Italy Phrasebook

Numbers
1	uno	8	otto
2	due	9	nove
3	tré	10	dieci
4	quattro	11	undici
5	cinque	12	dodici
6	sei	13	tredici
7	sette	14	quattordici
15	quindici	40	quaranta
16	sedici	50	cinquanta
17	diciassette	60	sessanta
18	diciotto	70	settanta
19	dicianove	80	ottanta
20	venti	90	novanta
30	trenta	100	cento

Months*
January	gennaio	July	luglio
February	febbraio	August	agosto
March	marzo	September	settembre
April	aprile	October	ottobre
May	maggio	November	novembre
June	giugno	December	dicembre

Numbers*
Monday	lunedí
Tuesday	martedí
Wednesday	mercoledí
Thursday	giovedí
Friday	venerdí
Saturday	sabato
Sunday	domenica

*Note: In Italian, days of the week and months are not capitalized unless they come at the beginning of a sentence. Domenica (Sunday) is the only day of the week that is of the feminine gender.

General
ENGLISH	ITALIAN	PRONUNCIATION
Hi/Bye (informal)	Ciao	chow
Good day/Hello	Buongiorno	bwohn-JOHR-noh
Good evening	Buonasera	bwoh-nah-SEH-rah
Good night	Buonanotte	bwoh-nah-NOHT-teh
Goodbye	Arrivederci/Arrivederla (formal)	ah-ree-veh-DEHR-chee/ah-ree-veh-DEHR-lah
Please	Per favore/Per piacere	pehr fah-VOH-reh/pehr pyah-CHEH-reh
Thank you	Grazie (formal/polite)	GRAHT-see-yeh
How are you?	Come stai/Come sta (formal)?	COH-meh STA-ee/stah
I am well	Sto bene	stoh BEH-neh
You’re welcome. May I help you?/Please	Prego	PREH-goh
Excuse me	Scusa (formal)/Scusi (informal)	SKOO-zee/-zah
I’m sorry	Mi dispiace	mee dees-PYAH-cheh
My name is	Mi chiamo	mee kee-YAH-moh
I’m on vacation	Sono qui in vacanza	SOH-noh qwee een vah-CAHN-zah
I’m American/British/Irish/Australian/New Zealander	Sono americano(a)/britannico(a)/irlandese/australiano(a)/neozelandese	SOH-noh ah-meh-ree-CAH-noh(nah)/bree-TAH-nee-coh(cah)/eer-lahn-DEH-seh/ah-oo-strah-LYAH-noh(nah)/neh-oh-zeh-lahn-DEH-seh
I live in	Abito a	AH-bee-toh ah
What’s your name?	Come ti chiami? Come si chiama Lei (formal)?	COH-meh tee kee-YAH-mee/COH-meh see kee-YAH-mah lay
Yes/No/Maybe	Sì/No/Forse	see/no/FOHR-seh
I don’t know	Non lo so	nohn loh soh
Could you repeat that?	Potrebbe ripetere?	poh-TREHB-beh ree-PEH-teh-reh
What does this mean?	Cosa vuol dire questo?	COH-za vwohl DEE-reh KWEH-stoh
I understand	Ho capito	oh kah-PEE-toh
I don’t understand	Non capisco	nohn kah-PEES-koh
Do you speak English?	Parla inglese?	PAR-lah een-GLEH-zeh
Could you help me?	Potrebbe aiutarmi?	poh-TREHB-beh ah-yoo-TAHR-mee
How do you say?	Come si dice?	KOH-meh see DEE-cheh
What do you call this in Italian?	Come si chiama questo in italiano?	KOH-meh see kee-YAH-mah KWEH-stoh een ee-tahl-YAH-no
this/that	questo/quello	KWEH-sto/KWEHL-loh
more/less	più/meno	pyoo/MEH-noh
At what time?	A che ora?	ah keh OHR-ah
What time is it?	Che ore sono?	keh OHR-eh SOH-noh
What time does it open/close?	A che ora apre/chiude?	ah keh OHR-eh AH-preh/kee-OOH-deh
It’s noon/midnight	È mezzogiorno/mezzanotte	eh MEHD-zoh-DJOHR-noh/MEHD-zah-NOT-eh
now	adesso/ora	ah-DEHS-so/OH-rah
let’s go now	andiamo adesso	ahn-dee-AH-moh ah-DEHS-so
tomorrow	domani	doh-MAH-nee
today	oggi	OHJ-jee
yesterday	ieri	ee-YEH-ree
right away	subito	SU-bee-toh
soon	fra poco/presto	frah POH-koh/PREHS-toh
after	dopo	DOH-poh
before	prima	PREE-mah
late/later	tardi/più tardi	TAHR-dee/pyoo TAHR-dee
early	presto	PREHS-toh
late (after scheduled arrival time)	in ritardo	een ree-TAHR-doh
daily	quotidiano	kwoh-tee-DYAH-no
weekly	settimanale	seht-tee-mah-NAH-leh
monthly	mensile	mehn-SEE-leh
vacation	le ferie	leh FEH-ree-eh

Directions And Transportation
ENGLISH	ITALIAN	PRONUNCIATION
there	lì/là	lee/lah
the street address	l’indirizzo	leen-dee-REET-soh
the telephone	il telefono	eel teh-LEH-foh-noh
street	strada, via, viale, vico, vicolo, corso	STRAH-dah, VEE-ah, vee-AH-le, VEE-koh, VEE-koh-loh, KOHR-soh
speed limit	limite di velocità	LEEH-mee-teh dee veh-loh-chee-TAH
slow down	rallentare	rah-lehn-TAH-reh
one-way street	senso unico	SEHN-soh OOH-nee-coh
large, open square	piazzale	pee-yah-TZAH-leh
stairway	scalinata	scah-lee-NAH-tah
beach	spiaggia	spee-YAH-geeah
river	fiume	fee-YOO-meh
toilet, WC	gabinetto	gah-bee-NEHT-toh
What time does the .. leave?	A che ora parte .. ?	ah keh OHR-ah PAHR-teh
From where does the .. leave?	Da dove parte .. ?	dah DOH-veh PAHR-teh
the (city) bus	l’autobus	LAOW-toh-boos
the (intercity) bus	il pullman	eel POOL-mahn
the ferry	il traghetto	eel tra-GHEHT-toh
the hydrofoil	l’aliscafo	LA-lee-scah-foh
the plane	l’aereo	lah-EHR-reh-oh
the train	il treno	eel TREH-noh
the ticket office	la biglietteria	lah beel-yeht-teh-REE-ah
How much does it cost?	Quanto costa?	KWAN-toh CO-stah
Directions And Transportation
I would like to buy ..	Vorrei comprare ..	voh-RAY com-PRAH-reh
.. a ticket	.. un biglietto	.. oon beel-YEHT-toh
.. a pass (bus, etc.)	.. una tessera	.. OO-nah TEHS-seh-rah
one-way	solo andata	SO-lo ahn-DAH-tah
round-trip	andata e ritorno	ahn-DAH-tah eh ree-TOHR-noh
reduced price	ridotto	ree-DOHT-toh
student discount	lo sconto studentesco	loh SKOHN-toh stoo-dehn-TEHS-koh
the track/train platform	il binario	eel bee-NAH-ree-oh
the flight	il volo	eel VOH-loh
the reservation	la prenotazione	la preh-no-taht-see-YOH-neh
the entrance/exit	l’ingresso/l’uscita	leen-GREH-so/loo-SHEE-tah
I need to get off here	Devo scendere qui	DEH-vo SHEN-dehr-eh kwee

Emergency
I lost my passport/wallet	Ho perso il passaporto/portafoglio	oh PEHR-soh eel pahs-sah-POHR-toh/por-ta-FOH-lee-oh
I’ve been robbed	Sono stato derubato/a	SOH-noh STAH-toh deh-roo-BAH-toh/tah
Wait!	Aspetta!	ahs-PEHT-tah
Stop!	Ferma!	FEHR-mah
Help!	Aiuto!	ah-YOO-toh
Leave me alone!	Lasciami stare!/Mollami!	LAH-shah-mee STAH-reh/MOH-lah-MEE
Don’t touch me!	Non mi toccare!	NOHN mee tohk-KAH-reh
I’m calling the police!	Telefono alla polizia!	tehl-LEH-foh-noh ah-lah poh-leet-SEE-ah
military police	carabinieri	CAH-rah-been-YEH-ree
Go away, moron!	Vattene, cretino!	VAH-teh-neh creh-TEE-noh

Medical
I have .. allergies	Ho ..delle allergie	OH .. DEHL-leh ahl-lair-JEE-eh
.. a cold	.. un raffreddore	oon rahf-freh-DOH-reh
.. a cough	.. una tosse	OO-nah TOHS-seh
.. the flu	.. l’influenza	linn-floo-ENT-sah
.. a fever	.. una febbre	OO-nah FEHB-breh
.. a headache	.. mal di testa	mahl dee TEHS-tah
My foot/arm hurts	Mi fa male il piede/braccio	mee fah MAH-le eel PYEH-deh/BRAH-cho
I’m on the Pill	Prendo la pillola	PREHN-doh lah PEE-loh-lah

Restaurants
food	il cibo	eel CHEE-boh
wine bar	l’enoteca	len-oh-TEK-ah
breakfast	la colazione	lah coh-laht-see-YO-neh
lunch	il pranzo	eel PRAHN-zoh
dinner	la cena	lah CHEH-nah
coffee	il caffè	eel kah-FEH
appetizer	l’antipasto	lahn-tee-PAH-stoh
first course	il primo	eel PREE-moh
second course	il secondo	eel seh-COHN-doh
side dish	il contorno	eel cohn-TOHR-noh
dessert	il dolce	eel DOHL-cheh
bottle	la bottiglia	lah boh-TEEL-yah
waiter/waitress	il/la cameriere/a	eel/lah kah-meh-ree-EH-reh/rah
the bill	il conto	eel COHN-toh
cover charge	il coperto	eel koh-PEHR-toh
tip	la mancia	lah MAHN-chyah

Hotel And Hostel Reservations
hotel/hostel	albergo/ostello	al-BEHR-goh/os-TEHL-loh
I have a reservation	Ho una prenotazione	oh oo-nah preh-no-taht-see-YOH-neh
Could I reserve a single room/double room (for the 2nd of August)?	Potrei prenotare una camera singola/doppia (per il due agosto)?	poh-TREY preh-noh-TAH-reh oo-nah CAH-meh-rah SEEN-goh-lah/DOH-pyah (pehr eel DOO-eh ah-GOH-stoh
Is there a bed available tonight?	C’è un posto libero stasera?	cheh oon POHS-toh LEE-ber-oh sta-SAIR-ah
with bath/shower	con bagno/doccia	kohn BAHN-yo/DOH-cha
Is there a cheaper room without a bath/shower?	C’è una stanza più economica senza bagno/doccia?	cheh oo-nah STAN-zah pyoo eko-NOM-ika sen-zah BAHN-yo/DOH-cha
open/closed	aperto/chiuso	ah-PEHR-toh/KYOO-zoh
sheets/linens	i lenzuoli	ee lehn-SUO-lee
the blanket	la coperta	lah koh-PEHR-tah
the bed	il letto	eel LEHT-toh
Is there heating?	C’è riscaldamento?	cheh ree-skahl-dah-MEHN-toh
Is there air conditioning?	C’è aria condizionata?	che AH-ree-ah con-deet-syon-AH-tah
How much is the room?	Quanto costa la camera?	KWAHN-toh KOHS-ta lah KAM-eh-rah
Is breakfast included?	È compresa la prima colazione?	eh com-PREH-sah la PREEH-mah coh-laht-see-YO-neh
I will arrive (at 2:30pm)	Arriverò (alle due e mezzo)	ah-ree-veh-ROH (ah-leh DOO-eh MED-zoh)
You’ll have to send a deposit/check	Bisogna mandare un anticipo/un assegno	bee-ZOHN-yah mahn-DAH-reh oon ahn-TEE-chee-poh/oon ahs-SEHN-yoh
What is that funny smell?	Che cos’è quest’odore strano?	keh kohz-EH kwest-oh-DOHR-eh STRAH-noh

Amore
I have a boyfriend/girlfriend	Ho un ragazzo/una ragazza	Oh oon rah-GAHT-soh/oo-nah rah-GAHT-sah
Let’s get a room	Prendiamo una camera	prehn-DYAH-moh oo-nah CAH-meh-rah
Voluptuous!	Volutuoso/a!	VOL-oot-oo-OH-zhoh/zhah
To be in love with	Essere innamorato/a di	Eh-seh-reh een-am-mo-RAH-to/ta dee
Just a kiss	Solo un bacio	SOH-loh oon BAH-chyoh
Are you single?	Sei nubile?	NOO-bee-leh
You’re cute	Sei carino/a (bello/a)	SEY cah-REEN-oh/ah (BEHL-loh/lah)
I love you, I swear	Ti amo, te lo giuro	tee AH-moh, teh loh DJOO-roh
I’m married	Sono sposato/a	SOH-noh spo-ZA-to/ta
I only have safe sex	Pratico solo sesso sicuro	PRAH-tee-coh sohl-oh SEHS-so see-COO-roh
Leave her alone, she’s mine	Lasciala stare, è mia	LAH-shyah-lah STAH-reh, eh mee-ah
Leave right now!	Vai via subito!	vah-ee VEE-ah SOO-beet-oh
I’ll never forget you	Non ti dimenticherò mai	nohn tee dee-men-tee-ker-OH mah-ee
The profound mystery of what you just said sets my soul on fire	Il profondo mistero di ciò che stai dicendo mi infuoca il cuore	eel pro-FOHN-doh mee-STEH-roh dee CHOE keh sty dee-CEN-doh mee een-FWOH-cah eel ku-WOR-eh
Not if you’re the last man on earth	Neanche se lei fossi l’unico uomo sulla terra	neh-AHN-keh seh lay FOH-see LOO-nee-koh WOH-moh soo-LAH TEH-rah

At The Bar
May I buy you a drink?	Posso offrirle qualcosa da bere?	POHS-soh ohf-FREER-leh kwahl-COHzah dah BEH-reh
a beer	una birra	oo-nah BEER-rah
glass of wine	bicchiere di vino	bee-KYEH-reh dee VEE-noh
liter of wine	litro di vino	LEE-troh dee VEE-noh
I’m drunk	Sono ubriaco/a	SOH-noh oo-BRYAH-coh/cah
Let’s go!	Andiamo!	ahn-dee-AH-moh
I don’t drink	Non bevo	nohn BEH-voh
Cheers!	Cin cin!	cheen cheen
Do you have a light?	Mi fai accendere?	mee fah-ee ah-CHEN-deh-reh
No thank you, I don’t smoke	No grazie, non fumo	noh GRAH-zyeh, nohn FOO-moh
I was here first!	C’ero io prima!	CHEH-roh EE-oh PREE-mah

Primi (First Course)
pasta aglio e olio	in garlic and olive oil
pasta all’amatriciana	in a tangy tomato sauce with onions and bacon
pasta all’arabbiata	in a spicy tomato sauce
pasta alla bolognese	in a meat sauce
pasta alla boscaiola	egg pasta, served in a mushroom sauce with peas and cream
pasta alla carbonara	in a creamy sauce with egg, cured bacon, and cheese
pasta alla pizzaiola	tomato-based sauce with olive oil and red peppers
pasta alla puttanesca	in a tomato sauce with olives, capers, and anchovies
gnocchi	potato dumplings
ravioli	square-shaped and often stuffed with cheese or sometimes meat
tagliatelle	thin and flat, these are the northern version of fettuccini
pappardelle	wider and flatter than tagliatelle
polenta	deep-fried cornmeal
risotto	creamy rice dish, comes in nearly as many flavors as pasta sauce

Pizza
alla capriciosa	with ham, egg, artichoke, and more
con rucola	with arugula (rocket for Brits)
marinara	with red sauce and no cheese
margherita	plain ol’ tomato, mozzarella, and basil
pancetta/speck	bacon
pepperoni	bell pepper; careful not to confuse the Italian bell pepper with the American pepperoni meat, which doesn’t exist in Italy!
polpette	meatballs
quattro formaggi	four cheeses
quattro stagioni	four seasons; a different topping for each quarter of the pizza, usually mushrooms, prosciutto crudo, artichoke, and tomato
salsiccia	sausage

Secondi (Second Courses)
agnello	lamb
animelle alla griglia	grilled sweetbreads
asino	donkey (served in Sicily and Sardinia)
bistecca	steak
cavallo (sfilacci)	horse (served in Sicily and Sardinia)
cinghiale	wild boar
coniglio	rabbit
cotoletta	breaded veal cutlet with cheese
cozze	mussels
fégato	liver
gamberetti/gamberi	shrimps/prawns
granchi	crab
maiale	pork
manzo	beef
merluzzo/baccalà	cod/dried salted cod
osso buco	braised veal shank
ostriche	oysters
pesce spada	swordfish
pollo	chicken
polpo	octopus
prosciutto	smoked ham, available cured or cooked
salsiccia	sausage
saltimbocca alla romana	slices of veal and ham cooked together and topped with cheese
sarde	sardines
scaloppina	cutlet