Waking up, having un caffè, eating breakfast…
You can’t speak Italian for long without talking about the things you often do (or don’t do!)
To talk about your routine, you’ll need those ‘how often’ words – the ones that tell you how often something happens, like “often”, “always” and “never”.
So here you’ll pick up all the tips you need to make these phrases part of your everyday Italian.
Speaking of everyday Italian phrases, how would you say “every day”?
A 7am wake up? A shot of espresso? Learning Italian with Joy of Languages?
Whatever you do “every day”, in Italian, the phrase you’ll need is:
Ogni giorno
Ogni = every / each
Giorno = day
With these “how often” words we’re going to pay close attention to the position in the sentence. Typically, ogni giorno will go at the beginning or at the end (a bit like in English!).
Here’s how it looks:
Ogni giorno mi sveglio alle sette. – Every day I wake up at 7.
Ogni giorno studio l’italiano – Every day I study Italian (bravo!)
Leggo il giornale ogni giorno. – I read the paper every day.
Notice the gn in ogni? This letter combo actually sounds like ‘ny’, and you might recognise it from another Italian word – lasagne! (sounds like ‘lasanye’). To learn more, check out this post on how to pronounce -gn- in Italian.
Once you’ve mastered ogni giorno, it’s worth learning another way to say “every day”:
Tutti i giorni
Literally, “all the days”, it also goes at the beginning of the sentence:
Tutti = all
i = the
giorni = days
Tutti i giorni, mi sveglio alle sette. – Every day I wake up at 7.
Italians use both ogni giorno and tutti i giorni, well, every day. They’re equally common.
Of course, you can always use “always” instead…
To say “always” Italians use the word sempre.
What do you always do in the evening?
Mangio sempre la pasta per cena – I always have pasta for dinner
Vado sempre a dormire alla stessa ora – I always go to sleep at the same time
Prendo* sempre un caffè. – I always have a coffee (lit. ‘take’ coffee)
*In Italian, we say ‘prendo’ (I take) to talk about coffee. So we don’t have coffee, we take it!
Notice anything different about the position of sempre? It usually goes just after the main verb:
Mangio sempre – I always eat…
Vado sempre – I always go…
That’s kind of different from the normal English word order. And it’s probably the thing that Italian learners find hardest about this topic.
But tranquillo! Don’t worry, the more you listen to Italian, the more you’ll get a natural feel for where to put these words.
What if you’re not doing something every day, exactly, but just most of the time? How would you say ‘usually’ in Italian?
Here’s a bit of a weird one… Italians usually use two words to say ‘usually’!
Di solito – Usually
This can take a bit of getting used to at first, but you’ll hear it so often that it’ll come to you naturally over time.
Have a look at those breakfast phrases again, this time with di solito. Notice anything different about the sentence structure?
Di solito prendo un cappuccino. – I usually have a cappuccino.
Di solito mangio i cereali. – I usually eat cereal.
Di solito salto la colazione. – I usually skip breakfast.
That’s right, di solito normally goes at the beginning of the sentence.
It’s worth paying special attention to the pronunciation, because learners tend to get it wrong. The emphasis goes on the SOL part of the word: it’s di SOLito, not di soLITo.
Now you know, you won’t often make mistakes with that.
But you will need to talk about other things you often do!
What do you often have for breakfast?
Prendo spesso un cappuccino. – I often have a cappuccino.
Mangio spesso i cereali. – I often eat cereal.
Salto spesso la colazione. – I often skip breakfast.
Can you spot the Italian word for often?
It’s spesso.
Once again, pay close attention to the position. The word spesso, like sempre, typically goes just after the verb. Italian word order is more flexible than English, however, so don’t be surprised if you hear it in other positions of the sentence.
Italian learners can sometimes confuse spesso with other similar sounding words, like stesso (same) or spesa (shopping) – so watch out! Try remembering this little phrase:
Prendo spesso un espresso – I often have an espresso.
If you can remember that spesso rhymes with espresso, it should cause you no trouble!
But it’s ok to make mistakes sometimes. And speaking of sometimes…
What do you do after breakfast?
A volte faccio una passeggiata – Sometimes I go for a walk.
Leggo il giornale a volte – I read the newspaper sometimes.
Prendo due caffè a volte – I have two coffees sometimes.
In Italian, the word “sometimes” is:
A volte
Literally, it’s like “at times” – if that helps you remember it.
The position of a volte is less fixed: you can put it at the beginning or at the end.
Pay close attention to the last vowel of a volte. Italians enunciate all their vowels really carefully, so it sounds like a strong ‘-e’. Try saying ‘ten’ without the ‘n’… ‘te!’ Now you’re close to the Italian pronunciation.
That last vowel is also important to distinguish a volte from its variation:
Qualche volta – Sometimes
In this expression, the last letter is ‘a’. Both words mean exactly the same thing: you can use them interchangeably.
If this variation feels a bit confusing (as it does to most people!) we’d suggest picking the one you like most. You can always learn the other one later.
You’ll be fine, so long as you never underestimate those vowel sounds! Speaking of never…
What do you never do as part of your routine?
Non cucino mai. – I never cook.
Non mangio mai fuori. – I never eat out.
Non prendo mai un caffè dopo le cinque. – I never have a coffee after five.
Once you know this one, you’ll never forget it:
Mai
The pronunciation is easy, it sounds like “my” in English. The slightly complicated part with “never” in Italian is the sentence structure.
Italian uses a double negative to say never. Let’s break down our first example:
Non cucino mai – I never cook.
Literally, that’s:
Non – Not
Cucino – I cook
Mai – never
At first that can seem strange – but to Italians the phrase without non at the beginning would not sound complete. It’s a negative sandwich, with the verb as the filling.
Let’s try another example. How would you say: “I never read the newspaper”?
Non leggo mai il giornale
And what about: “I never have coffee”?
Non prendo mai il caffè
Getting the hang of the pattern? Here’s another handy variation on this word…
Once you know how to say ‘never’ in Italian (mai), saying “hardly ever” is easy!
Quasi mai
Literally, that’s:
Quasi = almost
Mai = never
And you use it just like mai – with a negative sandwich.
Non cucino quasi mai. – I hardly ever cook.
Non mangio quasi mai fuori. – I hardly ever eat out.
So, there you go! You’ve learned all the most important “how often” words and other everyday Italian phrases to describe your routine.
Now before our quiz to test your knowledge, it’s time for a quick review.
Here are all the “how often” words you’ve learned in this lesson, in order of most to least often:
Ogni giorno – Every day
Tutti i giorni – Every day (another way to say it)
Sempre – Always
Spesso – Often
Di solito – Usually
Qualche volta – Sometimes
A volte – Sometimes (another way to say it)
Quasi mai – Hardly ever
Mai – Never
Now it’s time for our quiz!
Ogni giorno = Every day
Ogni giorno mi sveglio presto = Every day I wake up early
Tutti i giorni = Every day (lit. all the days)
Sempre = Always
Mangio sempre i cereali = I always eat cereal
Spesso = Often
Mi sveglio spesso alle sette = I often wake up at seven
Di solito = Usually
Di solito salto la colazione = I usually skip breakfast
A volte = Sometimes
A volte faccio una passeggiata = Sometimes I go for a walk
Quasi mai = Hardly ever
Non cucino quasi mai = I hardly ever cook
Mai = Never
Non cucino mai = I never cook
Fare colazione = To have breakfast
Alle nove = At nine
How much did you learn? Find out in the quiz!
Click here to take the quiz for this episode: Everyday Italian Phrases to Describe Your Routine
Remember the vocabulary from this lesson by downloading the digital flashcards
Not sure how it works? Click here to watch the tutorial
Please note, this is not a word for word transcript.
M: Ciao a tutti e benvenuti! Hi everyone and welcome to “Learn Italian with Joy of Languages”.
K: Matteo, what are you doing? I usually say that bit!
M: Well, maybe sometimes I could do the introduction, you know, for a change.
K: Yeah but, why change a good routine? Anyway, speaking of routines, today we’re talking about all those useful words like “sometimes”, “usually” and “never”, in Italian. You’ll hear a conversation about something Matteo is often disappointed about at breakfast time. As you listen, see if you can recognise any of those “how often” words in Italian:
M: Buongiorno [triste]
K: Tutto bene?
M: Ogni giorno mi sveglio presto perché mi piace fare colazione al bar. Ma arrivo sempre troppo tardi. Non c’è mai il croissant vegano.
K: Presto?! Alle nove. A volte alle dieci.
M: No, di solito alle otto, spesso alle sette!
K: Hmmm. Che ore sono adesso?
M: Le nove e mezza.
K: OK – let’s break that down. We had:
Buongiorno – Hello, literally ‘good day’
Tutto bene – Is everything ok? Literally:
Tutto – All
Bene – Good
K: Then:
Ogni giorno mi sveglio presto – Every day I wake up early
Ogni giorno – every day
Mi sveglio – I wake up
Presto – early
K: Ogni giorno, our first “how often” word, means every day.
M:
Ogni – every
Giorno – day
Ogni, is spelt o-g-n-i.
K: But we don’t say “og-ni”. Here we’ve got the ‘gn’ sound combo which is pronounced like ny. Like in the ’ny’ in lasagne.
M: Ogni (slow)
Every day:
M: Ogni giorno (x3).
K: Ogni giorno can go at the beginning: ‘Every day, I wake up early’.
M: Ogni giorno mi sveglio presto
K: Or at the end, just like in English
M: Mi sveglio presto ogni giorno
K: Next up we had:
Perché mi piace fare colazione al bar – because I like having breakfast at the café
Perché – because
Mi piace – I like
Fare colazione – ‘doing’ breakfast. Italians “do breakfast”, rather than have it
Al bar – at the café. In Italian, rather confusingly, we say ‘bar’ to refer to a café or coffee shop.
K: Then:
Ma arrivo sempre troppo tardi – But I always arrive too late
Ma – but
Arrivo – I arrive
Sempre – always
Troppo – too
Tardi – late
K: Here’s our second “how often” word: sempre, which means “always”.
M: Sempre (x 3)
K: This word goes just after the verb, which in this case is ‘arrivo’, I arrive.
M: Arrivo sempre
K: So literally it’s, “I arrive always” – I think the position of these words is one of the trickiest things to get right in Italian, so listen carefully to where you hear them being used in the sentence. Over time, you’ll start to feel it sounds “right” in a certain place.
We then had:
Non c’è mai il croissant vegano. – there are never any vegan croissants
Non – not
C’è – there is
Mai – never
Il croissant – the croissant
Vegano – vegan
M: I’m not actually vegan, but I am lactose intolerant, so I often go for vegan alternatives!
K: Our next “how often word” was mai.
M: Non c’è mai – There is never.
K: Here we see the Italian double negative. Literally:
Non – not
C’è – there is
Mai – never
K: When we use ‘mai’, we also need to put ‘non’ before the verb. So it’s ‘non’, plus ‘the thing that never happens’, then ‘mai’. For example, I forget is dimentico. ‘I never forget’ would literally be ‘not, I forget, never’.
M:
Non dimentico mai
K: ‘There is never’, literally ‘not, there is, never’
M: Non c’è mai.
K: Then I said:
Presto!?
Early!?
Alle nove – At nine
A volte alle dieci – Sometimes at ten.
K: A volte, literally “at times”:
A – At
Volte – Times
A volte (x3)
Matteo then said:
No, di solito alle otto – No, usually at eight!
No – No
Di solito – usually
Alle otto – at eight
K: Di solito means ‘usually’. It’s two words: di and solito. And there’s a pronunciation mistake learners usually make. It’s not di soLIto, it’s di SOLito
M: Di SOLito (x3)
K: Matteo then says:
Spesso alle sette! – Often at seven!
K: Spesso – often.
M: Spesso (x3)
K: Then we had:
Che ore sono adesso? – What time is it now? For a refresher on how to tell the time in Italian, have a listen to episode 31.
K: Finally:
Le nove e mezza – Half past nine / nine thirty. Maybe that’s why there are no croissants left!
M: Let’s quickly review those “how often” words.
K: We had “every day”
M: Ogni giorno
K: Always
M: Sempre
K: Never
M: Mai
K: Remember the non. “There is never” literally ‘not, there is, never’:
M: Non c’è mai.
K: Sometimes, literally “at times”
M: A volte
K: Usually
M: Di solito
K: Often
M: Spesso
K: Let’s listen to the dialogue again
M: Buongiorno [triste]
K: Tutto bene?
M: Ogni giorno mi sveglio presto perché mi piace fare colazione al bar. Ma arrivo sempre troppo tardi. Non c’è mai il croissant vegano.
K: Presto?! Alle nove. A volte alle dieci.
M: No, di solito alle otto, spesso alle sette!
K: Hmmm. Che ore sono adesso?
M: Le nove e mezza.
K: Now, we’ve covered the must-know “how-often” words, but over on the blog you’ll find a few more, together with details like where to put them in the sentence. You can also see everything written down, and get bonus materials, like vocabulary cards and a quiz. Head over by clicking on the link in the description.
M – See you next time.
K – Or as we say in Italian.
Alla prossima!
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How well do you know your Italian numbers?
Whether you’re learning them for the first time, or reviewing them for the 158th… they can be challenging!
Numbers feel like they should be easy, because we learn them so young in our first language. But when you learn them all over again in Italian, there’s actually quite a lot of information to master.
That’s why in this lesson, you’ll learn Italian numbers AND get tips on how to remember them, so you can get past that awkward beginner stage as quickly as possible.
And be sure to check out our Italian numbers challenge at the end – once you’ve taken part, you’ll find yourself remembering them automatically whenever you need them.
But first, let’s count: Uno, due, tre…
| Number | Sounds like |
| 1. Uno | OON-OH |
| 2. Due | DOO-EH |
| 3. Tre | TREH |
| 4. Quattro | KWAT-TROH |
| 5. Cinque | CHIN-KWEH |
| 6. Sei | SEY |
| 7. Sette | SET-TEH |
| 8. Otto | OT-TOH |
| 9. Nove | NOH-VEH |
| 10. Dieci | D-YEH-CHEE |
When might you use these numbers in Italy? Everywhere! Let’s see some real-life examples:
Due bicchieri di vino rosso – Two glasses of red wine
Un tavolo per tre, per favore – A table for three, please
Quattro biglietti per Roma – Four tickets to Rome
Sono le sette – It’s seven o’ clock
For more help with that last example, check out this episode on how to tell the time in Italian.
Next, let’s learn how to say these numbers like a true Italian! Here are some pronunciation tips and common mistakes to avoid:
1. Pay special attention to the double tt in quattro, sette and otto. This should be nice and long. You can almost imagine a little pause between the two ts: quat-tro, set-te, ot-to
2. Speaking of sette, don’t confuse it with the Spanish siete. In Italian, it starts with SET, like in the word ‘setting’.
3. In the number six, sei, remember to pronounce the i at the end. It sounds like SEY.
4. Dieci also has an i, pronounced like a little Y sound. It sounds like you’ve got the word ‘yeh’ in the middle: D-YEH-CHEE.
To hear these pronunciation tips in more detail, be sure to listen to the podcast episode at the top of this lesson.
Now you’ve mastered one to ten, let’s move onto the teens!
| Number | Sounds like |
| 11. Undici | OON-DEE-CHEE |
| 12. Dodici | DOH-DEE-CHEE |
| 13. Tredici | TREH-DEE-CHEE |
| 14. Quattordici | KWAH-TOR-DEE-CHEE |
| 15. Quindici | KWIN-DEE-CHEE |
| 16. Sedici | SEH-DEE-CHEE |
| 17. Diciassette | DEE-CHAS-SEH-TEH |
| 18. Diciotto | DEE-CHOT-TOH |
| 19. Diciannove | DEE-CHAN-NOH-VEH |
| 20. Venti | VENT-EE |
OK. We know what you’re thinking: what the heck happens at 17? You’re following this nice logical list with –dici at the end, then all of a sudden, it moves to the beginning! Let’s see those pesky numbers that start with dici again:
17. Diciassette
18. Diciotto
19. Diciannove
We’re afraid this is just one of those annoying quirks that you’ll need to get used to. The good news is, the more you practise, the more natural and automatic it will become – you’ll find some tips on how to speed this part up later.
But first, let’s see some real-life examples of numbers from 11 to 20:
– Sono le undici – It’s eleven o’clock
– La bottiglia di vino costa dodici euro – The bottle of wine costs twelve euros.
– Mio figlio ha sedici anni – My son is sixteen years old
– Sono diciotto euro – That’s eighteen euros
And here are a few common mistakes to avoid. Even very advanced learners make the mistakes in number 3, but not you, because you’re here learning the details, bravo!
1. The –dici in words like undici and dodici, is pronounced DEE-CHEE. Don’t confuse it with the number 10, dieci, which has a little Y sound (DYEH-CHEE).
2. A lot of learners assume that numbers 14, 15, and 16 are simply quattro, cinque and sei with –dici on the end. But there are a few sneaky details to watch out for:
– Quattordici starts with quattor, pronounced like KWAT-TOR
– Quindici starts with quin, pronounced like CHIN
– The se in sedici doesn’t contain an ‘i’, so we say SEH, not SEY
3. Pay attention to the beginning of numbers 17, 18 and 19. Most learners pronounce them like dieci (D-YEH-CHEE) or dici (DEE-CHEE), but actually…
The start of:
– Diciassette sounds like DEE-CHAS
– Diciotto sounds like DEE-CHOT
– Diciannove sounds like DEE-CHAN
Now you know how to say numbers 11 to 20 like a pro, let’s continue. Continuiamo!
| Number | Sounds like |
| 21. Ventuno | VEN-TOON-OH |
| 22. Ventidue | VEN-TEE-DOO-EH |
| 23. Ventitré | VEN-TEE-TREH |
| 24. Ventiquattro | VEN-TEE-KWAT-TROH |
| 25. Venticinque | VEN-TEE-CHIN-KWEH |
| 26. Ventisei | VEN-TEE-SEY |
| 27. Ventisette | VEN-TEE-SET-TEH |
| 28. Ventotto | VEN-TOT-TOH |
| 29. Ventinove | VEN-TEE-NOH-VEH |
| 30. Trenta | TREN-TAH |
Ah, finalmente, finally! These numbers follow a nice, simple logic. You just say ‘twenty’ venti, then add the smaller number, for example:
22. Venti + due = ventidue
23. Venti + tre = ventitré
24. Venti + quattro = ventiquattro
There are just two pesky numbers to watch out for: 21 and 28. For these, you need to remove the –i from venti.
21. Venti + uno = ventuno
28. Venti + otto = ventotto
Why? Because uno and otto start with vowels, so removing the i at the end of the previous word, venti helps us say them in a smoother way.
Let’s see some real-life examples of when you might use these numbers in Italy:
Il croissant costa uno e venticinque – A croissant costs one euro twenty five
Il treno arriva alle otto e ventisei – The train will arrive at eight twenty six
Ecco la chiave. Stanza ventotto – Here’s the key. Room twenty eight
Sono ventinove euro – That’s twenty nine euros
To learn more about prices, check out this episode on how to go shopping in Italian
Now you know nearly everything you need to know to count to 100 in Italian. All you need now are the rest of the tens: forty, fifty, sixty… etc.
For the sake of completeness, let’s see a full list of the tens, from twenty to ninety:
| Number | Sounds like |
| 20. Venti | VEN-TEE |
| 30. Trenta | TREN-TAH |
| 40. Quaranta | KWA-RAN-TAH |
| 50. Cinquanta | CHIN-KWAN-TAH |
| 60. Sessanta | SES-SAN-TAH |
| 70. Settanta | SET-TAN-TAH |
| 80. Ottanta | OT-TAN-TAH |
| 90. Novanta | NOV-AN-TAH |
These all follow the exact same patterns you already learned. For example:
30 – trenta
31 – trentuno
32 – trentadue
33 – trentatré
34 – trentaquattro
35 – trentacinque
36 – trentasei
37 – trentasette
38 – trentotto
39 – trentanove
40 – quaranta
41 – quarantuno
42 – quarantadue
43 – quarantatré…
And so on.
Don’t forget the weird little rule about 1 and 8! We always cut the last vowel from the number before. For example:
31 – trentuno (not trenta-uno)
38 – trentotto (not trenta-otto)
41 – quarantuno (not quaranta-uno)
48 – quarantotto (not quaranta-otto)
Last but not least, let’s not forget one hundred…
100 – cento (pronounced CHEN-TOH)
And that’s it! Now you know how to say Italian numbers from 1 to 100. All you need to do now is remember them… easier said than done, we know.
That’s why in the next section, you’ll get some pro tips to help you do just that.
If you want to feel confident using Italian numbers, you’ll need to know them so well that they come to you automatically when you need them… no small feat!
To get to this point, the secret is lots of repetition and practice in different situations.
First, focus on remembering how to count upwards in order: uno, due, tre… Here are some ways to integrate this into your daily life:
If you find certain parts more difficult, for example, from 60 to 80, repeat these parts more so that you get extra practice.
Once you’re comfortable with remembering Italian numbers in order, you can work on remembering random numbers whenever they come up. Here are some activities that will help you train yourself to do this:
The last tip is the best one – do this consistently and you’ll master Italian numbers in no time! Speaking of which…
Learning Italian numbers takes a concerted effort in the beginning, but once you’ve committed them to memory, they’ll be there for life.
So we’re challenging you to go all in.
Choose a few, or all of the activities in the previous section and do them as much as you can for the next 14 days. We recommend leaving notes around the house or setting an alarm on your phone to remind yourself.
By focusing intensely on learning Italian numbers now, you’ll remember them easily in future whenever you need them. After two short weeks, you’ll be reaping the rewards for years to come.
In fact, you can start your challenge right now, by testing what you’ve learned in our quiz below!
uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque, sei, sette, otto, nove, dieci = 1 – 10
undici, dodici, tredici, quattordici, quindici, sedici = 11 – 16
diciassette, diciotto, diciannove = 17 – 19
venti = 20
ventuno = 21
ventidue, ventitré, ventiquattro, venticinque, ventisei, ventisette = 22 – 27
ventotto = 28
ventinove = 29
trenta = 30
quaranta = 40
cinquanta = 50
sessanta = 60
settanta = 70
ottanta = 80
novanta = 90
cento = 100
How much did you learn? Find out in the quiz!
Click here to take the quiz for this episode: Italian Numbers Made Easy
Remember the vocabulary from this lesson by downloading the digital flashcards
Not sure how it works? Click here to watch the tutorial
Please note, this is not a word for word transcript.
K: Ciao a tutti e benvenuti! Hi everyone and welcome to “Learn Italian with Joy of Languages”.
M: Ciao!
K: Today we’re talking about something that lots of people feel a bit embarrassed about. Numeri italiani. Italian numbers.
M: Yes! In our native language, we learn numbers when we’re very young, so when we’re speaking a foreign language, we feel like a bit of an idiot when we find it challenging.
K: But actually it’s really normal! All our students go through this. The quickest way to push past this awkward phase and get them to the point where they feel really automatic, is through lots and lots of practice.
M: Sì. When you think you’ve practised numbers enough, practise them some more!
K: Speaking of which, I thought of a good way to practise. Remember the very important birthday you had last year? Something strange happened when we were counting the candles.
M: Hmm. I didn’t notice anything strange.
K: Well, let’s listen to the conversation anyway. Pay special attention to the numbers:
K: Matteo, dobbiamo comprare più candeline per la tua torta.
M: Perché? Contiamo: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30. Sono giuste.
K: Ma hai quarant’anni.
M: No!
K: So, we’re getting the candles ready for Matteo’s cake, and I say:
M: Dobbiamo comprare più candeline per la tua torta – We have to buy more candles for your cake.
Dobbiamo – We have to
Comprare – buy
Più – more
Candeline – little candles
Per – for
La tua torta – your cake
K: But Matteo isn’t so sure. He says:
Perché? – Why?
Contiamo – Let’s count
K: Then he starts counting. Listen to the numbers one to ten, and count along with Matteo.
M: [SLOWLY] uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque, sei, sette, otto, nove, dieci
K: One more time, that’s:
M: [SLOWLY] uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque, sei, sette, otto, nove, dieci
K: Here, there are a few common mistakes to avoid. It’s good to know about them early, so you can avoid having to correct them later. Firstly, some of the numbers have double tts. The tt should be nice and long. For example in four: quat-tro.
M: Quattro (x2)
K: It helps to almost pause in the middle of the two tts. Quat–tro. Number seven is the same: set–te.
M: Sette (x2)
K: People who speak some Spanish often make mistakes with this one. It’s not siete, but rather set, set, set, sette. Then, we also have ot–to, with a little pause between the double t.
M: Otto (x2)
K: Also, notice how the number 6 in Italian finishes with an ‘iii’ sound: seeeiiiiiii, seeeeeeiiiiiiiii. Not ‘se’ but seeeeiiiiiii.
M: Sei (x2).
K: Finally, we’ve got dieci. It kind of sounds like you’ve got the word ‘yeh’ in the middle. D-YEH-CHEE, dieci. D-YEH-CHEE, dieci.
M: Dieci (x2)
K: Let’s keep counting. This time eleven to twenty.
M: [SLOWLY] undici, dodici, tredici, quattordici, quindici, sedici, diciassette, diciotto, diciannove, venti.
K: And again, thats:
M: [SLOWLY] undici, dodici, tredici, quattordici, quindici, sedici, diciassette, diciotto, diciannove, venti.
K: Here there are a few things to watch out for. Firstly, notice that at the end of most of these words, we have the sound dici, pronounced DEE-CHEE. Undici, dodici, tredici etc.
It’s not the same as the number 10. The number ten is dieci. Pronounced with a ‘yeh’. D-YEH-CHEE (x2)
While at the end of undici, dodici, tredici etc. we have DEE–CHEE (x2)
M: Undici, dodici, tredici
K: Here we come to another common mistake. Quattordici. It’s not quattro, four, plus dici. It’s quattor, quattor… quattooooordici.
M: Quattordici (x2)
K: Then we have quindici, which starts with quin. Not CHIN, like in cinque, the number 5. For fifteen, we start quin. Quindici.
M: Quindici (x2)
K: And sedici. A small but important detail to notice here. Remember how the number 6 in Italian finishes with an ‘iii’ sound? Seeeiiiiiii. Sedici is different. There’s no iiiii sound. It’s seeee, seeee, seeeedici. This is one of those mistakes I didn’t realise I was making until I had quite an advanced level.
M: For the next numbers, something craaaaaaazy happens.
K: Yes, let’s listen to numbers seventeen to nineteen.
M: diciassette, diciotto, diciannove
K: What happened here?! The order changed, and now we’re starting with ‘dic’. Why Matteo, why? Perché????
M: It’s just one of those weird annoying things, sorry about that.
K: So we’ve got seventeen: diciassette. And here, there are some details that are important for advanced students too. Notice that it sounds like DEEE-CHA (x3). It’s not dieci, with a ‘yeh’, like the number 10. And it’s not dici, like in the other teen numbers. It’s DEEE-CHA.
M: Diciassette
K: And there’s also a double ss that not everyone knows about. This should be nice and long. Diciassette.
M: Diciassette.
K: Next, eighteen: diciotto. Here we have DEEE-CHO (x3)
M: Diciotto (x2)
K: And nineteen: diciannove. Here we’ve got DEE-CHA again. DEE-CHA.
M: Diciannove.
K: And watch out for the double nn. This should be nice and long. Diciannnnove.
N: Diciannove.
K: One reason we keep making these mistakes at an advanced level is that we hardly ever see numbers written down, so it’s easy to miss these extra details. For this episode in particular, we’d really recommend seeing everything written down, which you can do on our website by clicking the link in the podcast description.
M: And we’re finally at twenty. Venti (x2)
K: Make the VVV really strong and Italian sounding: VVVV:
M: Venti
K: Let’s listen to the numbers 21 to 30.
M: [SLOWLY] ventuno, ventidue, ventitré, ventiquattro, venticinque, ventisei, ventisette, ventotto, ventinove, trenta.
K: One more time, that’s:
M: [SLOWLY] ventuno, ventidue, ventitré, ventiquattro, venticinque, ventisei, ventisette, ventotto, ventinove, trenta.
K: Finalmente! Finally. Something that feels logical. We just say the big number, for example twenty, venti, then we add the small number. For example, twenty two is ventidue. Twenty three is ventitré. Twenty four is ventiquattro etc. There are just two numbers to watch out for. Twenty one and twenty eight. Twenty one is:
M: Ventuno
K: What’s different? Ventuno. We don’t say ‘venti-uno’. We cut the ‘i’ from venti, so it becomes ventuno. The same happens with twenty eight.
M: Ventotto
K: This is because uno and otto start with vowels. We remove the ‘i’ from the end of venti so it can flow together in a smoother way. Let’s listen again, twenty one and twenty eight.
M: Ventuno, ventotto.
K: So we’ve counted thirty candles. And Matteo thinks that’s enough. He says:
Sono giuste – they’re right
Sono – they are
Giuste – right
K: Then I said:
M: Ma hai quarant’anni – But you’re 40. Literally:
Ma – but
Hai – you have
Quarant’anni – forty years. In Italian, we ‘have’ our years.
K: Matteo preferred to stop at 30, so he says
M: No!
K: So now you know how to count to 30, you just need to learn the other numbers and you can apply the same logic. Remember how to say ‘thirty’?
M: Trenta
K: Let’s count to 39:
M: trentuno, trentadue, trentatré, trentaquattro, trentacinque, trentasei, trentasette, trentotto, trentanove.
K: And we do the same here for thirty one and thirty eight. Instead of saying trenta-uno, we say trentuno. Instead of trenta-otto, we say trentotto.
All the other tens work exactly the same way. We say the big number, then add the little one to the end.
K: Forty is
M: Quaranta (x3)
K: Forty two
M: Quarantadue
K: Forty seven
M: Quarantasette
K: Eccetera. And we always have these slight exceptions with uno and otto. Forty one is quarantuno. Forty eight is quarantotto. Let’s learn the other tens:
Fifty is:
M: Cinquanta (x3)
K: Sixty:
M: Sessanta (x3)
K: Seventy:
M: Settanta (x3)
K: Careful not to confuse these. Sixty has a long sssss. Sesssssssanta. Seventy has a long ttttt. Settttttttanta.
Eighty is:
M: Ottanta (x3)
K: Ninety
M: Novanta (x3)
K: And 100?
M: Cento (x3).
K: Matteo definitely deserves a cake after all this counting!
M: Sì! We hope this episode will help you avoid some common mistakes, and learn how to count in Italian in an automatic way.
K: And remember, Italian numbers take a lot of practice, so it’s important to put in the time and effort and be patient with yourself. Go back and listen to this episode as many times as you can, and feel free to pause, rewind, and keep practising aloud with Matteo.
M: And, if you really want to get the numbers to feel automatic over the next couple of weeks, you can join our Italian numbers challenge!
K: To get all the details, together with tips on how to remember Italian numbers (including a weird shower one!), head over to our website by clicking the link in the description.
M – See you next time.
K – Or as we say in Italian.
Alla prossima!
To get mini lessons delivered to your inbox, access to the private Facebook group and invites to speaking workshops, click here to become a member.
Do you know how to order at an Italian restaurant?
More than just a practical skill, it helps you make meaningful connections with the locals.
Like our student Adam, who eats in little neighbourhood restaurants where no one speaks English (the food is better, and cheaper!)
Or Louise, who went back to a restaurant looking for the amazing zucchine she had there last time. They weren’t on the menu, but the waiter had some made especially for her.
To have memorable experiences like these, it helps to order in Italian.
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to do just that, and avoid those little language and cultural faux-pas that tourists often make. We’ll start with the most important thing, choosing what to mangiare – eat!
What’s the first thing you’ll see on an Italian menu? Probably the titles of the different courses:
Antipasti – starters
Primi – first courses
Secondi – second courses
Contorni – sides
Dolci – desserts
In the next section, you’ll learn some common vocabulary for each food course. There are a lot of words here, so don’t worry about learning them all at once! You can use this list as a reference and come back to them little by little as you need them.
il tagliere – a food board with meat, cheese or veggies
i formaggi – cheeses
i salumi/gli affettati – cold cuts
la bruschetta – bruschetta (more on how to pronounce this later!)
Time for our next two courses: primi and secondi. People often wonder which one is the main dish, and the answer is… either, or both! Often Italians pick their main dish either from primi or secondi, unless it’s a special occasion, then they might have both.
These dishes tend to be based on carbohydrates, like pasta or rice. No need for translations here as they’re popular worldwide:
il risotto
i ravioli
le tagliatelle
gli spaghetti
Keep in mind that there are many pasta types in Italy, and even Italians don’t know them all! If you see a word you don’t recognise on the primi menu, it’s likely to be pasta. You can always ask the waiter:
È un tipo di pasta? – Is it a type of pasta?
Ah, and if you want to blend in with the locals, remember that Italians usually have their primi without a side. Pasta must be the star of the show!
These dishes tend to be based on proteins, like meat, fish or cheese. Here’s some vocabulary you might find useful:
la carne – meat
il pollo – chicken
il manzo – beef
la bistecca – steak
la tagliata – sliced steak
il pesce – fish
i gamberi – prawns
il salmone – salmon
il formaggio – cheese
The menu will usually specify how these dishes are cooked, so you might see these terms:
arrosto – roasted
alla griglia – grilled
al forno – oven baked
saltato in padella – pan fried/sauteed
When Italians order something from the secondi menu, they usually order a side dish, too. Let’s check these out now.
In Italy, the sides are usually based on verdure – vegetables. Here are some examples:
gli spinaci al burro – buttered spinach
le verdure alla griglia – grilled vegetables
le patate al forno – oven baked potatoes
l’insalata verde – green salad
Then, if you have any room left, it’s time for the dolci!
la torta – cake
il tiramisù – tiramisu (a dessert with coffee, cream and cocoa)
la pannacotta – pannacotta (lit. cooked cream)
la macedonia – fruit salad
la frutta di stagione – seasonal fruits
il tortino di cioccolato – chocolate fondant / petit gâteau
For an extra treat, look for dolci fatti in casa – homemade desserts.
Now you’ve read the menu and decided what to eat, it’s time to order! Let’s learn how.
Here are some handy phrases to order your dish in Italian. The simplest and most common way is to just say the name of the dish, followed by per favore or grazie.
La tagliata, per favore/grazie – The sliced steak, please
Here are a few other handy words for ordering:
Prendo – I’ll have (lit. I take)
Vorrei – I’d like
Per me – For me
Prendo il pollo – I’ll have the chicken (lit. I take the chicken)
Vorrei il tiramisù – I’d like a tiramisù
Per me i ravioli – For me, the ravioli
Common mistake alert: Italians never use ‘have’ when ordering food. For example, they never say ‘I’ll have the chicken’. They literally say ‘I take’ – prendo.
If you’d like to learn more about how to manage your whole Italian restaurant experience, from getting a table to paying the bill, you might like this post: Italian Restaurant and Bar Phrases.
But for now, let’s keep honing your ordering skills!
To feel confident when ordering your meal in Italian, it helps to get the pronunciation right, too. Here are a few words that a lot of people make mistakes with.
Bruschetta – sounds like BRUS-KEH-TAH
Tagliatelle – sounds like TA-YAH-TEH-LEH
Spaghetti – sounds like SPA-GET-TEE
For more help pronouncing these words, listen to the podcast which accompanies this post.
If you’re finding the idea of ordering in Italian a bit intimidating, here are a few tips to make things easier.
First, have you ever noticed how Italian dishes often have long, fancy names on the menu? Italians usually just say the first part. For example, if the menu says:
Ravioli di mare con ragù di pesce – sea ravioli with fish ragù
Italians usually just say:
Prendo i ravioli – I’ll have the ravioli
And if you’d rather not attempt to pronounce the dish at all, you can point and say:
Prendo questo – I’ll have this
It’s cheating a little, but still much more satisfying than reverting to English!
Finally, if you want to order the same thing someone else is having, try one of these handy phrases:
Lo stesso – The same
Due! – Two! (say it immediately after the other person orders)
If you’re still feeling nervous about giving it a go, try following the advice in this lesson: Nervous to Speak Italian? Here’s what to do.
Once you’ve got the hang of the basics, you can get more out of your dining experience with these advanced phrases. They’ll help you get advice from the waiter or make special requests.
Cosa consiglia? – What do you suggest?
Quale vino consiglia? – Which wine do you suggest?
Avete – Do you have…?
Sono allergica/o a… – I’m allergic to…
Sono vegetariana/o – I’m vegetarian
Sono vegana/o – I’m vegan
In the last three phrases, the -A ending is for females, so Katie would say sono vegetariana. The -O ending is for males, so Matteo would say sono vegetariano.
If you’re a wine lover, and you want to know how to order the perfect glass (or bottle!) check out this episode: How to Order Wine in Italy
Now you’ve got the phrases and pronunciation right, there might still be a few cultural differences that can leave you feeling a bit lost. Knowing them will help you relax and blend in with the locals.
1. How to eat bread like an Italian: Did you know that Italians don’t dip bread in oil and balsamic vinegar before the meal arrives? This is one of those false exports that doesn’t actually exist in Italy! They usually eat it dry from the basket while they eat their secondo, and some love using it to mop up that delicious sauce left on the plate. Speaking of bread…
2. Pane e coperto explained: This literally means ‘bread and cover’, and it’s a small service charge of around 1-3 euros per person on your bill. It’s not sneaky, that’s just how Italians do it. Actually it might save you money, because…
3. It’s not customary to tip. There’s no need to leave la mancia (tip), but of course, if you’re happy with the service and do leave one, the waiter will be pleased.
Did you know that Italians have quite a lot of little etiquette rules around the drinks, too? You can learn more about these in the podcast that accompanies this lesson.
Now you’re ready to order in Italian restaurants! These skills will help you get away from the beaten tourist path and enjoy eating like the locals.
Remember, speaking Italian takes a lot of practice, so don’t worry if it feels a bit awkward at first, that’s normal. And it’s worth it. When you try to communicate in Italian (even if it doesn’t always go as planned!) waiters will warm to you and include you in a way they don’t with other tourists.
So go forth and enjoy eating in Italy… Buon appetito!
Now, can you remember what you just learned? Check out our quiz.
Cosa consiglia? = What would you suggest?
Avete… = Do you have…?
Vorrei il tiramisù = I’d like the tiramisù
Per me, i ravioli = For me, the ravioli
Prendo il pollo = I’ll have the chicken (lit. ‘I take the chicken’)
Prendo questo = I’ll have this (lit. ‘I take this’)
Gli antipasti = The starters
I primi = The first course (lit. ‘the firsts’)
I secondi = The first course (lit. ‘the seconds’)
La mancia = The tip
Un digestivo = A liquor that Italians drink after dinner
Un amaro = An Italian herbal liquor
How much did you learn? Find out in the quiz!
Click here to take the quiz for this episode: Italian Food Words for Restaurants
Remember the vocabulary from this lesson by downloading the digital flashcards
Not sure how it works? Click here to watch the tutorial
Please note, this is not a word for word transcript.
K: Whenever we’re travelling to a new place, we want to know all about the food – aside from being buonissimo, delicious, it helps us feel local.
M: Sììì. It’s like when your friends and family come to Italy. They always ask me lots of questions because they want to try the lovely local food, avoid little touristy missteps and feel part of everything.
K: What do they want to know about?
M: I’ll tell you in Italian:
Vogliono sapere come ordinare e vogliono seguire le tradizioni e i costumi.
K: First Matteo said:
M: Vogliono sapere come ordinare – They want to know how to order.
Vogliono – they want
Sapere – to know
Come – how
Ordinare – to order
K: Then:
M: e vogliono seguire le tradizioni e i costumi – And they want to follow the traditions and customs.
M:
E – and
Vogliono – They want
Seguire – To follow
Le tradizioni – The traditions
E i costumi – And customs
K: In this episode, you’ll learn how to do both: you’ll get tips on how to order your food like an Italian and follow local food customs. Before we get into them, we wanted to let you know that our Online Italian Food and Wine festival is happening this Friday!
M: It’s open to our Italian school students, and you can learn more about it at the end.
K: But first, let’s learn how to order! We use prendo, which literally means ‘I take’. So to order the chicken, we say ‘I take the chicken’:
M: Prendo il pollo (x3)
K: You know how Italian dishes have long, fancy names? Italians just say the first part. So the menu might say something like:
M: Ravioli di mare con ragù di pesce – sea ravioli with fish ragù
K: You can just say, ‘I take the ravioli’
M: Prendo i ravioli (x3)
K: Or you can point, and say ‘I take this’.
M: Prendo questo (x3)
K: It’s cheating a little bit, but much more satisfying than using English!
M: When ordering, it also helps to know the pronunciation.
K: There are a few common mistakes, like ‘bruSHetta’.
M: Oh yes! In Italian, we say bruschetta. With a K: Bruschetta (x3)
K: And tagliatelle. There’s no ‘g’ sound in this. It sounds like TA-YAH-TEH-LEH
M: Tagliatelle (x3)
K: Then risotto. In American English, it sounds something like ‘risodo’. In Italian, we pause on the double tt: Risotto.
M: Risotto (x3)
K: The same with spaghetti. Not ‘spaghedi’, but spaghetti. Pause on the double tt.
M: Spaghetti (x3).
K: And an important part of Italian dining etiquette is how to eat it! It took me a while, but I found my spaghetti groove. Pick a couple of strands with your fork, bring them to the side of your plate and twist them completely around your fork. That’s just the right amount to fit in your mouth without getting sauce everywhere.
M: Good tip!
K: The Italian course system can also be confusing. After the starters, antipasti, we have primi, literally ‘firsts’.
M: Primi (x3)
K: These are pasta, risotto or other carbohydrate-y things.
M: Ah, and there are looooooooads of types of pasta. Even Italians don’t know them all!
K: If you don’t recognise a word on the primi menu, it’s probably pasta. You can ask – is it a type of pasta?
M: È un tipo di pasta? (x3)
K: The next course, secondi, literally means ‘seconds’. These are usually protein-based, like meat or fish.
M: Secondi (x3).
K: Here’s where things get confusing: which is the main course? Primi or secondi?
M: The answer is either, or both! Italians pick their main dish from either, unless it’s a special occasion when we eat a lot, then we might have both.
K: Next, let’s learn about Italian customs for eating and drinking in restaurants. There are many unexpected ones! For example, when waiters bring over bread, sometimes my friends wonder ‘where’s the oil and balsamic vinegar?’
M: I think dipping bread in oil and balsamic vinegar is one of those false exports that Italians don’t actually do! We sometimes eat a little straight from the basket while we’re waiting, but we mostly eat it with the secondi course. And I love to use it to mop up my sauce at the end! Some say it’s not polite, but others say it’s a sign that you enjoyed the food. I’m in the second camp.
K: Speaking of bread, what about pane e coperto. This literally means ‘bread and cover’.
M: It’s a small service charge of around 1-3 euros per person. It’s not sneaky, that’s just how Italians do it. Pane e coperto (x3).
K: Actually it might save you money, because in Italy, you don’t need to leave la mancia (the tip).
M: La mancia (x3). But of course, if you do leave one, waiters will be pleased.
K: There are loads of little rules around drinking, too. Italians usually have still wine or beer with their meal. No Prosecco or cocktails.
M: They distract from the flavour of the food.
K: After dinner, Italians never order cappuccinos or long coffees.
M: All that liquid is too filling after a meal. We usually just order un caffè, which is an espresso, or un macchiato, an espresso with a dash of milk. That’s un macchiato (x3)
K: Then, I love the tradition of having un digestivo. Literally ‘digestive’, it’s any liquor that Italians drink after dinner.
M: Un digestivo (x3).
K: Instead of ordering a bright yellow limoncello, which can be a bit touristy, try un amaro, an Italian herbal liquor.
M: Un amaro (x3). Or una grappa, but careful, it’s strong!
K: A great way to bond with the locals, as long as they don’t have to carry you home!
M: Ha! But seriously, I love hearing about people’s cool food experiences in Italy. I remember our student Louise, talking about going back to a restaurant she liked. She was looking for the amazing zucchine she had there last time, but they weren’t on the menu. When she mentioned it to the waiter, they made some especially for her. Italians have a very generous spirited approach to life in general, but even more so when it comes to food!
K: And Adam, her classmate, who always looks for those little, tucked away restaurants where no one speaks English – the food is better and cheaper! And he enjoys being around the locals.
M: This is why we’d love to invite you to our Italian food and wine festival this Friday, which is open to members of our Online Italian School.
K: We’ll help you build a deeper connection to Italy, and Italians, through food. Instead of the usual pizza, pasta or limoncello, you’ll learn about regional dishes, local food festivals, wine pairings…
M: …and most importantly, how to do everything in Italian.
K: If you’d like to join our school and come along to the festival, you’ll need to be quick because doors close this Thursday, 14th September.
M: The link is in the description. We’d love to see you there!
M – See you soon.
K – Or as we say in Italian.
A presto!
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Are nerves stopping you from speaking Italian?
When you’re learning a foreign language, it’s normal to have a bit of a block when it comes to speaking.
In fact, when we asked our students about their biggest challenges when learning Italian, most mentioned overcoming speaking nerves.
Between forgetting the words, making mistakes and the effort it takes to string a sentence together, it can feel like you’re a child again. It’s understandable your nerves start to show.
But you can get past these challenges and start speaking Italian. We’ve seen lots of our students do it, and you can too!
In this article, you’ll learn how to overcome your speaking blocks and pick up some specific phrases to handle conversations with Italians.
If you’d like some extra help from kind and friendly Italian teachers, you can learn more about our online Italian school here.
But for now, what’s causing those speaking nerves? Let’s learn how to deal with them so you can start speaking Italian!
“I’m afraid I’ll make too many mistakes” – is perhaps your first answer.
As your heart rate jumps, you’re thinking: “what if I used that verb wrong?” and… “oh, damn, that was definitely not the right thing to say…”
The thing is: everyone makes mistakes. You have to, if you want to learn a language.
Instead of getting frustrated by your mistakes, try to see them as a learning opportunity:
“I probably did use that verb wrong… interesting… I wonder why?”
When you approach your mistakes with curiosity, rather than frustration, you’ll find gaps in your knowledge and learn how to say it right next time. And the lessons that come from real-life mistakes will stick with you far more than anything you read in a textbook.
So, by all means aim to speak “correctly”, but don’t let perfectionism hold you back from starting to speak Italian.
But what if you simply don’t feel you know enough?
“I’ve been learning for years but… I don’t quite feel ready to use my Italian.”
When are we ready to speak Italian? Is it a matter of weeks, months or years?
Everyone has this impression when they’re learning Italian that one morning you wake up with a feeling that says: “I’m ready to speak Italian!”
Unfortunately for those waiting for this moment like a letter from Hogwarts, it’s never gonna happen.
If you wait to feel ready to speak Italian, you’ll never start.
So, what does that mean? You should begin with your first word?
Absolutely. Start with what you know. Buongiorno (good morning)… grazie (thank you)… And you’re away!
Later, you’ll learn phrases to take your conversations further, but by all means, begin your next interaction with Italians in Italian. Even if you don’t get very far, you’ll be amazed by the number of new little expressions and phrases you’ll naturally encounter.
But what if you just sound a bit… silly?
“When I speak Italian, I feel like everyone is suddenly listening and silently judging me…”
There are two ways to deal with this common feeling.
The first thing is to realise that people around you are unlikely to be judging you. Chances are no-one is paying you any attention, apart from the person you’re speaking to.
Italians are likely to be impressed by your willingness to learn their language, even if you only manage a word or two at first. Other foreigners who overhear you will probably be wishing they’d learned more Italian themselves.
And remember, you’re still learning! No one expects learners to say everything perfectly. To take the pressure off, try starting the conversation like this:
Provo in italiano, va bene? Mi aiuta? – I’ll try in Italian, is that OK? Will you help me?
By saying this, you’ll instantly dispel any awkwardness as you start to speak. Plus, Italians are bound to help you out even more.
The second thing is to focus on your pronunciation. If you can be confident you’re saying the phrase right, this will ease your fear of “sounding silly”.
A lot of students hold the mistaken belief that good pronunciation is somewhat random. Some people seem to have reasonably good accents, while others struggle for years without ever sounding any less “foreign”.
Actually, you can improve your pronunciation in the same way you would other language skills, like grammar or vocabulary – by learning, practicing and getting feedback!
In the Joy of Languages Italian school it’s something we really pay attention to, because getting the pronunciation right will help you build confidence in speaking. We have a whole course focused on pronunciation, as well as live speaking classes.
In a Joy of Languages class, you don’t need to worry about feeling awkward or “sounding silly”, because our teachers understand the challenges you might be facing and will do their best to help you feel at ease.
For more information, click here to learn about our Online Italian School.
Now then, are you ready for some practical Italian phrases to deal with specific speaking challenges?
For example, what to do if the right word suddenly doesn’t come to you?
We all know that feeling – you’ve made it through your first sentence of a conversation when suddenly your mind’s gone blank and you can’t remember a really basic word.
And once it’s happened to you a few times, this fear of not knowing specific words can really start to make you think twice about starting a conversation in Italian.
For example, imagine you want to order a glass of wine in a restaurant.
You remember “I would like” is vorrei.
Wine is definitely vino.
But how do you say glass???
In these situations, there’s a great phrase to use:
Come si dice…? – How do you say…?
It’s like the get-out-of-jail-free card of languages. Not only does this little question allow you to learn something new, it also allows you to build a relationship with native speakers. They almost always enjoy helping you out and are often amused – in a good way – by the interaction.
Here’s how it looks in an example:
Come si dice “glass” in italiano? – How do you say “glass” in Italian?
Ah! Glass? Si dice “bicchiere”. – Ah! “glass?” You say: bicchiere
By using this phrase, you’ll maintain the conversation in Italian and start learning lots of new words in their natural context.
Of course, if you use it over and over with the same person, then it will quickly get tiring. It’s perfect for that one little word that’s slipped your mind.
But what if it’s not what you say, but what someone else might say back to that unnerves you?
Inglese o italiano? Hmm… how brave are you feeling?
Italians often give you the choice of language – especially in bars or restaurants, for example.
We would of course recommend you choose italiano – but how can you manage these conversations so they don’t suddenly overwhelm you with a torrent of words?
The best way is to tell the other person you’re learning and would appreciate whatever kind of help they might be able to give.
For example, if a waiter asks you to choose Italian or English, you could say:
Italiano lento, per favore! – Slow Italian, please!
Say this with a smile, and you’ll easily convey that idea that you’re keen to give Italian a go, but not certain you’ll understand full speed. Or you could be even more direct:
Italiano per favore: sto imparando! – Italian please: I’m learning!
Preferisco l’italiano, vorrei praticare – I prefer Italian, I’d like to practise
With these phrases you’re lowering the expectations of the waiter, in this case, and avoiding them reeling off the specials at light speed – followed by that awkward, expectant silence.
Of course, if you don’t understand what someone’s said then these phrases are really useful:
Scusi, non ho capito – Sorry, I didn’t understand
Può ripetere, per favore? – Can you repeat (that), please?
Finally, if they do repeat something but you still don’t understand, you can always ask them to say it a little slower:
Più piano, per favore – Slower, please
Now you know what to say if you don’t understand – but how can you make sure Italians don’t find helping you with their language frustrating?
A final worry our students had was that Italians would be exasperated by having to slow down, repeat things and generally help learners out.
It’s true that if you ask the same person for too many words or make someone repeat something too many times, it can feel a bit awkward.
To show your appreciation for their help, you can say:
Grazie per la pazienza – Thank you for your patience
Literally that’s:
Grazie = thank you
Per = for
La pazienza = the patience
A small phrase like this will go a long way to winning Italians over to your side.
You could also say:
Grazie per l’aiuto – Thank you for your help
Or to really make ‘em smile:
Grazie per la lezione! – Thank you for the lesson!
Pronunciation wise, remember the “z” sound in grazie, lezione and pazienza is like a “ts” sound, like the Z of pizza.
Finally, it’s important to be patient and to avoid putting pressure on yourself to communicate everything in Italian immediately. Remember that it’s normal to struggle as you reach the limits of what you can say: it’s all a natural part of learning a language!
Go forth little by little, trying to pick up something new from each conversation, and your speaking skills will improve over time.
So, now you’ve learned some tips and key phrases and tips to put aside your nerves and start speaking Italian!
Before you rush to test your knowledge in our mini quiz below, here’s a quick review!
In this article, you picked up some advice to help deal with speaking nerves.
Afraid you’ll make mistakes? That’s totally normal – and necessary.
Not “ready” to speak? Well – we think you are!
Think you’ll sound silly? Far from it!
If you’re still worried about sounding silly, use this magic phrase to take the pressure off:
Provo in italiano, va bene? Mi aiuta? – I’ll try in Italian, OK? Will you help me?
And you learned quite a few other handy phrases to deal with speaking situations.
To ask for words you can’t remember, use:
Come si dice…? – How do you say…? (followed by the word you need)
To encourage people to talk to you in Italian, try these phrases:
Italiano lento, per favore! – Slow Italian, please!
Preferisco l’italiano, vorrei praticare. – I prefer Italian, I’d like to practise.
Sto imparando – I’m learning
If you don’t understand someone you can say:
Scusi, non ho capito – Sorry, I didn’t understand
Può ripetere, per favore? – Can you repeat (that), please?
Più piano, per favore – Slower, please
Finally, to make Italians smile and ensure conversations go smoothly, try these:
Grazie per la pazienza – Thank you for your patience
Grazie per l’aiuto – Thank you for your help
Grazie per la lezione! – Thank you for the lesson!
So there you have it. Now, to test your knowledge, try our quiz below!
Learn to speak and understand Italian faster by joining the Joy of Languages Italian club! When you sign up, you’ll get:
If you’d like to join us, click here to become a member of our Italian club.
Italiano lento, per favore! = Slow Italian, please!
Come si dice… = How do you say…
Non ho capito = I didn’t understand
Più piano, per favore = Slower, please
Può ripetere, per favore? = Can you repeat (that) please?
Preferisco l’italiano, vorrei praticare. = I prefer Italian, I’d like to practise
Provo in italiano, va bene? Mi aiuta? = I’ll try in Italian, is that OK? Will you help me?
Sto imparando = I’m learning
Grazie per la pazienza! = Thanks for your patience
Grazie per l’aiuto! = Thanks for your help
Grazie per la lezione! = Thanks for the lesson
How much did you learn? Find out in the quiz!
Click here to take the quiz for this episode: Nervous to Speak Italian?
Remember the vocabulary from this lesson by downloading the digital flashcards
Not sure how it works? Click here to watch the tutorial
Please note, this is not a word for word transcript.
K: Ciao a tutti e benvenuti! Hi everyone and welcome to “Learn Italian with Joy of Languages”.
Before we get started, we wanted to let you know that the doors to our Online Italian School are opening very soon, on Thursday, 7th Sept.
M: Sìììì! And we’d love to see you there!
K: To learn more, click the link in the podcast description.
In the school we do everything we can to create a friendly environment, where students can feel comfortable to have a go at speaking. Because we know it can be nerve wracking.
M: Yeah, I think we all have that problem when speaking a foreign language. I know I did (and still do sometimes) when speaking English.
K: What were you most nervous about?
M: Probably making mistakes. Especially because in school, making a mistake was treated like such a big deal.
K: Yeah, I think that’s probably the most typical problem. We’re always afraid of not speaking correctly. You’re constantly thinking: “what if I used that verb wrong” or “how awkward if I choose the wrong word”.
The thing is though, everyone makes mistakes. In fact, you have to make mistakes to learn. It’s part of the process.
Instead of getting frustrated by your mistakes, try to see them as a learning opportunity. For example, when you make a mistake, think: “Hmmm, I probably did use that verb wrong… interesting… I wonder why?”
Give yourself permission to be a curious learner – this way you’ll start to welcome your mistakes because they’ll help you learn how to say it right next time.
M: And the lessons that come from real-life mistakes will stick with you far more than anything you read in a textbook.
K: True! As we learned in the last episode, once you ask for a pene (a penis) at the post office, when what you really want is a penna (a pen), you learn how to say penna, with a long ‘nn’ and an ‘a’ at the end, very quickly!
M: And finally, it’s good to remember that in conversation, we Italians are focusing on what you say, not how you say it.
K: You are your own worst critic.
M: Unless you’re cooking for Italians… In that case, you can find plenty of critics…
K: But if you’re just speaking Italian, you’ll be fine. What’s another reason we’re nervous to speak Italian?
M: Oh, maybe you don’t feel “ready”.
K: Ah yes, not “ready” – I think it’s related to being worried about making mistakes. Here’s a little not-so-secret secret. I still make loads of little mistakes all day when speaking Italian. With the most basic stuff, like masculine and feminine, the stuff you learn in the first lesson. That’s normal even at an advanced level. If I’d waited until I was ready to speak Italian, I’d have never actually started speaking. So, stop waiting – you’ll never be “ready”. You just need to go for it!
M: So, what does that mean? You should begin with your first word?
K: Absolutely. Start with what you know. Buongiorno (good morning)… grazie (thank you)… And you’re away! Later, you’ll learn phrases to take your conversations further, but by all means, begin your next interaction with Italians in Italian. Even if you don’t get very far, you’ll be amazed by the number of new little expressions and phrases you’ll naturally encounter.
M: I think another reason people get nervous is that they’re worried about sounding silly – not only to Italians but also to other people who are learning.
K: You have this idea that everyone is silently judging you. It’s terrifying. But actually, people are unlikely to be judging you, and more likely to be admiring you for giving it a go.
M: And remember, you’re still learning!
K: No one expects learners to say everything perfectly. To take the pressure off, try starting the conversation like this:
Provo in italiano, va bene? Mi aiuta? – I’ll try in Italian, is that OK? Can you help me?
Provo in italiano (x3) – I’ll try in Italian
Va bene? (x3) – Is that OK?
Mi aiuta? (x 3) – Can you help me? Literally “me, you help?”
Provo in italiano, va bene? Mi aiuta?
K: By starting in this way, you won’t worry so much about needing to say everything perfectly, and Italians will help you out.
M: I also find that focusing on pronunciation helps with the worry of sounding silly. When you know you’re saying the phrase right, you feel better about it.
K: This is true, and you can improve your pronunciation in the same way you would other language skills, like grammar or vocabulary – by learning, practicing and getting feedback!
This is something we pay quite a lot of attention to, both in our podcast episodes and in our online Italian school. It’s important, because getting the pronunciation right helps you build confidence in speaking.
Let’s move on now to some situations that stop us from speaking, and learn some specific phrases to help deal with them.
What was the first one, Matteo?
M: Oh… it’s on the tip of my tongue…
K: Running out of words – what can you do if you can’t remember the particular word you need? It can be frustrating when you’ve studied so much Italian, but then for some reason, whenever you go to actually speak you forget all your vocabulary.
For this situation, there’s a great little phrase that every learner should know:
M: Come si dice….
K: How do you say…
M: Come si dice…. (x 3)
K: I used (and still use) this phrase all the time when learning Italian and other languages, probably to the point of annoyance! It’s a great way to learn words when you’re starting out Italian too. Here’s how it sounds in a sentence. Let’s imagine our dog Brody wants to eat mangiare, and I’m looking for her bowl.
M: Shh Katie, be careful, Brody might hear you.
K: If I can’t remember the word for “bowl”, I can ask Matteo:
K: Matteo, come si dice “bowl” in italiano? – How do you say “bowl” in Italian?
K: Breaking that little phrase down you’ve got:
M:
Come – how
Si – one
dice – says, as in “how does one say”. That’s how we ask this question in Italian.
M: Come si dice!
K: Once you know this phrase, you don’t have to worry about forgetting a word. In fact, so long as you don’t overuse it, it involves the person you’re speaking to in your learning process in a really nice way. So, Matteo, come si dice “bowl”?
M: Si dice “ciotola”. Ciotola (x2)
K: Moving onto another situation that makes students nervous to speak: not understanding what the other person says.
M: Yes, Italians often give you the choice of language
K: This happens especially in bars or restaurants, for example, they’ll ask:
M: Inglese o italiano? (x3)
K: And it’s a bit like: Hmm… how brave are you feeling?
There’s this great temptation to give up the speaking opportunity because you’re worried you won’t understand them, and it might be horribly awkward after you’ve asked to speak Italian. To deal with this, there are a few phrases you can use to manage expectations. My favourite is:
M: italiano lento, per favore! – Slow Italian, please!
italiano lento, per favore (x 3)
K: Italians will understand you’re learning, and won’t then rush into a complicated phrase that you have no chance of understanding. You could also try saying:
M: Preferisco l’italiano, vorrei praticare – I prefer Italian, I’d like to practise
preferisco – I prefer
l’italiano – Italian
vorrei – I’d like
praticare – to practise
Preferisco l’italiano, vorrei praticare (x 3)
K:
Or simply:
Sto imparando – I’m learning
sto – I am
imparando – learning
Sto imparando (x 3)
K: With these expressions you’re sharing the fact that you’re learning and indicating to Italians basically: feel free to help me out a bit… By involving Italians like this you really start making your learning fun, whilst also using Italian more.
A final phrase to learn for now, which will help you sound really smooth when you start talking to Italians and asking for help, is to thank them:
M: Grazie per la pazienza – Thanks for your patience
That’s:
Grazie – thanks
per la – for the
pazienza – patience
K: This kind of expression will really win native speakers over, and make them more likely to help you with your Italian even more.
So we talked about the different kinds of things that made our students nervous to start speaking Italian:
M: making mistakes
K: Don’t worry – everyone makes them (including me). And they’re very handy because they help you learn faster
M: not feeling “ready”
K: If you keep waiting, you probably never will be. Go for it and start with what you have, even if it’s only a few words – you’ll build from there.
M: or sounding “silly”
K: You almost certainly don’t! But if you’re worried about sounding silly, one handy technique to lower the pressure is to say: “I’ll try in Italian, is that OK? Can you help me?”
M: “Provo in italiano, va bene? Mi aiuta?
K: We then looked at some more useful phrases, and here they are one more time. See if you can remember the Italian before Matteo repeats the phrase:
K: How do you say…?
[…]
M: Come si dice…?
K: Slow Italian, please!
[…]
M: Italiano lento, per favore!
K: I prefer Italian, I’d like to practise
[…]
M: Preferisco l’italiano, vorrei praticare
K: I’m learning
[…]
M: Sto imparando
K: Thanks for your patience
[…]
M: Grazie per la pazienza
K: These tips will get you started, but really the most important thing you can do to build your confidence in speaking is practice, practice, practice. Especially if you’re feeling nervous about it, it helps to start in a supportive environment, like in our online Italian school. Here, you don’t need to worry about making mistakes, or sounding silly. Because we know you’re learning.
M: And just think, if you already said everything perfectly, we wouldn’t have a job!
K: It’s true! All of our teachers are friendly, patient and understand the challenges you might be facing.
M: And everyone does their best to help you feel at ease as you build your confidence and start speaking Italian.
K: If you’d like to find out more, follow the link in the description for this podcast.
M – See you next time.
K – Or as we say in Italian.
Alla prossima!
To get mini lessons delivered to your inbox, access to the private Facebook group and invites to speaking workshops, click here to become a member.
By Katie Harris
So you want to learn Italian, but you’re not sure where to start? Or maybe you’ve already started and you’re not as far along as you’d like.
You’re not alone. I had no idea how to learn Italian when I started.
I’d spend a lot of time rote learning verbs and vocabulary lists. Then realise I couldn’t remember anything, get bored and give up.
But after a lot of trial and error, a miracolo happened and I became fluent in Italian.
How?
I discovered three important things you need to do to learn Italian. Most people are missing at least one.
When you put them into practice, you’ll find yourself progressing a lot faster and enjoying it.
Pronti? Ready? Let’s get you learning Italian.
Imagine learning a skill, like playing the guitar. What do you think about this strategy?
It seems ridiculous, but that’s how I was trying to learn Italian in the beginning! This is actually how a lot of us learned languages in school, so we tend to keep doing it as adults.
Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t work: less than 1% of Americans are proficient in the language they learned at school.
Why? Because we use learning tools that are boring, confusing or not relevant to everyday conversation. We study sporadically, and we hardly practise speaking (the main thing we want to learn!).
When you solve these problems, everything gets easier. Here are the changes I made that helped me finally learn Italian as an adult:
Step 1: Find tools that are fun, simple and relevant to everyday life
Step 2: Follow a structured path
Step 3: Practise speaking (the non-scary way!)
If you do these things consistently, you’ll learn Italian. In the next sections, you’ll find out how to approach each step.
Bored? Frustrated? Unable to communicate? It’s normal!
These feelings are common when learning Italian and they’re often a sign that you’ve been using the wrong tools. To find the right ones, there are a few things to keep in mind.
You might assume that to learn Italian, you have to suffer through mind-numbing vocabulary and grammar lists, or those lame ‘Roberto checks into a hotel’ style textbook dialogues.
Not true! The more you enjoy learning Italian, the more likely you are to stick with it.
And there are plenty of fun ways to learn: stories, podcasts, videos, books, magazines, music, cooking classes…
If you’re in the earlier stages of learning, go for resources adapted to your level – our Learn Italian with Joy of Languages Podcast is a great place to start.
A lot of courses are grammar heavy – they have you sweating over pages of complex rules when all you really want to do is order un caffè.
They assume you already know all the grammatical terms like pronouns and adverbs. Or worse, call them pronomi and avverbi and explain them in Italian!
You don’t need all that stuff in the beginning, so look for tools which teach grammar in simple, bite-sized pieces while you focus on learning the practical stuff.
If your goal is to order coffee in Italian and chat with the barista, there’s no point memorising long lists of jobs, nationalities and animals. Or random phrases like ‘the baby is eating an apple’. Steer clear of books and apps which teach vocabulary in this way.
Instead, look for tools which help you learn words and phrases you’ll actually say when speaking to Italians.
Often life gets in the way of learning Italian. Weeks or months can go by, and every time you think about it, you feel guilty!
Or maybe you’re keeping it up, but you keep forgetting stuff and you’re not sure if you’re making progress.
A structured path will help you solve these problems.
Instead of doing a lesson once a week (and forgetting everything between classes!), try learning a bit every day.
This way, you’ll keep building on what you know, which adds up to lots of progress over the weeks and months.
And if you follow step 1 and find a fun way to learn, Italian will become an enjoyable part of your daily routine, just like your morning coffee or afternoon walk.
Ever felt overwhelmed with how much stuff there is to remember? Take it piano, piano – step by step – and keep reviewing what you’ve learned to build a strong foundation.
Then, you can layer on new information gradually, in a logical order, by connecting it to things you already know. For example, once you can say ‘I’d like a coffee’
Vorrei un caffè
Try asking for other things:
Vorrei un biglietto – I’d like a ticket
Vorrei pagare – I’d like to pay
Vorrei mangiare una pizza – I’d like to eat a pizza
When you learn new vocabulary and grammar in this way, you’ll surprise yourself by how much you can say in a short time!
While you’re following your structured path, don’t forget to include lots of variety! Not only does it keep things interesting, it helps you learn better, too.
Imagine you read a story in Italian. The next day, you choose the most useful words from the story and learn them. The day after, you try using these words in conversation with a tutor.
Seeing information in different contexts signals to your brain that it’s important: ‘Oh, I’ve seen this in a few different places now, I’d better remember it!’.
You’re about to have a conversation in Italian. How do you feel?
If you picked A, congratulazioni! You can skip this part.
Still here? Great, I thought you would be. Nearly everyone finds the idea of speaking a foreign language terrifying.
But if you want to speak Italian, you have to, well, speak it. The key is to practise in the least scary way possible, so you can build your confidence.
I used to think that to practise speaking, I had to find an Italian person and strike up a conversation with them. But I struggle to do this in English, my native language, so in Italian, it was terrifying.
It’s easier to practise speaking Italian in low-pressure situations, where everyone knows you’re a learner. You’re free to speak slowly, make mistakes and not know much yet, because that’s what people expect!
You can hire a tutor, join a conversation group, or set up a language exchange – anything where the sole purpose is to practise speaking Italian. And look for patient and friendly people, so you feel comfortable having a go.
Once you’re ready to practise your Italian in the wild, you can take the pressure off with this magic phrase:
Provo in italiano, va bene? Mi aiuta? – I’ll try in Italian, is that OK? Will you help me?
You might also find this episode handy: Nervous to Speak Italian? Here’s what to do.
What about all those mistakes you’ll make? Try not to worry about those. You can’t avoid them, and if you’re willing to embrace them, you’ll learn faster.
Here’s how to learn from your mistakes:
1. Be curiosi (that’s ‘curious’)
If you notice you make one, why? What’s the correct way to say it instead? This will help you avoid making the same ones in future.
2. Don’t take yourself so seriously
When you laugh at your mistakes, they lose their power, so you can feel more relaxed when speaking.
And once you’ve asked for a pene (penis) when you wanted a penna (pen), like I did at the post office, you’ll be extra motivated to get it right next time!
What if you don’t know you’re making mistakes? Just ask!
Può correggermi quando faccio un errore? – Can you correct me when I make a mistake?
Getting feedback from native speakers is helpful in other ways too – if you have a tutor, speaking partner, or other Italian you speak to regularly, they can answer your questions and show you what you need to focus on next.
So there you have it. How to learn Italian in 3 steps:
Do these things for a few months, and you’ll be really pleased with how much progress you’ve made!
And if you need a little help…
Back when I was learning Italian, I had to discover this stuff on my own and piece it together from different places. When I started teaching Italian, I wanted a way to help students learn Italian in the same way, so I created our Online Italian School!
Together with Matteo and our team of Italian teachers, we’ve put together lots of fun lessons, based on the same system that helped me learn Italian:
1. Find the Right Tools
Learn with fun little stories and dialogues, with words and phrases you’ll use in everyday conversations and super simple grammar explanations.
2. Follow a Structured Path
Get daily lessons, gradually learn new things in a logical order and learn in a variety of ways, from stories to vocabulary cards, quizzes and conversation lessons.
3. Get Speaking Practice
There are plenty of non-scary opportunities to practise speaking, with feedback and guidance from our friendly team of Italian teachers.
There are 100s of students in the school learning Italian in this way and making lots of progress. We’d love to welcome you, too!
Find out more about our Online Italian School here
Provo in italiano, va bene? = I’ll try in Italian, is that ok?
Può aiutarmi? = Can you help me?
Provo in italiano, va bene? Può aiutarmi? = I’ll try in Italian, is that ok? Can you help me?
Può correggermi? = Can you correct me?
Quando faccio un errore = When I make a mistake
Può correggermi quando faccio un errore? = Can you correct me when I make a mistake?
Penna = Pen (Avoid Katie’s mistake! Don’t say ‘pene’ which means ‘penis’ 😅)
Vorrei un caffè = I’d like a coffee
Vorrei un biglietto = I’d like a ticket
Vorrei pagare = I’d like to pay
Vorrei una pizza = I’d like a pizza
Time to check your understanding and remember everything you just learned! Below you’ll find a mini-quiz and some vocabulary cards to help it all go in.
How much did you learn? Find out in the quiz!
Click here to take the quiz for this episode: How to Learn Italian
Remember the vocabulary from this lesson by downloading the digital flashcards
Not sure how it works? Click here to watch the tutorial
Please note, this is not a word for word transcript.
K: Ciao a tutti e benvenuti! Hi everyone and welcome to “Learn Italian with Joy of Languages”.
M: Ciao a tutti! Today, we’re talking about something everyone struggles with: how to learn Italian effectively.
K: This is close to my heart because I started learning Italian very ineffectively, without realising it. I was terrible! My Italian teacher sent me an official letter telling me they’d kick me off the course if I didn’t improve.
M: That’s quite funny, especially because now you run an Italian school! What changed?
K: Well, I think I was trying to learn Italian the same way I learned languages at school, which doesn’t actually work for most people. If you think about a different practical skill, like playing the guitar, you can see why. Imagine trying to learn like this:
M: You’re right, that is what a lot of us do when learning a foreign language!
K: I was sporadically rote-learning stuff, then I’d feel constantly disappointed with myself when I couldn’t remember anything and I still couldn’t speak. Through trial and error, I started doing the opposite of these 3 things, and that’s what helped me learn Italian over time.
M: Let’s go through them one by one.
K: Step one: find the right tools.
M: Absolutely. No more irrelevant vocabulary lists or confusing grammar manuals. There are plenty of enjoyable ways to learn Italian, like podcasts, videos, stories, or even cooking classes.
K: In the beginning, you should look for resources that are adapted for learners, like this podcast!
M: And choose tools that help you learn things you’ll use in Italy. Avoid apps with phrases like ‘the baby is eating an apple’. That’s not much use when you want to order coffee or chat to a taxi driver!
K: Step two: follow a structured path. It’s really important to be consistent. If you do an Italian class once a week, by the time you go back, you’ve forgotten everything you’ve learned. Instead, when you incorporate learning Italian into your daily routine, you’ll gradually build on what you know and make lots of progress.
M: Step 1 and step 2 work together, because if you enjoy learning, you’ll find yourself wanting to do it every day.
K: Next, step 3: Practise speaking Italian in a non-scary way. I used to think that the only way for me to practise speaking was to strike up a conversation with an Italian. The problem was, I’m nervous doing that in English, so in Italian it was terrifying!
M: Create low-pressure situations where you can practise speaking comfortably. This could be finding a tutor, joining a conversation group, or setting up a language exchange.
K: In these situations, everyone knows you’re learning: it’s normal if you can’t say much yet, or you speak slowly and make mistakes.
M: Then, when you’re out in the wild with real Italians, you can take the pressure off by letting them know you’re learning.
K: You can say: ‘I’ll try in Italian, is that OK?’
M: Provo in italiano, va bene? (x3)
K: And ask for help. ‘Will you help me?’ Literally ‘me, you help’:
M: Mi aiuta? (x3)
K: I’ll try in Italian, OK? Will you help me?
M: Provo in italiano, va bene? Mi aiuta?
M: And try not to worry about mistakes. They’re a natural part of learning, and they actually help you improve. So, be curious and learn from them.
K: And don’t take yourself too seriously! When I started laughing at my mistakes, and inviting Italians to laugh with me, I wasn’t afraid to speak anymore. I’ve had lots of practice. Like that time I asked for a ‘penis’ at the post office.
M: What???!!!!
K: I said pene (penis) by accident, when I wanted a penna (a pen). The long double ‘nn’ sound is important. And the ‘a’ at the end. Pen is penna.
M: Penna
K: I also like to get feedback about whether I’m saying it right or not. A good way to do this is to simply ask! ‘Can you correct me?’
M: Può correggermi? (x3)
K: When I make a mistake
M: Quando faccio un errore (x3)
K: Can you correct me when I make a mistake?
M. Può correggermi quando faccio un errore?
K: So those three steps are: 1. Choose the right tools; 2. Follow a structured learning path. 3. Practise speaking in a non-scary way.
M: If you need some help with these things, we’d love to welcome you to our Online Italian School. Doors open next week: Sìììì!
K: Our programmes are based on the same system I used to learn Italian: fun lessons, with a focus on common phrases you’ll use in everyday life. And a structured path with daily lessons that are adapted to your level.
M: Most importantly, you’ll get plenty of opportunities to practise speaking Italian in a non-intimidating environment, with feedback and guidance from our friendly Italian teachers.
K: If you think you might be interested in joining us, enrollments open on Thursday, 7th Sept.
M: Places tend to sell out, so now’s a good time to mark it in your calendar. You can also join our newsletter to get notified via email.
K: We’d love to see you there. To find out more, click the link in the description for this episode.
M – See you next time.
K – Or as we say in Italian.
Alla prossima!
To get mini lessons delivered to your inbox, access to the private Facebook group and invites to speaking workshops, click here to become a member.
How do you say ‘August’ in Italian?
Wait for it… agosto!
You’d be forgiven for thinking ‘Easy, that’s basically the same as English’ and quickly moving on to learning the other months.
That’s exactly what Katie did. But then, a few years later, she discovered she’d been saying it wrong all this time!
That’s because there are a few important details that learners nearly always get wrong.
Luckily, once you know about them, they’re easy to correct! In fact, with these tips and tricks, you’ll be saying it like an Italian before you get to the end of this blog post.
So, how should you pronounce agosto in Italian? Let’s break it down.
Augusto? Agusto? Agosto? If the pronunciation of agosto feels confusing, it could be because you’re mixing it up with the English pronunciation.
The good news is, the Italian pronunciation is very simple!
In Italian, words are nearly always pronounced exactly as they’re spelled. So, let’s look at the spelling of agosto: A – G – O – S – T – O.
Notice there’s no U in agosto. That’s important because many English speakers mistakenly add a U sound when pronouncing it. Instead, in Italian, we just say the vowels how we see them, in this case ‘A’ and ‘O’.
Try saying the word agosto aloud, without any U sound, just A and O:
Agosto
Psst! Did you actually say it aloud? Remember, pronunciation is a practical skill: you need to practise saying the words so you can get your mouth muscles used to the new sounds. So find a quiet space (or warn anyone in the vicinity that you’re practising your Italian!), then go for it.
Agosto
Got it? Bene! You’re sounding more Italian already. All you need now is a little more practice to help the new pronunciation patterns sink in.
So, you already know that when saying agosto in Italian, you should pronounce the A and the O (and avoid saying U). But knowing is different from doing!
When practising the pronunciation of Italian words, it helps to break them down into sections. Let’s start slow and practise each bit of agosto separately, in three parts:
A – GOS – TO
Here’s a pronunciation tip for each part:
1. A – Don’t say “AU”, like in English. It’s just A, like in ‘apple’.
2. GOS – It’s not GUS. Remember, there’s no U sound. It’s GOS, like in ‘gossip’
3. TO – Careful not to say “tow”. In Italian, there’s no little ‘w’ sound at the end. It’s a short, sharp ‘o’ sound.
All together now!
A – GOS – TO
A – GOS – TO
A – GOS – TO
Let’s go faster…
AGOSTO
AGOSTO
AGOSTO
Sì! You’ve got it. Starting slow like this will help you avoid slipping into English habits and instead focus on the details of the Italian pronunciation. Then you can speed up gradually as you practise the Italian version and it starts to feel more familiar to you.
Time for one last tip to perfect your pronunciation of agosto in Italian.
Once you can say the word agosto on its own, try saying it in some sentences. As you practise, remember to keep paying attention to the vowels, and say them as you see them.
In agosto fa caldo – In August, it’s hot (lit. ‘it does hot’)
Non lavoro in agosto – I don’t work in August
Saying agosto in Italian is simple when you know how! Focus on clearly annunciating the A and the O, and be sure to avoid inserting a ‘U’ by accident.
By paying attention to spelling, breaking words down into smaller parts and practising them in sentences, you’ll build skills that will help you pronounce any Italian word. Keep practising agosto and you’ll hear how your pronunciation becomes more and more Italian over time.
Speaking of agosto, there’s something else you should know about this month in Italy!
In Italy, agosto is the month when most people go on vacation. The whole country basically shuts down as Italians head to la spiaggia (the beach) or cooler countries to escape the heat. That’s why we’ll be taking a short break from our podcast and blog during this month.
But, we’d love to stay in touch! Join our newsletter here to receive updates and tips to improve your Italian during this time. Plus, we’ll let you know when doors to our online Italian school are opening in September.
So, take a break with us and enjoy the summer ☀️
A presto!
Learn to speak and understand Italian faster by joining the Joy of Languages Italian club! When you sign up, you’ll get:
If you’d like to join us, click here to become a member of our Italian club.
agosto = August
in agosto fa caldo = in August, it’s hot (lit. at August, it ‘does’ hot)
non lavoro in agosto = I don’t work in August (lit. at August)
la spiaggia = the beach
How much did you learn? Find out in the quiz!
Click here to take the quiz for this episode: How To Pronounce August in Italian
Remember the vocabulary from this lesson by downloading the digital flashcards
Not sure how it works? Click here to watch the tutorial
Please note, this is not a word for word transcript.
K: Ciao a tutti e benvenuti! Hi everyone and welcome to “Learn Italian with Joy of Languages”. Today we’re talking about how to pronounce agosto in Italian. Which is deceptively tricky!
M: True! A lot of learners say this wrong. Even at an advanced level. I think it’s because it’s very similar to English, but it’s not the same.
K: Yeah, we try to say it like we would in English which leads us to get the details wrong. And it’s something we don’t really pay much attention to. I’d been speaking Italian for years before I realised I’d been getting it wrong! Then it took me a little while to get out of bad habits and start saying it right. But you can learn from my mistakes and get things right a lot sooner! So how do Italians pronounce “August?”
M: AGOSTO. AGOSTO. AGOSTO.
K: In Italian, the trick is always to look at the spelling. Because we nearly always say words exactly as we see them. In Italian, it’s spelt: A – G – O – S – T – O. Notice there is no U in the word AGOSTO. I remember being quite surprised when I noticed that! Because I’d been inserting a phantom “U” in there for years. I’d either say ‘AU-gusto’ or ‘AgUsto’. But there’s no U in the Italian version. So let’s start with the first part.
M: A. A. A.
K: We don’t say “AU”, like in English. It’s A. A. A. Then, the next part:
M: GOS. GOS. GOS.
K: Notice that here, it’s a GOS sound. It’s not GUS. Again, there’s no U sound. GOS. Let’s put the first two together.
M: A-GOS. A-GOS. A-GOS.
K: Then, you just have to add the last part:
M: TO – TO – TO.
K: Be careful not to say it like “tow”. English speakers tend to say the ‘o’ sound as if it had a little ‘w’ at the end, for example like T-O-W, as in ‘tow’ your car. But in Italian, it’s a short, sharp O. TO.
M: TO – TO – TO.
K: Let’s try the whole word together.
M: A-GOS-TO. A-GOS-TO. A-GOS-TO.
K: And here we can learn a really important lesson for Italian pronunciation in general. We say words as we see them, so you can learn how to pronounce them by looking at them. Then, once you can see the word written down, you’ll need to fully enunciate every vowel you see. Like the A and the O in AGOSTO.
M: A-GOS-TO. A-GOS-TO. A-GOS-TO. AGOSTO. AGOSTO. AGOSTO.
K: To learn more about this important tip for mastering Italian pronunciation, check out episode 87, ‘how to have an Italian accent the quick and painless way’. Particularly when the word is similar to English, but a bit different, it’s really important to focus on these details because it’s almost guaranteed that the vowels will be different.
M: You need to see the word, identify the vowels and practice pronouncing them fully.
K: I find it really helps to break down the word into little sections, because then I can see that actually, it’s quite different compared to English.
M: A–GOS–TO. A–GOS–TO. A–GOS–TO. AGOSTO. AGOSTO. AGOSTO.
K: Starting slow like this will help you avoid slipping into English habits and instead focus on the details of the Italian pronunciation. Then you can speed up gradually as you practise the Italian version and it starts to feel more familiar to you.
M: Then, once you can say the word on its own, you can try in some sentences.
K: For example, how would you say ‘In August it’s hot’. In Italian, we literally say ‘it does hot’:
M: In agosto fa caldo (x3)
K: I don’t work in August:
M: Non lavoro in agosto (x 3)
M: Now you’ve got the pronunciation of agosto right, there’s something else we need to say about agosto. Something Italians nearly always do in agosto…. Nothing – Niente!
K: Yeah! If you’ve been to Italy or worked with Italians before, you might have noticed that the whole country basically shuts down in agosto.
M: Because it’s really hot, we normally save up all our vacation for this month and head to the beach. Or a cooler country! Especially because a lot of us don’t have aria condizionata. Air conditioning.
K: That includes us, and it gets quite tricky to record podcast episodes in the heat, because we have to close all the windows and doors and turn off all the fans, so that we don’t have background noise, and then sweat our way through the episodes – a bit like we’re doing now. Sorry if that’s too much information!
M: The heat is always a great excuse to slow down. So we’ll be taking a little break from the podcast over the next few weeks.
K: We’ll be back at the end of agosto, when things have cooled down a bit.
M: But we’d love to stay in touch!
K: Sì! You can stay in touch with us by joining our newsletter. You’ll keep getting emails with updates and tips to improve your Italian this month. And we’ll let you know when doors to our online Italian school are opening, which is soon, in September! To join, click the link in the podcast description. We’d love to see you there.
M: A presto!
To get mini lessons delivered to your inbox, access to the private Facebook group and invites to speaking workshops, click here to become a member.
Learning Italian can be a bit tedious sometimes!
If you’re bored with verbs and vocabulary lists, why not try watching Italian TV shows?
There are some amazing series that can help you improve your Italian in a fun and relaxed way. In this episode, we, Katie and Matteo, have selected our top 5 Italian TV shows we can’t stop watching.
We’ll explain why we like them, whether they’re hard or easy, the kind of Italian they can teach you, and where you can watch them.
Let’s get started – cominciamo!
First on our list is a great Italian drama.
Katie started binge-watching this one, then Matteo joined in and got hooked, too!
While investigating the murder of a teenage girl, a prosecutor discovers she’s linked to the victim and becomes obsessed with finding answers.
We love this show because of its well-crafted characters, brilliant acting, and the intricate plot that keeps you guessing until the end.
With its hushed tones and legal jargon, this series is ideal for advanced learners who want to pick up useful expressions related to crime and punishment.
You can watch Il Processo on Netflix.
Alternatively, if you’re looking for something a little simpler, try:
For more Italian dramas, check on this post with The Best Italian TV shows on Netflix, Prime and Youtube. You’ll also find tips on how to use TV shows to improve your Italian, and what to do if you don’t understand.
Psst! You can watch the same clip dubbed in English, here: Boris in English
Next up, a commedia.
If you’re looking for some colloquial phrases to sound more natural when speaking (and laugh while you learn), you should watch Boris.
This satirical comedy follows the behind-the-scenes crew of an Italian TV show, highlighting their struggles and incompetence. We love this show because of its unique humor and its portrayal of the absurdity of Italian showbiz.
This one has lots of natural, everyday language and can be challenging at times, with regional accents and colloquial phrases. But it’s a great feeling to understand the jokes in Italian!
If you’re in Italy (or have a VPN), you can watch Boris on Disney+. At the time of writing, the first series is also available on Daily Motion with English subtitles.
Looking for a comedy with simpler Italian? Try Guida astrologica per cuori infranti (An Astrological Guide for Broken Hearts).
For more Italian comedies, check out this post with The Best Italian TV shows on Netflix, Prime and Youtube.
Time for a good documentario!
In this gripping true crime documentary, two well-respected members of Sicily’s anti-Mafia coalition are at odds with each other.
Investigative journalist Pino Maniaci, a celebrated figure known for hosting a show exposing the mafia, openly accuses Judge Silvana Saguto of corruption. However, things take a turn when claims suggest that Maniaci himself could be guilty of extorting local officials. With accusations flying back and forth, who is telling the truth?
This show is quite challenging to understand, but you’ll pick up lots of useful vocabulary related to crime and politics. And you’ll get an insider look at the mafia (which isn’t as glamorous as those Hollywood movies would have you believe!).
You can watch Vendetta on Netflix.
If you’re looking for a documentary with simpler, conversational Italian, try Una semplice domanda (one simple question).
For more Italian documentaries, check on this post with the The Best Italian TV shows on Netflix, Prime and Youtube.
Need something a bit more relaxing? You might enjoy this documentary series hosted by national treasure Alberto Angela, which explores historical and cultural points of interest throughout the world. It’s our favourite documentary to fall asleep to, in a good way!
With his extensive knowledge and exceptional storytelling skills, Angela guides viewers through different regions and historical periods, taking you on a journey through the landscape, architecture, cuisine, and traditions.
The Italian is pretty advanced, but most episodes are divided into short sections so you can watch them in bite-sized pieces. And a lot of the youtube clips have automated subtitles you can use to aid your comprehension.
It’s shown on the national broadcasting service, la Rai. If you’re in Italy, you can watch it on demand on RaiPlay. Outside of Italy you can find quite a few good clips on Youtube.
No list of our favourite TV shows would be complete without one about cooking!
MasterChef Italia is a popular reality show that follows amateur chefs as they compete to become the next MasterChef.
As you know, Italians take their food very seriously, so the standards are high and you can learn a lot about Italian cooking just by watching it. You’ll get to know the judging panel, made up of famous Italian chefs who are experts in their field and have a deep knowledge of the country’s culinary heritage.
We love this show because of its fun challenges, mouth-watering dishes, and the competitive spirit of the contestants.
The main plot is simple to understand, so you can enjoy following along even if you don’t understand everything they’re saying. You’ll pick up useful culinary vocabulary, as well as some colloquial language used by the contestants.
If you’re in Italy, you can watch MasterChef Italia on NowTV. Anywhere else, you can head over to the MasterChef Italia Youtube channel, where you’ll find a lot of entertaining clips.
For more Italian reality TV shows, check on this post with the The Best Italian TV shows on Netflix, Prime and Youtube.
There you have it, our top 5 Italian serie TV (TV series) we can’t stop watching. While TV shows in Italian can be challenging, they’re a fun way to improve your listening skills and pick up new vocabulary. And don’t worry if you don’t understand much at first, it’s normale! It takes time and practice to develop your comprehension.
To get tips on how to use these TV shows to learn Italian, including what to do if you don’t understand, check out these posts:
Best Italian TV Shows on Netflix, Prime and Youtube
How to Learn a Language by Watching Films and TV
Time to grab some popcorn, get comfy on your sofa and start watching!
Learn to speak and understand Italian faster by joining the Joy of Languages Italian club! When you sign up, you’ll get:
If you’d like to join us, click here to become a member of our Italian club.
una serie = a series
un drama = a drama
un documentario = a documentary
una commedia = a comedy
la RAI = the Italian national broadcasting service
How much did you learn? Find out in the quiz!
Click here to take the quiz for this episode: 5 Italian TV shows we can’t stop watching
Remember the vocabulary from this lesson by downloading the digital flashcards
Not sure how it works? Click here to watch the tutorial
Please note, this is not a word for word transcript.
K: Ciao a tutti e benvenuti! Hi everyone and welcome to “Learn Italian with Joy of Languages”. Not everyone knows this, but watching TV is one of our favourite ways to learn a foreign language.
M: It’s a lot more fun than memorising verbs. And it immerses you in conversations and culture in a way that other learning methods cannot.
K: Watching Italian TV shows is excellent listening practice. You can train yourself to understand native speakers, improve your pronunciation and pick up natural expressions.
M: Yes, I basically learned English by watching Netflix.
K: When I first met Matteo I was amazed, and continue to be amazed, by how vast his vocabulary is. The other day he used “salty” to describe someone getting annoyed or upset.
M: Yes, I love watching le serie TV, TV series. I pick up a lot of words from them! It’s a fun way to learn how native speakers talk.
K: So today we thought we’d share our 5 favourite Italian TV shows. Hopefully you’ll find something you like and be inspired to start watching.
M: Let’s get started, cominciamo! We’ll start with un drama.
K: A drama. Il Processo, or “The Trial” in English.
M: Il processo (x2)
K: I started binge watching this one, then Matteo joined in and got hooked, too!
[…]
K: A few of the TV shows we’re talking about today are hard to understand at first. That’s totally normal, don’t get discouraged. If you think about it, Italians spend hundreds of thousands of hours listening to their native language, so don’t compare yourself to them!
M: A couple of Italian dramas that might be easier for learners to follow are:
K: For more options, over on the blog you’ll find a guide with 43 Italian TV shows we think you might like. There’s also advice on how to select the right show for your level and use it to learn Italian, especially if you’re struggling to follow the dialogues. You can find more by clicking the link in the description or going to joyoflanguages.com/italian-tv-shows.
M: Next, our favourite commedia, comedy, Boris!
K: That’s B – O – R – I – S
M: Boris.
[…]
K: For a comedy which is a bit simpler, with clearer Italian, you can try Guida astrologica per cuori infranti
M: Guida astrologica per cuori infranti.. That’s “An Astrological Guide for Broken Hearts”, on Netflix.
M: Next, there’s un documentario, a documentary we have been addicted to for months… Passaggio a Nord Ovest!
[…]
M: Don’t worry if you don’t understand much at first, it takes time and practice to develop your comprehension skills.
K: So that’s 3 shows. The trial, which is called:
M: Il Processo
K: A comedy about a TV crew:
M: Boris
K: And a documentary with Alberto Angela, literally “North West Passage”
M: Passaggio a Nord Ovest.
K: A couple more shows we’ve been enjoying recently are Vendetta, an addictive documentary on Netflix, where there’s a big feud between a judge and an antimafia journalist.
M: And of course masterchef Italia. Because, you know… food.
K: You can find out more about those by following the link in the description or heading to our website, joyoflanguages.com/italianpodcast and searching for episode 103. Or, if you’re interested in seeing the full list, head to joyoflanguages.com/italian-tv-shows.
M: And most importantly, get tips on how to learn Italian with TV, including what to do if you don’t understand.
K: Remember, watching TV shows in Italian can be challenging, that’s normale, but it’s also a great way to improve your listening skills and pick up new vocabulary.
M: So, get some snacks, and go to relax on the sofa. It’s the perfect sneaky way to learn Italian!
K: See you next time, or as we say in Italian
K + M: Alla prossima!
To get mini lessons delivered to your inbox, access to the private Facebook group and invites to speaking workshops, click here to become a member.
What is Italian for hotel?
There are so many different words flying around, referring to slightly different kinds of accommodation, it’s hard to know which one to use!
The short answer: it’s either hotel or albergo most of the time.
But what’s the difference between them? And how do you pronounce them? Read on to find out. You’ll also learn 10 bonus words that’ll come in really handy during your stay in Italy.
Good news! There isn’t really much difference between hotel and albergo: they’re synonyms.
This means you don’t need to worry about making mistakes, you can use either in pretty much any context, and you’ll get it right.
There’s only a subtle difference in the feel of the word. When you say hotel in Italian, it comes across as a bit more international and modern. Albergo meanwhile is the Italian word, and feels perhaps more traditional.
So now you know the Italian for hotel: hotel or albergo. Let’s learn how to pronounce these words like an Italian!
How do you pronounce hotel in Italian? It’s slightly different compared to English:
L’hotel – the hotel (sounds like “loh – tel”)
The biggest difference is that we don’t pronounce the “h” at the beginning of words, so we say ‘otel. Then, when we add “the” (apostrophe L) at the beginning, it ends up sounding like “lotel”.
To pronounce hotel like a pro, there’s one last subtle difference to get right: the final L.
Say “hotel” in English. What happens to your tongue when you say the last L sound? Notice how it touches the roof of your mouth at the back?
In Italian, we pronounce it at the front! It’s similar to the L of “elephant” or “telephone”.
Just imagine you’re saying o-telephone – but cut the word short.
O-telephone… o-tele… o-tele… otel… otel… hotel!
That’s it!
Next, let’s move onto albergo:
L’albergo – the hotel (sounds like “lal – berg – oh”)
To remember albergo, think of towns and cities called something-burg: Pittsburgh, Hamburg, Edinburgh… They all share the sound: “berg” which originally meant “place of refuge”. See the connection with al-berg-o?
The trickiest part to pronounce is the -r- sound: you need to flick the tongue on the roof of your mouth, just behind the teeth, before pronouncing the “g”.
The good news is, if you can do an American accent, you can already pronounce this Italian -r- sound! It’s actually the same as the -t- sound in words like better and matter.
Try swapping the -r- for the sound you make when you say “better” in an American accent:
albettergo
Try saying it faster and faster, and hear how it eventually morphs into the Italian word:
albettergo… albettergo… albettego… albettego… albergo… albergo… albergo!
Once you’ve got that tricky -rg- sound, the other challenge is not to say “go” like in English “go home”. If you listen carefully, in English we put a little “w” on the end, like “go(w)”.
Not so in Italian! Avoid the final “w” and make it a short Italian -o.
Not albergo(w), but albergo.
Now you know the main two words for “hotel” in Italian, there are three more that you should also know before packing your bags.
Perhaps you’re looking for something a bit more authentic from your Italian hotel.
Tourism is big business in Italy: it makes up about an eighth of the economy, so it’s no surprise that regular hotels can often feel quite impersonal.
If you’re looking for a personal touch and maybe to also meet the Italians who are renting the room, you’re looking for an Italian “bed and breakfast”. But how to say this in Italian?
It’s pretty tricky…
Yep, Italians don’t hesitate to borrow words from the English language. And happily for Italian learners, “Bed and breakfast” is another example.
Like the Italian hotel, you have to make the effort to say it in a more Italian way. Make sure, for example, you do the Italian -r- for breakfast.
You can use a similar trick as before, and try using this -d- sound instead of the -r-:
b-de… b-de… b-de… b-deakfast!
When you stay in a bed and breakfast, you might not have a five-star hotel experience, but the friendly atmosphere and opportunity to meet locals makes up for that.
For an even more unique experience there’s also this wonderful Italian hotel concept you might not have thought of…
An agriturismo – literally “agricultural-tourism”, is a rural hotel that’s often an extension of a farm or vineyard. If you like relaxing countryside locations, beautiful views and farm-to-table meals, this could be the perfect place for your stay.
You’ll probably need a car to access most of them, but once there you can enjoy a really authentic experience of rural Italy.
If you want to see what one looks like, Matteo and Katie made a video all about what it’s like to stay at an Italian agriturismo hotel.
But what if you’re on a tight budget?
Maybe you’ve left it late in peak season and all the hotels are booked up. Or perhaps you’d like to save a little money before splashing out elsewhere in Italy…
An ostello, which is Italian for “hostel” could be just the thing you need. Ostelli tend to be a bit cheaper than regular hotels, and as you would expect from hostels, they offer basic accommodation.
Whether you finally end up staying in a five-star albergo, or a cute bed and breakfast, these next few words will surely come in handy…
After you decide where to stay, a few extra words can make a real difference to your trip. Here’s our top ten words you should know for hotels, as well as a few phrases to use them in.
There’s a lot here, so don’t worry about learning them all at once. Pick a couple, then come back later on to refresh them. Or just check them out on your phone when you need to use them!
Psst… we also have a mini quiz at the end to practise everything you’ve learned.
1.La camera / la stanza – The room (interchangeable)
La camera è pronta – The room is ready
La stanza non è pronta – The room isn’t ready
Il servizio in camera – Room service
2. La chiave – The key
Ecco la sua chiave elettronica – Here’s your electronic key-card
Lasci la chiave alla reception – Leave the key at the reception
3. Il check-in / Il check-out – Check-in / check-out
Vorrei fare il check-in – I’d like to do the check-in
A che ora è il check-out? – What time is the check-out?
4. La colazione – Breakfast
La colazione è inclusa – Breakfast is included
La colazione è dalle sette alle undici – Breakfast is from seven to eleven
5. La piscina – Swimming pool
Also useful for the pool:
L’asciugamano – Towel
Dov’è la piscina? – Where’s the swimming pool?
Avete un altro asciugamano? – Do you have another towel?
6. Il wi-fi – The wifi
C’è il wi-fi? – Is there wifi?
C’è il wi-fi nelle camere – There’s wifi in the rooms
7. La password – The password
Qual è la password? – What’s the password?
La password non funziona – The password doesn’t work
8. L’ascensore – The elevator / lift
L’ascensore è a destra/sinistra – The elevator is on the right/left
Prendere l’ascensore – Take the lift
L’ascensore per il secondo piano – The lift to the second floor
9. L’aria condizionata – The air-conditioning
L’aria condizionata non funziona – The air-conditioning doesn’t work
Non c’è l’aria condizionata – There’s no air-conditioning
Now you know what Italian for hotel is, as well as some of the most important words and phrases you’ll need when staying in Italy. Before you test your knowledge with our quiz, here’s a review of the main points.
There are two ways to say “hotel” in Italian:
L’hotel
L’albergo
They mean the same thing, but watch out for their slightly tricky pronunciations!
You’ve also got these other kinds of hotels to consider:
Il bed and breakfast – Bed and breakfast
L’agriturismo – Rural hotel – usually based around a farm
L’ostello – Hostel
Then you learned 10 words that will undoubtedly come in handy on your trip:
La camera / la stanza – The room
La chiave – The key
Il check-in / Il check-out – Check-in / check-out
La colazione – Breakfast
La piscina – The Swimming pool
Il wi-fi – The wifi
La password – The password
L’ascensore – The elevator / lift
L’aria condizionata – The air-conditioning
Learn to speak and understand Italian faster by joining the Joy of Languages Italian club! When you sign up, you’ll get:
If you’d like to join us, click here to become a member of our Italian club.
l’hotel = hotel
l’albergo = the hotel
il costume = swimming costume
andare = to go
la montagna = mountain
la piscina = swimming pool
la camera / la stanza = the room
di lusso = luxury
la colazione = breakfast
partire = to leave
il bed and breakfast = the bed and breakfast
la chiave = the key
albergo di lusso = a luxury hotel
il check-in / il check-out = check-in / check-out
il wi-fi = the wifi
la password = the password
l’ascensore = the elevator / lift
l’aria condizionata = the air-conditioning
How much did you learn? Find out in the quiz!
Click here to take the quiz for this episode: What’s Italian for Hotel?
Remember the vocabulary from this lesson by downloading the digital flashcards
Not sure how it works? Click here to watch the tutorial
Please note, this is not a word for word transcript.
K: When Matteo and I go on holiday, like a lot of Italians we love to travel…
M: There are so many interesting places to visit in our own country, we don’t need to go far.
K: We often stay with friends, but if we’re going somewhere new, we look for accommodation in an airbnb or a hotel.
M: Recently airbnb has been getting expensive, so we’re back to hotels!
K: Here’s a typical conversation we might have as we’re preparing for our trip:
M: Katie è tardi!
K: Non trovo il mio costume
M: Ma andiamo in montagna…
K: Sì, ma l’albergo ha la piscina!
M: Interessante, c’è la colazione in camera?
K: Nooo, non è un hotel di lusso… Ok ho tutto, partiamo!
M: Aspetta… dov’è il mio costume?
K: …(sospira)
K: Let’s break that down. First, Matteo said:
M: Katie è tardi! – Katie, it’s late!
È = it’s
Tardi = late
K: Then:
M: Non trovo il mio costume – I can’t find my bathing suit (or swimming costume)
Non – not
Trovo – I find
Il – the
mio – my
costume – (swimming) costume / bathing suit
K: In British English, we say “swimming costume”, which is especially useful to remember the Italian word il costume. Then Matteo said:
M: Ma andiamo in montagna… – But we’re going to the mountain…
Ma – But
Andiamo – We go
In montagna – in mountain. That’s how Italians say it: in montagna.
M: Sì, ma l’albergo ha la piscina! – Yes, but the hotel has a pool
Sì – Yes
Ma – but
L’albergo – the hotel
Ha – has
La piscina – the pool
K: Here’s our first word for ‘hotel’ in Italian.
M: L’albergo
K: That’s L apostrophe (which means “the”) followed by albergo. Together, L apostrophe + albergo sounds like “lalbergo”.
M: L’albergo (x 3)
K: A – L – B – E – R – G – O. There’s an Italian R there! The trick we recommend is to imagine you’re saying “better” in an American accent. The double -t- sound is the same as the Italian R. Say better, then insert it into the word albergo. Better, better, better, al – better – go, al – better – go, al – better – go. Get faster and it will morph into the Italian word: al – better – go, al – better – go, al – better – go, al-better-go, al-better-go, al-better-go, albergo, albergo, albergo!
M: Albergo!
K: The ‘o’ at the end is also interesting. In English, we tend to say ‘o’ with a little “w” at the end, like “go(w)”. Italians don’t do that. Keep the -o- short and straight:
M: O (x3). Albergo x3
K: Next, Matteo said:
M: Interessante, c’è la colazione in camera? – Interesting, is there breakfast in the room?
Interessante – interesting
C’è – Is there
La colazione – the breakfast
In camera – in room
K: Then I said:
K: Noooo, non è un hotel di lusso. – No, it’s not a luxury hotel
Non – not
È – it’s
Un hotel – a hotel
Di lusso – of luxury
K: Here’s our second word for a hotel.
M: It’s the English word, but with Italian pronunciation.
K: You’ll often hear this as l’hotel. That’s “the hotel”: L apostrophe, hotel. What’s the difference between hotel and albergo?
M: They’re pretty much the same. Hotel feels more international, albergo is more classic Italian. You can use either without making a mistake.
K: If you chose the English word, hotel, you’ll need to pronounce it like an Italian! Italians don’t have an ‘h’ sound, so instead of “hotel”, it’s ‘otel.
M: Hotel
K: The final L sound is interesting, too. In English, L at the end of a word is pronounced at the back of your mouth. Try saying ‘all’ or ‘hotel’. Can you feel the back of your tongue lifting up? ‘L, L, L’ (back L)
Not so in Italian! L is always at the front – the tip of the tongue comes up just behind the teeth: L, L, L (front L)
You might notice that Italians tend to do this when they speak English too – instead of ‘all’ (back L) they say ‘all’ (front L). Instead of ‘hotel’ (back L), they say ‘otel’ (front L)
To say ‘otel’ like an Italian, you need to do the same thing. For the final L, the tip of the tongue comes up just behind the teeth: L, L, L. Listen to how Matteo pronounces the L.
M: Hotel x3
K: Once you get the hang of it, you’ll feel amazing as you pronounce these tricky words in Italian! Next, I said:
K: Ok ho tutto, partiamo! – OK, I’ve got everything, let’s go!
Ho – I have
Tutto – everything
Partiamo – we leave
K: Finally, Matteo said:
M – Aspetta… dov’è il mio costume? – Wait where are my swim trunks?
Aspetta – wait
Dov’è – where is
Il – the
Mio – my
Costume – swim trunks
M: There’s just one thing not quite right about this conversation…Normally, we only realise we forgot something once we’re at the albergo…
K: Yes… I can confirm… speaking of trying to not forget things – let’s hear the conversation again:
M: Katie è tardi!
K: Non trovo il mio costume
M: Ma andiamo in montagna…
K: Sì, ma l’albergo ha la piscina!
M: Interessante, c’è la colazione in camera?
K: Nooo, non è un hotel di lusso… Ok ho tutto, partiamo!
M: Aspetta… dov’è il mio costume?
K: …(sospira)
K: Albergo and hotel aren’t the only places you can stay in Italy… and there are a few more must-know words we’ve included in our blog on this topic. To see everything written down, and get bonus materials, like vocabulary cards and a quiz, head over to our website by clicking on the link in the description. Or go to joyoflanguages.com/italianpodcast and search for episode 102.
M – See you next time.
K – Or as we say in Italian.
Alla prossima!
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If you’ve ever paid for something in Italian, bravo!
You know your numbers and prices well enough to get the important stuff done. There’s just one small detail you might have missed…
Can you pronounce euro in Italian?
You might be making a mistake without realising!
There are a couple of nuances that learners nearly always get wrong. The good news is, once you know they exist, they’re pretty easy to learn.
With the tips and tricks in this lesson, you’ll be able to confidently say euro like an Italian.
Let’s start with the thing that will make the biggest difference to your Italian pronunciation: the vowels.
When Katie first started learning Italian, she started off by saying ‘YOUR-ROW’ and then went through a phase of saying ERO. Turns out, neither of these is correct!
The main thing that makes the pronunciation of euro tricky, are those two vowels at the beginning:
EEEE – UUUU
In English, we pronounce the beginning of euro as a Y. In fact, when you say it aloud, the first syllable sounds a lot like the word “your”: YOUR – ROW.
In Italian, things are actually simpler, because to speak with an Italian accent, you just say the vowels exactly like you see them.
See that first E? Pronounce it like the E in “egg”. Now make it nice and long.
EEEEEEEE
Next, the U. Pronounce it like the OO in “too”. Say it slowly and clearly:
UUUUUUUU
Now put them together:
EEEEEEE – UUUUUUUUU
Try saying them aloud a few times. Take your time and say them in a really slow and exaggerated way to allow your mouth muscles to adapt to the new sounds.
Feeling silly yet? Great, that means you’re on your way to perfect Italian pronunciation! Pronunciation is a practical skill, so you need to learn by doing.
Once you’re used to moving from EEEEE to UUUUU, move them closer together and make the transition quicker:
EEEEE-UUUUU
EEE-UUU
EEUU
EU
That’s it! You’ve already mastered the first (and trickiest) part of the word. Now let’s move onto the last part.
If you can’t roll your Rs in Italian, this sound might seem intimidating at first. But the good news is, you don’t actually need to roll your Rs to pronounce the word euro!
That’s because in Italian there are two R sounds. The double RR, in words like Ferrari, is the rolled one. When you have a single R, like in euro, it’s easy peasy.
In fact, if you can do an American accent, you can already say it!
The Italian single R is the same as the American T in words like ‘water’ or ‘potato’. Try to say ‘potato’ a few times in an American accent:
Potato.
What does the T sound like? What happens to your tongue when you say it?
Potato. Potato.
If you pay close attention, you’ll notice that your tongue flicks up and down really quickly. This is exactly the same as the Italian R!
So now you already know how to make this sound, let’s try it in the word euro.
We’ll start by isolating the last part (TO):
Potato. Potato. Potato… tato, tato, tato, tato… to, to, to, to, to, to.
Remember to keep the “flick” quality of the t, where the tongue bounces up and down quickly. This might feel a bit strange at first because we never say it at the beginning of words in English.
Let’s try that again:
tato, tato, tato, tato, to, to, to, to = RO (in Italian)
You’ve got it! You can say -RO in the word euro.
Now you know how to pronounce each part of the word, all you need to do is put them together.
Let’s come back to our vowels again. Remember how we pronounced each one slowly and carefully?
EEEEE – UUUUUU
Now let’s get them closer together again:
EEEEE-UUUUU
EEE-UUU
EEUU
EU
EU
EU
Perfetto! Next, remember the RO, which actually sounds like the -TO at the end of the word potato?
Potato, potato, potato… tato, tato, tato, tato… to, to, to, to, to
Remember to keep the “flick” quality of the tongue movement. It flicks up and down really quickly:
to, to, to = RO
OK, now let’s put them together:
EEEEUUUU-RO
EEEEUUUU-RO
EEEEUUUU-RO
Once you’re comfortable with each syllable, try speeding up the transition:
EEEUUU-RO
EEUU-RO
EU-RO
EURO
EURO
Sì!! You’ve got it. Don’t worry if the pronunciation feels unnatural or difficult for now, that’s normal when you’re learning pronunciation in a foreign language.
In fact, it’s a sign that you’re doing it right! It takes time to build your mouth muscles and get them used to moving in a new way. Keep practising in short bursts over the next few days and weeks, and you’ll soon start to feel more confident.
Once you’ve mastered the vowels and R sound, you’re pretty much there when it comes to pronouncing euro.
But there’s one last detail to pronounce it like a true Italian: The O sound.
To get it right, it’s important to understand the differences between the English and Italian O. Did you know that the O sound in English is often made up of two sounds? For example, try saying these words aloud:
go, no, so
If you pay close attention, you’ll notice that the vowel is really long, with a little “w” sound at the end:
go(w), no(w), so(w)
In English, we actually say “euro” like this: “euro(w)”. The last syllable sounds like the word “row” as in “row boat”.
Not so in Italian! The “O” is a very short, sharp, clean “O” sound.
Euro, euro, euro, euro
It NEVER sounds like euro(w). Be careful not to add that little “w” sound at the end, because it’s a tell-tale sign of a foreign accent.
To say it like an Italian, keep the last O short and sharp:
Euro, euro, euro, euro.
Now you know how to pronounce euro in Italian, you’re ready to practise using it in some sentences!
Un euro – one euro
Due euro – two euros
Tre euro – three euros
Venti euro – twenty euros
Take your time and focus on pronouncing all the new sounds carefully. Once you’re confident with the slow pronunciation, you can speed up and try saying the word in some longer sentences:
Il caffè costa un euro e dieci – the coffee costs €1.10
Abbiamo pagato un euro e dieci – we paid €1.10
Notice that in Italian we literally say ‘one euro and ten’ – un euro e dieci. It’s a perfect tongue twister to practise the pronunciation of euro!
As you practise saying euro faster and in sentences, you might find yourself slipping back to the English way of saying it. This is normal.
The secret to breaking this pattern is to keep working on it little and often. It took Katie a little patience (and a lot of pratice!) to get it right, but it’s worth it to feel that little more Italian every time you pay for stuff.
Start by getting comfortable with the individual sounds first (E-U-R-O), then practise saying the whole word (EURO). Be patient and give your mouth muscles time to get used to the new Italian positions.
Finally, practice using the word in sentences, being sure to carefully enunciate the sounds as much as you can.
And remember, practice makes perfetto!
To pronounce euro like an Italian, say the vowels like this:
EEE (like the “e” in “egg”)
UUU (like the “oo” in “too”)
The Italian R is the same as the American T sound at the end of “potato”. The tongue flicks up and down really quickly:
Potato… to, to, to
Finally, in English, we often add a little “w” sound to the end of “euro(w)”. In Italian, we don’t. It’s a short, sharp “O”.
EE-UU-RO
E-U-RO
EURO
Euro… you’ve got it! Now check out our quiz to see how much you can remember.
Learn to speak and understand Italian faster by joining the Joy of Languages Italian club! When you sign up, you’ll get:
If you’d like to join us, click here to become a member of our Italian club.
un euro = one euro
il caffè costa un euro e dieci = the coffee costs €1.10
abbiamo pagato un euro e dieci = we paid €1.10
due euro = two euros
tre euro = three euros
venti euro = twenty euros
How much did you learn? Find out in the quiz!
Click here to take the quiz for this episode: Master the Pronunciation of EURO in Italian
Remember the vocabulary from this lesson by downloading the digital flashcards
Not sure how it works? Click here to watch the tutorial
Please note, this is not a word for word transcript.
K: YURO, YURO, EEERO, EEERO
M: Katie. Tutto bene?
K: Yeah, I’m just remembering all the problems I used to have saying the word EURO.
M: Yes it’s hard for Italian learners! It’s kind of similar to English, but not really, and that can lead you to make mistakes.
K: But you don’t need to wait years to get it right, like I did! You just need the tips in this episode, and a little practice.
M: Let’s start with the most important part, the vowels. The mistake I hear most is “YURO”. With a Y at the beginning.
K: Yeah, that’s the mistake I made. Because in English, we have this Y sound: “YOUR-ROW”, so we do it in Italian, too.
M: But in Italian, we say vowels exactly as we see them. EEE – UUU
K: Listen carefully to Matteo and try to pronounce them like he does. We start with EH, like in “egg”. EEEEEEEEE.
M: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
K: Next, the “u”. In Italian, it sounds like the OO in “too” or “boot”. UUUUUUU.
M: UUUUUUUUUUUUUU
K: Let’s put them together.
M: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE – UUUUUUUUUUUUUU
K: Keep enunciating the vowels very carefully, gradually making them shorter and closer together. EEEEEE – UUUUUUUU, EEE – UUUU, EE – UU, EU, EU, EU.
M:
EU (x3).
K: If it feels strange, you’re doing it right! In English we’re not used to having big transitions from one vowel to another, so it’s a gym for the mouth. It takes time for your muscles to adapt.
M: Another mistake I hear is EERO. Without the U.
K: Oh yeah, I used to do that, too! Once we realise the Italian word starts with EH, we tend to leave out the U, because it’s tricky to move from EE to UU. So pay special attention to the U. Not EEEERO, but EUUUUUUURO.
M: Euro
K: Perfetto. Next the R. The good news is, you don’t need to roll your Rs for this one!
M: In Italian there are two R sounds. The double RR, in words like Ferrari, is the rolled one. When you have a single R, like in euro, it’s easier.
K: In fact, if you can do an American accent, you can already pronounce it. The Italian single R is the same as the T in words like water or potato. Apologies for my hammy accent! Try to say potato a few times: Potato. Potato. Potato. What does the t sound like? What happens to your tongue when you say it? Potato. Potato. Potato.
You might notice that your tongue flicks up and down quickly. This is exactly the same as the Italian R.
M: Really?!
K: Yep! To hear it, we just need to isolate the last part of ‘potato’. The “T” “O” at the end:
Potato. Potato. Potato… tato, tato, tato… to, to, to, to, to, to.
M: Ah, that’s clever! That is the same as the RO in euro.
K: Remember to “flick” the tongue up and down really quickly. Let’s try again: Potato. Potato… tato, tato… to, to, to, to, to, to.
M: RO, RO, RO. Perfetto!
K: Now let’s add both parts together. Start with the last part, RO.
M: RO, RO, RO.
K: Next, add the vowels EEE – UUU.
M:
EEEE-UUUU-RO
EEEE-UUUU-RO
EEEE-UUUU-RO
K: Once you’re comfortable with saying the sounds slowly, speed up the transition:
EEE-UUU-RO
EE-UU-RO
E-U-RO
EURO
EURO
EURO
M: That’s it!
EURO (x3)
M: There’s just one last thing that people tend to make mistakes with. The O at the end.
K: Oh yeah! Because the English O almost has a little “w” sound at the end: go(w), no(w), so(w).
M: But not in Italian! The Italian “O” is a very short, sharp “O” sound: O, O, O. Euro, euro, euro
K: The last part NEVER sounds like “row”. It’s RO.
M: O, O, O. EURO, EURO, EURO. I’ve said it so many times, it’s lost all meaning.
K: Don’t worry if the pronunciation still feels tricky, it’s normal! Keep practising in short bursts over the next few days and weeks, and you’ll gradually feel more confident.
M: Then, once you can say euro on its own, you’re ready to practise some sentences!
K: How would you say “one euro”?
M: Un euro.
K: Take your time and enunciate the new sounds carefully. Euro. Then, try saying the word in longer sentences. How would you say “The coffee costs one euro ten”. In Italian, we say “one euro and ten”.
M: Il caffè costa un euro e dieci (x3)
K: Keep focusing on the EEUU, the R and the O. EURO. We paid one euro and ten:
M: Abbiamo pagato un euro e dieci (x3)
K: As you practise saying euro in sentences, you might find yourself slipping back into old habits. This is normal. The secret is to keep working on it, first with the sounds (E-U-RO), then the word (EURO), so your mouth can get used to the new positions. Then try using it in sentences, remembering to enunciate as much as possible.
M: And remember, practice makes perfect!
K: To see everything written down from this lesson, and get bonus materials, like vocabulary cards and a quiz, head to our website by clicking the link in the description, or go to joyoflanguages.com/italianpodcast and search for episode 101.
M: See you next time. Or as we say in Italian.
K, M: Alla prossima!
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Imagine setting off for an exciting holiday – to Italy perhaps, to practise your Italian.
As you’re leaving, your friends and family might say bon voyage!
In English we borrow this French expression that literally means: “good trip”. But what’s Italian for bon voyage?
Wait for it…
BUON VIAGGIO!
It’s remarkably similar to the French expression: bon (buon), voyage (viaggio).
In this post, you’ll learn how to use and pronounce buon viaggio like a native, and pick up a few more phrases that follow this structure, too.
I’m leaving for Italy!
Buon viaggio!
Gotta go, I’ve a plane to catch!
Buon viaggio!
In a similar way to “bon voyage” you can use this word to wish someone well as they’re leaving to go on a trip. If someone says this to you, you can say grazie (thanks) in response.
Buon viaggio!
Grazie!
To pronounce buon viaggio just like the Italians do, there are a couple of common mistakes you should avoid.
Let’s start with buon. It sounds a bit like BWON. Not BON (like in the French “bon voyage”). You need to make a W sound with your lips after the B. Let’s give that a practise:
B-Wo… B-Wo… B-Wo… B-Won… B-Won… Bwon… Buon!
Alternatively, start with the number: “one”, and then add a “b” sound in front:
One… one… b-one… b-one… b-one… buon!
Then there’s viaggio. The trickiest parts are the two “i”s. The first one is like a Y sound: VYA.
Attenzione! It’s not “Via” as in “viaduct”.
It’s VYA…
To get this right, try saying “ya”, like the first part of “yak”, but without the “k”.
Yak… yak… ya… ya…
Then add a “V” sound to the beginning:
Vyak… vyak… vya… vya…
The second “i” is not pronounced. Instead it turns the “g” into a soft “j” sound, like the “j” in the name “Joe”. To say the last part, just say “Joe” but shorten the vowel sound. Not a long “oh” sound, but a short, sharp “o”.
Joe… joe… joe… jo’… jo’… gio… gio!
Finally, since there’s a double -gg- sound, remember to hold that consonant just a little longer. Really take your time with it, and enjoy the sound. Viaggggio.
You might find it helps to imagine a little pause between the two ggs: viag-gio
Let’s put it all together:
B-won vyag-gio… bwon vyag-gio… bwon vyag-gio… buon viaggio!
So, now you know how to say buon viaggio, let’s talk about how this phrase works. Once you understand the logic behind it, you can use it to say lots of different things in Italian!
How does this expression work?
When you think about the literal meaning, it could sound a little strange.
Buon – good
Viaggio – trip
If you didn’t say “bon voyage” in English, you’d have to say “have a good trip” – a whole sentence.
In Italian though, you don’t need those extra words. It works just like the English phrase “good luck!” You don’t need to say “have good luck”, it’s just “good luck”. In the same way, Italians just say buon viaggio. Good trip.
Perhaps you’ve also noticed that it’s buon and not buono. Normally, to say something is good, Italians say buono:
Il caffè è buono – The coffee is good.
But with this expression, buono changes to buon.
Buon viaggio! – Have a good trip!
When buono goes before the word, like in this expression, buono changes to buon.
Here are some more examples:
Buon lavoro – Have a good day at work (good work)
Buon sabato – Have a good Saturday (good saturday)
In this next section you’ll learn more phrases that work in a similar way.
Once you understand how buon viaggio works, you’ll start hearing other expressions that work in a similar way all the time in Italian.
For example, when someone is leaving for a trip, in Italian you can also say:
Buone vacanze!
Here we have buone, rather than buon, because vacanze is plural in Italian. Can you guess what vacanze are literally? It closely resembles its English meaning: “vacation”.
Buone vacanze! – Have a good vacation!
Alternatively, if someone is going back home rather than setting off on their trip, then you can say:
Buon rientro!
That means “have a good trip back”, literally “good return”. You can see that the word rientro looks a bit like “re-entry”, if that helps you remember it.
What about another French expression we know in English? As you’re sitting down for dinner, you might hear someone say “bon appetit” – but how would Italians say this? Just like with “bon voyage”, it’s quite similar to the French:
Buon appetito!
Just remember when you wish someone a good meal in Italian to really pronounce the double “p”s of appetito: ap-petito.
Do you feel you’re getting the hang of these “buon…” expressions? There are lots. On the subject of food, if your friend is about to go and eat or drink something, you could wish them:
Buon pranzo! – Have a nice lunch!
Buon caffè! – Have a nice coffee!
Buona cena! – Have a nice dinner!
Buona pizza! – Have a nice pizza!
Notice that in the last two, we say buona ending in -a because cena and pizza are feminine words.
After a meal, if you’re on holiday in Italy, and you’re going out for a stroll around town, Italians might say:
Buon giro!
The meaning is “have a nice walk”, although literally a giro is a “turn”. Perhaps you can imagine the connection between making a “turn” and wandering around? You can enjoy un giro especially when you’re wandering around a city you don’t know so well.
Or if you’re tired out and off to bed for a rest, they might say:
Buon riposo!
The meaning is: “have a good rest”.
…and the list could go on. As you can probably tell, you can apply this structure to many words in Italian to wish someone well in any kind of situation, whether it’s a trip: buon viaggio, or a meal: buon appetito.
Now you know how to wish someone buon viaggio, as well as many other phrases. Not only that, you understand what it means, and hopefully how to get the pronunciation right too.
If you want to test your knowledge of what you’ve learned, then check out our quiz below.
Good luck! Buona fortuna!
Looking to refresh your memory? Here’s a quick summary of the main points you learned in this lesson:
The Italian for “bon voyage” is buon viaggio.
The first word is buon – which sounds like BWON, with a “W” sound after the “B”.
The second word is viaggio – here, watch out for the two “i” sounds.
And remember to pause on the double G: viag-gio.
Finally, you learned some other phrases that work in a similar way:
Can you remember any others? Feel free to check back through the last section to see the rest, then head over to our quiz to test your memory!
Learn to speak and understand Italian faster by joining the Joy of Languages Italian club! When you sign up, you’ll get:
If you’d like to join us, click here to become a member of our Italian club.
buone vacanze = good holidays / have a good vacation
buon pranzo = good lunch / have a nice lunch
buona cena = good dinner / have a nice dinner
buon caffè= good coffee / have a nice coffee
buona pizza = good pizza / have a nice pizza
buon giro = good walk / have a nice walk
buon riposo = good rest / have a good rest
arrivare = to arrive
prima di = before
cucinare = to cook
mangiare = to eat
partire = to leave
buon viaggio = bon voyage / have a good trip
buon appetito = bon appetit / enjoy your meal
buon rientro = good return / have a good return trip
How much did you learn? Find out in the quiz!
Click here to take the quiz for this episode: What’s Italian for “bon voyage”?
Remember the vocabulary from this lesson by downloading the digital flashcards
Not sure how it works? Click here to watch the tutorial
Please note, this is not a word for word transcript.
K: Ciao a tutti e benvenuti! Hi everyone and welcome to “Learn Italian with Joy of Languages”. Before we get started, did you notice? We’re celebrating our 100th episode!
M: Sììììììì!!!!
K: Grazie a tutti! Thank you for learning Italian with us and supporting this podcast.
M: We hope you’ve learned a lot over the last 100 episodes, and we can’t wait for you to learn more in the next 100!
K: And we have a prize to celebrate. The doors to our online Italian school open this September
M: And we’re giving away a 4-month subscription to one lucky student!
K: To enter, all you need to do is join our online Italian school mailing list. To find out more about the online school and join our mailing list, click the link in the description, or go to courses.joyoflanguages.com/online-italian-school.
M: We’ll let the winner know on September 1st 2023. After a few months of learning Italian in our school, you’ll be ready for your next trip to Italy. And speaking of which, today, we’re talking about how to wish someone a nice trip.
K: In English, we sometimes use the French phrase, bon voyage. What’s bon voyage in Italian?
M: Buon viaggio (x 3)
K: So as you can hear, it’s quite similar to the French one. We have:
M: Buon
K: Which means “good”, and:
M: Viaggio
K: Which means “trip” or “journey”. But how exactly do we use it? Matteo goes to Naples quite a lot, and this is a typical phone conversation we might have when he’s due to come back that day. As you listen, can you spot the expression buon viaggio, or any others that sound similar?
K: A che ora arrivi?
M: Alle 8:00
K: Cucino qualcosa?
M: Nooooo, mangio un’altra pizza prima di partire.
K: Certo! Allora buon appetito. E buon viaggio!
K: At the end, you heard our expression buon viaggio. But what did the rest of the conversation mean? First, we’ll break it down word for word, then you’ll learn how to use and pronounce the phrase buon viaggio, just like Italians do.
I asked Matteo:
M: A che ora arrivi?
K: What time do you arrive? Literally:
M: A – at
che – what
ora – hour
arrivi? – you arrive?
K: And he replied:
M: Alle 8:00 – at 8 o’clock.
K: And if you need some help telling the time in Italian, you can check out episode 31.
Next I asked:
M: Cucino qualcosa?
K: Shall I cook something? Literally:
Cucino – I cook
Qualcosa – something
K: An extra thing to notice here is how we often use the present tense to talk about the future in Italian:
M: cucino
K: I’ll cook, literally “I cook”. Matteo doesn’t seem very enthusiastic about this idea…
M: Noooo, mangio un’altra pizza prima di partire.
K: No, I’ll eat another pizza before leaving. Literally:
M: No – no
mangio – I eat
un’altra – another
pizza – pizza
prima di – before
partire – parting
K: To say “before doing something”, it’s
M: Prima di
K: You need that extra di in Italian that doesn’t appear in English. Before leaving:
M: Prima di partire
K: Notice how “leaving”, partire sounds a lot like “part”
M: Partire. Prima di partire.
K: Unbelievable. I offered to cook for Matteo, but he decided he’d prefer to have another pizza in Naples rather than face my cooking. Understandable really, I’d do the same.
M: Eh, sì.
K: In fact, I replied:
M: Certo!
K: Of course!
Allora – well
buon appetito – bon appetit, literally “good appetite”.
K: Here’s another French phrase we sometimes use in English: bon appetit. Which is like saying: “have a good meal”, or “enjoy your meal”. In Italian once again it’s:
M: Buon appetito
K: Notice how the double P sound is much longer in Italian.
M: ap-petito
K: You’ve got to really enjoy that P sound!
M: ap-petito
K: Here we see this structure with buon. In Italian, we don’t say “have a good meal” or “enjoy your meal”.
M: In Italian, it’s really simple. We just say “good”, buon!
K: So to say “have a good meal”, or “enjoy your meal”, we literally say “good appetite”
…
M: Buon appetito!
K: Finally I said:
M: E buon viaggio
K: And have a good journey
M: E – and
Buon – good
Viaggio – trip
K: Another structure with “buon”. To say have a good journey, or enjoy your journey, we literally say “good journey”:
…
M: Buon viaggio!
K: Let’s move onto pronunciation, because there are a couple of details to pay close attention to. First, there’s:
M: Buon
K: It sounds like there’s a W sound there:
M: B-www-on
K: Not like “bon” of the French “bon voyage”. In Italian, it’s:
M: Buon
K: To say this word correctly, try saying “one”, as in the number “one”:
M: One
K: And then add a B sound before it: B-one, b-one, b-one… then get fast… bb-one… b-one… b-one… buon, buon, buon!
M: Buon (x 3)
K: Then we had viaggio, which has two unusual “i” sounds. Viaggio is spelt: V – I – A – G – G – I – O. The first I, directly after “v” is like a “y”
M: Vya
K: Imagine you’re saying “yak”, as in the big hairy animal: “Yak”. Then cut the “k” off the end, “ya”, “ya”, then add a “v” sound to the beginning. Vya, Vya, Vya…
M: Vya (x 3)
K: The “v” kind of slides into the “a” sound. It doesn’t make two syllables, like “via”. It’s just “vya”.
M: Vya
K: The last part of the word is spelt G – I – O. This second “i” sound, after the “g”, actually isn’t pronounced. It just makes the “g” a soft “j” sound, like in the word job. In fact, to say the last part of viaggio, try saying the word “job”.Then remove the b. Job, job, job, jo, jo, jo.
K: Another common pronunciation mistake is to say Joe, with a long oh sound. In Italian, it’s gio.
M: gio.
K: The last common mistake is to pronounce the “i” and say JEE-OH. But actually it’s JO.
M: Giò (x 3)
K: Let’s try and say the whole word together: viaggio.
M: viaggio (x 3)
K: The last thing to bear in mind is the double “g” consonant. Just like the “p” of
M: appetito
K: You should linger on the “g” sound:
M: viag-gio
K: You can even think of it like a little pause in between the two g-g’s. That often helps.
M: viag-gio (x 3)
K: Let’s put it all together!
M: Buon viaggio (x3)
K: Perfect! Thanks Matteo, it’s always good to have you back, once you’ve had your fill of pizzas…
M: Ah, yes when someone’s coming back from holiday you can also say buon rientro
K: Like “good return”, literally.
M: Buon rientro (x 3)
K: There are actually loads of phrases that work just like buon viaggio. Do you remember the other one we heard today?
M: Buon appetito
K: And now also:
M: Buon rientro
K: You can learn more of these over on the blog, but first, let’s listen to the conversation one more time:
K: A che ora arrivi?
M: Alle 8:00
K: Cucino qualcosa?
M: Nooooo, mangio un’altra pizza prima di partire.
K: Certo! Allora buon appetito. E buon viaggio!
K: So, now you know how to say buon viaggio, as well as a few other phrases!
M: And it’s not just buon viaggio and buon appetito. You can use this kind of expression in many contexts in Italian.
K: If you’re curious to learn a few more of these expressions with buon, don’t miss our blog post on this topic. There, you’ll also see everything from this lesson written down, and get bonus materials, like vocabulary cards and a quiz. Head over to our website, joyoflanguages.com/italianpodcast and search for [episode 100].
M: Ah, and don’t forget the prize for our 100th episode!
K: Our online Italian school is opening in September, and you can find out more by going to courses.joyoflanguages.com/online-italian-school/ or clicking on the link in the description. And if you join our newsletter, you’ll also be in with a chance of winning a 4-month subscription, from September to December.
M – See you next time.
K – Or as we say in Italian.
Alla prossima!
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