170+ Basic Italian Words and Phrases You Need for Travel—and Everyday Life!

About to go on that Italian trip of a lifetime? Don’t forget to take some Italian travel phrases with you before you set off on your adventure!

Even if you haven’t planned a trip to Italy, these phrases will be useful for any Italian learner looking to add more words and phrases to their vocabulary!

This post will show you 170+ of the most common Italian phrases to help you prepare for any situation you might find yourself in. 

Contents

• 1. Most Essential Italian Words and Phrases
• 2. Italian Greetings and Goodbyes 
• 3. Making Small Talk in Italian
• 4. Asking for Directions in Italian
• 5. Italian Question Words
• 6. Italian Words for Shopping
• 7. Italian Phrases for Eating Out
• 8. Italian Words for Emergency Situations
• 9. Numbers, Time and Days of the Week in Italian
• 10. Transport Words and Phrases in Italian
• Tips for Learning Italian Phrases

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

1. Most Essential Italian Words and Phrases

There are some basic words every Italian learner should learn as soon as possible. Here are some Italian essentials to remember!

2. Italian Greetings and Goodbyes 

It’s always polite to say hello and goodbye, no matter where in the world you are!

Remember these useful ways to say everything from “hi there” to “see you later!”

With these phrases you’ll be able to greet and converse with any Italian you may meet!

Check out this video to see 10 essential phrases used by Italians everyday.

3. Making Small Talk in Italian

It’s always good to have some small talk phrases under your belt. Here are some phrases that’ll help you carry on a simple, casual conversation when you meet someone new.

4. Asking for Directions in Italian

No matter how long you prepare for your trip— sooner or later, you’ll find yourself asking for directions.

Asking for directions starts with you approaching the other person with a “Mi scusi,” asking your question, then hearing the directions to your destination.

Here are some phrases that could help you navigate this conversation:

5. Italian Question Words

Some of the most important sentences you will hear are those that ask a question. Here are Italian question words that prefix Italian queries:

6. Italian Words for Shopping

Chances are that if you visit Italy, you’ll probably be doing some shopping. Here are some terms to know so you can get by:

7. Italian Phrases for Eating Out

Italy is a land of good food and wine, so here are some words and phrases to help you have the best dining experience possible.

To learn more essential restaurant phrases and see them used in context by a native Italian speaker with Italian and English subtitles, check out this video.

By seeing these phrases used in context, you’ll quickly pick up on when and how to use them in your own conversations. 

8. Italian Words for Emergency Situations

Vacations can be unpredictable, so it’s good to know how to ask for help and communicate that there’s an emergency:

9. Numbers, Time and Days of the Week in Italian

If you’re learning Italian or planning on visiting Italy, then these words will be essential!

*The only time in Italian that uses the singular “è…” is one o’clock. For example: “È l’una” (It’s one o’clock) but all the other times use the plural form “Sono le…” in Italian. Check out this post for a more in-depth guide to telling the time in Italian.

As you can see, knowing how to count and say numbers in Italian is useful for many different situations. To learn more numbers in Italian, you can read about them in this post. 

10. Transport Words and Phrases in Italian

If you’re traveling in Italy, it’s likely you’ll have to travel in il taxi or il treno at least once! 

Take a look at these phrases below to learn different ways of traveling and how to buy and book a ticket in Italian.

Now that you know these phrases for transport in Italian, you’re ready to travel!

But before you go, make sure you watch this video for travel tips for your trip to Italy.

Tips for Learning Italian Phrases

1. Read them out loud.

The best way to master basic Italian phrases is by practicing them in actual conversation with others; however, you may not have access to an Italian speaking partner. 

If this is the case, you can still get a bit of practice in saying these phrases by simply reading them out loud. Hearing yourself say these phrases is an essential step to learning them.

2. Role-play them in different contexts.

In addition to saying the same words or phrases in different ways, you can role-play them in different contexts.

Try to write out a sample dialogue of a situation that would actually use some of these phrases. Then, you can read them aloud and practice being on both sides of the conversation.

Going through this process helps you remember them more and playing both sides doubles your practice time. 

3. Immerse yourself in Italian media

The more exposure to Italian you get, the quicker you’ll pick up on the language.

Try watching Italian movies, listening to Italian music or reading Italian books. All of these are sure to contain the phrases from these posts and much more. 

You can also try FluentU, a language learning program that uses short, authentic video clips that native Italian speakers would actually watch to teach you the language.

These video clips come from everything from vlogs to movie scenes to interviews and are accompanied by interactive subtitles, flashcards and quizzes all meant to help you practice what you’ve learned. 

You can find FluentU on iOS or Android.

4. Practice with a native speaker.

Having a language exchange partner will give you the opportunity to practice the basic Italian phrases that you know and receive feedback on how you’re doing from a native speaker.

If you don’t know any native speakers personally, you can quickly find a conversation partner online on a site like Easy Language Exchange, HelloTalk or Tandem.

5. Use them in your everyday conversations.

Try to find as many opportunities as possible to use basic Italian phrases in your daily routines.

A great way to practice without having to find a language partner is by thinking or narrating what you’re doing in Italian. 

6. Use flashcards.

If you’re having difficulty memorizing Italian words, phrases and expressions, invest the time in making flashcards. 

This classic method really does work and you can choose to do it the old-fashioned way by making your cards by hand or there are several apps available to make them with your phone such as those listed in this post.

Now you have everything you need to navigate basic situations in Italian! 

Buon viaggio! (Safe journey!)

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)