You don't need a textbook to start speaking Italian — you need about 30 words that actually get used. The ones that come up ordering a coffee, checking into a hotel, or chatting with the owner of a small trattoria who wants to know where you're from. This lesson gives you exactly that: basic Italian phrases for real situations, plus the greetings Italians use every single day.
Italian is spoken by over 60 million people in Italy, and it's the language behind some of the world's favorite food, music and cinema. That reputation isn't an accident — Italians genuinely light up when a visitor makes the effort, even a clumsy one. Say grazie instead of "thank you" at a market stall, and you'll often get a warmer smile, a better recommendation, or a little extra on your plate.
Below you'll find two sets of phrases with pronunciation, so you can start using them today. Italian spelling is refreshingly logical — almost every word is pronounced the way it's written — which makes it one of the friendlier languages for a true beginner to pick up fast.
Basic Everyday Phrases
Yes
Sì
No
No
Please
Per favore
Thank you
Grazie
You are welcome
Prego
Excuse me
Mi scusi
Sorry
Mi dispiace
I don’t understand
Non capisco
Do you speak English?
Parla inglese?
Can you help me?
Può aiutarmi?
How old are you?
Quanti anni hai?
I am 20.
Ho 20 anni.
What is your name?
Come si chiama?
My name is Maria.
Mi chiamo Maria.
Where are you from?
Di dove sei?
I am from England.
Vengo dall'Inghilterra.
Nice to meet you.
Piacere.
Is everything okay?
Va tutto bene?
Help!
Aiuto!
Call the police!
Chiami la polizia!
Practice these words
Sì
Quick notes:
- Mi scusi is the polite, formal version of "excuse me." With friends or people your age, scusa works fine.
- Piacere literally means "pleasure" — it's the short, natural way to say "nice to meet you" without a full sentence.
- Double consonants matter in Italian: Sonno (sleep) and sono (I am) are different words. Say them slightly longer when you see them doubled, like in Grazie.
Basic Greetings
Good morning
Buongiorno
Good afternoon
Buon pomeriggio
Good evening
Buonasera
Hello
Ciao
Goodbye
Arrivederci
How are you?
Come stai?
I’m good, thank you. And you?
Sto bene, grazie. E tu?
Have a nice day!
Buona giornata!
Practice these words
Buongiorno
Quick notes:
- Ciao is for people you know or anyone your age — friendly and casual. Use buongiorno or salve with strangers, shopkeepers, or anyone older, especially the first time you speak to them.
- Buongiorno covers the whole morning and often stretches into early afternoon. Buon pomeriggio exists but is rarely said out loud — Italians just keep using buongiorno longer than the clock suggests.
- Buonasera starts surprisingly early, often from mid-afternoon onward. If a shop owner greets you with it at 4pm, that's completely normal.
What Makes These Phrases Different in Italian
The first thing beginners notice is how formal and informal address split the language in two. Tu is for friends, family, children and people your own age. Lei is for everyone else — a waiter, a hotel receptionist, an older stranger — and it changes the verb ending, which is why Come stai? (informal) becomes Come sta? (formal). Getting this wrong isn't a disaster, but switching to tu too early can come across as overly familiar, especially with older Italians.
The second thing worth knowing is that Italian rewards enthusiasm as much as accuracy. Tone, hand gestures and a warm grazie mille ("thanks a million") go a long way toward covering small mistakes in grammar. Italians are used to hearing their language spoken with an accent, and effort is almost always met with patience — sometimes even a short Italian lesson thrown in for free by whoever you're talking to.