Hot blood flows in the veins of a true Italian. This nation is very emotional, open and beautiful, as is its Italian language. At many tourist resorts in Italy, which Russian tourists have already mastered, they will perfectly understand your reserve in English. But on city streets and in provincial towns you can’t do without basic Italian phrases.
Try to memorize the words and expressions below. We are sure that you will find the process of language acquisition very fascinating, because Italian speech is very harmonious. By the way, before you start, you should know that there are only 21 letters in the Italian alphabet. In this case, it is very important to pronounce the sound as it is written, otherwise, reading, for example, instead of “a” - “o”, the word will take on a completely different meaning. And you risk remaining incomprehensible. The letter "h" is never read.
Hot blood flows in the veins of a true Italian. This nation is very emotional, open and beautiful, as is its Italian language. In many tourist resorts in Italy, which Russian tourists have already mastered, they will perfectly understand your English. But on city streets and in provincial towns you can’t do without basic Italian phrases. Try to memorize the words and expressions below. We are sure that you will find the process of language acquisition very fascinating, because Italian speech is very harmonious. By the way, before you start, you should know that there are only 21 letters in the Italian alphabet. In this case, it is very important to pronounce the sound as it is written, otherwise, reading, for example, instead of “a” - “o”, the word will take on a completely different meaning. And you risk remaining incomprehensible. The letter "h" is never read.
Numbers
| 0 | dze"ro |
| 1 | y"but |
| 2 | du"e |
| 3 | tre |
| 4 | kua"tro |
| 5 | chi"nque |
| 6 | sai |
| 7 | se"tte |
| 8 | o"tto |
| 9 | but"ve |
| 10 | die"chi |
| 11 | u"ndichi |
| 12 | to "game" |
| 13 | tre "game |
| 14 | cuatto"rdici |
| 15 | kui"ndici |
| 16 | se "game |
| 17 | dichasse"tte |
| 18 | wild"tto |
| 19 | wildly"ve |
| 20 | ve"nti |
| 30 | tre"nta |
| 40 | kuara"nta |
| 50 | Chinqua'nta |
| 60 | sessa"nta |
| 70 | Setta"nta |
| 80 | otta"nta |
| 90 | nova"nta |
| 100 | what |
| 200 | dueche"nto |
| 1.000 | mi"lle |
| 1.000.000 | un milio "not |
Greetings and courtesy phrases:
| Hello | sa"lve |
| Hello/goodbye | cha "o (more of a familiar word) |
| Good afternoon | bonjo"rno |
| Good evening | bonase"ra |
| How are you? | whoa? |
| Fine | va be"not |
| My name is | Mi kya"mo |
| Good night | buo "na no" tte |
| Goodbye | arrivide"rchi |
| Yes | si |
| No | But |
| Thank you | grace |
| Please | per favo"re (if requested) |
| Please | pre"go (in response) |
| Sorry | sku"zi |
| Bon appetit | bu "on apeti" then |
Appeal to people:
| Woman | sinyo"ra |
| Young woman | Signori" on |
| Man | signo"re |
| Child | bambi"but |
Quick questions:
In a restaurant, cafe
Transport:
Money:
Useful:
Hello guys 🙂 Today we are going to take a little break from endless grammar tables, I understand how stressful they are for you! That's why today is the first dialogue! We'll find out how to ask “how are you?” in Italian?, and other simple phrases.
Dialogue
(Antonella): Ciao Marco, come stai?
(Marco): Ciao Antonella, tutto bene, grazie! e tu?
(Antonella): Si si, anche io sto bene! Chi è lei?
(Marco): Lei è Marina, è russa.
(Antonella): Ah! Molto piacere Marina! Tu parli italiano?
(Marina): Si, io parlo italiano, ma poco.
(Antonella): Perfetto! Sei brava! A presto ragazzi!
(Marco): Ciao ciao!
We translate the dialogue and analyze new phrases and constructions.
Antonella meets her friend Marco at the party, who came with his girlfriend.
New words and phrases
come stay? - How are you? / How are you?
tutto bene - Everything is fine
anche — too/also
anche io - Me too
sto bene — I'm fine
chi - Who
chi è? - who is this?
lei and Marina - this is Marina
russo - Russian
russa - Russian
molto piacere - very nice (when meeting you)
tu parli italiano? - Do you speak Italian?
io parlo italiano - I speak Italian
ma - But
poco - little/little
perfetto - excellent/wonderful
ragazzi - Guys
For expression "How are you?" in Italian there is also a more general phrase "come va?".
"Come stay?" does it matter "How are you?". From this it becomes clear to us that some is a question "How", but what are those words that come after it? Let's figure out what it is.
Va is a verb form andare (to go).
Conjugation of the verb andare in Presente
io vad o
tu va i
lui/lei v a
noi and iamo
voi and ate
loro van no
Stay is a verb form stare (to be, to be, to feel).
Conjugation of the verb stare in Presente
io st o
tu sta i
lui/lei st a
noi st iamo
voi st ate
loro stan no
As you probably noticed, the forms of these verbs for the same pronouns are similar. And this is no coincidence :) Although the conjugations of these verbs are similar, andare - irregular verb, and stare - belongs to the first group, these are verbs with the ending -are, and they are all conjugated in the same way. In the dialogue we also came across the verb parlare (to speak), is conjugated similarly:
Conjugation of the verb parlare in Presente
io parl o
tu parl i
lui/lei parl a
noi parl iamo
voi parl ate
loro parl ano
Attention! When we went over the verb essere, I deliberately wrote all the pronouns before the verb form. Now that you have already learned them, you can breathe easy: in speech, pronouns are usually omitted, because... verb form makes us understand who we are talking about, so that the pronoun itself disappears as unnecessary. That is, for example, instead of “tu sei” you can safely say and write simply “sei”. This also applies to all other verbs. However, if you do not feel confident in verbs and cannot immediately determine what is what, you can use a pronoun, this is grammatically correct and there is no mistake here :)
Homework
For each phrase, choose the appropriate form from the brackets:
1. Ciao, tu (sei / è) Marina?
2. Si, sono Marina e sono (russo / russa).
3. Lui è Marco, è (italiana / italiano).
5. Antonella, sei italiana? - Si, (sei / sono) italiana.
Insert pronoun (io, tu, lei, lui, noi, voi, loro):
1. Laura e Mario siete ___ ?
2. ___ parliamo italiano e russo.
3. ___ non parli italiano.
4. Chi è? è Marco, ___ è italiano.
5. Come stay Marina? — Grazie, ___ sto bene.
Translate the following text into Russian:
— Lei è Laura, è italiana. Parla italiano e anche parla molto bene spagnolo.
- Molto piacere! Come va Laura?
- Tutto bene, grazie! Voi come state?
- Bene anche noi!
Translate the following text into Italian:
- Hello Marco, how are you?
- Everything is ok, how are you doing, Laura?
“I’m fine too.” Who is this?
- This is Sergei, he is Russian. He speaks Russian, Italian and a little Spanish.
- Very nice! Bye guys!
While doing the exercises, try not to peek into the lesson, it is in your best interests to learn better! I apologize for the situations that are a little strange in meaning, while our vocabulary is not enough for anything more :)
And finally, as an exercise on ascolto, there is also a song with lyrics :)
They say that in order to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of a country, you need to speak its language. In this way, you will experience its culture and become a “resident” of this country, albeit not for long.
Knowing commonplace words increases the level of trust that natives have in you; this can help everywhere: in a restaurant, a museum, a hotel, even on the street!
Italy is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe; the annual flow of tourists from all over the world is about 50 million people. Someone wants to admire the Leaning Tower of Pisa or the famous Colosseum, someone wants to go shopping in the most fashionable city in Italy - Milan, and someone wants to be inspired by the romantic Venice. However, all tourists have one thing in common: the desire to learn a few phrases in Italian so as not to get lost in the crowd.
This is a country of incredibly friendly people; here they say hello not only to acquaintances, but also to strangers. Let's look at the most common Italian greetings and farewells below.
Buon giorno
This translates to "hello" or "good afternoon" and can be used from early morning until about 5 p.m. In Italy there is no expression similar to Russian " Good morning" (perhaps because the Italian aristocrats in the Middle Ages woke up late, at lunch - for them there was no morning). [Buon Giorno] is a fairly formal expression, this Italian word of greeting can be said to a stranger in an elevator, to a hotel receptionist, to a waiter, passers-by and older people.
Buona sera
Following Italian logic, “buona sera” is said from 5 pm to midnight. It is worth mentioning some subtleties of etiquette: when men meet, they shake hands; when there are only women in the company or both men and women - good acquaintances or friends - here the Italian greeting is also not limited to just words. It is customary to kiss on both cheeks, always starting with the left. However, be careful, this is only a generally accepted convention: such “stormy greetings” do not at all mean that Italian men are lovers of gays.
Let's move on to the translation from Italian of the greeting that has captivated the whole world, and which you have definitely already heard.
Ciao
Perhaps the most popular Italian greeting remains “ciao,” which means both “hello” and “bye,” depending on the situation in which you say it. “Ciao” can be said at any time of the night or day, most often to peers, friends, acquaintances, neighbors, and relatives. In formal situations and establishments or older people, you should say either “buona sera” or “buon giorno” and address yourself as “you”.
Buona note
Italian, like many languages, is very diverse. In the evening, “buona sera” [buona sera] smoothly turns into “buona notte” [buona notte] - “good night.” As in Russian, this is said not only before going to bed, but also when meeting late in the evening.
Parting
There is nothing complicated here either. In an informal setting we say “ciao”, in an official setting we say either “buona serata” [buona serata] during the day or “buona giornata” [buona giornata] in the evening.
There is also the very common "arrivederci" with the Russian equivalent of "goodbye". If you plan to see the person again in the near future, it would be better to say “a presto” [a presto] - “see you soon.” If you don’t want to complicate your life, then you can only learn “arrivederci” - it is suitable for all cases.
Gratitude and more
It is very important to know how to say thank you foreign language. This is included in the minimum vocabulary that you need to know when traveling to a particular country. The Italian “thank you” is a very short and quickly memorable word, "Grazie" [grace]. The answer to this could be either "prego"[prego] (“please” meaning “you’re welcome.” Attention! Not to be confused with "per favor"[per favorite] - “please” in an interrogative sentence - “give it, please...”), or “di niente” [di niente] - “you’re welcome.”
Additionally
So, we looked at the most popular farewells and greetings in Italian with translation into Russian. As general development We give you a few more phrases that can undoubtedly help you in your acquaintance with Italy.
- If you are confused or don’t understand something when talking with an Italian citizen, then either “non capisco” [non capisco] - I don’t understand, or the long phrase “parli più lentamente, per favore” [parli più lentamente, per favore] always saves you. - speak more slowly, please.
- If you realize that communication has reached a dead end, that you are ready to give up and switch to “native” English, then say “parla inglese?” [parla inglese?] - do you speak English?
- If you want to thank someone for a service rendered, then to the usual “thank you” you can add “You are very kind” - “lei e molto gentile” [lei e molto gentIle].
- If you need to ask something from a stranger on the street or apologize for the inconvenience caused, then use “sorry” - “Mi scusi” or simply "scusi".
- If you are lost in time while walking along the streets of Venice, you can ask a passerby with the question “Quanto tempo?” [kuAnto tempo?] - what time? or "Quale ora?" [kuAle Ora?] - what time is it?
- It doesn’t take much effort to answer questions in monosyllables: "Si" [Si] - Yes, "No" [But]- No.
- Learn the best excuse for all occasions: "Sono straniero" - I am a foreigner, or "Siamo stranieri" - we are foreigners.
Etiquette
When addressing men and young people, you should say “Signor” (it doesn’t matter if this signor is 8 or 68 years old). Women (mostly married) are politely addressed as "Signora", but it is better to address young women and girls as "Signorina". And try not to get confused!
When entering and leaving a store, you must say hello and goodbye, otherwise you will be mistaken for an ignoramus. This is a sign of good parenting!
The Italians came up with a humorous saying about themselves: “If an Italian’s hands are tied behind his back, he will not be able to speak.” They are partly right - the inhabitants of the Apennine Peninsula are very expressive, pronounced gesticulation during conversation is their trait. Don’t be alarmed if your interlocutor starts waving his arms and talking loudly; this is quite normal in Italy.
Since childhood, Italians have been creating special style communication, which is most clearly manifested in the gaze - this is a whole system of gestures, facial expressions, rounding and rolling of the eyes, intonations and postures, the purpose of which is to highlight the true or imaginary emotions of the one who “performs” it. Here it is important not only to express your thoughts to your interlocutor, but also to declare your importance and feel in the center of attention. It is very important to make others understand your cheerfulness, confidence, absence of weaknesses and ability to manage life. It may seem that most often this borders on arrogance, but in the eyes of Italians this is absolutely not the case! If an Italian does not know something, this does not stop him from talking about it as if he were an expert in this matter. If he finds himself in a traffic jam, he will drive around it along the curb; if he sees his interlocutor for the first (or maybe even the first and last) time in his life, he will begin to look into his eyes as if he were to the best friend and hug you by the shoulders.
However, there is nothing surprising here - Italians, who have lived for centuries with the reputation of such “macho men” in a beautiful country with a unique culture and history, actually believe that all this pantomime and flair add warmth and imagery to the conversation.
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.
Then I felt like Ellochka the cannibal. I know a lot of words, but I can confidently use dozens of them. It can only be worse if you don’t know the language of the country you’re visiting at all. I had to make myself a list of irreplaceable phrases and expressions. At first, even without knowing how to put words into sentences, I learned to masterfully use this list, conducting a dialogue practically using only these phrases. And if you come on vacation and want to be treated as “one of our own” and served at “domestic”, non-tourist prices, then this set is an absolute must have!
Phrases needed when meeting and getting to know each other
C iao/Salve/Buongiorno– Hello / Hello / Good afternoon
Come on? (Kome hundred?) - How are you doing?
Bene! (Bane) - Fine! Tutto bene! (Tutto bene) - Very good!
Sono… (Sono...) - I am... and then there’s a ton of options. With this wonderful verb you can describe your whole life J)
Sono Elena, sono russa, sono giornalista, sono felice... – I’m Elena, I’m Russian, a journalist, I’m happy...
Piacere (Piacere) - Nice to meet you!
There will still be misunderstandings, and then use the following phrases
Cosa? (Goat?) - What? or Scusami, cosa?(WITH bodies, goat?) - Sorry, that?
Non capisco, mi dispiace(N he capisco, mi dispjache). - Sorry, I do not understand.
Come si chiama? (Kome si kyama?) - How does is called?
And most importantly, add everywhere: Per favore!- Please! And all will be well.
Let's flirt:
Same question: Come si chiama?- translated as follows: “What is your name?” Change si on ti: Come ti chiami?– there will be an informal option.
Ti va di...?- Would you like to...?
For example: Ti va di andare al bar? (Ti va di andare al bar?) - Would you like to go to the bar? or ( Ti va di andare a fare un jiro?) – Would you like to go for a walk?
Volentieri! (Volentieri!) - With pleasure!
Phrases that are indispensable in the market/shop
Vorrei questo (formaggio/ mele/ pesche/ just point with your finger) – Warray questo (formaggio/ mele/ pedestrian) – I would like this (cheese / apples / fish)
Cosí va bene (Kozi va bene) - So just right (when you were given exactly as much as you needed)
Un'po di piu(U n po di drink)- A little more
Un'po di meno (Un po di meno)- A little less
Basta cosi (Basta kozi)- That's enough. Enough is enough (when you need to stop the shopping extravaganza)
Vorrei vedere questo, per favore (Warray vedere questo, per favore)– I want to see this, please (dress in a store, etc.)
Quanto costa? (Quanto costa?) - What is the price?
Dimmi! or Mi dica! (Dimmy! or Mi wild!) - Tell me! - and this is what they usually say about you. The bartender at the counter, the salesman behind the counter - as a rule, they begin their address to you with these words.
If you went to a restaurant
Italians. In the morning (from 7-8 to 10 o’clock) – coffee and croissant. Only at this time of day do real Italians drink cappuccino, then only un café (regular espresso). If you order cappuccino after 11 am, you are a foreigner :). We order colazione (colacione) breakfast like this:
Un coffee and una pasta– One coffee (espresso) and a bun (pasta is a collective name for different types baking, you usually just poke your finger into the type you want)
Un capuccino and un cornetto (root́ that's it), per favore – Cappuccino And croissant, Please.
Pranzo (prandzo) Lunch
It starts at 12 and lasts somewhere until 14.30-15. At this time, in cafes you can have a snack on a panini with mozzarella, prosciutto and tomatoes, a slice of pizza to take away, or choose dishes from the lunch menu presented in the window. There you will find cold cuts, marinated olives, artichokes, a couple of types of pasta, vegetables and the same panini.
In tourist places you can often see notices on the doors of cafes: Menu fisso– fixed menu. Similar to our business lunch. You can choose some pasta or lasagna for the first course, and meat or fish plus a drink for the second course. The cost of such a menu is usually 10-12 euros.
Apperitivo— Aperitif
This is what helps Italians last from early lunch to late dinner. The aperitif is served starting at 5 pm, sometimes from 6-7 pm. At this time, order at the bar alcoholic drink, you get access to a salad bar: mini-pizzas, sliced vegetables, a couple of types of pasta, pickled vegetables, nuts, chips, etc. In some generous bars, by paying 6-7 euros for your cocktail, you can have a hearty dinner J) So, take note.
Cena (Chen) Dinner
Restaurants usually start filling up at 20:00 (in tourist places they open earlier - at 19:00). What phrases may be needed here:
Un tavolo per due/ tre/ quattro (un tavolo per due/ tre/ quattro) – table for two/three/four.
The waiter usually escorts you to the right table, but if there are many empty seats, then you can choose. In Italy menu- this is something fixed (see menu of the day above), a full menu in our understanding is la carta.
Well, ordering food is not difficult to handle. The only thing I recommend is to try the dish of the day or a traditional dish. Use the phrase:
Avete dei piatti del giorno/ specialità? (Avete dei piatti del giorno/specialita?) – Do you have a dish of the day / something special?
Regarding drinks:
Possiamo avere una bottiglia di aqua? (Possiamo avere una botilja di aqua?) – Can we have a bottle of water?
Vino di casa (Vino di casa) - Home wine.
And in conclusion:
Il conto, per favore (Il conto, per favore) - The check, please.
Possiamo pagare separatamente? (Possyamo pagare separatamente?) – Can we pay separately?
Can I? If I want to?
When you need to ask permission (to enter, take something, sit at a table you like, etc.): - Posso? (Posso?) - I can?
Although, when pushing through a crowd, it is better to say: Permesso! (Permesso!) - Allow me!
And when you need something, say: Ho bisogno di… (O bisogno di...) – I need... (and then the finger/dictionary will help you)
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY MASTEREDCIAOANDQUANTO COSTA
For those for whom the phrases above are already a passed stage, I suggest you replenish your vocabulary with words that Italians use ten times a day.
Che casino!- What a mess! Crazy house!
The next time you get stuck in a queue, get confused by some signs, etc. ... please complain. They will understand you, support you and maybe even be able to help you.
Magari!- I would like to!
A great word for expressing hope. The Italians will repeat it at every step. It doesn’t matter what we’re talking about: about catching a train, or about the weather being unlucky, or about making sure that the bread in the shop isn’t sold out before you arrive.
Dipende da te- It depends on you. As you want.
An excellent expression that bounces the question back to the interlocutor, allowing him to make his own decision.
Another phrase that is indispensable in dialogues: In che senso?- What do you mean? In terms of?
For example: Marco è un ragazzo cattivo. – In che senso?
The Italian temperament has difficulty coping with boring, routine activities, so from an Italian doing similar work constantly heard:
Сhe noia!(Ke noya!) - What boredom!
And if you have something important to do: an interview, an exam, important meeting, will definitely wish:
In bocca al lupo – Crepi il lupo!- Break a leg! - To hell!
This expression has an interesting etymology: literally speaking, they want you to feel as calm and reliable as little wolf cubs in the mouth of a caring she-wolf. Here is a reference to the story about Romulus and Remus, suckled by a she-wolf.
And finally, if you are tired of someone’s obsessive advances or just want to send everyone away, then the Italians have a lot of expressions for this. Here are a couple of moderately abusive ones:
Vai a farti benedire! — May you be blessed! (literally speaking) orVai a quel paese!- Yes, go to that country (again literally speaking). But figuratively, these are exactly the very feelings that you wanted to express.
(c) Elena Asanova
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