

It would be nice if we can learn Italian the way computers can learn any language on earth.
Unfortunately for us plain humans, picking up a language still takes a little elbow grease.
But what many people don’t realize is that you can quickly begin using any language—Italian included.
Below are 103 of the most common words in Italian that will allow you to build simple yet common sentences and begin communicating immediately.
They cover all the basic parts of a sentence, allowing you to get across thousands of different ideas. Plus, they come with simple sample sentences to help you practice.
Let’s get started!
Perhaps the most commonly used words are also the shortest and most unassuming. Articles in Italian are paired with nouns and match the nouns in gender and number.
For example, because bagno (bathroom) is masculine, it takes the masculine articles il (the) and un (a). Masculine nouns often end with the letter “o.”
Feminine nouns, such as camicia (shirt), take the feminine la (the) and una (a). Feminine words most often end with the letter “a.”
Some words end in neither “o” nor “a,” so their gender must be memorized (such as caffè , which is masculine).
Generally, the article for a noun, as well as how the noun ends, changes when it becomes plural. Masculine nouns that start with a consonant other than “s” or “z” take i for “the.” Feminine nouns use le . Masculine plural nouns often end in i, while plural feminine nouns end with e.
Here are all the Italian articles:
Italian Articles | English Translation |
---|---|
il
l' lo | the (masculine, singular) |
la | the (feminine, singular) |
i
gli | the (masculine, plural) |
le | the (feminine, plural) |
un
uno * *used for masculine nouns that start with a gn, pn, ps, x, y, z or s + consonant. | a (masculine) |
una | a (feminine) |
We’ve skipped the examples for these because there will be plenty as we move on with our list of common Italian words.
Master tip #1: Why are there a few versions for the masculine singular and plural articles? It depends on what letter the next word begins with.
It’s a good idea to become familiar with Italian articles and their oddities as soon as possible, because you’ll be seeing them a lot in your studies!
A noun is a word that refers a person, place, thing or idea. They can help you talk about an ever-growing collection of topics.
Here are examples of masculine and feminine nouns. Note how the articles are used in the example sentences for each type of noun.
Italian Masculine Nouns | English Translation | Example Sentence |
---|---|---|
padre | father | Tuo padre è basso.
Your father is short. |
marito | husband | Mio marito è triste.
My husband is sad. |
figlio | son | Nostro figlio è basso.
Our son is short. |
uomo | man | Quell'uomo è brutto.
That man is ugly. |
bambino | boy | Il bambino è basso.
The boy is short. |
caffè | coffee | Il caffè è caldo.
The coffee is hot. |
anno | year | L'anno è breve.
The year is short. |
bagno | bathroom | Il bagno è pulito.
The bathroom is clean. |
calzini | socks | I suoi calzini sono puliti.
His socks are clean. |
libro | book | Questo è un libro interessante.
This is an interesting book. |
albero | tree | L'albero è alto.
The tree is tall. |
tavolo | table | Ho bisogno di un tavolo.
I need a table. |
Italian Feminine Nouns | English Translation | Example Sentence |
---|---|---|
madre | mother | Mia madre è alta.
My mother is tall. |
moglie | wife | Mia moglie è felice.
My wife is happy. |
figlia | daughter | Sua figlia è alta.
His daughter is tall. |
donna | woman | Quella donna è carina.
That woman is pretty. |
bambina | girl | La bambina ride divertita.
The girl laughs cheerfully. |
birra | beer | La birra è fredda.
The beer is cold. |
settimana | week | Questa settimana è lunga.
This week is long. |
scarpa | shoe | La sua scarpa è sporca.
Her shoe is dirty. |
camicia | shirt | La sua camicia è bella.
Her shirt is pretty. |
casa | house | La casa è grande.
The house is big. |
cucina | kitchen | La cucina è sporca.
The kitchen is dirty. |
scuola | school | Ho compiti per la scuola.
I have homework for school. |
luce | light | Accendi la luce.
Turn on the light. |
Master tip #2: You can always add to this list of nouns or double-check the articles used with them by consulting an online English-Italian dictionary, such as LexiLogos.
There are a number of different kinds of pronouns, but a good place to start is by learning the personal ones.
These pronouns are used to replace nouns and names. They allow you to make simple statements about yourself and other people without being repetitive.
Italian Pronouns | English Translation | Example Sentence |
---|---|---|
io | I | Io sono felice.
I am happy. |
tu
Lei | you you (formal) | Tu sei triste.
You are sad. |
lui | he | Lui è alto.
He is tall. |
lei | she | Lei è bassa.
She is short. |
noi | we | Noi abbiamo freddo.
We are cold. |
voi | you (plural) | Voi avete caldo.
You are hot. |
loro | they | Loro sono belli.
They are pretty. |
Master tip #3: Need some help remembering these? Pair your learning with a language learning app like FluentU.
On FluentU, you can hear all these words (and many more) used by native Italian speakers, so you can get a good sense of how and when each word is used.
Plus, you can save any word to your vocabulary list for later review through fill-in-the-blank quizzes and video-enhanced flashcards.
It’s a natural (and fun!) way to learn new Italian words!
In addition, FluentU Italian has a YouTube channel. It will teach you Italian from scratch in an immersive way. You’ll get clips from movies transformed into language lessons, grammar tips and vocabulary lists, among other interesting stuff.
One example is the following video, catered to complete beginners who are just starting their Italian language adventure:
Possessive pronouns and adjectives let you talk about ownership (my/mine, your/yours, etc.). The basic difference between a possessive pronoun and a possessive adjective is whether there’s a noun following it.
For example, this sentence shows a possessive adjective because the word mio is modifying the word caffè :
Il mio caffè è caldo. — My coffee is hot.
This sentence, on the other hand, shows a possessive pronoun because mio replaces the word caffè, which is now only implied:
Il mio è caldo. — Mine is hot.
As you’ve probably already noticed from the examples above, the definite article (aka “the”) is required to form the possessive: il, la, i or le. The noun that follows or is being replaced determines which article to use, and the form the possessive pronoun or adjective takes.
All possessives must agree in number as well as gender. For example, if you’re talking about your bathroom, you might say: il mio bagno , but if you’re describing both bathrooms in your house, it would be i miei bagni .
One final plot twist: one of the few exceptions in which an article isn’t needed with possessives is nouns of family members. Hence, it’s Tuo padre è basso (Your father is short) instead of Il tuo padre è basso.
Learning the following words will help you reference ownership and expand the complexity of your sentences quite a bit!
English Pronoun | Masculine (Singular) il | Masculine (Plural) i | Feminine (Singular) la | Feminine (Plural) le | Example Sentence (Possessive Adjective) | Example Sentence (Possessive Pronoun) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
my mine | mio | miei | mia | mie | Il mio cane è adorabile.
My dog is adorable. | Il mio è il migliore.
Mine is the best. |
your yours | tuo | tuoi | tua | tue | La tua birra è fredda.
Your beer is cold. | La tua è fredda.
Yours is cold. |
his her / hers your / yours (formal) | suo | suoi | sua | sue | La sua cucina è pulita.
Her kitchen is clean. | La sua è pulita.
Hers is clean. |
ours | nostro | nostri | nostra | nostre | La nostre camicie sono brutte.
Our shirts are ugly. | Le nostre sono brutte.
Ours are ugly. |
your yours (plural) | vostro | vostri | vostra | vostre | Le vostre figlie sono belle.
Your daughters are pretty. | Le vostre sono belle.
Yours are pretty. |
their theirs | loro | loro | loro | loro | Le loro scarpe sono sporche.
Their shoes are dirty. | Le loro sono sporche.
Theirs are dirty. |
Master tip #4: Once you master these, you can move on to other types of Italian pronouns. From there, there’s a whole world to be discovered, from subject pronouns to direct object pronouns and beyond!
Correctly using pronouns in any language can really help you sound more natural, so it’s worth spending some time mastering them.
Of all the Italian verbs below, you’ll want to pay close attention to essere (to be) in particular. As you might have noticed from the example sentences in this post, this little word can take you a long way!
Common Italian Verbs | Io (I) | Tu (You - Singular) | Lui (He) Lei (She) | Noi (We) | Voi (You - Plural) | Loro (They) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
avere
to have | ho
have | hai
have | ha
has | abbiamo
have | avete
have | hanno
have |
ascoltare
to listen | ascolto
listen | ascolti
listen | ascolta
listens | ascoltiamo
listen | ascoltate
listen | ascoltano
listen |
dovere
must | devo
must | devi
must | deve
must | dobbiamo
must | dovete
must | devono
must |
essere
to be | sono
am | sei
are | è
is | siamo
are | siete
are | sono
are |
fare
to do or make | faccio
do/make | fai
do/make | fa
does/makes | facciamo
do/make | fate
do/make | fanno
do/make |
mangiare
to eat | mangio
eat | mangi
eat | mangia
eats | mangiamo
eat | mangiate
eat | mangiano
eat |
mettere
to put | metto
put | metti
put | mette
puts | mettiamo
put | mettete
put | mettono
put |
parlare
to speak | parlo
speak | parli
speak | parla
speaks | parliamo
speak | parlate
speak | parlano
speak |
prendere
to make | prendo
make | prendi
make | prende
makes | prendiamo
make | prendete
make | prendono
make |
potere
can | posso
can | puoi
can | può
can | possiamo
can | potete
can | possono
can |
sapere
to know | so
know | sai
know | sa
knows | sappiamo
know | sapete
know | sanno
know |
sentire
to hear or feel | sento
hear/feel | senti
hear/feel | sente
hears/feels | sentiamo
hear/feel | sentite
hear/feel | sentono
hear/feel |
stare
to stay | sto
stay | stai
stay | sta
stays | stiamo
stay | state
stay | stanno
stay |
vedere
to see | vedo
see | vedi see | vede
sees | vediamo
see | vedete
see | vedono
see |
volere
to want | voglio
want | vuoi
want | vuole
wants | vogliamo
want | volete
want | vogliono
want |
Master tip #5: Note that the above conjugations are in the present tense. You can learn more about each of these verbs here and how to conjugate them here.
Adjectives describe whatever you’re talking about and are an easy way to further bump up the complexity of your sentences.
Keep in mind that, like possessive pronouns, adjectives must also agree in number and gender. For example: Il bambino è alto (The child is tall) vs. I bambini sono alti (The children are tall).
Also remember that, unlike in English, an Italian adjective often follows the noun it’s describing instead of preceding it. For example: Il bambino alto è felice (The tall child is happy).
Common Italian Adjectives | English Translation | Example Sentence |
---|---|---|
contento | happy | Sono molto contento oggi.
I am very happy today. |
triste | sad | È triste vedere la sua reazione
It's sad to see her reaction. |
alto | tall | Mio padre è molto alto.
My father is very tall. |
basso | short | La sedia è troppo bassa.
The chair is too short. |
pulito | clean | La casa è sempre pulita.
The house is always clean. |
sporco | dirty | Il cane ha le zampe sporche.
The dog has dirty paws. |
caldo | hot | Fa caldo oggi.
It's hot today. |
freddo | cold | Bevi una bevanda fredda.
Drink a cold beverage. |
brutto | ugly | Quel dipinto è davvero brutto.
That painting is really ugly. |
bello | beautiful | La vista è bellissima.
The view is beautiful. |
intelligente | intelligent | Maria è una ragazza intelligente.
Maria is an intelligent girl. |
stupido | stupid | Quella è una domanda stupida.
That is a stupid question. |
simpatico | nice | Il tuo amico è davvero simpatico.
Your friend is really nice. |
antipatico | unpleasant | Trovo quel ragazzo antipatico.
I find that boy unpleasant. |
nuovo | new | Ho comprato un libro nuovo.
I bought a new book. |
vecchio | old | Questa macchina è vecchia.
This car is old. |
veloce | fast | Il treno è veloce.
The train is fast. |
lento | slow | Il traffico è molto lento.
The traffic is very slow. |
interessante | interesting | Ho letto un libro molto interessante.
I read a very interesting book. |
noioso | boring | La lezione è stata noiosa.
The lesson was boring. |
grande | big | Ho un cane grande.
I have a big dog. |
piccolo | small | La casa è piccola.
The house is small. |
Master tip #6: Find a language exchange buddy to practice conjugating Italian adjectives. You can use sites such as italki to find a partner to practice common Italian phrases you use when traveling, for example.
Knowing someone else who’s learning the language (or is a native Italian speaker learning your native language) is a great way to stay motivated, while making new friends at the same time.
Whereas adjectives describe nouns and pronouns, adverbs describe everything else—verbs, adjectives and even other adverbs!
For example, when turning an Italian adjective into an adverb, you do one of two things. If the feminine form of the adjective ends in -o, change it to the suffix -mente. If the adjective ends in -e, you only need to add -mente without changing the spelling.
Italian Adverbs That Come From Adjectives | Adjective Form | Example Sentence |
---|---|---|
lentamente
slowly | lento
lenta slow | Lei cammina lentamente.
She walks slowly. |
rapidamente
rapidly | rapido
rapida rapid | Arriverò lì rapidamente.
I will arrive there quickly. |
veramente
truly | vero
vera true | Mi piace veramente.
I really like it. |
facilmente
easily | facile
easy | Ho superato l'esame facilmente.
I passed the exam easily. |
generalmente
generally | generale
general | Generalmente fa bel tempo qui.
Generally, the weather is nice here. |
Here are other common Italian adverbs according to their respective categories:
Italian Simple Adverbs | English Translation | Example Sentence |
---|---|---|
bene | well | Sto bene oggi.
I am well today. |
dentro | inside | Vieni a sederti dentro.
Come sit inside. |
dietro | behind | Vieni dietro di me.
Come behind me. |
dopo | after | Ci vediamo dopo.
See you later. |
insieme | together | Andiamo al cinema insieme.
Let's go to the movies together. |
mai | never | Non mi arrenderò mai.
I will never give up. |
sempre | always | Ti amo sempre.
I love you always. |
Italian Interrogative Adverbs | English Translation | Example Sentence |
---|---|---|
come | how | Come possiamo aiutarti?
How can we help you? |
dove | where | Dove hai messo le chiavi?
Where did you put the keys? |
perché | why | Dimmi perché lo hai fatto.
Tell me why you did it. |
quando | when | Quando sarà pronto?
When will it be ready? |
quanto | how much / how many | Quanto costa questo?
How much does this cost? |
Italian Adverbs of Time and Place | English Translation | Example Sentence |
---|---|---|
domani | tomorrow | Ci vediamo domani.
See you tomorrow. |
ieri | yesterday | Ieri è stato piovoso.
Yesterday was rainy. |
oggi | today | Ho una riunione oggi.
I have a meeting today. |
qui | here | Non c'è nessuno qui.
There's nobody here. |
là | there | Vado là domani.
I'm going there tomorrow. |
Master tip #7: To practice and master Italian adverbs, quiz yourself on websites like Online Italian Club and One World Italiano. These will test your ability to conjugate into the right form and use them in the appropriate context, respectively.
While there are no shortcuts to becoming fluent in a language, don’t make the mistake of waiting until you’ve memorized 1,000 words. Instead, fast track your progress and become an Italian speaker in just a few days by learning—and using—these 103 most common words in Italian.
These basics are the building blocks to a lifetime of conversation!