Italian phrases – Here you will find the most common phrases in Italian with translation. | Free & useful
Italian phrases are short expressions or idioms often used in speech to be polite, express gratitude, greet or say goodbye or simply to have a pleasant conversation.
They are an important part of Italian culture and can be useful in different situations, both in private and business life.
Italian phrases you should know
OUR TIP: If you want to learn these phrases interactively, we recommend the free language course demo from 17-Minute-Language, where you can learn Italian phrases and dialogues today.
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Greet someone in Italian
If you want to greet someone in Italian, it’s actually quite easy:
| English | Italian | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome! | Benvenuto! | [benveˈnuːto] |
| Good day to you! | Buona giornata! | [ˈbwɔːna dʒorˈnaːta] |
| Good morning to you! | Buongiorno a te! | [bwonˈdʒorno a te] |
| Good evening! | Buonasera! | [ˌbwɔːnaˈseːra] |
| Good to see you. | Che bello vederti. | [ke ˈbɛllo veˈderti] |
| I’m glad to see you. | Mi fa piacere vederti. | [mi fa pjaˈtʃeːre veˈderti] |
If you are greeted in Italian, the best way to respond is as follows:
| English | Italian | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Have a nice day too! | Buona giornata anche a te! | [ˈbwɔːna dʒorˈnaːta ˈaŋke a te] |
| Thanks, it’s nice to see you too. | Grazie, è bello vedere anche te. | [ˈɡrattsje ɛ ˈbɛllo veˈdere ˈaŋke te] |
How is my dialogue partner?
As in any other country, it is polite to start by asking where the person you are talking to is located. Here’s how you do it:
| English | Italian | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| How are you doing? | Come stai? | [ˈkoːme stai] |
| Are you doing well? | Stai bene? | [stai ˈbɛːne] |
If you are asked how you feel, you can answer with the following phrases:
| English | Italian | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Thank you for asking, I am fine. | Grazie per aver chiesto, sto bene. | [ˈɡrattsje per aˈver ˈkjesto sto ˈbɛːne] |
| Thank you, I am fine. | Grazie, sto bene. | [ˈɡrattsje sto ˈbɛːne] |
| Thank you, I am not doing so well. | Grazie, non sto tanto bene. | [ˈɡrattsje non sto ˈtanto ˈbɛːne] |
| Thanks, I’m fine. How are you doing? | Grazie, sto bene. Come stai? | [ˈɡrattsje sto ˈbɛːne ˈkoːme stai] |
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How do I say goodbye to someone in Italian?
Saying goodbye to a friend or stranger in Italian is not that difficult. Just use the following phrases:
| English | Italian | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Goodbye! | Arrivederci! | [arrivedeˈrtʃi] |
| Take care of yourself! | Abbi cura di te! | [ˈabbi ˈkuːra di te] |
| Goodbye | Ci vediamo | [tʃi veˈdjaːmo] |
| See you tomorrow | A domani | [a doˈmaːni] |
| See you soon | A presto | [a ˈprɛːsto] |
| See you later | A dopo | [a ˈdɔːpo] |
| Good night | Buonanotte | [ˌbwɔːnaˈnɔtte] |
| Sleep well | Dormi bene | [ˈdɔrmi ˈbɛːne] |
| Talk to you later. | Ci sentiamo dopo. | [tʃi senˈtjaːmo ˈdɔːpo] |
| Nice to have met you! | Piacere di averti conosciuto! | [pjaˈtʃeːre di aˈverti konoʃˈʃuːto] |
How do I introduce myself in Italian?
When travelling in Italy, sooner or later you will come into contact with local people. Naturally, you’ll want to introduce yourself in Italian and know who you’re talking to.
| English | Italian | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| My name is Jonas. | Mi chiamo Jonas. | [mi ˈkjaːmo ˈdʒonas] |
| What is your name? | Come ti chiami? | [ˈkoːme ti ˈkjaːmi] |
| What is your surname? | Qual è il tuo cognome? | [kwal ɛ il ˈtuːo koˈɲoːme] |
| What is your first name? | Qual è il tuo nome? | [kwal ɛ il ˈtuːo ˈnoːme] |
| What is your surname? | Qual è il tuo cognome? | [kwal ɛ il ˈtuːo koˈɲoːme] |
If you want to tell people where you come from, the following sentences are useful:
| English | Italian | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Where do you come from? | Di dove sei? | [di ˈdɔːve sɛi] |
| I am from London. | Sono di Londra. | [ˈsoːno di ˈlondra] |
| Are you from Birmingham? | Sei di Birmingham? | [sɛi di ˈbɜːmɪŋəm] (English city name pronunciation retained) |
| No, I’m from Madrid. | No, sono di Madrid. | [no ˈsoːno di maˈdɾid] |
| Great, I’m from Madrid too. | Fantastico, anche io sono di Madrid. | [fanˈtastiko ˈaŋke ˈiːo ˈsoːno di maˈdɾid] |
| Where do you live? | Dove abiti? | [ˈdɔːve ˈaːbiti] |
| I live in Berlin. | Abito a Berlino. | [ˈaːbito a berˈliːno] |
If you have problems with your Italian, it is good to know which languages are still spoken:
| English | Italian | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Do you speak English? | Parli inglese? | [ˈparli iŋˈɡleːze] |
| Yes, I speak English. | Sì, parlo inglese. | [si ˈparlo iŋˈɡleːze] |
| Yes, I speak some English. | Sì, parlo un po’ di inglese. | [si ˈparlo um ˈpɔ di iŋˈɡleːze] |
| No, I do not speak any English. | No, non parlo inglese. | [no non ˈparlo iŋˈɡleːze] |
| I only speak English. | Parlo solo inglese. | [ˈparlo ˈsoːlo iŋˈɡleːze] |
| I understand some Italian. | Capisco un po’ di italiano. | [kaˈpisko um ˈpɔ di itaˈljaːno] |
Useful sentences with ‘I am…’
The following sentences will help you orientate yourself in Italian and express your wishes and concerns:
| English | Italian | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| I am English. | Sono inglese. | [ˈsoːno iŋˈɡleːze] |
| I am injured. | Sono ferito. | [ˈsoːno feˈriːto] |
| I am here. | Sono qui. | [ˈsoːno kwi] |
| I am hungry. | Ho fame. | [ɔ ˈfaːme] |
| I am thirsty. | Ho sete. | [ɔ ˈseːte] |
| I am a single person. | Sono single. | [ˈsoːno ˈsiŋɡl] |
| I need help! | Ho bisogno di aiuto! | [ɔ biˈzoɲɲo di aˈjuːto] |
| I am tired. | Sono stanco. | [ˈsoːno ˈstaŋko] |
| I am happy. | Sono felice. | [ˈsoːno feˈliːtʃe] |
| I am sad. | Sono triste. | [ˈsoːno ˈtriːste] |
| I am in love. | Sono innamorato. | [ˈsoːno innamoˈraːto] |
| I am ill. | Sono malato. | [ˈsoːno maˈlaːto] |
| I am ready. | Sono pronto. | [ˈsoːno ˈproːnto] |
| I am busy. | Sono occupato. | [ˈsoːno okkuˈpaːto] |
| I am lost. | Mi sono perso. | [mi ˈsoːno ˈpɛrso] |
| I am a tourist. | Sono un turista. | [ˈsoːno un tuˈrista] |
| I am new here. | Sono nuovo qui. | [ˈsoːno ˈnwɔːvo kwi] |
| I am confident. | Ho fiducia in me stesso. | [ɔ fiˈduːtʃa in me ˈstɛsso] |
| I am proud. | Sono orgoglioso. | [ˈsoːno orɡoʎˈʎoːzo] |
| I am a teacher. | Sono un insegnante. | [ˈsoːno un inseɲˈɲante] |
| I am late. | Sono in ritardo. | [ˈsoːno in riˈtardo] |
| I am 30 years old. | Ho trent’anni. | [ɔ trenˈtanni] |
| I am in a hurry. | Ho fretta. | [ɔ ˈfreːtta] |
| I am happy. | Sono felice. | [ˈsoːno feˈliːtʃe] |
| I am surprised. | Sono sorpreso. | [ˈsoːno sorˈpreːzo] |
| I am angry. | Sono arrabbiato. | [ˈsoːno arːabˈbjaːto] |
Apologising in Italian
Here’s how to apologise to a Italian speaker:
| English | Italian | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| I apologise. | Chiedo scusa. | [ˈkjɛːdo ˈskuːza] |
| Sorry, that was not the intention. | Scusa, non era mia intenzione. | [ˈskuːza non ˈɛːra ˈmiːa intenˈtsjoːne] |
| Sorry, I did not do it on purpose. | Scusa, non l’ho fatto apposta. | [ˈskuːza non l‿ɔ ˈfatto apˈpɔsta] |
| Sorry, that was very clumsy of me. | Scusa, sono stato molto goffo. | [ˈskuːza ˈsoːno ˈstaːto ˈmolto ˈɡɔffo] |
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Useful signs and notices in Italian
Useful signs and messages in Italian that you will often see.
| English | Italian | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance | Ingresso | [inˈɡrɛsso] |
| Toilet | Toilette | [twalet] |
| Exit | Uscita | [uʃˈʃiːta] |
| Attention! | Attenzione! | [attentsjoˈne] |
| Police | Polizia | [poliˈtsia] |
| Emergency services | Servizi di emergenza | [serˈviːtsi di emerˈdʒɛntsa] |
| Fire brigade | Vigili del fuoco | [ˈviːdʒili del ˈfwɔːko] |
| Passage forbidden. | Passaggio vietato. | [pasˈsaddʒo vjeˈtaːto] |
| Caution! | Pericolo! | [peˈriːkolo] |
| This building is under video surveillance. | Questo edificio è sotto videosorveglianza. | [ˈkwɛsto ediˈfiːtʃo ɛ ˈsotto ˌvidɛosorveʎˈʎantsa] |
Numbers to 25 in Italian
Counting in Italian is not that difficult. Here are the numbers in Italian from 1 to 25.
| English | Italian | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uno | [ˈuːno] |
| 2 | Due | [ˈduːe] |
| 3 | Tre | [ˈtre] |
| 4 | Quattro | [ˈkwattro] |
| 5 | Cinque | [ˈtʃiŋkwe] |
| 6 | Sei | [ˈsɛi] |
| 7 | Sette | [ˈsɛtte] |
| 8 | Otto | [ˈɔtto] |
| 9 | Nove | [ˈnɔːve] |
| 10 | Dieci | [ˈdjɛːtʃi] |
| 11 | Undici | [ˈundiʧi] |
| 12 | Dodici | [ˈdodiʧi] |
| 13 | Tredici | [ˈtrediʧi] |
| 14 | Quattordici | [kwatˈtɔrdiʧi] |
| 15 | Quindici | [ˈkwindiʧi] |
| 16 | Sedici | [ˈseːdiʧi] |
| 17 | Diciassette | [diʧasˈsɛtte] |
| 18 | Diciotto | [diˈʧɔtto] |
| 19 | Diciannove | [diʧanˈnɔːve] |
| 20 | Venti | [ˈvɛnti] |
| 21 | Ventuno | [venˈtuːno] |
| 22 | Ventidue | [ventiˈduːe] |
| 23 | Ventitré | [ventiˈtre] |
| 24 | Ventiquattro | [ventiˈkwattro] |
| 25 | Venticinque | [ventiˈtʃiŋkwe] |
The colours in Italian
The most common colours in Italian with phonetic transcription for pronunciation.
| English | Italian | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Rosso | [ˈrosso] |
| Blue | Blu | [blu] |
| Green | Verde | [ˈverde] |
| Yellow | Giallo | [ˈdʒallo] |
| Black | Nero | [ˈneːro] |
| White | Bianco | [ˈbjaŋko] |
| Orange | Arancione | [aranˈtʃoːne] |
| Purple | Viola | [ˈvjɔːla] |
| Pink | Rosa | [ˈrɔːza] |
| Brown | Marrone | [marˈroːne] |
Days of the week, months and seasons in Italian
Of course, you will also need the days of the week in Italian and the pronunciation of the months and seasons in dialogues and daily communication in Italian.
| English | Italian | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Days of the Week | ||
| Monday | Lunedì | [luneˈdi] |
| Tuesday | Martedì | [marteˈdi] |
| Wednesday | Mercoledì | [merkoleˈdi] |
| Thursday | Giovedì | [dʒoveˈdi] |
| Friday | Venerdì | [venerˈdi] |
| Saturday | Sabato | [ˈsaːbato] |
| Sunday | Domenica | [doˈmeːnika] |
| Months | ||
| January | Gennaio | [dʒenˈnaːjo] |
| February | Febbraio | [febˈbraːjo] |
| March | Marzo | [ˈmartso] |
| April | Aprile | [aˈpriːle] |
| May | Maggio | [ˈmaddʒo] |
| June | Giugno | [ˈdʒuɲɲo] |
| July | Luglio | [ˈluʎʎo] |
| August | Agosto | [aˈɡosto] |
| September | Settembre | [setˈtɛmbre] |
| October | Ottobre | [otˈtɔːbre] |
| November | Novembre | [noˈvɛmbre] |
| December | Dicembre | [diˈtʃɛmbre] |
| Seasons | ||
| Spring | Primavera | [primaˈveːra] |
| Summer | Estate | [eˈstaːte] |
| Autumn / Fall | Autunno | [auˈtunno] |
| Winter | Inverno | [inˈvɛrno] |
OUR TIP: If you want to learn these Italian phrases interactively, we recommend the free language course demo from 17-Minute-Language, where you can learn Italian phrases and dialogues.
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Additional links
- Learn Italian with Mondly
- Learn Italian with Babbel
- The different ways of learning languages
- Learning vocabulary successfully
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- Learning languages quickly? – Is it possible?
- The different types of learners when learning languages
More information about the Italian Course for Children.