice more grammatical skills in order to strengthen verb tense and sentence structure knowledge in order to use the correct grammar in spoken language.
			B1.2	B1.2	Has a sound basic background in communicating using the English language, but needs to be prompted to interact more frequently. Has not had much exposure to English whilst in Turkey,
			A2.1	A2.1	Has good fluency and range, but structure and accuracy is weak. Tends to translate from Arabic to English.
			A2.1	A2.1	Has good fluency and is able to get the point across very well. Lacking in range and structure. Has a lot of grammar gaps and bad habits.