Italian is one of the most popular languages in the world, after English and Spanish, 80 million Italians living in the country consider it their native language, and many people around the world study and speak it. This beautiful language, melodious and sonorous, all Italians are emotional, which is reflected in the manner of conversation. Speech is accompanied by numerous gestures, active facial expressions and colorful expressions. Visitors stand out from the crowd with their “school” Italian, correctly constructed phrases and formulations.
Interesting fact.
Italy loves cats very much; for mistreating them there is a fine and imprisonment up to 3 years.
For a Russian speaker, Italian is simple and easy to learn. It is in many ways similar to Russian, it has similar pronunciation, grammar, word formation. Therefore, learning Italian will take less time than English, Spanish or French, which have sounds that are difficult for Russian.
Phonetics and pronunciation of words in Italian
Before traveling to Italy, you can learn the basic phrases needed to understand airport employees, waiters and police officers, as well as to search required addresses. You need to start studying with the phonetic features of the language and the pronunciation of Italian words.
Fun fact! Espresso coffee was invented in Italy; its name means “just prepared”; an analogy can be drawn with “express” - a fast train. The point will be correct - this type of drink is prepared and served fresh.
It is much easier for Russian-speaking people to learn to pronounce letters than for others, since the sounds of the two languages are similar. Almost everything is spoken as it is written, even the sound “r” is identical to ours; there are four exceptions to these rules:
- The letter "h" is not readable or pronounced, for example, Perche? (why?) sounds “Perke”, or “Chiave” (key) - “chiave”.
- If the letter “g” is in a word in combination with “n” or “l” and stands before the vowels “e” and “i”, then it is not pronounced, but only softens it - it turns out “n” and “l”. For example, the words famiglia (family) are pronounced “familia”, and signora (appeal to a woman, lady) is pronounced “signora”.
- Interesting information!
- The most popular dish is pasta; Italians love it the most. They say that every resident of the country eats on average up to 30 kg of this delicacy per year, and there are more than 150 species.
- The combination of letters “sc” is read “sh” before the letters “e” and “i”, in other cases, as is written “sk”, the word scena is pronounced “shena”, and “scusi” sounds “skuzi” and means “sorry” "
- And the last exception to the rule is that the letters “c” and “g” are read as “ch” and “j” if they appear before the vowels “e” and “i”. The word ciao (for now) is pronounced “ciao”, and gelato (ice cream) according to this rule is read as “gelato”. In other cases, “k” and “g” are pronounced - casa (house) - “kasa”, and grazia (thank you) - “grace”.
Expressions of greeting and farewell
Italians are a cultural and emotional people. They take great pleasure in communicating with tourists and friends. They gesticulate wildly and are filled with pride when foreigners try to speak Italian. Several phrases are usually used for greeting:
- Buongiorno read as “bongiorno” and translated as “good afternoon” or “hello”, can be used in conversation with adults, with strangers, with friends. Almost anywhere, be it a cafe, a hotel or an airport, Italians greet you warmly.
- Buonasera similar to the previous version, translated as “ Good evening"and is also used to greet strangers and unfamiliar people. Pronounced "bona sera".
- Ciao(Ciao) - an analogue of “Hello” is used in communication with loved ones, inappropriately in a public place, when addressing service personnel, in a work environment. It’s interesting that the same word is also used when saying goodbye to a friend, in the sense of “Bye.”
Interesting information! Italy is the birthplace of numerous poets, architects, philosophers and scientists: Boccaccio and Petrarch, Pavarotti and Bocelli, Caravaggio and Bernini, Amerigo Vespucci and Giovanni Batista Pirelli. Needless to say, Italians are proud of their compatriots and are happy to tell tourists about them.
- Salve It is not translated into Russian, but it has the meaning “Greetings” or “Salute”; the phrase is appropriate in communicating with acquaintances and friends.
When saying goodbye to a friend, you can say “Ciao”, but for the rest it’s better to say Arrivederci (arivederchi), A domani! (a domani) or Auguri (auguri), which translates accordingly: Goodbye, see you tomorrow and all the best.
Phrases needed by all tourists
When a person finds himself in an unpleasant situation, especially in a foreign country, it becomes scary. Suddenly you won’t be able to communicate with Italians, call for help, or understand what passers-by want from you. Phrases such as “I need a doctor!” or “Help!” you need to know it well enough to stressful situation I didn't have to use a translator.
- Fun fact!
- The better an Italian treats a person, the closer he will approach him during a conversation. The comfortable distance here is much less than European or American. Therefore, at first, such behavior may repel and frighten representatives of another country.
In Italy and Europe, contact a police officer or other person in uniform if necessary. When communicating with them you will have to remember all the known Italian words.
It will be great if these phrases are not useful, but you need to study them before traveling to Italy. They will help you feel calmer and more confident in a foreign country. This is especially important if you are traveling as a family with small children.
Phrases of gratitude, support, encouragement and apology.
Italians meet emotionally and say goodbye, react violently during communication, so the Italian language has a huge list of phrases to support a conversation, to cheer up the interlocutor or ask for forgiveness. They are often pronounced in combination with gestures.
- Interesting data!
- For comfortable communication in everyday affairs, it will be enough to study 1500-1800 words used in conversation, and for a tourist - 300-400. Most of them consist of greetings, words of gratitude, frequently used verbs and pronouns.
To admire or be outraged by the phrases: Perfetto! or Interessante! They translate as “Excellent!” and “Interesting!” and pronounce “Perfetto!” and “Interessanto!” These words will present you as an attentive listener and will appeal to Italians.
In Italy they constantly apologize for disturbing people, when contacting people, during communication. The most popular phrase used for this is Mi scusi or Scusa, which literally translates as “My apologies!” or “Sorry!”
Numbers, pronouns and other commonly used words
A basic set of words must include numbers, adjectives, frequently used verbs and pronouns. To begin with, 30-40 nouns will be enough, then lexicon will be replenished, if necessary for work, with specific concepts and designations.
- Interesting information!
- The most famous Italian dish is pizza; in all countries of the world it is prepared in its own way. It is universal for any taste. When making it at home, you can use absolutely any ingredients, the main thing is that the base is dough.
The best ways to learn new words are reading books and other printed materials, as well as maintaining your dictionary. You can look up new and unfamiliar phrases in the Italian-Russian dictionary, write them down in a notebook and re-read them periodically.
Phrases needed by tourists
- Happy information!
- In Italy there is no such thing as orphanages. And homeless animals are almost impossible to find on the street. Italians care about those in need.
If you are visiting Italy on a tourist visit, you need to learn not only words for greetings and farewells, but also sample phrases that will be needed to communicate at customs or at the train station. To enter the country, you need to go through customs control at the airport, where you will be asked to present documents, show your luggage, and so on. Italian customs officers are a little more loyal than their English colleagues, but they shouldn’t joke or answer inappropriately either.
Phrases you need when traveling
Italian words end with vowels, and the speech itself is pleasant to the ear, melodic and flowing! Traveling by transport around the country will also require certain knowledge and study of certain expressions, in case of a stop at a gas station, accident or breakdown. Sometimes situations arise when you need to find your way, ask local residents something, or “read” road signs.
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Ways to Learn Italian
Studying any language, including Italian, should have a system and regularity; you need to select different classes so as not to get bored. If you'll be traveling to Italy for business or sightseeing, you'll want to master some basic phrases and concepts needed when traveling.
Italy has 20 regions, many of which have their own dialect; the Italians themselves call them languages. And in the center of the country there are 2 independent states, one of them is the Vatican, the other is called San Marino.
What stages should the process of learning Italian consist of:
- Establishing pronunciation and getting used to the sound of Italian speech should be mentored by an experienced teacher who can correctly advise and correct errors in speech. At this stage, you can listen to music in Italian and watch movies with subtitles. It may take about 3-5 months to obtain a lasting result.
- Learning new words must be systematic and regular. Here you should start keeping a dictionary where new expressions are recorded during the day. This will help you slowly develop your vocabulary. Here you can already try to communicate with the same students on simple topics, start reading books, and analyzing the lyrics of songs. This process is almost endless; after basic words, you can move on to more complex ones, then to highly specialized ones. There is always room to grow.
- Grammar and rules for constructing various phrases. This stage is important for communicating with native speakers and teachers. There are a lot of grammar instructional videos, lessons, and assignments on the Internet that you can go through on your own. Usually this stage takes from six months, depending on the time spent on classes.
The most popular and world-famous Italian is Leonardo Da Vinci; his compatriots are proud of their fellow countryman and have built museums in his honor in almost every major city.
You need to study at least 2-3 times a week, then after a year you can calmly speak with native speakers, travel to Italy as a tourist, even find a job with an emphasis on Italian. What exercises will be needed to consolidate theoretical knowledge?
- Maintaining a dictionary of terms, it is advisable to update it regularly;
Grammar and syntactic tasks;
Reading books in Italian with a dictionary to help, starting from the level of children's stories;
Listening songs, proofreading and translation of texts;
View films with and without subtitles;
Communication with native speakers, in in social networks, on forums and using communication programs such as Skype;
Courses Italian online or in groups of language centers;
Individual classes with a teacher;
Application on smartphones for constant access to tasks and exercises;
Most difficult and stressful, but at the same time the most effective method– a trip for several weeks to Italy, where you Have to learn the language in “field” conditions.
Any of these options brings results, but it is best to combine several at once. Then you can speak Italian after six months to a year of hard training.
As a conclusion
Italian is considered one of the most beautiful languages in the world, along with French and Spanish, but it is much easier to learn. You can read Italian after just a couple of weeks of training, because words are pronounced the same way they are written. It's easy to learn Italian by studying 2-3 times a week. In addition, this country has a very interesting and rich history, original and vibrant culture and customs. Italians themselves are very emotional and sociable people; they enjoy receiving guests, meeting friends and having fun.
It only seems that Speaking Italian greetings are limited exclusively to “Ciao!” Today we will study all greetings in Italian with transcription and translation.
A few months ago I came to work at new office. After a long time out, it was both great and scary. My new colleagues sincerely surprised me by always smiling, always saying hello, saying goodbye at the end of the working day and apologizing if necessary.
How pleasant the morning becomes now when they say to you with a smile, “ Good morning!» , and on Friday evening along with the words “Goodbye!” you hear wishes to have a good weekend. Agree, you quickly get used to good things. There is a special melody, magic in these words-wishes and the intonations with which they are pronounced, and you also begin to smile and answer “See you!”, “All the best!”
And you know, saying the same thing is no less pleasant and no less beautiful. It just seems that the vocabulary of Italian greetings and farewells is limited exclusively to “Ciao!” It’s a short word, but it has conquered almost the entire European world.
Let's take a closer look at the history of this greeting. It appeared in the Venetian dialect and initially sounded like “s’ciao vostro”, and before that “schiavo vostro”. If we literally translate the phrases, we get “your slave” or “at your service.”
However, this is not how you greet strangers. The word "ciao" is used between family members, relatives or friends.
Rule 1: Don't overuse the greeting "ciao" with strangers.
The traditional greeting of Italians and the second most popular after “ciao” is Salve[salve]. This word comes from the Latin language, as they greeted each other during the Roman Empire, and today it is used in situations where you do not know the people with whom you began to communicate.
If you suddenly forgot how to say “Hello”, wish good day – Buongiorno[buongiorno]. The phrase is very easy to remember: buono [buono] - good, giorno [giorno] - day. Other greetings and farewell phrases are based on the same principle.
Rule 2:Buongiorno You can talk both in the morning and in the afternoon. The Italians' day begins in the afternoon, but it is worth remembering one more good day wish - Buon pomeriggio[buon pomerigio].
It was the good afternoon wish that saved me from hunger in Brussels. I wandered for a long time through the ancient streets of the city in search of a cozy restaurant. People were sitting around on open terraces, delicious plates of dishes stood in front of them, but at that moment I wanted only one thing - a large portion of fragrant meat. And, oh salvation, among the French dialect and English roll calls of foreigners like me, I heard the long-awaited Buongiorno! An Italian cafe was very close by. I also said hello, and my greeting became the key to a wonderful and tasty lunch.
In general, wishing something good is in the Italian style. This is a good Sunday too - Buona domenica(buona domenica] (in Italian word“Sunday” the emphasis is on the 2nd syllable), and a good weekend - Buon fine settimana[buon fine settimana] (literally “have a good end of the week”), and wishes for a great holiday - Buona Vacanza! [buona vacancy].
But the day, as you know, goes by very quickly. The long-awaited evening for many is coming - a time when you can meet with friends, sit in your favorite restaurant, or, conversely, spend time with your family. The Italian evening comes after 17 o'clock and is said as Buonasera[buonasera].
Rule 3: Buonasera we speak after 17 pm. It smoothly turns into a wish for good night - Buonanotte [buonanotte].
I honestly admit, with good people And I really don’t like saying goodbye to my friends. However, there is no point in delaying this moment, and leaving in English without saying goodbye is somehow indecent. In Italian there are many variants of words of farewell. For example, we are already familiar Ciao!– “Bye”, very bright and emotional Arrivederci![arrivederchi] - “Goodbye!” If you plan to see your friends later, say A presto![a presto], A dopo[a dopo] – “see you soon”, or simply Ci vediamo![chi witch] - “See you!”
It seems that the art of politeness has exhausted itself here? Perhaps not entirely. If only because acquaintance with Italians will not end there. Especially if you are invited to visit. The first thing you will hear is BEnvenuto![benvenuto] - “Welcome!” And what happens next, you’ll find out next time. A presto!
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Briefly about pronunciation:
1. The letters “c” and “g” are pronounced like “k” and “g” in the words casa (“casa”, house) or gatto (“gatto”, cat).
But if these letters come before "i" or "e", then they are pronounced like "ch" or "j" in the words ciao (ciao - hello/bye) or gelato (gelato - ice cream).
2. The letter “h” is not pronounced in Italian.
3. The combination of the letters “gn” and “gl” before “e” and “i” is pronounced like “n” and “l” in the words signora (“signora” - lady) or famiglia (“familia” - family).
4. The combination “sc” is read as “sk” and only before “e” and “i” as “sh” in the words scena (“shena”, scene).
5. The stress is most often on the penultimate syllable, if there is no accent mark
First words
Buongiorno (“bongiorno”) - hello/good afternoon
Buonasera (“bonasera”) - good evening
Arrivederci (“arrivederchi”) - goodbye
Grazie (“grace”) - thank you
Prego (“prego”) - please
Italian numbers
uno (“uno”) - 1
due (“due”) - 2
tre (“tre”) - 3
quattro (“quattro”) - 4
cinque (“chinque”) - 5
sei ("sei") - 6
sette (“sette”) - 7
otto (“otto”) - 8
nove (“new”) - 9
dieci (“diechi”) - 10
Essential Phrases
Grazie mille - thank you very much
Scusi (“skuzi”) - sorry
Si (“si”) - yes
No (“but”) - no. (It is important that it is pronounced not like the English “know”, but briefly “but”)
Per favore (“per favor”) - please (in the sense of a request)
Quanto costa? (“quanto costa”) - how much does it cost?
Quanto? - How many?
Chi? (“ki”) - who?
Perche? (“perkE”, emphasis on the last letter) - why?
Dove? (“dove”) - where?
Che cosa? (“ke goat”) - What?
Quando? - When?
Dov'è il bagno? (“dove il banyo”) - Where is the toilet?
Capisco (“capisco”) - I understand
Non capisco (“non capisco”) - I don’t understand
Per favore, mi potrebbe aiutare? (“per favora, mi potrebbe ayutare”) - Please, could you help me?
Useful words
Entrata - entrance
Uscita (“sutured”) - way out
Vietato fumare - no smoking
Donna - woman
Uomo - man
Ora - hour
Giorno (“giorno”) - day.
Notte - night
Oggi - today
Ieri - yesterday
Domani - tomorrow
Volo - flight
Bene - good
Male - bad
Grande - big
Piccolo - small
Destra - right
Sinistra - left
Diritto - straight
Qui (“qui”) - here
Più ("drink") - more (a very common word in Italian)
Questo/questa - this/this
Ma - but
Semper - always
Molto - very
Bello - beautiful, handsome, but bella - beautiful. Bella donna - beautiful woman
Pronouns
Although in Italian they are used much less frequently than in Russian. If we say “I love you,” then an Italian will say “ti amo” - literally “I love you.”
Io - I
tu - you
Lei - You (respectful address to the interlocutor), for example Lei e molto gentile - You are very kind.
voi - you
noi - we
lei - she
lui - he
loro - they
Simple dialogue:
Come si chiama? (“kome si kyama”) - What is your name?
Mi chiamo... - my name is...
Come on? - How are you? This question is most often answered with Va bene! - Fine
Come on? - How are you? You can answer like this: Non c’e male! - Not bad
Di dove? - Where are you from? (This is a very common question)
Dove abita? - Where do you live?
Sono dalla Russia - I'm from Russia
Siamo dalla Russia - We are from Russia
The verb Essere (to be) is conjugated.
Sono - I am
Siamo - we are
That's why:
Sono in vacanza - I'm on vacation
Siamo in vacanza - we are on vacation
Sono russo - I'm Russian
In the simplest dialogues, the following words and expressions may be needed:
Piacere (“piacere”) - very nice
Perfetto - excellent!
Interessante - interesting
Certamente! - Certainly!
Esatto - exactly
Che bel post - great place (literally: "what a beautiful place")
Che bella vista - great view
Lei e molto gentile - you are very kind
Che peccato! - what a pity!
Che sorpresa! - what a surprise!
Basta! - enough!
Mi dispiace, ma non parlo italiano - Unfortunately, I don't speak Italian.
Mi dispiace, non lo so - Unfortunately, I don’t know that
Parlo italiano, ma non molto bene - I speak Italian, but not very well
Many people learn the language so that they can later travel to the country and communicate. I know people who go to groups, meet with native speakers, watch films, in general, improve their language knowledge in every possible way. This is cool. But most often, this knowledge is not needed on a trip. Especially if you learn English, and you are going to Italy.
Of course, if you want to get a job or communicate on sports or political topics, discuss philosophical issues, then yes, perfect knowledge of the language will be useful to you. But the fact is that not all locals speak English as well as you. But you need to ask something, understand it, answer briefly or get your bearings.
There are two ways to solve this problem:
1. Instead of learning a language, which in principle is impossible to do quickly, you can master language within 30 days. We advise you to watch the course by I.I. Poloneichik - polyglot and teacher " Quick login English language " Ivan Ivanovich with the help different methods teaches communicate in Italian. The course is paid, but you can feel confident and enjoy the communication.
2. Method - learn the most simple words for communication.
Before the trip, we learn a minimum of vocabulary. Here is our Italian phrasebook for tourists:
When meeting neighbors, do not tense up and remain silent. Smile and say:
A more familiar form of greeting for friends:
The following words may also be useful:
In our Italian phrasebook for tourists, we included another mysterious word PREGO. It is used often and in different cases.
They say it when they want to say “come on in” - “prego!” prego!
When asked to pass: “come in, please” - “prego...”
When they offer to go forward: “let’s move forward, let’s go” - “prego”
Even when they say thank you, they can say “prego”.
Neapolitan song from the film “Formula of Love”. Excellent Italian. Practice your pronunciation. We do not recommend using the words of the song in conversation with the natives of Italy. From personal experience I know: I sang it in a minute, and then spent 50 minutes explaining what the words meant.
Marais belle dona que un belle canzone
Sai ke ti amo sempre amo
Dona Bella Mare Credere Cantare
Dammi il momento kemi pyache drink
Uno uno uno uno momento
Uno uno uno sentimentto
Uno uno uno complimento
E Sacramento Macramento Sacramento
Sincerely,
Of course, it's important to know how to ask for directions and how to order food in a restaurant, but it's equally important to learn how to greet Italians properly. Agree, it’s always nice when tourists from other countries welcome you to your native language. You immediately get the impression that they are interested in the culture of your country. This makes it easier for a person to win over others. Today you will learn 10 useful phrases that will help you politely greet the locals when traveling to the Apennine Peninsula.
- Salve! - Hello!
“Salve” is a very informal way to greet passers-by in Italy, not only on the street, but also in cafes and while shopping. By the way, this word can also be used as a farewell.
- Ciao! - Hello!
“Ciao” is the most common greeting in Italy. Typically used among friends, family or acquaintances.
You may also hear:
Ciao a tutti! - Hi all!
Ciao ragazzi! - Hi guys!
When the conversation is over, you may hear someone say “Ciao” repeatedly – “Ciao, ciao, ciao, ciao, ciao.”
- Buongiorno! - Good morning Good afternoon!
Another polite expression that will come in handy is “Buongiorno.” It is used in the morning or during the day. This is an easy way to say hello to a friend or a store clerk. If you want to say goodbye, you can say “Buongiorno” again, or “Buona giornata!”, which means “Have a nice day!”
- Buonasera! - Good evening!
"Buonasera" (also often spelled "Buona sera") is great way greet someone while walking around the city. Usually this greeting starts to be used from 1 pm, but it all depends on the region in which you are staying. To say goodbye, you can say “Buonasera” again, or “Buona serata!” - "Good evening!"
You may be wondering why we didn't give an example of "Buon pomeriggio" - "Good afternoon" as a greeting. This is because it is rarely used in Italy. Of course you can hear it in some areas, such as Bologna, but “Buongiorno” is much more popular.
- Buonanotte! – Good night!/Good night!
“Buonanotte” is both a formal and informal way to wish someone good night and sweet dreams. This expression is very romantic, filled with tender emotions, so it is often used by parents when addressing children and lovers.
“Buonanotte” can also be used to mean “Let’s not talk about this anymore!” or “I don’t want to think about it anymore!”
Facciamo così e buonanotte! - Let's do this and not talk about it anymore!
- Come on? - How are you?
You can ask how someone is doing using “Come sta?” In response you may hear:
Sto bene! - Great!
Bene, grazie, e lei? - Okay, thanks, what about you?
Non c'è male. - Not bad.
Così così. - So-so.
An informal version of this expression is “Come stai?”
- Come on? - How are you?
Another way to ask how someone is doing. This expression is a little less formal than the previous one. In response they may tell you:
Va benissimo, grazie. - OK, thank you.
Molto bene, grazie. - Very good thanks.
Fantasticamente! - Fabulous!
Tutto a posto! - Everything is fine!
“Come on?” is also an informal greeting used by people who know each other.
- Prego! - Welcome!
This expression is usually used to greet guests. Let's imagine that you come to a restaurant in Rome, and the administrator, pointing to a free table, will most likely tell you “Prego”, which in this case can also be translated as “come in” or “take a seat.”
- Mi chiamo... - My name is...
If this is not just a random passer-by, but a person with whom you would like to meet and strike up a conversation, then, of course, after the greeting you should introduce yourself. Ask: “Come si chiama?” - "What is your name?". And then say your name: “Mi chiamo...”
- Piacere! - Nice to meet you!
After you and your interlocutor have learned each other’s names, it’s a good idea to say “Piacere,” which means “nice to meet you.” In response, you may hear “piacere mio” - “I’m also pleased.”