← Go back

Basic Useful Italian Phrases for Travelling

Are you planning a trip to Italy, San Marino, Switzerland, or some other Italian-speaking countries?

1 uhnjbulmtgddimxvwqlz2g


While you might think that you can get by your travel journey with English, speaking in the language of the place you’re travelling to can help you immerse in the culture and transform your travel experience into a more authentic one. Not to mention that you can even learn and practice a new language so why not? Let me pack you with some basic Italian phrases for this unforeseen journey!

Get ready to embark on this Italiano learning journey!

Greetings

Hi — Ciao (chow)

Good day / Good morning — Buongiorno (Bwon-JAW-noh)

Good afternoon — Buon pomeriggio (Bwon po-MEH-ree-gee-oh)

Good evening — Buona sera (BWOH-nah SAIR-rah)

Good night — Buona notte (BWOH-nah NOTE-tay)

Casual conversation

Nice to meet you — Piacere di conoscerti (Pee-ah-CHEH-REH DEE KON-oh-sher-ti)

How are you? — Come va? (koh-may vah) / Come sta (koh-may stah)

I am fine — Sto bene (STOH behn-ay)

So-so — Così così (Koh-SEE koh-SEE)

And you? — E tu? (EE tu)

My name is… — Mi chiamo (Mee key-AMO)

Where are you from? — Da dove vieni? (da doh-VE vieh-NI)

I’m from… — Sono di… (so-no dee…)

Good manner

Please — Per favore (pair fah-VOH-ray)

Thank you — Grazie (GRAT-tze-ay)

Many thanks — Molte grazie (MOL-te GRAT-tze-ay)

Thank you very much — Grazie mille (GRAT-tze-ay MEE-lay)

You’re welcome — Prego (PRAY-go)

Excuse me / Pardon me (formal) — Mi scusi (mee SKOO-zee)

Excuse me (informal) — Scusa (si-ku-sa)

I don’t understand — Non capisco (non ka-PEESK-koh)

I’m sorry — Mi dispiace (MEE dees-pee-YAT-chay)

Take care — Riguardati (Ri-GWA-Ri-dah-ti)

Goodbye — Arrivederci (ah-ree-vah-DAIR-chee)

Yes / No

Yes — Sì (see)

No — No (no)

Asking for help

Do you speak English? — Parla Inglese? (PAR-la een-GLAY-zay)

Where is…? — Dov’é (doh-VAY)

e.g. Where is the bathroom? — Dov’è il bagno? (doh-VAY eel BHAN-yoh)

Can you help me? — Mi può aiutare? (mi PWO ah-yu-TAH-reh)

How much is that? — Quanto costa? (KWAN-toh COST-ah)

How much are those? — Quanto costano? (KWAN-toh COST-ah-no)

Can you give me a discount? — Mi fa uno sconto? (MEE fah uno Si-KON-to)

Can I get on the internet? — Posso collegarmi con internet? (POH-so koh-leeh-GAH-ri-MEE kon IN-teh-net)

Learning the language spoken by local people can enrich your travel experiences. You get to sink into the culture of the place, connect with local people and make friends. Of course, the above is only some basic knowledge of italian that would make you easier to get around. If you want to be able to communicate with local people fluently, you should invest time learning the language! You won’t regret it! Besides, there are so many more benefits from learning a new language. You might want to check out our article 7 Unique Reasons For Learning A Foreign Language to find out why it’s totally worth it to learn a new language.

Do you want to start learning a new language? On FluentUp, you will be able to find language courses offered by language schools all over the world that suit your needs. Some schools even offer crash courses specifically tailored to travellers’ needs!