Traveling abroad is always an adventure, especially if it’s your first time leaving the country. Even if it’s a vacation, you’re still exiting your comfort zone, and it’s certainly not uncommon to feel out of place and a little lost at times.
However, nothing compares to the frustration you feel when someone starts speaking to you and you can’t understand them. Or maybe you don’t know how to reply. So you stand there with an uncomfortable grin on your face, hoping the interaction will end as soon as possible.
If you are about to take a trip to Italy, and you’re concerned that you might find yourself in this situation, don’t worry.
We’ve put together this simple infographic that will walk you through the basic Italian travel phrases you are most likely to need on your trip. Especially if you plan to visit less touristy towns, you’ll probably find that locals generally do not speak English, so these Italian travel phrases will surely come in handy. In addition, locals in Italy are incredibly appreciative of tourists trying to interact with them in their languages, even with a simple “grazie.”
A little bit of preparation will certainly be worth the effort. Your interactions with locals will be much easier and less stressful, you’ll feel confident, and enjoy yourself a lot more as you discover new places, and meet new people.
Check out our Italian Travel Phrases infographic below and start learning these Italian words and phrases. It’s short enough to review on your flight over!
PS: We included the pronunciation!
Italian Travel Phrases Infographic
Italian Travel Phrases
Greetings
Buongiorno! |bwohn-johr-noh | Good Morning!
Arrivederci! |ahr-ree-veh-dehr-chee | Goodbye! (formal)
Ciao! |chou | Hello!/Good-bye! (informal)
Salve! |sahl-veh | Hello!/Good-bye! (neutral)
Buonasera! | bwoh-nah-seh-rah | Good afternoon!/Good evening! (formal)
Buonanotte! | bwoh-nah-noht-teh | Good night! (informal)
Come ti chiami? | koh-meh tee kyah-mee | What is your name?
Mi chiamo… | mee kyah-moh | My name is…
Come stai? | koh-meh stahy | How are you?
Bene, grazie. | beh-neh grah-tsee-eh | Fine, thank you.
Courtesy
Per favore |pehr fah-voh-reh | Please.
Per piacere |pehr pyah-cheh-reh | Please.
Grazie |grah-tsee-eh | Thank you.
Prego! | preh-goh | You’re welcome!/By all means, after you.
Mi dispiace | mee dees-pyah-cheh | I’m sorry.
Mi scusi | mee skooh-zee | Excuse me. (formal)
Scusi, un’informazione, per favore | skooh-zee oohn-een-fohr-mats-yoh-neh pehr fah-voh-reh | Excuse me, I need some information, please.
Scusa | skooh-zah | Excuse me, I’m sorry. (informal)
Sì | See | Yes.
No | Noh | No.
Basic Phrases
Parla inglese? | pahr-lah een-gleh-zeh | Do you speak English?
Dov’è la stazione? | doh-veh lah stah-tsyoh-neh | Where is the station?
Scusi, dov’è il bagno? | skooh-zee doh-veh eel bahn-yoh | Where is the bathroom?
Quanto dista il Colosseo? | kwahn-toh dees-tah eel koh-lohs-seh-oh | How far is the Colosseum?
Dove si mangia il miglior gelato? | doh-veh see mahn-jah eel meel-yohr geh-lah-toh | Where can you get the best ice cream?
Come si arriva in Piazza della Repubblica? | koh-meh see ahr-ree-vah een pyahts-sah dehl-lah reh-pooh-blee-kah | How do you get to Piazza della Repubblica?
Ordering Food & Drinks
Un cappucccino, per favore | oohn kahp-pooh-chee-noh pehr fah-voh-reh | A cappuccino, please.
Un bicchiere di acqua per favore | oohn bee-kyeh-reh dee ahk-wah perh fah-voh-reh | A glass of water, please.
Quanto viene? | kwahn-toh vyeh-neh | How much does it come to?
Il conto per favore | eel kohn-toh pehr fah-voh-reh | The bill please.
Which Italian words and phrases have you learned during your travels in Italy? Let us know in the comments!
