Travel Italy - Italian Phrases for Travelers

Learning a few Italian phrases for travelers can go a long way to making your trip to Italy more enjoyable. Italy is an old land filled with a remarkably diverse people. The official language is, of course, Italian, yet there are many dialects with their own distinct flavor on this peninsula. Natives can tell the difference between a Pisan and a Roman just by accent. Nevertheless, Italian languages also have a rich background of idiomatic sayings that vary from dialect to dialect, and region to region. Fortunately, all Italians are fluent in the official Italian dialect, meaning a person traveling to this country will be able to learn simple phrases, which will help them to explore this country with ease.

Why Learn Italian?

The Italian people are, as a whole, very open to foreigners. Because tourism is such a big business, they are accustomed to travelers coming through. Tourists traveling in Italy will find that, in the more touristy cities, many Italians will speak some basic English, which is helpful as you shop the local businesses or utilize the train system. If your travels take you through the smaller cities and villages, it might be harder to find an Italian that speaks English. However, if one really wishes to emerge into the Italian culture and experience Italy, learn some Italian.

Even uttering just a few phrases will get smiles and appreciative looks from the natives. Nothing screams "uneducated tourist" like marching into a shop and proclaiming in loud English that you want coffee. Instead, say "Vorrei un caffe' per favore." (I would like a coffee, please.) Congratulations, you are in Italy!

Italian Pronunciation

Learning proper pronunciation for a language is often essential for being understood. The effort you put into speaking the language is always appreciated by the natives. You'll still carry the tell-tale sounds of your own tongue, but the trills and vowels you'll speak in a foreign language will be music to everyone's ears.

For the most part, Italian pronunciation is very straightforward. Each consonant is spoken clearly and crisply, each vowel is clean and untouched by sounds surrounding it. Italians speak quickly and with a very light tongue. Don't expect to sound like an Italian your first try, it takes a lot of practice!

Use the guide below as a general introduction to Italian pronunciation. There are many more subtle nuances and differences between Italian and English pronunciation, but these will make sure you'll be understood.

The following consonants are pronounced very similarly to English consonants:

• B, D, F, L, M, N, P, Q, T, U, V, Z

And these consonants rarely appear in Italian and are, in fact, not native to the language:

• J, K, W, X

• The letter C, before vowels A, O and U, is pronounced like a K. However, when appearing before E and I, it's pronounced like the English CH. But be careful! In Italian words, a CH combination sounds like a K!

• The letter G, before an A, O or U, is pronounced as in "good". Before E and I it sounds more like the G in "beige".

• Gli sounds like the "li" in "million" or "onion".

• The Italian H is always silent.

• S and Z are sometimes hard or soft, depending on their location. Z can sound like "ts" or "ds", while S can sound like "z".

• Double consonants in Italian are pronounced twice (or held longer). This can be a crucial distinction between words and is one of the biggest causes of confusion from English-speaking tourists. Practice!

• Stress in Italian words generally falls on the next to last syllable.

Italian Phrases for Travelers: Vowels

Italian vowels are much simpler than English vowels and always make the same sounds.

• A always as in father.
• E always as in hey, but clipped and shorter.
• I as the sound in heat.
• O is rounded and open as in "no".
• U sounds like "oo" in "hoot".
• E and O sometimes appear with accent marks are shorter and more clipped than their accent-less brothers.

Italian is Similar to English!

English is a Germanic language with a large Romantic vocabulary. This means the structure of English sentences comes from a German background while many words come from Latin. Italian is a Romantic language. Because of this similarity, there are literally thousands of words Italian and English share. Many are virtually unchanged and are simply pronounced differently by the two peoples.

When listening to or reading Italian, keep your strong knowledge of pronunciation in mind. Often you can discern many words from conversations and understand what the people are speaking about even if you know very little Italian.

Italian Phrases for Travelers

These basic Italian phrases for travelers will help you get around and communicate in Italy. The pronunciation guide is only approximate. Feel free to learn many more words and sayings!

• Arrivederci (ah-ree-vay-der-chee) - Good bye (formal).
• Bene (behn-ay) - Well/good.
• Buon giorno! (bwon gee-orno) - Good day.
• Buona sera! (bwon-uh say-ruh) - Good afternoon/evening.
• Ciao! (chow) - Hello or goodbye (informal, but used often).
• Come sta? (koh-may stah) - How are you?
• Sto bene (stoh behn-ay) - I am good
• Parla inglese? (par-lah een-glay-zay) - Do you speak English?
• Dov'è...? (doh-veh) - Where is...
• Per favore (pehr fah-voh-ray) - Please
• Grazie! (grah-tseeay) - Thanks!
• Male (mah-lay) - Bad.
• Mi scusi (mee skoo-zee) - Excuse me.
• No (no) - No.
• Si (see) - Yes.
• Prego. (pray-go) - You're welcome. Sometimes used as a polite phrase for permission ("May I?" or "If you please."), such as a waiter saying "prego" before taking your empty plate.
• Quanto e'... (kwahn-toh ay) - How much is...
• Quanto costa? (kwahn-toh kos-tah) - How much is it?
• Quello (kweh-loh) - That.
• Questo/questi (kweh-stoh/kweh-stee) - This/these.

Do not be afraid to point, mime, draw or write what you need. Also, do not be afraid of making mistakes, it is the effort that counts, and will be appreciated. Really! Remember that you are communicating with real people who are just like you. The Italian people and their language are structured around enjoying every moment of life. Have fun with it!

Related Italy Travel Links

• Travel Italy - Travel to Rome
• Travel Italy
• Discount Europe Travel
• Discount Europe Travel - Restaurants and Hotels
• Rail Travel Europe