Teresa L. Picarazzi

Cheat Sheet / Updated 11-02-2023

As you're studying Italian, either on your own or in a course, keep this Cheat Sheet handy for a quick reference on articles, personal pronouns, tenses, and more.

Article / Updated 05-18-2023

Learning numbers and counting in Italian isn't complicated. In fact, the Italians follow many of the same patterns that we do in English. There are a few differences, but it's when it comes to numbers and counting in Italian, it's really just a question of memorizing. In Italian, as in English, there is a unique number from 0 – 16. After that they add the next number to the tens, making one word. So, 17, is the word for 10 followed by the word for 7 and so on. Numbers 1 to 19 in Italian uno 1 due 2 tre 3 quattro 4 cinque 5 sei 6 sette 7 otto 8 nove 9 dieci 10 undici 11 dodici 12 tredici 13 quattordici 14 quindici 15 sedici 16 diciassette 17 diciotto 18 diciannove 19 For the numbers in the twenties, thirties, forties, and so on, just add the number to the tens, with the exception of when you add a 1 or an 8. For these two numbers, drop the final "–i." For example, venti (20), ventuno (21), ventidue (22), venticinque (25), ventotto (28). See? It's not ventiuno or ventiotto. Numbers 20 to 99 in Italian venti 20 ventuno 21 ventidue 22 trenta 30 trentuno 31 quaranta 40 quarantuno 41 cinquanta 50 sessanta 60 settanta 70 ottanta 80 novanta 90 When you add the tre, the -e takes an accent: ventitrè. Larger numbers in Italian follow the same formula. Numbers 100 and higher in Italian 100 cento 101 centuno 102 centodue 150 centocinquanta 1,000 mille 2,000 duemila In Italian, large numbers are said in the same order that we use for English. For example, 1916 would be 1916 (millenovecentosedici) (literally: one thousand, nine hundred, and sixteen). The following phrases can help you when talking about numbers. Quanti anni hai? (How old are you?) Ho ventitrè anni. (I'm 23 years old.) Quanto viene? (How much does it come to?) Sei euro sessanta. (6 euros and 60 cents.) Quanto è per una camerasingola? (How much is it for a single room?) Centoventi euro. (120 Euros)

Article / Updated 03-15-2023

By mastering the basics of conversation in Italian, you put yourself and the person you're talking to at ease. Everyone should learn essential Italian conversational words and phrases before traveling to Italy. These words and expressions are sure to come up in most everyday conversations. Courteous phrases Being polite is just as important in Italy as anywhere else in this world. The following words and phrases cover most of the pleasantries required for polite conversation. After all, learning to say the expressions of common courtesy in Italian before traveling is just good manners. sì (yes) no (no) per favore; per piacere; per cortesia (please) Grazie (Thank you) Molte grazie (Thank you very much.) Prego! (You're welcome!) Si figuri! (It's nothing.) Mi scusi. (Excuse me.) prego (by all means) Può ripetere, per cortesia? (Can you please repeat.) Personal pronouns Once you've mastered the common pleasantries, the next important thing to learn is how to refer to people. The most common way is by using personal pronouns. In Italian, the pronouns (you and they) are complicated by gender and formality. You'll use slightly different variations of these words depending to whom you are referring and how well you know them. Io (I) lui (he) lei (she) noi (we) tu (you [singular]) lei (you [singular/formal]) voi (you (plural/informal]) loro (you (plural/formal]) loro (they) Use the informal tu (singular you) and voi (plural you) for friends, relatives, younger people, and people you know well. Use the formal lei (singular you) when speaking to people you don't know well; in situations such as in stores, restaurants, hotels, or pharmacies); and with professors, older people, and your friends' parents. The formal loro (plural you) is rarely used and is gradually being replaced by the informal voi when addressing a group of people. References to people When meeting people in Italy, be sure to use the appropriate formal title. Italians tend to use titles whenever possible. Use the Lei form when using any of the following titles. A man would be called Signore, which is the same as Mr. or Sir. An older or married woman is called Signora and a young lady is called Signorina. It is also helpful to know the correct vocabulary term for referring to people based on their age, gender, or relationship to you. uomo (a man) donna (a woman) ragazzo (a boy) ragazza (a girl) bambino [M]; bambina [F] (a child) padre (a father) madre (a mother) figlio [M]; figlia [F] (child) fratello (a brother) sorella (a sister) marito (a husband) moglie (a wife) amico [M]; amica [F] (a friend) In Italian, there are four words to cover the English indefinite articles a and an. For masculine words, you would use uno if the word begins with a z or an s and a consonant and you would use un for the rest. For feminine words, you should use 'un for words beginning with a vowel and una for words beginning with a consonant. Phrases for travelers There are some Italian phrases that are particularly helpful to international travelers. Below are several phrases may come in handy during your stay in Italy. Mi scusi. (Excuse me. [Formal]) Non parlo bene l'italiano. (I don't speak Italian well.) Parla inglese? (Do you speak English? [Formal]) Parlo inglese. (I speak English.) Mi sono perso. [M]; Mi sono persa. [F] (I'm lost.) Sto cercando il mio albergo. (I'm looking for my hotel.) Sì, lo so. (Yes, I know.) Non lo so. (I don't know.) Non so dove sia. (I don't know where it is.) Non capisco. (I don't understand.) Capisco, grazie. (I understand, thanks.) Può ripetere, per cortesia? (Can you repeat, please? [Formal]) È bello. (It's beautiful.) È bellissimo. (It's very beautiful.) Vado a casa. (I'm going home.) Domani visitiamo Venezia. (We'll visit Venice tomorrow.) Due cappuccini, per favore. (Two cappuccinos, please.) Non lo so. (I don't know.) Non posso. (I can't.) Non potevo. (I couldn't.) Non lo faccio. (I won't do it.) Non dimenticare! (Don't forget!) Lei non mangia la carne. (She doesn't eat meat.) Non siamo americani. (We aren't American.) Il caffè non è buono. (The coffee isn't good.) Non è caro! (It's not expensive!) It's possible to use more than one negative in a sentence. For example, you may say Non capisce niente (He/she doesn't understand anything). Generally, you may just put non in front of your verb to negate your sentence, such as m'ama non m'ama (he/she loves me, he/she loves me not). Common places and locations It is also helpful to know the correct vocabulary for some of the common places or locations that you might need or want while traveling in Italy. banca (bank) città (city) il consolato Americano (American consulate) il ristorante (restaurant) in campagna (in the country) in città (in the city) in montagna (in the mountains) l'albergo (hotel) l'ospedale (hospital) la casa (house) la polizia (police) la stazione dei treni (train station) metropolitana (subway) museo (museum) negozio (store) paese (country) spiaggia (beach) stato (state) ufficio (office)

Article / Updated 02-09-2023

Whether you're on a short visit to an Italian-speaking country or you're planning to take up residence in Italy itself, knowing how to order food in Italian is essential. Eating out can be a lot of fun, especially if you know some basic vocabulary. The Italian bar is really what Americans would call a café. There you can get breakfast (coffee and a pastry), snacks, sandwiches, and salty snacks to accompany your before-dinner drink. assegno (ahs-seh-nyoh) [m] (check) pagare (pah-gah-reh) (to pay) soldi (sohl-dee) [m/pl] (money) In Italian-speaking countries, as in most of the rest of the world, there are three meals a day: colazione (koh-lah-tsee-oh-neh) [f] (breakfast), pranzo (prahn-tsoh) [m] (lunch), and cena (cheh-nah) [f] (dinner). The following phrases might help you when you're eating at a restaurant. Vorrei prenotare. (I’d like to make a reservation.) Per che ora? (For what time?) Per quante persone? (For how many people?) No, non abbiamo prenotato. (No, we don’t have a reservation.) Ci porti il conto, per favore. [Formal] (Bring us the check, please.) Here are some food items you can order: antipasti (ahn-tee-pahs-tee) [m] (appetizers) carne (kahr-neh) [f] (meat) cioccolata (choh-koh-lah-tah) [f] (chocolate) formaggio (fohr-mahj-joh) [m] (cheese) fragola (frah-goh-lah) [f] (strawberry) frutta (froot-tah) [f] (fruit) gelato (jeh-lah-toh) [m] (ice cream) insalata (een-sah-lah-tah) [f] (salad) pane (pah-neh) [m] (bread) pesce (peh-cheh) [m] (fish) riso (ree-zoh) [m] (rice) sale (sah-leh) [m] (salt) verdura (vehr-doo-reh) [f] (vegetables) The following phrases can help you place your drink order. Un caffè, per favore. (A coffee, please.) Un bicchiere di latte caldo (A glass of warm milk) Una cioccolata calda (A hot chocolate) Tre birre (Three beers) Un bicchiere di acqua minerale (A glass of mineral water) Liscia o gassata? (Flat or carbonated?) Un panino, per favore. (I’ll have a sandwich, please.) Lo scontrino, per favore. (Receipt, please.) Due cappuccini, per favore. (Two cappuccinos, please.) Here are some drink items you can order acqua (ahk-koo-ah) [f] (water) vino (vee-noh) [m] (wine) bere (beh-reh) (to drink) birra (beer-rah) [f] (beer) caffè (kahf-feh) [m] (coffee) latte (laht-teh) [m] (milk) You might want to use the following adjectives to when giving your cameriere/cameriera (waiter/waitress) your food or drink order: calda/o (kahl-dah/doh) [f/m] (warm; hot) fredda/o (frehd-dah/doh) [f] (cold) dolce (dohl-cheh) [m/f] (sweet) grande (grahn-deh) [m/f] (big; tall; large) piccola/o (peek-koh-lah/loh) [f/m] (small; short) Italians don’t drink cappuccino after breakfast time.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-24-2022

The Italian language is adapting to the rhythms of modern life with the introduction of new idioms and the construction of simpler, more concise sentences and paragraphs. The basic rules of the Italian language, however, stay the same. Despite the ongoing transformation of the language, these rules remain the foundation that stabilizes it. Here are a few Italian fundamentals that you don't want to miss if you want to communicate in Italian.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 01-19-2022

Planning a trip to Italy? Learn some basic Italian to make it more fulfilling. Get to know Italian greetings, question words, numbers, and the days of the week. Also, be sure to know how to ask for help in Italian so you're prepared for emergencies. And something very important: how to order food and drink!

Article / Updated 10-01-2021

When traveling in Italy, you'll find that the Italian words and phrases you use most frequently will be the common greetings. The words and phrases will quickly become second nature as you use them day in and day out with everyone you come across. Saying hello and goodbye As you'd expect, you should use a polite greeting when you run into someone you know or want to know. But it's important to use the correct greeting depending on who the person is. So, you would use a different word for greeting your friend than you would for greeting your boss or teacher. The most common ways to greet someone in Italian are: Ciao (hello; hi [Informal]) Ciao! is the most common way of saying hello and goodbye informally. You should never use it with someone like a boss or a teacher or anyone else with whom you're using Lei (the formal version of you). Salve! (Hi; Bye [Formal/Informal]) Che piacere vederti! (How nice it is to see you! [Informal]) Buongiorno! (Hello; Good morning; Goodbye [Formal]) Buona sera! (Hello; Good evening; Goodbye [Formal]) Use the longer Buon giorno and Buona sera in more formal situations, like when you enter a store. There are also many ways to say goodbye: Ciao! (Hi; Bye [Informal]) Salve! (Hi; Bye [Formal/Informal]) Ciao! Ciao! (Bye-bye!) Buon giorno! (Hello; Good morning; Goodbye [Formal]) Buona sera! (Hello; Good evening; Goodbye [Formal]) Buona notte! (Good night! [Formal/Informal]) Use Buona notte! only when its bedtime and when you're taking leave of people at night and you think that everyone is going to bed. Arrivederci! (Goodbye! [Informal]) Arrivederla! (Goodbye! [Formal]) A dopo! (See you later! [Formal/Informal]) A presto! (See you soon! [Formal/Informal]) A domani! (See you tomorrow! [Formal/Informal]) A fra poco. (See you in a bit.) Cheek kissing is another common type of greeting in Italy, as it is in most European countries. However, in Italy, cheek kissing is reserved for greeting people you know well and is less common among men. To avoid bumping noses, the rule is to kiss left cheek first and then the right. When you meet someone for the first time, handshakes are much more common. As you get to know the other person, you move more into cheek-kissing territory. Asking and replying to "How are you?" How are you? How's it going? How many times a day do we hear or say these brief greetings at the beginning of our conversations? So many times, in fact, that half the time, we don't even pay attention. These pleasantries are common in Italy as well. The most common ways to ask how someone is doing are: Come stai? (How are you? [Informal]) Come sta? (How are you? [Formal]) As you'd expect, when someone asks you how you're doing, there are many responses. Sto bene! (I'm well!) Molto bene, grazie. (Very well, thanks.) Abbastanza bene, grazie. (Pretty well, thanks.) Non c'è male. (Pretty well, thanks.) Sto bene grazie, e tu? (I'm well, thanks, and you? [Informal]) Sto bene, grazie, e Lei? (I'm well, thanks, and you? [Formal]) Non sto bene.; Sto male. (I'm not well.) Malissimo! (Not well at all!) Va bene. (Things are going well.) Va tutto bene. (Everything's going well.) Va benissimo! (Things are going great!) Va male. (Things aren't going well.) Così così. (So so.) Non mi posso lamentare. (I can't complain.) Benissimo! (Great!) How to address people Italians like titles and tend to use them whenever possible. When addressing someone without using his or her last name, use the entire title as it's listed here. But when you add the person's last name to the title, you drop the final -e in the title. Use the Lei form when using any of the following titles: Miss (Signorina) Mrs.; Madam (Signora) Mister; Sir (Signore) professore [M]; professoressa [F] (professor) ingegnere (engineer) dottore [M]; dottoressa [F] (doctor) In Italian, dottore is used if the person has a university degree even though it's not a medical degree.

Article / Updated 01-13-2020

Learning the proper way to make introductions in Italian can help you get off to the right start. The Italian language tends to be a bit more formal than American English. Consequently, introductions in Italian follow more of a pattern than they sometimes do in the United States. Don't worry, it’s not complicated — just good manners. Introducing yourself First impressions are important — they can start a friendship or set the tone for your interaction with someone. Start with a greeting. The simplest greeting is Ciao or Buon giorno, which means Hello or Good Day. Introduce yourself. The two most common ways to introduce are to say Mi chiamo Name (My name is Name) or Sono Name (I'm Name). Since you are meeting the person for the first time, you should use the more formal form of you. Use the formal Lei (singular you) when speaking to people you don't know well; in situations such as in stores, restaurants, hotels, or pharmacies); and with professors, older people, and your friends' parents. Save the informal tu (singular you) and voi (plural you) for friends, relatives, younger people, and people you know well. The formal Loro (plural you) is rarely used and is gradually being replaced by the informal voi when addressing a group of people: Come ti/si chiami? (What's your name? [Informal]) Lei come si chiama? (What's your name? [Formal]) After they tell you their name you should express pleasure. For example. Piacere! (Nice to meet you!) Piacere di conoscerla (Pleased to meet you.) Asking "Where are you from?" You don't need to stop at introductions; you could also take this opportunity to talk about where each of you is from. To tell them where you're from, say Sono degli Stati Uniti. (I'm from the United States.) To ask where the person is from, you can say: Di dove sei? (Where are you from? [Informal]) Di dov'è Lei? (Where are you from? [Formal]) If you want to talk about where you live on the other hand, you can use the verbs abita or vivere — both of which mean to live: In quale città abita? (What city do you live in?) Lei abita qui? (Do you live here?) Dove vive? (Where do you live?) Vivo a Los Angeles. (I live in Los Angeles.) Introducing other people The second most common type of introduction is to introduce someone else, such as your spouse, child, or friend. The following phrases are typical of introducing someone else. Permette che mi presenti mia moglie? (May I introduce my wife?) Permette che mi presenti mio fidanzato, Antonio? (May I introduce my fiancé, Antonio?) Le/ti presento un amico mi, James. (This is my friend, James. [F/M]) Put the steps together and see how it comes together in a conversation. Larry: Buongiorno. Mi chiamo Larry. Lei come si chiama? (Hello. My name is Larry. What's your name?) Maria: Sono Maria. (I'm Maria.) Larry: Piacere di conoscerla. (It's a pleasure to meet you.) Maria: E lei. (And you.) Larry: Lei abitaqui? (Do you live here?) Maria: Sì. Di dov'è Lei? (Yes. Where are you from?) Larry: Sono degli Stati Unit. Vivo a Los Angeles. (I'm from the United States. I live in Los Angeles.) Maria: Permette che mi presenti mio fidanzato, Antonio? (May I introduce my fiancé, Antonio?) Larry: Piacere! (Nice to meet you!)

Article / Updated 01-13-2020

When making plans, appointments, and travel arrangements in Italian-speaking countries, you need to be able to state dates and other calendar terms in Italian. Understanding the days of the week, the months of the year, and how to tell time in Italian can help you to avoid confusion. Calendar terms The days of the week (I giorni della settimana) aren't capitalized in Italian. lunedì (loo-neh-dee) (Monday) martedì (mahr-teh-dee) (Tuesday) mercoledì (mehr-koh-leh-dee) (Wednesday) giovedì (zhoh-veh-dee) (Thursday) venerdì (veh-nehr-dee) (Friday) sabato (sah-bah-toh) (Saturday)O domenica (doh-meh-nee-kah) (Sunday) Like the days of the week, the months of the year (I mesi della anno) aren't capitalized in Italian.) gennaio (jehn-nah-yoh) (January) febbraio (fehb-brah-yoh) (February) marzo (mahr-tsoh) (March) aprile (ah-pree-leh) (April) maggio (mahj-joh) (May) giugno (joo-nyoh) (June) luglio (loo-lyoh) (July) agosto (ah-gohs-toh) (August) settembre (seht-tehm-breh) (September) ottobre (oht-toh-breh) (October) novembre (noh-vehm-breh) (November) dicembre (dee-chehm-breh) (December) Italians write dates in a different order than we do. Start with the day, then the month, and then the year. For example, to express January 08, 2009, you would write 8/1/09 instead of 1/8/09. If you write it 1/8/09, it would be assumed you were talking about August. You can use the following phrases when discussing dates in Italian. Che giorno è oggi? (What day is today?) Oggi è venerdì. (Today is Friday.) Che giorno parti? [Informal]; Che giorno parte? [Formal] (What day are you leaving?) Parto lunedì. (I'm leaving on Monday.) In che mese vai in Italia? [Informal] (What month are you going to Italy?) Ad agosto. (In August.) Quando è il tuo compleanno? [Informal] (When's your birthday?) Il sette novembre. (November 7.) Che giorno è oggi? (What's the date?) É il cinque settembre. (It's September 5.) Telling time The time of day can be described in general terms or specific times. You can use the follow words to describe time in a general sense. di mattina (in the morning) del pomeriggio (in the afternoon) di sera (in the evening) di notte (in the middle of the night [until about5 a.m. or so]) giorno (johr-noh) [m] (day) ieri (ee-eh-ree) (yesterday) domani (doh-mah-nee) (tomorrow) mezzogiorno (noon) mezzanotte (midnight) oggi (today) Telling time in Italian is really just a question of counting. Italy commonly uses a 24-hour clock. When using a 24-hour clock, just add 12 to every hour after noon, for example 6 p.m. becomes 18. When you want to know a specific time of day, you can ask Che ore sono? (What time is it?). When expressing time between the hours, say the hour + minute, for example, e un quarto (and a quarter), e ventitrè (and 23), e mezzo (thirty). When you get past the half hour, start going the other say the number of minutes until the next hour, for example, say meno un quarto (a quarter to) and meno dieci (ten minutes to). You can use the following phrases as a guide when talking about time in Italian. É l'una. (It's 1 a.m.) É l'una e dieci. (It's 1:10 a.m.) É mezzogiorno. (It's noon.) É mezzogiorno e mezzo. (It's 12:30 p.m.) É mezzanotte. (It's midnight.) Sono le due. (It's 2 a.m.) Sono le due e un quarto. (It's 2:15 a.m.) Sono le quindici. (It's 3 p.m.) Sono le ventidue meno dieci. (It's 9:50 p.m.) In Italian, 9:50 p.m. is spoken as ventidue meno dieci. (9:50 p.m.) However, informally, it is usually written as 9,50. Notice that the colon has been replaced with a comma. A che ora parte il treno? (At what time does the train leave?) Parte all'una. (It leaves at 1.) A che ora inizia l'opera? (At what time does the opera begin?) Inizia alle venti. (It begins at 8 p.m.) A che ora chiude l'ostello? (At what time does the hostel close?) Chiude a mezzanotte e mezzo. (It closes at 12:30 a.m.)

Article / Updated 05-01-2017

Knowing Italian greetings can make a good impression, whether you're speaking Italian for business or while traveling. The Italian culture places importance on introductions and salutations as it is often considered a foundational way of showing respect. There are different expressions you can use depending on if the situation is formal (business meeting) or informal (meeting someone at a restaurant). Offer polite greetings to friends and associates or as a way to break the ice when meeting new people. Practice using these common Italian greetings: Buongiorno! (bwohn-johr-noh) (Hello! and Good morning!) Arrivederci! (ahr-ree-veh-dehr-chee) (Goodbye!) (Formal) Ciao! (chou) (Hello! and Good-bye!) (Informal) Salve! (sahl-veh) (Hello! and Good-bye!) (Neutral) Buonasera! (bwoh-nah-seh-rah) (Good afternoon! Good evening!) (Formal) Buonanotte! (bwoh-nah-noht-teh) (Good night!) (Informal) Come si chiama? (koh-meh see kyah-mah) (What is your name?) (Formal) Come ti chiami? (koh-meh tee kyah-mee) (What is your name?) (Informal) Mi chiamo…(mee kyah-moh) (My name is. . .) Come sta? (koh-meh stah) (How are you?) (Formal) Come stai? (koh-meh stahy) (How are you?) (Informal) Bene, grazie. (beh-neh grah-tsee-eh) (Fine, thank you.)