Italian is an acknowledged language of beauty and tradition. Learning some short and common phrases can help you ease your way in conversation or business transactions.
Italian folk sayings, or proverbs, have withstood the test of time and are still being repeated as nuggets of wisdom. Fortunately, many of them have been translated into English.
Greetings
Some basic greetings in Italian include:
Buongiorno: Good morning
Buona giomata: Good day
Buonasera: Good evening
Buonanotte: Good night
Benvenuto: Welcome
Ciao: Hello
Ciao: Goodbye
Expressions of Politeness
To ease the way in everyday situations, use these polite phrases:
Grazie: Thank you.
Prego: You're welcome.
Per favore or per placere: Please
Scusi: Excuse me. (formal)
Scusa: Excuse me. (informal)
Ecco: Here you are!
Buon viaggio: Have a good trip.
Mi dispiace: I'm sorry.
Expressions of Understanding
You can use these phrases for any language. Just change "Inglese" (English) to the Italian name of the language you are asking about, such as "Portoghese" for Portuguese, "Spagnolo" for Spanish or "Arabo" for Arabic.
Parli Inglese?: Do you speak English?
Parlo Inglese: I speak English.
Non parlo Inglese: I don't speak English.
Parlo un po d'Inglese: I speak a little English.
Capisci?: Do you understand me?
Capisco: I understand.
Ti capisco: I understand you.
Everyday Phrases
You might use these phrases in everyday conversations:
Come va?: How are you doing?
Benissimo: I'm doing very well.
Bene: I'm well.
Tutto bene: I'm okay.
Non molto bene: I'm not doing so well.
Accettate cartas di credito?: Do you accept credit cards?
How much is it?: Quanto costa?
Vorrei pagare in contanti: I want to pay cash.
Proverbs
Italians have a rich store of proverbs, those pithy one-liners that can sum up a situation in just a few words, and are so accurate that they're handed down from one generation to another. Here are a few of them:
"The liar needs a good memory."
"When everybody says you are drunk, go to sleep."
"He who does not when he can, cannot when he will."
"Better one day as a lion than a hundred as a sheep."
"He who begins many things finishes but few."
"A happy heart is better than a full purse."
"A hair of the dog cures the bite."
"A shut mouth catches no flies."
"A thousand probabilities do not make one truth."
"All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of yesterday."
"After the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box."
