Basic Phrases in Italian

Close to 60 million people in Italy speak Italian. It is also spoken by a total of around 70 million people in the world. It is the official language of Italy, the Vatican City and San Marino, and one of the official languages of Switzerland. Home speakers in Monaco, Slovenia, Malta and Croatia also speak the language. The Italian language is diachronically derived from Latin and is the closest language to Latin.

Here are some useful Italian phrases

1. Pronounce It Right!

Let’s begin with learning how the pronunciation works.

Vowels

A	---	As in 'part'
B	---	As in 'bell'
C	---	As in 'win'
D	---	As in 'dot'
E	---	Like the 'oo' in 'look'

Consonants

C	---	As the 'k' before 'a', 'o' and 'u'; as 'ch' in 'choose' before 'e' and 'i'
Ch	---	As the 'k' in 'kit'
G	---	As the 'g' in 'great' before 'a', 'o', 'u' and 'h'; as the 'j' in 'jet' before 'e' and 'i'
Gli	---	As the 'lli' in 'million'
Gn	---	As the 'ny' in 'canyon'
H	---	is always silent
R	---	is a rolled 'rr' sound
Sc	---	the 'sh' in 'sheep' before 'e' and 'i'; as 'sk' before 'a', 'o', 'u' and 'h'
Z	---	As the 'ts' in 'lights', except at the beginning of a word, when it's as the 'ds” in 'suds'

2. Master the Basics

Si	---	Yes
No	---	No
Buongiornio	---	Hello
Arrivederci. Ciao. (inf)	---	Goodbye
Come si chiama?	---	What's your name?
Mi chiamo	---	My name is __
Per favour	---	Please
Grazie	---	Thank you
Prego	---	That's fine
Mi scusi	---	Excuse me
Mi perdoni	---	Forgive me
Di dov' è?	---	Where are you from?
Sono di	---	I'm from __
(Non) Mi piace	---	I (don't) like

3. What Signs Mean

Ingresso / entrata	---	Entrance
Uscita	---	Exit
Gabinetti / bagni	---	Toilets
Uomini	---	Men
Donne	---	Women
Informazione	---	Information
Aperto/chuiso	---	Open/Closed
Polizia	---	Police

4. Fill the Paperwork

Passaporto	---	Passport
Visto	---	Visa
Nome	---	Name
Data di nascita	---	Date of birth
Luogo di nascita	---	Place of birth
Nazionalità	---	Nationality
Genere	---	Gender

5. Get Around

Cerco	---	I'm looking for / I seek
A che ora parte/arrive __?	---	What time does arrive/leave?
L'autobus	---	The (city) bus
Il pullma / la corriera	---	The (intercity) bus
L'aereo	---	The aeroplane
La barca	---	The boat
Il treno	---	The train
Un banco	---	A bank
La chiese	---	The church
Il centro (città)	---	The city centre
L'ambasciata di	---	The embassy of
Il mio albergo	---	My hotel
Il mercato	---	The market
La posta	---	The post office
Un gambinetto	---	A public toilet
Il museo	---	The museum
L'ufficio di turismo	---	The tourist office
Il centro telefonica	---	The telephone centre

6. Ask for Directions

Dov è __?	---	Where is __?
Giri a sinistra	---	Turn left
Giri a destra	---	Turn right
Si va sempre diritto	---	Go straight ahead
Dietro	---	Behind
Davanti	---	In front
Di fronte a	---	Opposite
Lontano	---	Far
Vicino	---	Near

7. Keeping Track

Oggi	---	Today
Domani	---	Tomorrow
Ieri	---	Yesterday
Di mattina	---	In the morning
Di pomeriggio	---	In the afternoon
Di sera	---	In the evening
Che ora e / sono?	---	What time is it?
Sono (le otto)	---	It's (8 o'clock)

Grab a Bite

Prima colazione	---	Breakfast
Pranzo	---	Lunch
Cena	---	Dinner
Ristorante	---	Restaurant
Un alimentary	---	A grocery store
Menù	---	Menu

Numbers Talk

1	---	Uno
2	---	Dyo
3	---	Tre
4	---	Quattro
5	---	Cinque
6	---	Sei
7	---	Sette
8	---	Otto
9	---	Nove
10	---	Dieci

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