{"id":16522,"date":"2015-10-20T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-10-20T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/?p=16522"},"modified":"2021-10-28T16:33:25","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T16:33:25","slug":"10-italian-phrases-for-your-trip-to-italy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/10-italian-phrases-for-your-trip-to-italy\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Italian phrases for your trip to Italy"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve always thought that Italian was a beautiful language. I studied it throughout school and have a grandmother who speaks it fluently. But it wasn\u2019t until landing in Italy<\/a>\u00a0that I began to realize how the language is actually spoken in everyday life. <\/p>\n

Like in most countries, sayings vary from region to region, but there are certain phrases that are essential to get you through your adventures in the bel paese<\/em>. From transportation<\/a>\u00a0and restaurant lingo to where to find the toilet, here my top 10 Italian phrases to know.<\/p>\n

1. \u201cGrazie mille.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>You probably know the word <\/span>grazie<\/em> (pronounced grah-zi-e) which means \u201cthank you.\u201d But <\/span>grazie mille<\/em>\u00a0means \u201cthank you so much,\u201d and can be used to thank your waiter after a delicious meal, the hotel concierge for their service, or in any other situation where you would like to express your gratitude.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. \u201cDov\u2019\u00e8 il bagno?\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>When you\u2019ve really got to go, it\u2019s not an ideal time to be fumbling through your pocket vocabulary book to figure out the correct way to say, \u201cWhere\u2019s the bathroom?\u201d The correct way to ask for the toilet is <\/span>dov\u2019\u00e8 il bagno<\/em> (with a silent g<\/em>). Speaking of the toilet, many public restrooms in Italy require a small fee to enter, so always have about \u20ac0.50 set aside in your wallet. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Viewfinder Tip: You are not required to tip at restaurants in Italy, as the service charge is usually already part of the bill. However, I always leave a tip for excellent service.<\/p>\n

3. \u201cUn caff\u00e8, per favore.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>Brewed, American-style coffee does not exist in Italy<\/a>. When you order <\/span>un caff\u00e8<\/em>?,<\/span> you are ordering an espresso, and it will be a delicious one. On the subject of coffee in Italy, ordering a cappuccino or latte after breakfast is considered a no-no, so stick to espresso!<\/span><\/p>\n

4. \u201cSono [your first name].\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0This is the correct way to introduce yourself to someone you are meeting for the first time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

5. \u201cPiacere.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>When you are introduced to someone Italian, they will usually also say\u00a0<\/span>piacere<\/em>, which is the Italian equivalent of \u201cnice meeting you.\u201d Using this phrase will definitely give you some street credibility with your new Italian <\/span>amici<\/em>!<\/span><\/p>\n

6. \u201cUn biglietto, per favore.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>Whether you are taking the train or the bus, you should simply ask for one ticket\u2014<\/span>un biglietto.\u00a0<\/em>You may be asked if your trip is <\/span>andata e ritorno,<\/em> which means round-trip, or <\/span>senso unico<\/em>, or one-way.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. \u201cQuanto costa?\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>If you would like to know the price of anything in Italy you can simply ask\u00a0q<\/em><\/span>uanto costa<\/em>;<\/span>\u00a0i<\/span>f you are asking the price of more than one thing or a pair, the plural equivalent is <\/span>quanto costano<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>8. \u201cParli inglese?\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>Italians appreciate when tourists attempt to use their language, but if you are really struggling, you can ask p<\/em><\/span>arli inglese\u00a0<\/em>to find out if they speak English.\u00a0Most Italians in major cities like Rome, Venice, and Florence speak a good bit of English, but in the more rural areas you should definitely pack a few extra Italian phrases to get by.<\/span><\/p>\n

9. \u201c\u00c8<\/strong>\u00a0buono.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>There are two ways to say \u201cgood\u201d in Italian\u2014<\/span>bene<\/em>\u00a0and <\/span>buono<\/em>. In a restaurant setting, you should opt for\u00a0<\/span>buono<\/em> when asked how the food or wine tastes. If it\u2019s one of the best meals that you\u2019ve ever had\u2014and the odds of this are large in Italy\u2014you should exclaim\u00a0<\/span>buonissimo<\/em>!<\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

10. \u201cBuongiorno \/ buona sera \/ buona notte.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>The rule of thumb when saying hello throughout the day is this: From the morning until just after lunch time, you should say <\/span>buongiorno<\/em>, which means \u201cgood day<\/span>.\u201d From that point on, you should use\u00a0<\/span>buona sera<\/em>, which means \u201cgood evening<\/span>.\u201d Only when you are heading home to bed should you say\u00a0<\/span>buona notte,<\/em> which means \u201cgood night.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What is your favorite Italian phrase?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

For more about speaking a foreign language while traveling, check out these top\u00a010 essential French phrases for travelers<\/a>\u00a0and Spanish phrases every traveler should know<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Speaking Italian like a local<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11264,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1809,1782,1838,1780,1788,1845,1846,1843,1802,1781,1776],"tags":[35],"authors":[2226],"class_list":["post-16522","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-destinations","category-europe","category-inspiration","category-interests","category-italy","category-rome","category-solo","category-top-lists","category-travel-tips","category-type-of-vacation","tag-coffee","authors-courtney-scott","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n10 Italian phrases for your trip to Italy | Expedia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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