Say and understand... click to hear part1>

-greet someone you don’t know:

Buon giorno (or) buona sera   /   signora (or) signorina

Buon giorno (or) buona sera   / (signore is used less often than signora or signorina)

 

-greet someone you know:

Ciao (or) buongiorno (or) buona sera

-ask someone their name:

Come si chiama?

 

-introduce yourself:

Mi chiamo Gianna

Sono Gianna

- ask someone you don’t know where they are from, or where they live:

Di dovӏ?

Dove abita?

-ask someone you are familiar with where they are from:

Di dove sei?

- say where you are from or where you live:

Sono di Portland.

Abito a Portland.

 

- introduce someone to someone else:

Ecco Giovanni, è di Milano. (Here's Giovanni. He's from Milano.)

 

- say “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Piacere.

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click to listen>

- ask someone you don’t know how they are, or how it’s going:

Come sta?

Come va?

 

- ask someone you know how they are or how it’s going:

Come stai?

Come va?

 

- say how you are, or how it’s going:

Sto bene.   (I’m well)

Molto bene. (very well)

Va bene.  (It’s going well)

 

-after you have told them how you are, ask them how they are:

E Lei? (formal)

E tu? (familiar)

 

- say good-bye to someone (formal)

Arrivederci (to one or more people)

Buona notte (in the evening, or at bed time)

Buon giorno. (before noon)

Buona sera (after noon)

Arrivederla (to one person, very formal)

 

- say good-bye to someone (familiar)

Ciao. (any time)

Arrivederci (to one or more people)

Buona notte (in the evening, or at bed time)

Buon giorno. (before noon)

Buona sera (after noon)

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- attract someone’s attention: click to listen>

Scusi!

 

- say Please:

Per favore

Per piacere

 

- say Thank you, and Thanks a lot:

Grazie

Grazie mille

 

Capisce? (Do you understand?)

Capisco. (I understand.)

Ha capito? (Did you understand?)

Ho capito. (I did understand.)

Non capisco. (I don’t understand)

Come? (What did you say?)

Ripeta, per favore. (Repeat, please.)

Come si dice “museum”? (How do you say “museum”?) when you want someone to translate an english word into italian

Cosa vuol dire “museo”?  (What does “museo” mean?)  when you want someone to translate an italian word into english

 

- the waiter wants to take your order when he/she (cameriere/cameriera) says one of the following:

Prego?

Dica?

Desidera?

Desiderano? (asking more than one customer)

E Lei? (and you?)

 

- ask the waiter for something simply by saying the thing and adding “Please”:

Un caffè, per favore.

 

- the waiter has understood your order when the he/she says one of the following:

Benissimo

Va bene

Subito

 

- thank your waiter when he/she brings your order:

Grazie.

 

- get someone’s attention and ask if the thing you need is here (like a telephone or a bathroom, for example): click to listen>

Scusi, c’è un telefono qui?

Scusi, c’è un bagno qui?

 

- get someone’s attention and ask if what you need is nearby (like a bank machine or a bus stop, for example):

Scusi, c’è un bancomat qui vicino?

Scusi, c’è una fermata qui vicino?

 

- ecco can be used to point out (Here is, here are) a person or a thing.

Ecco Mario! (Here’s Mario.)

Ecco la chiave! (Here’s the key.)

Ecco le chiavi! (Here are the keys.)

 

Vorrei (I would like something (or) I would like to do something)

Vorrei un cappuccino.  (I would like a cappuccino.)

Vorrei pagare. (I would like to pay.)

 

Cerco... (I am looking for...)

Cerco la fontana di Trevi. (I’m looking for the Trevi fountain.)

Cerco le mie valige. (I’m looking for my suitcases.)

Cerco Maria.  (I’m looking for Maria.)