Learning Some Simple Italian No One Can Refuse

Useful Italian Words and Phrases To Know While Visiting Italy

Sep 14, 2009

Travelers looking to pick up Italian phrases while visiting Italy will not only impress Italians but also participate in one of the most beautiful languages in the world.

Knowing the following words or phrases will win points with Italians and may even prove useful in 'lost in translation' situations.

Italian Hellos and Goodbyes

With ciao being most commonly used for hello and goodbye, many do not know the proper greetings for certain people and at certain times throughout the day. Salve means hello in more formal situations instead of using the informal ciao.

When entering a shop during the day, buon giorno or good morning/good day is the common greeting to store clerks. If afternoon begins to transition to early evening, switch giorno to buona sera, meaning good afternoon/good evening.

While most Italians may say ciao upon departure, for those one time encounters arrivederci or “goodbye” is customary.

Even though most waiters in Italy have a general sense of English, knowing a few words and phrases will prevent diners from having to resort to charades.

Vorrei or “I would like” can be said before the desired dish of choice. Grazie or thank you may be the most useful word in Italian. Do not be fooled when the response prego follows. No one is talking about the jarred tomato sauce. Prego can mean, “you’re welcome” or “please go head” when ordering.

Italians believe in a leisurely dining experience. Restaurant goers will not find waiters putting the bill down without request. Diners may need to request il conto, or the check, if they hope to get home before the sun comes up.

Useful Italian Phrases and Words For Travel

When traveling throughout Italy, there are several words and phrases that will prove useful. Partenza or departure can be seen on train timetables and throughout airports. Arrivi denotes arrivals. Binario or platform, followed by a number, usually indicates which platform a train will depart or arrive.

Most confusion comes with traveling in a foreign place. Sometimes confirmation is necessary when boarding a train to make sure one is headed to the right place. Asking a nearby Italian, “Questo treno va a (fill in city)?”or “this train is going to?" will instill more confidence in the unsure.

A tourist could do worse than to learn a little of the same language in which Italian poet Dante Alighieri composed his epic works. Not only will Italians be impressed and confusion subside, but travelers may just fall in love with this beautiful language.

For better pronunciation of Italian, check out Suite101 writer Andrew Wilson's article on How to Pronounce Italian Words.

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