From Wikitravel
Italian is the official language of Italy, San Marino and the Swiss Canton Ticino and the southern valleys
of Graubunden. It is a
co-official language in Istria
and the coastal region of Slovenia. Furthermore, it is the de
facto primary language of the Vatican City and is widely used and
understood in Monaco, Corsica and Malta and is even popular in Albania and in Romania. It is also used outside of Europe in
parts of Libya and Somalia.
Even if in most of the touristic resorts along Italy English and
German are widely spoken, most of the Italian people can't speak a
foreign language (other than a Romance language, that is), so it is
useful to know some basic phrases in Italian.
In Italian, you use the polite form ("lei") with all the people
you don't know; it doesn't matter whether they are older or younger
than you, unless they are children. You'll use the confidential
form ("tu") with the people you know and with children. The two
forms differs in the use of the 2nd and 3rd persons in verbs.
Italian has two genders, masculine (-o, pl.
-i) and feminine (-a, pl. -e), and some
remnants of the neuter (uovo "egg", pl. uova). So
a woman would say Mi sono persa while a man would say
Mi sono perso.
If you speak Spanish or even Portuguese, be careful as there are
a lot of words that look and sound almost the same in these
languages, but convey very different meanings. I.E: Spanish
guardar ("to store, shelve") vs It. guardare ("to
see, watch") and salir ("to get out") vs salire
("to go up"); Spanish caldo ("soup") vs It. caldo
("warm")
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is relatively easy in Italian since most words are
pronounced exactly how they are written. Unless accented, words are
normally pronounced with the emphasis on the second to last
syllable. Double consonants tend to affect how the preceding vowel
is pronounced; e.g. in "sono" (I am) the "o" is pronounced like the
"o" in "close", while in "sonno" (sleep) the "o" is pronounced like
the "o" in "dot" and the "n" sound is a bit longer. Similarly in
"sera" (evening) the "e" is pronounced like the "e" in "error" [ a
long 'e' sound ], while in "serra" the "e" is said as a short
closed "e" as in "set" and the rolled "r" is a bit more marked
- a
- as in "father"
- e
- as in "set", but more closed, identical to "e" in New Zealand
English
- i
- as in "machine"
- o
- as in "close", but undiphthongized
- u
- like 'oo' in "hoop"
- b
- like 'b' in "bed"
- c
- like 'ch' in "chipper" (before 'i' or 'e'), 'k' in "kid"
(before 'a', 'o', 'u')
- d
- like 'd' in "dog"
- f
- like 'ph' in "phone"
- g
- like 'g' in "go" (before 'a', 'o', 'u'), like 'j' in "jello"
(before 'i' or 'e'); silent before an 'l' as in 'Luglio'
- h
- silent
- l
- like 'l' in "love"
- m
- like 'm' in "mother"
- n
- like 'n' in "nice"
- p
- like 'p' in "pig"
- q
- like 'q' in "quest" (with "u", almost always)
- r
- trill with the tip of the tongue
- s
- like 'ss' in "hiss", like 'z' in "haze"
- t
- like 't' in "top"
- v
- like 'v' in "victory"
- z
- as in "pizza" or "adze"
- ai
- like 'i' in "fight"
- au
- like 'ow' in "brown"
- ei
- like 'ay' in "say"
- eu
- like the 'eu' similar to the Spanish word "Europa"
- ee
- identical vowels [ stress on the first vowel " idee "
(ee-DEH-eh)]
- ia
- like 'ia' similar to the Spanish word "mia"
- ie
- like 'ie' similar to the Spanish word "miedo"
- ii
- identical vowels [ stress on the first vowel " addii "
(ahd-DEE-ee)]
- io
- like 'io' as in the Spanish word "tio" Similar to the 'eo' in
"Leo"
- iu
- like 'ew' in "few"
- oi
- like 'oy' in "boy"
- oo
- identical vowel [ stress on the first vowel " zoo "
(DZOH-oh)]
- uo
- like 'wo' in "won't"
- ch
- like 'k' in "keep"
- sc
- before "e" or "i", like 'sh' in "sheep"
- sch
- before 'e' or 'i' like the 'sk' in "sky"
- gn
- like the 'ny' in "canyon"
- gh
- like "g" in "get"
- zz
- like the 'ds' in "toads"
- gli
- like the 'lee' in "leeks"
Phrase list
For this phrasebook, we use the polite form for all phrases, on
the presumption that you'll mostly be talking to people you don't
already know.
|
Common signs
- OPEN
- APERTO (ah-PEHR-toh)
- CLOSED
- CHIUSO (KYOO-soh)
- ENTRANCE
- ENTRATA (ehn-TRAH-tah)
- EXIT
- USCITA (oo-SHEE-tah)
- PUSH
- SPINGERE (SPEEN-jeh-reh)
- PULL
- TIRARE (tee-RAH-reh)
- TOILET
- TOILETTE (twah-LEHT)
- MEN
- UOMINI (WOH-mee-nee)
- WOMEN
- DONNE (dohn-NEH)
- FORBIDDEN
- PROIBITO (proy-BEE-toh)
- NO SMOKING
- NON FUMATORI (nohn foo-mah-TOH-ree)
|
- Hello.
- Buon giorno. (bwohn JOHR-noh)
- Hello. (informal)
- Ciao. (chow)
- How are you?
- Come stai? (informal)(koh-meh STAI?), Come
sta? (formal)(koh-meh STAI?)
- Fine, thank you.
- Bene, grazie. (BEH-neh, GRAHT-tsyeh)
- What is your name?
- Come ti chiami? (informal)(KOH-meh tee
kee-AH-mee?), Come si chiama? (formal)(KOH-meh
see kee-AH-mah?)
- My name is ______ .
- Mi chiamo ______ . (mee kee-AH-moh _____)
- Nice to meet you.
- Piacere di conoscerla. (pyah-CHEH-reh dee
koh-noh-SHEHR-lah)
- Please.
- Per favore. (PEHR fah-VOH-reh)
- Thank you.
- Grazie. (GRAHT-tsyeh)
- You're welcome.
- Prego. (PREH-goh)
- No problem.
- Non c'è problema (non cheh proh-BLEH-mah)
- Yes
- Sì. (SEE)
- No
- No. (noh)
- Excuse me
- Mi scusi. (formal)(mee SKOO-zee), Scusa
(informal)(SKOO-sah)
- I'm sorry.
- Mi dispiace. (mee dee-SPYA-chee)
- Goodbye.
- Arrivederci/addio.
(ahr-ree-veh-DEHR-chee/ahd-DEE-oh)
- Goodbye. (formal)
- ArrivederLa. (ahr-ree-veh-DEHR-lah)
- See you.
- Ci vediamo. (chee veh-DYAH-moh)
- Sure.
- Certamente, or Certo (cher-TAH-men-teh or
CHEHR-toh)
- Really?
- Davvero? (dahv-VEH-roh?)
- I don't speak Italian.
- Non parlo italiano. (non PAHR-loh
ee-TAH-lyah-noh)
- Do you speak English?
- Parli inglese? (Informal)(PAHR-lee
een-GLEH-zeh?) Parla inglese? (Formal)(PAHR-lah
een-GLEH-zeh?)
- Speak more slowly, please.
- Parli più lentamente/piano, per favore. (PAHR-lee pyoo
lehn-TAH-mehn-teh/ PYAH-noh, pehr fah-VOH-reh)
- I understand Italian a little.
- Io capisco l’Italiano solo un po'. (EE-oh kah-PEES-koh
lee-TAH-lyah-noh SOH-loh oon poh)
- I speak just a few words of Italian.
- Conosco solo alcune parole in italiano. (koh-NOHS-koh
SOH-loh ahl-KOO-neh pah-ROH-leh een ee-TAH-lyah-noh)
- Is there someone here who speaks English?
- Qualcuno parla inglese? (kwahl-KOO-noh PAHR-lah
een-GLEH-zeh?)
- What does it mean?
- Che cosa significa? or, Che cosa vuol dire? (keh KOH-zah
see-NYEE-fee-kah?, keh KOH-zah vwohl DEE-reh?)
- I forgot.
- Ho dimenticato. (oh dee-MEHN-tee-kah-toh)
- Now I remember.
- Ora ricordo. (OH-rah ree-KOHR-doh)
- I don’t know.
- Non lo so. (nohn loh soh)
- After
- Dopo (DOH-poh)
- Before
- Prima (PREE-mah)
- Wait!
- Aspetta! (ahs-PEHT-tah)
- I have a question.
- Ho una domanda. (oh OO-nah doh-MAHN-dah)
- Can you tell me...
- Lei può dirmi... (lay pwoh DEER-mee)
- How to get to...
- Come arrivare a... (KOH-meh ahr-REE-vah-reh ah)
- Where/When do we meet?
- Dove/Quando ci incontriamo? (DOH-veh/ KWAHN-doh chee
een-KOHN-tryah-moh?)
- How is the weather?
- Che tempo fa? (keh TEHM-poh fah)
- While
- Mentre (MEHN-treh)
- So
- Così (koh-ZEE)
- Because
- Perché (pehr-KEH)
- Pardon?
- Come? (KOH-meh?)
- Help!
- Aiuto! (ah-YOO-toh!)
- Good morning.
- Buon giorno. (bwohn JOHR-noh)
- Good afternoon.
- Buon pomeriggio. (bwohn poh-meh-REE-joh)
- Good evening.
- Buona sera. (bwoh-nah-SEH-rah)
- Good night.
- Buona notte. (bwoh-nah-NOHT-teh)
- I don't understand.
- Non capisco. (nohn kah-PEES-koh)
- Where is the toilet?
- Dov'è il gabinetto? (doh-VEH eel
gah-bee-NEHT-toh)
- Leave me alone.
- Mi lasci solo/a. / Lasciami solo/a. (mee LAH-shee
SOH-loh/lah) (or Mi lasci stare (...STAH-reh))
- Don't touch me!
- Non mi toccare! (NOHN mee TOH-kare!)
- I'll call the police.
- Chiamo la polizia. (KYAH-moh lah poh-LEE-tsyah!)
- Police!
- Polizia! (poh-LEE-tsyah!)
- Stop! Thief!
- Al ladro! (ahl LAH-droh!)
- I need your help.
- Ho bisogno del tuo aiuto. (oh bee-ZOH-nyoh dehl too-oh
ah-YOO-toh)
- It's an emergency.
- È un'emergenza. (eh oo-neh-mehr-JEN-tsah)
- I'm lost.
- Mi sono perso/a. (mee soh-noh PEHR-soh/sah)
- I lost my bag.
- Ho perso la mia borsa. (oh PEHR-soh lah MEE-ah
BOHR-sah)
- I lost my wallet.
- Ho perso il mio portafoglio. (oh PEHR-soh eel myoh
pohr-tah-FOH-lyoh)
- I'm sick.
- Sono malato/a. (SOH-noh mah-LAH-toh/tah)
- I've been injured.
- Mi sono ferito/a. (mee SOH-noh feh-REE-toh/tah)
- I need a doctor.
- Ho bisogno di un dottore. (oh bee-ZOH-nyoh dee oon
dot-TOH-reh)
- Can I use your phone?
- Posso usare il suo telefono? (POS-soh oo-ZAH-reh eel swoh
teh-LEH-foh-noh?)
- 1
- uno (OO-noh)
- 2
- due (DOO-eh)
- 3
- tre (treh)
- 4
- quattro (KWAH-troh)
- 5
- cinque (CHEEN-kweh)
- 6
- sei (SEH-ee)
- 7
- sette (SEH-teh)
- 8
- otto (OH-toh)
- 9
- nove (NOH-veh)
- 10
- dieci (DYEH-chee)
- 11
- undici (OON-dee-chee)
- 12
- dodici (DOH-dee-chee)
- 13
- tredici (TREH-dee-chee)
- 14
- quattordici (kwahr-TOHR-dee-chee)
- 15
- quindici (KWEEN-dee-chee)
- 16
- sedici (SEH-dee-chee)
- 17
- diciassette (dee-chee-ah-SSEH-teh)
- 18
- diciotto (dee-CHOH-toh)
- 19
- diciannove (dee-chah-NOH-veh)
- 20
- venti (VEHN-tee)
- 21
- ventuno (vehn-TOO-noh)
- 22
- ventidue (vehn-tee-DOO-eh)
- 23
- ventitré (vehn-tee-TREH)
- 30
- trenta (TREHN-tah)
- 40
- quaranta (kwah-RAHN-tah)
- 50
- cinquanta (cheen-KWAHN-tah)
- 60
- sessanta (sehs-SAHN-tah)
- 70
- settanta (seht-TAHN-tah)
- 80
- ottanta (oht-TAHN-tah)
- 90
- novanta (noh-VAHN-tah)
- 100
- cento (CHEHN-toh)
- 200
- duecento (dweh-CHEHN-toh)
- 300
- trecento (treh-CHEHN-toh)
- 1,000
- mille (MEEL-leh)
- 2,000
- duemila (dweh-MEE-lah)
- 1,000,000
- un milione (oon mee-LYOH-neh)
- 1,000,000,000
- un miliardo (oo mee-LYAHR-doh)
- 1,000,000,000,000
- mille miliardi (MEEL-leh mee-LYAHR-dee)
or un bilione (oo bee-LYOH-neh)
- number _____ (train, bus, etc.)
- numero_____ (NOO-meh-roh)
- half
- mezzo (MEHD-dzoh)
- less
- meno (MEH-noh)
- more
- più (pyoo)
- now
- adesso (ah-DEHSS-oh) - ora
- later
- più tardi (PYOO-TAR-dee)
- before
- prima (PREE-ma)
- morning
- mattina (mah-TEEN-ah)
- afternoon
- pomeriggio (poh-meh-REED-joh)
- evening
- sera (SEH-rah)
- night
- notte (NOHT-teh)
Clock time
- one o'clock AM
- l'una (LOO-nah)
- two o'clock AM
- le due (leh DOO-eh)
- noon
- mezzogiorno (mehd-dzoh-JOHR-noh)
- one o'clock PM
- le tredici (leh TREH-dee-chee)
- two o'clock PM
- le quattordici (leh kwaht-TOHR-dee-chee)
- midnight
- mezzanotte (mehd-dzah-NOHT-teh)
Duration
- _____ minute(s)
- _____ minuto/ti (mee-NOO-toh/tee)
- _____ hour(s)
- _____ ora/e (OH-rah/eh)
- _____ day(s)
- _____ giorno/ni (JOHR-noh/nee)
- _____ week(s)
- _____ settimana/ne (seht-tee-MAH-nah/neh)
- _____ month(s)
- _____ mese/si (MEH-zeh/zee)
- _____ year(s)
- _____ anno/ni (AHN-noh/nee)
Days
- today
- oggi (OHD-jee)
- yesterday
- ieri (YEH-ree)
- tomorrow
- domani (doh-MAH-nee)
- day after tomorrow
- dopo domani ( doh-poh doh-MAH-nee)
- this week
- questa settimana (KWEHS-tah seht-tee-MAH-nah)
- last week
- la settimana scorsa (lah set-tee-MAH-nah
SKOR-sah)
- next week
- la prossima settimana (lah PROHS-see-mah
set-tee-MAH-nah)
- Sunday
- domenica (doh-MEH-nee-kah)
- Monday
- lunedì (loo-neh-DEE)
- Tuesday
- martedì (mahr-teh-DEE)
- Wednesday
- mercoledì (mehr-koh-leh-DEE)
- Thursday
- giovedì (joh-veh-DEE)
- Friday
- venerdì (veh-nehr-DEE)
- Saturday
- sabato (SAH-bah-toh)
Months
- January
- gennaio (jehn-NAH-yoh)
- February
- febbraio (fehb-BRAH-yoh)
- March
- marzo (MAR-tso)
- April
- aprile (ah-PREE-leh)
- May
- maggio (MAHD-joh)
- June
- giugno (JOO-nyoh)
- July
- luglio (LOO-lyoh)
- August
- agosto (ah-GOHS-toh)
- September
- settembre (seht-TEM-breh)
- October
- ottobre (oht-TOH-breh)
- November
- novembre (noh-VEHM-breh)
- December
- dicembre (dee-CHEM-breh)
Writing time and date
Give some examples how to write clock times and dates if it
differs from English. In Italy they use the 24 hour clock like the
military time.
First: the day Second: the month Third: the year
For example: 23/1/2005
And also in letters:
23 gennaio 2005
To write clock times:
The hour . The minutes
For example: 6.43
You read: sei e quarantatre
- black
- nero (NEH-roh)
- white
- bianco (BYAHN-koh)
- gray
- grigio (GREE-joh)
- red
- rosso (ROHS-soh)
- blue
- blu (bloo)
- yellow
- giallo (JAHL-loh)
- green
- verde (VEHR-deh)
- orange
- arancione (ah-rahn-CHOH-neh)
- purple
- viola (VYOH-lah)
- brown
- marrone (mahr-ROH-neh)
Transportation
Bus and train
- How much is a ticket to _____?
- Quanto costa un biglietto per _____? (KWAHN-toh KOHS-tah
oon bee-LYEHT-toh pehr)
- One ticket to _____, please.
- Un biglietto per _____, per favore. (oon bee-LYEHT-toh
pehr....pehr fah-VOH-reh)
- Where does this train/bus go?
- Dove va questo treno / quest'autobus? (DOH-veh vah
KWEHS-toh TREH-noh / KWEHS-tow-TOH-boos)
- Where is the train/bus to _____?
- Dov'è il treno/l'autobus per _____? (doh-VEH eel TREH-noh/
low-TOH-boos)
- Does this train/bus stop in _____?
- Questo treno/quest'autobus si ferma a _____? (KWEHS-toh
TREH-noh/ KWEHS-tow-TOH-boos see FEHR-mah ah)
- When does the train/bus for _____ leave?
- Quando parte il treno/l'autobus per _____? (KWAHN-doh
PAHR-teh eel TREH-noh / low-TOH-boos)
- When will this train/bus arrive in _____?
- Quando arriva a _____ questo treno/quest'autobus?
(KWAHN-doh ahr-REE-vah ah....KWEHS-toh TREH-noh /
KWEHS-tow-TOH-boos)
Directions
- How do I get to _____ ?
- Come si arriva a _____ ? (Koh-meh see ahr-REE-vah
ah...?)
- ...to the railway station?
- ...alla stazione ferroviaria? (...ahl-LAH stah-DSYOH-neh
fehr-roh-VYAH-ryah?)
- ...to the bus station?
- ...alla stazione dell'autobus? (...ahl-LAH stah-DSYOH-neh
dehl-LOW-toh-boos?)
- ...to the airport?
- ...all'aeroporto? (...ahl-lah-eh-roh-POHR-toh?)
- ...downtown?
- ...in centro? (...een CHEHN-troh)
- ...the youth hostel?
- ...all'ostello? (...ahl-LOHS-tehl-loh?)
- ...the small hotel? / hotel?
- ...all'albergo? hotel? (...ahl-LAHL-behr-goh/
oh-TEHL?)
- ...the American/Canadian/Australian/British
consulate?
- ...al consolato Americano/Canadese/Australiano/Inglese?
(...ahl kohn-SOH-lah-toh ameh-REE-kah-noh/ kah-nah-DEH-zeh/
ows-trah-LYAH-noh/ ehn-GLEH-zeh?)
- Where are there a lot of...
- Dove ci sono molti... (DOH-veh chee SOH-noh
MOHL-tee...)
- ...hotels?
- ...hotel? (...oh-TEH-l?)
- ...restaurants?
- ...ristoranti? (...rees-toh-RAHN-tee?)
- ...bars?
- ...bar? (bahr?)
- ...sites to see?
- ...cose da vedere? (KOH-zeh dah veh-DEH-reh?) or
...luoghi da vedere? (...LOW-gee dah veh-DEH-reh?)
- Can you show (it to) me on the map?
- Potete mostrarmelo sulla carta? (poh-TEH-teh
mohs-trahr-MEH-loh sool-LAH KAHR-tah?)
- street
- strada (STRAH-dah)
- Turn left.
- Giri a sinistra. (JEE-ree ah see-NEES-trah)
- Turn right.
- Giri a destra. (JEE-ree ah DEHS-trah)
- left
- sinistra (see-NEES-trah)
- right
- destra (DEHS-trah)
- straight ahead
- diritto (dee-REET-toh)
- towards the _____
- verso il _____ (VEHR-zoh eel...)
- past the _____
- dopo il _____ (DOH-poh eel...)
- before the _____
- prima del _____ (PREE-mah dehl...)
- Watch for the _____.
- Guarda il _____. (GWAHR-dah eel...) or Cerca il _____.
(CHEHR-kah eel...)
- intersection
- incrocio (een-KROH-chyoh)
- north
- nord (nohrd) abbreviation N
- south
- sud (sood) abbreviation S
- east
- est (ehst) abbreviation E
- west
- ovest (oh-VEHST) abbreviation O
Taxi
- Taxi!
- Taxi! (TAHK-see)
- Take me to _____, please.
- Portatemi a _____, per favore. (pohr-TAH-teh-mee ah...,
pehr fah-VOH-reh)
- How much does it cost to get to _____?
- Quanto costa andare a _____? (KWAHN-toh KOHS-tah
ahn-DAH-reh ah...?)
- Please take me to_____.
- Per favore, mi porti a______. (pehr fah-VOH-reh, mee
POHR-tee ah...)
- I'm in a hurry!
- Vado di fretta! / Ho fretta! (VAH-doh dee FREHT-tah/ oh
FREHT-tah)
- Stop here, please!
- Fermi qui, per favore! (FEHR-mee kwee pehr
fah-VOH-reh)
- How much do I owe you?
- Quanto Le devo? (KWAHN-toh leh DEH-voh)
- Do you have any rooms available?
- Avete camere libere? (ah-VEH-teh kah-MEH-reh
lee-BEH-reh?)
- How much is a room for one person/two people?
- Quanto costa una stanza singola/doppia? (KWAHN-toh KOHS-tah
OO-nah STAHN-tsah seen-GOH-lah/ DOHP-pyah)
- Does the room come with...
- La stanza ha ... (lah STAHN-tsah ah...)
- ...bedsheets?
- ...lenzuola? (...lehn-ZWOH-lah?)
- ...a bathroom?
- ...un bagno? (...oon BAH-nyoh?)
- ...a telephone?
- ...un telefono? (...oon teh-LEH-foh-noh)
- ...a TV?
- ...un televisore? (...oon teh-leh-VEE-soh-reh?)
- May I see the room first?
- Posso prima vedere la stanza? (POHS-soh PREE-mah
veh-DEH-reh lah STAHN-tsah?)
- Do you have anything quieter?
- Ha una stanza più silenziosa? (ah OO-nah STAHN-tsah pyoo
see-lehn-TSYOH-zah?)
- ...bigger?
- ...più grande? (pyoo GRAHN-deh?)
- ...cleaner?
- ...più pulita? (pyoo poo-LEE-tah?)
- ...cheaper?
- ...più economica? (pyoo eh-koh-NOH-mee-kah?)
- OK, I'll take it.
- Va bene, la prendo. (vah BEH-neh, lah PREHN-doh)
- I will stay for _____ night(s).
- Mi fermo per _____ notte(i). (mee FEHR-moh
pehr...NOHT-teh(ee))
- Can you suggest another hotel?
- Potete suggerirmi un altro hotel? (poh-TEH-teh
soo-JEH-reer-mee oon AHL-troh OH-tehl?)
- Do you have a safe?
- Avete una cassaforte (centrale)? (ah-VEH-teh OO-nah
kahs-SAH-fohr-teh (chehn-TRAH-leh)?)
- Is breakfast/supper included?
- È inclusa la prima colazione / la cena? (EH een-KLOO-zah la
PREE-mah koh-lah-TSYOH-neh/ lah CHEH-nah?)
- What time is breakfast/supper?
- A che ora è la prima colazione / la cena? (ah keh OH-rah EH
lah PREE-mah koh-lah-TSYOH-neh / lah CHEH-nah)
- Please clean my room.
- Pulite la mia camera, per favore. (poo-LEE-teh lah myah
kah-MEH-rah, pehr fah-VOH-reh)
- Can you wake me at _____?
- Potete svegliarmi alle _____? (poh-TEH-teh sveh-LYAHR-mee
AHL-leh....?)
- I want to check out.
- Voglio andare via. (voh-LYOH ahn-DAH-reh vyah) or
voglio partire (voh-LYOH pahr-TEE-reh)
- Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars?
- Accettate dollari Americani/Australiani/Canadesi?
(aht-cheht-TAH-teh DOHL-lah-ree ah-meh-ree-KAH-nee/
ows-trah-LYAH-nee/ kah-nah-DEH-see?)
- Do you accept British pounds?
- Accettate sterline Inglesi? (aht-cheht-TAH-teh
stehr-LEE-neh een-GLEH-zee?)
- Do you accept credit cards?
- Accettate carte di credito? (aht-cheht-TAH-teh KAHR-teh dee
kreh-DEE-toh?)
- Can you change money for me?
- Potete cambiare delle denaro per me? (poh-TEH-teh
kahm-BYAH-reh DEHL-leh deh-NAH-roh pehr meh?)
- Can you change British pounds for me?
- Potete cambiare delle sterline Inglesi per me? (poh-TEH-teh
kahm-BYAH-reh DEHL-leh stehr-LEE-neh een-GLEH-zee pehr
meh?)
- Can you change American/Australian/Canadian dollars for
me?
- Potete cambiare dei dollari Americani/Australiani/Canadesi per
me? (poh-TEH-teh kahm-BYAH-reh day DOHL-lah-ree
ah-meh-ree-KAH-nee/ ows-trah-LYAH-nee/ kah-nah-DEH-see pehr
meh?)
- Where can I get money changed?
- Dove posso cambiare delle denaro? (DOH-veh POHS-soh
kahm-BYAH-reh DEHL-leh deh-NAH-roh?)
- Where can I get foreign money changed?
- Dove posso cambiare della valuta straniera? (DOH-veh
POHS-soh kahm-BYAH-reh DEHL-lah vah-LOO-tah
strah-NYEH-rah?)
- Can you change a traveler's check for me?
- Potete cambiare questi traveller's cheque per me?
(poh-TEH-teh kahm-BYAH-reh KWEHS-tee TRAH-veh-lehrs checks pehr
meh?)
- Where can I get a traveler's check changed?
- Dove posso cambiare un traveller's cheque? (Doh-veh
POHS-soh kahm-BYAH-reh oon TRAH-veh-lehrs check?)
- What is the exchange rate?
- Quant'è il cambio? (KWAHN-teh eel KAHM-byoh?)
- Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)?
- Dove posso trovare un Bancomat? (DOH-veh POHS-soh
troh-VAH-reh oon bahn-KOH-maht?)
- NOTE
- In Italy it is more common to say "Bancomat" for "ATM"
- A table for one person/two people, please.
- Un tavolo per uno/due, per favore. (oon tah-VOH-loh pehr
OO-noh/ dweh, pehr fah-VOH-reh)
- Can I look at the menu, please?
- Posso vedere il menu, per favore? (POHS-soh veh-DEH-reh eel
meh-NOO, pehr fah-VOH-reh?)
- Can I look in the kitchen?
- Posso dare un occhiata in cucina? (POHS-soh DAH-reh oon
ohk-KYAH-tah een koo-CHEE-nah?)
- Is there a house specialty?
- C'è una specialità della casa? (cheh OO-nah
speh-chah-lee-TAH DEHL-lah KAH-zah?)
- Is there a local specialty?
- C'è una specialità locale? (cheh OO-nah speh-chah-lee-TAH
loh-KAH-leh?)
- I'm a vegetarian.
- Sono vegetariano/a (SOH-noh veh-jeh-tah-RYAH-noh/
ah)
- I don't eat pork.
- Non mangio il maiale. (nohn MAHN-joh eel
mah-YAH-leh)
- I don't eat beef.
- Non mangio il manzo. (nohn MAHN-joh eel
MAHN-dzoh)
- I only eat kosher food.
- Mangio solamente cibo kosher. (MAHN-joh soh-LAH-mehn-teh
CHEE-boh KOH-shehr)
- Can you make it "lite", please? (less
oil/butter/lard)
- Potete farlo leggero, per favore? (poh-TEH-teh FAHR-loh
lehd-JEH-roh, pehr fah-VOH-reh?)
- or Potete farlo con pochi grassi? (with little fat) or Potete
farlo con poco olio? (with little oil) (poh-TEH-teh FAHR-loh
kohn poh-KHEE GRAHS-see? oh poh-TEH-teh FAHR-loh kohn POH-koh
OH-lyoh?)
- fixed-price meal
- pranzo a prezzo fisso (PRAH-tsoh ah PREHD-zoh
FEES-soh)
- à la carte
- à la carte (AH lah KAHR-tah)
- breakfast
- la prima colazione (lah PREE-mah
koh-lah-TSYOH-neh)
- lunch
- il pranzo (eel PRAHN-dzoh)
- tea (meal)
- tè (teh)
- if you are meaning the meal at the 4 or 5 in the afternoon,
in Italian is called merenda
(meh-REHN-dah) but usually is only for kids
- supper
- la cena (lah CHEH-nah)
- I would like _____.
- Vorrei _____. (vohr-RAY)
- I would like a dish containing _____.
- Vorrei un piatto con _____. (vohr-RAY oon PYAHT-toh
kohn....)
- chicken
- il pollo (eel POHL-loh)
- beef
- il manzo (eel MAHN-dzoh)
- fish
- il pesce (eel PEH-sheh)
- ham
- il prosciutto (eel proh-SHOOT-toh)
- sausage
- salsiccia (sahl-SEET-chah)
- cheese
- formaggio (fohr-MAHD-joh)
- eggs
- uova (WOH-vah)
- salad
- insalata (een-sah-LAH-tah)
- (fresh) vegetables
- verdure fresche (vehr-DOO-reh FREHS-keh)
- (fresh) fruit
- frutta fresca (FROOT-tah FREHS-kah)
- bread
- pane (PAH-neh)
- toast
- toast (tohst)
- noodles
- tagliatelle (tah-LYAH-tehl-leh)
- rice
- riso (REE-zoh)
- beans
- fagioli (fah-JOH-lee) or fagiolini (similar to beans
but different)
- May I have a glass of _____?
- Posso avere un bicchiere di _____? (POHS-soh ah-VEH-reh oon
beek-KYEH-reh dee....?)
- May I have a cup of _____?
- Posso avere una tazza di _____? (POHS-soh ah-VEH-reh OO-nah
TAHT-tsah dee...?)
- May I have a bottle of _____?
- Posso avere una bottiglia di _____? (POHS-soh ah-VEH-reh
OO-nah boht-TEE-lyah dee...?)
- the coffee
- il caffè (eel kahf-FEH)
- the tea (drink)
- il tè (eel TEH)
- the juice
- il succo (eel SOOK-koh)
- the water
- l'acqua (LAHK-kwah)
- the bubbly water
- l'acqua frizzante (LAHK-kwah free-DZAHN-teh)
- the beer
- la birra (lah beer-RAH)
- the red/white wine
- il vino rosso/bianco (eel VEE-noh ROHS-soh/
BYAHN-koh)
- May I have some _____?
- Posso aver del _____? (POHS-soh AH-vehr dehl...?) or
Posso avere un po' di ____? (POHS-soh ah-VEH-reh oon POH
dee...?)
- the salt
- il sale (eel SAH-leh)
- the black pepper
- il pepe (eel PEH-peh)
- the butter
- il burro (eel BOOR-roh)
- Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of
server)
- Scusi, cameriere?(m)/cameriera?(f) (SKOO-zee,
kah-meh-RYEH-reh?/ kah-meh-RYEH-rah?)
- I'm finished.
- Ho finito. (oh fee-NEE-toh)
- It was delicious.
- É squisito. (EH skwee-ZEE-toh)
- Please clear the table.
- Potete pulire il tavolo, per favore. (poh-TEH-teh
poo-LEE-reh eel tah-VOH-loh, pehr fah-VOH-reh)
- The check, please.
- Il conto, per favore. (eel KOHN-toh, pehr
fah-VOH-reh)
- Do you serve alcohol?
- Avete bevande alcoliche? (ah-VEH-teh beh-VAHN-deh
ahl-KOH-lee-keh?)
- Is there table service?
- C'è il servizio al tavolo? (cheh eel sehr-VEE-zyoh ahl
tah-VOH-loh?)
- A beer/two beers, please.
- Una birra/due birre, per favore. (OO-nah BEER-rah/ dweh
BEER-reh, pehr fah-VOH-reh)
- A glass of red/white wine, please.
- Un bicchiere di vino rosso/bianco, per favore. (oon
beek-KYEH-reh dee VEE-noh ROHS-soh/ BYAHN-koh, pehr
fah-VOH-reh)
- A pint, please.
- Un boccale, per favore. (oon bohk-KAH-leh, pehr
fah-VOH-reh)
- A bottle, please.
- Una bottiglia, per favore. (OO-nah boht-TEE-lyah, pehr
fah-VOH-reh)
- I'd like a_______?
- Vorrei un_____? (vohr-RAY oon...?)
- beer
- birra (BEER-rah)
- wine
- vino (VEE-noh)
- gin
- gin (jeen)
- whiskey
- whisky (WEES-kee)
- vodka
- vodka (VOHD-kah)
- rum
- rum (rohm)
- water
- acqua (AHK-kwah)
- club soda
- club soda (kloob SOH-dah)
- tonic water
- acqua tonica (AHK-kwah toh-NEE-kah)
- orange juice
- succo di arancia (SOOK-koh dee ah-RAHN-chah)
- Coke (soda)
- Coca Cola (KOH-kah KOH-lah)
- A soda.
- Una soda. (OO-nah SOH-dah)
- Do you have any bar snacks?
- C'è un bar con spuntini? (cheh oon bahr kohn
spoon-TEE-nee?)
- One more, please.
- Un altro, per favore. (oon AHL-troh, pehr
fah-VOH-reh)
- Another round, please.
- Un altro giro, per favore. (oon AHL-troh JEE-roh, pehr
fah-VOH-reh)
- When is closing time?
- Qual è l'ora di chiusura? (kwah-LEH loh-RAH dee
KYOO-zoo-rah?)
- Do you have this in my size?
- Avete questo nella mia taglia? (ah-VEH-teh KWEHS-toh
NEHL-lah myah tah-LYAH?)
- How much is this?
- Quanto costa questo? (KWAHN-toh KOHS-tah
KWEHS-toh?)
- That's too expensive.
- È troppo caro/a. (EH TROHP-poh KAH-roh/ah)
- Would you take _____?
- Prendereste _____? (prehn-DEH-rehs-teh....?)
- expensive
- caro (KAH-roh)
- cheap
- economico (eh-koh-NOH-mee-koh)
- I can't afford it.
- Non posso permettermelo. (nohn POHS-soh
pehr-meht-TEHR-meh-loh)
- I am looking for something cheaper. : Cerco qualcosa di
più economico. (CHEHR-koh KWAHL-koh-zah dee pyoo
eh-koh-NOH-mee-koh)
- I don't want it.
- Non lo voglio. (nohn loh voh-LYOH)
- You're cheating me.
- Mi state imbrogliando. (mee STAH-teh
eem-broh-LYAHN-doh)
- I'm not interested.
- Non son interessato. (nohn sohn
een-teh-REHS-sah-toh)
- OK, I'll take it.
- Va bene, lo prendo. (vah BEH-neh, loh PREHN-doh)
- Can I have a bag?
- Posso avere una busta? (POHS-soh AVEH-reh OO-nah
BOOS-tah?)
- Do you ship (overseas)?
- Potete spedirlo (all'estero)? (poh-TEH-teh speh-DEER-loh
(AHL-lehs-TEH-roh)?)
- I need...
- Ho bisogno di... (oh bee-SOH-byoh dee...)
- ...toothpaste.
- ...dentifricio. (dehn-tee-FREE-choh)
- ...toothbrush.
- ...spazzolino da denti. (spaht-tsoh-LEE-noh dah
DEHN-tee)
- ...tampons.
- ...tampone/assorbente. (tahm-POH-neh/
ahs-SOHR-behn-teh)
- ...soap.
- ...sapone. (sah-POH-neh)
- ...shampoo.
- ...shampoo. (SHAHM-poo)
- ...pain reliever.
- ...aspirina. (ahs-pee-REE-nah)
- ...cold medicine.
- ...medicina per il raffreddore. (meh-dee-CHEE-nah pehr eel
rahf-FREHD-doh-reh)
- ...stomach medicine.
- ...medicina per lo stomaco. (meh-dee-CHEE-nah pehr loh
stoh-MAH-koh)
- ...a razor.
- ...un rasoio. (oon rah-ZOH-io)
- ...an umbrella.
- ...un ombrello. (oon ohm-BREHL-loh)
- ...sunblock lotion.
- ...lozione/crema solare. (loh-TSYOH-neh/ KREH-mah
soh-LAH-reh)
- ...a postcard.
- ...una cartolina. (OO-nah kahr-TOH-lee-nah)
- ...postage stamps.
- ...francobolli. (frahn-koh-BOHL-lee)
- ...batteries.
- ...batterie. (baht-TEH-ryeh)
- ...writing paper.
- ...carta. (KAHR-tah)
- ...a pen.
- ...una penna. (OO-nah PEHN-nah)
- ...a pencil.
- ...una matita. (OO-nah mah-TEE-tah)
- ...English-language books.
- ...libri in inglese. (LEE-bree een een-GLEH-zeh)
- ...English-language magazines.
- ...riviste in inglese. (ree-VEES-teh een
een-GLEH-zeh)
- ...an English-language newspaper.
- ...un giornale in inglese. (oon johr-NAH-leh een
een-GLEH-zeh)
- ...an English-Italian dictionary.
- ...un dizionario Inglese-Italiano. (oon dee-tsyoh-NAH-ryoh
een-GLEH-zeh-ee-tah-LYAH-noh)
- I want to rent a car.
- Desidero noleggiare una macchina. (deh-SEE-deh-roh
noh-lehd-JAH-reh OO-nah mahk-KEE-nah) or Vorrei noleggiare una
macchina (vohr-REY noh-lehd-JAH-reh OO-nah
mahk-KEY-nah)
- Can I get insurance?
- Posso avere un'assicurazione? (POHS-soh ah-VEH-reh
oo-nahs-see-koo-RAH-tsyoh-neh?)
- stop (on a street sign)
- stop (stohp)
- one way
- senso unico (SEHN-soh OO-nee-koh)
- yield
- dare la precedenza (DAH-leh lah
preh-cheh-DEHN-tsah)
- no entry
- divieto di accesso (dee-VYEH-toh dee
aht-CHEHS-soh)
- no parking
- sosta vietata (SOHS-tah vyeh-TAH-tah) or vietato
parcheggiare (vyeh-TAH-toh pahr-kehd-JAH-reh)
- speed limit
- limite di velocità (lee-MEE-teh dee
veh-loh-chee-TAH)
- gas (petrol) station
- benzinaio (behn-dzee-NAH-yoh) or stazione di
rifornimento (stah-TSYOH-neh dee ree-fohr-NEE-mehn-toh) or
(in an highway) area di servizio (AH-reh-ah dee
sehr-VEE-tsyoh)
- petrol
- benzina (only unleaded one) (behn-DZEE-nah)
- diesel
- diesel (DEE-zehl) or gasolio
(gah-SOH-lyoh)
- I haven't done anything wrong.
- Non ho fatto nulla di male. (nohn oh FAHT-toh nool-lah dee
MAH-leh)
- It was a misunderstanding.
- È stato un malinteso. (eh STAH-toh oon
mah-LEEN-teh-zoh)
- Where are you taking me?
- Dove mi state portando? (DOH-veh mee STAH-teh
pohr-TAHN-doh?)
- Am I under arrest?
- Sono in arresto? (SOH-noh een ahr-REHS-toh?)
- I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian
citizen.
- Sono un(una) cittadino(a)
americano(a)/australiano(a)/britannico(a)/canadese. (SOH-noh
oon(OO-nah) cheet-TAH-dee-noh(ah) ah-meh-ree-KAH-noh(ah)/
ows-trah-LYAH-noh(ah)/ bree-tahn-NEE-koh(ah)/
kah-nah-DEH-zeh)
- I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian
embassy/consulate.
- Voglio parlare con l'ambasciata/il consolato
Americano/Australiano/Inglese/Canadese. (voh-LYOH pahr-LAH-reh
kohn lahm-bah-SHAH-tah/ eel kohn-SOH-lah-toh ah-meh-ree-KAH-noh/
ows-trah-LYAH-noh/ een-GLEH-zeh/ kah-nah-DEH-zeh)
- I want to talk to a lawyer.
- Voglio parlare con un(una) avvocato(a). (voh-LYOH
pahr-LAH-reh kohn oon(OO-nah) ahv-voh-KAH-toh(ah))
- Can I just pay a fine now?
- Posso semplicemente pagare una multa adesso? (POHS-soh
sehm-plee-CHEH-mehn-teh pah-GAH-reh OO-nah MOOL-tah
ah-DEHS-soh?)
(Jan 11, 2008)
Top topics
Wikis
Quiz
Map
Misc
Search
