Common Italian Phrases: 100+ Basic Sentences to Learn

This is the ultimate collection of common Italian phrases for beginners!

Why learn the most common Italian phrases first

Don’t feel overwhelmed only because there’s an infinite number of sentences in Italian.

I have some good news: you only need to know a fraction of the total number of Italian phrases to be able to speak Italian fluently.

For example, by knowing as little as 100 words you will understand 50% of any text.

There are various lists of the 1000 most common Italian words, to begin with.

With little effort, you can have a real basic Italian conversation with someone during your trip.

You just need to start with the most common Italian phrases to make basic sentences.

Here’s a collection of comprehensible input for the Italian language.

For spaced repetition, go through this post again after a night of sleep.

Have real conversations with basic Italian sentences from day one

Once you start learning a few basic sentences you will have the knowledge to start your first basic conversation.

That’s why I put together popular Italian sentences that simulate real-life conversations to get you speaking in no time.

Feel how easy it is to become confident

Every language experience should start gradually, from the easiest to the more complex concepts.

Learn how to boost your IQ.

By starting with the easiest and most common Italian sentences to know, you will feel confident in your ability to learn a new language.

Can you imagine how many things you can say by combining 1000 Italian sentences?

That’s what you get in 33 lessons of the audio course “Ripeti con me!”

Become fluent quicker with common sentences

Starting with basic Italian phrases, we quickly lay a foundation for you to learn more complex ones.

In fact, you don’t need to know thousands of them to speak fluently.

You can gradually build your knowledge so you get fluent faster than you could imagine.

Can you imagine how many things you can say by combining 1000 Italian phrases?

That’s what you get in 33 lessons of the  course “Ripeti con me!”

With these audio lessons, you can also improve your pronunciation.

Become smarter by learning Italian

Language learning is a challenging activity for your brain.

In fact, learning a language is a perfect way to boost your IQ.

In no time, your brain will make new connections and associations and you’ll feel that learning the Italian language was one of the best choices you ever made.

Suddenly, these useful Italian phrases look more promising, right?

Easy sentences in Italian: tips for beginners

If you’re a beginner or a casual learner planning a trip to Italy, it makes sense to keep things simple and start with easy sentences in Italian.

Before you rush to memorize 1000 sentences, take a minute to reflect on how sentences are made.

Italian words and phrases must be arranged in a certain way to make a sentence.

A simple sentence is one independent clause that has a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought.

There are some important requirements for a simple sentence.

A sentence must have a subject and a verb

Are you looking for the subject? It’s tu, but you don’t need to say that. The verb conjugation already shows that.

A sentence must express a complete thought

Even if the sentence is not grammatically correct, a simple expression can already take you a long way.

A sentence must only have one clause

Split complex sentences into simple ones to avoid advanced grammar and communicate effectively.

Useful sentences in Italian to listen and repeat

We all agree that it’s a good strategy to start with useful sentences in Italian.

Especially for specific situations like traveling because you probably want to learn Italian for travel.

But, how to do that? Where to find those Italian common phrases?

Find out more about how to learn Italian by speaking.

Not just listening or reading. Right now, you should be speaking with a native speaker, even if you’re just a beginner.

If you don’t have the time, money, or courage, you can still practice speaking by yourself.

How? With an audio course like “Ripeti con me!”.

With this course, you’ll improve your Italian by listening and repeating.

Grammar isn’t explicitly taught but you’ll begin to pick up the various grammar points on your own.

Check out the course program to learn basic Italian fast!

Should you practice the 1000 most common Italian phrases with flashcards?

Some learners want to keep things efficient by memorizing the 1000 most common words.

For a more interactive experience, check out these flashcards with popular phrases.

There’s plenty of Italian phrases, including the 1000 most common phrases.

With Quizlet, you can make flashcard sets and quiz yourself.

How many do you need? The top 100 Italian phrases? 1000 phrases? 2000? 3000?

The question is rather, does it help to memorize words without context?

These apps are structured around sets of terms and definitions, so it’s just rote learning of Italian words.

That’s not the best way of learning basic Italian.

You need to put into practice information to really master it!

100+ Essential Italian travel phrases and words

Everyone should learn essential conversational words before traveling to Italy.

These are the best words and expressions because you’re sure to come up in most everyday conversations.

Make sure to pack these simple phrases to help you prepare for those common situations travelers find themselves in.

Learn Italian phrases for travel that you actually need, including some of the 1000 most common Italian words.

Greetings in Italian: how to say hello?

The first thing you need to learn to do is to meet and greet people!

After all, you’re going to be using greetings every time you have a basic conversation in Italian.

But the Italian greetings are not limited to ciao!

Italian phrases for beginners might look obvious but are still useful.

Knowing Italian greetings can make a good impression, whether you’re speaking for business or while traveling.

The Italian culture places importance on introductions and greetings as it is often considered a foundational way of showing respect.

There are different expressions you can use depending on if the situation is formal (business meeting) or informal (meeting someone at a restaurant).

Offer polite greetings to friends and associates or as a way to break the ice when meeting new people.

These phrases to learn are simple, easy to remember, and will go a long way to help you make friends and have your first basic conversations.

You’ll already speak like a native.

It is always polite to say “Hi” every morning because Italian speakers are really sociable.

“Good morning” in Italian is buongiorno.

Being polite is important also when you travel to Italy.

And it doesn’t cost anything, it’s free!

Learn the following words and phrases to have a polite, basic conversation, and sound like a native.

Notice how the most common phrases to be polite address people as “Lei” (formal you), not “tu” (informal you).

Also, check out how to say how are you in Italian.

How to say hello and goodbye in Italian

Ciao can be used as both “hi” and as “bye.” It’s a very informal way of greeting, so if you want to greet a friend, you can use it.

But if you find yourself in a more formal situation, it’s always best to use some of the more “formal” greetings below.

Possibly (but not necessarily) more formal than ciao, this is the standard greeting in the morning and afternoon.

Salve is a formal way of saying “hello.” It’s not very common nowadays.

You start hearing buonasera around 5 p.m.

When talking to someone that you think you’ll see again someday.

A dopo, by contrast, is something you can say to your friends if you have any intentions of seeing them later in the day (not on another day!)

When you want to say goodbye in a more formal way, you can use the word arrivederci.

This looks like buongiorno, but you say it when parting.

The equivalent of buona giornata in the evening.

Phrases to introduce yourself in Italian

How to introduce yourself in Italian?

If you’re just starting out, knowing how to introduce yourself is one of the best places to begin.

It gives you a taste of the grammar, allows you to start a conversation (even a short one!), and you can start practicing the pronunciation.

Here are some basic sentences for introducing yourself.

If you’re not sure whether you should be using informal or formal, stick with formal.

This literally means, “I call myself…” and comes from the reflexive verb “chiamarsi.”

You can fill in with your name or with your nationality, like:

When you meet someone for the first time, you say:

Other questions you may be asked include asking about your hometown:

Learn Italian sentences to ask about people’s age:

Finally, learn sentences about people’s jobs:

Learn more Italian phrases.

How to say I don’t understand in Italian

You want to learn Italian sentences to communicate.

However, as a beginner, there will be many moments when you get stuck and can’t understand what people are saying to you in Italian.

Italian for beginners can be embarrassing.

When this happens, don’t worry!

It’s a perfectly normal part of the learning process and in time, you’ll begin to understand more and more of what you hear.

You just need to learn sentences to show that you don’t understand.

Here are some Italian sentences to know to say… that you don’t know!

How to order at the restaurant in Italian: essential phrases

How to speak Italian at the restaurant?

Dining is one of the best parts of traveling to Italy.

Indeed, many essential Italian phrases for travel are related to food.

However, reading an Italian menu can be intimidating!

Nevertheless, understanding how Italians dine will help you get the most out of your travel experience, especially in the many local, off-the-beaten-path establishments.

So you should learn expressions related to food and dining.

Here are some helpful hints on how to pick a restaurant on your trip to Italy and how to navigate its menu with confidence (and pay the bill too!).

Learn how to book a table in Italian.

How to ask for directions in Italian: basic phrases

If you’re wondering how to speak Italian when you get lost, here you’ll find the answers.

If you’re planning a trip to Italy, you’re probably going to need public transport to get around.

It’s not free but still cheap.

You should learn these before you travel to Italy and communicate with native speakers.

Learn Italian for travel.

Useful Italian phrases to ask for directions

Basic Italian for travel includes giving directions.

By learning to say and understand the following, you’ll be able to ask for and receive directions from the locals.

Here are some of the basic Italian phrases for useful replies you might hear.

These things might look obvious, but language learning has to start somewhere.

Learn more about how to give instructions in Italian.

Basic question words in Italian

To communicate in Italian and to travel with ease, there are practical questions in Italian (or any language for that matter) that you’ll use daily and have to know.

They’re found in many basic Italian sentences.

Try these:

Learn more about how to ask questions in Italian.

How to do shopping in Italian: common phrases

Basic Italian for travel includes shopping.

Whether in the supermarket, the shopping center, or the local farmer’s market you’re going to want to buy things at some point or another!

To do this, you need to be able to ask questions just like you would in English!

Here are the useful Italian sentences and phrases that you’ll need to learn:

With these phrases in Italian, you can point your finger and buy virtually anything you can see.

How to say “I don’t feel well” in Italian: simple phrases

If you travel abroad, it’s always useful to know some basic medical vocabulary so that can handle an emergency in case you get sick or suffer an accident during your trip.

Learn these Italian sentences and phrases, just in case! Here are some Italian to English phrases in case you feel sick:

If you pass by a drugstore, try nootropics for language learning to boost brain power.

Italian phrases to find hidden gems in Italy

Let’s learn some simple phrases that will help you discover the hidden gems on your next trip to Italy!

Locals are always keen to share their favorite restaurants and cafes with visitors, but if you want to find out about them you need to know how to ask!

The basics of Italian can make a difference in your first conversation.

Personal pronouns and references to people

You refer to people by using personal pronouns. These are the basics, right? In Italian, the pronouns (you and they) are complicated by gender and formality.

Use the informal tu (singular you) for friends, relatives, younger people, and people you know well.

Use the formal lei (singular you) in the following cases:

• when speaking to people you don’t know well;
• in situations such as in stores, restaurants, hotels, or pharmacies);
• and with professors, older people, and your friends’ parents.

Learn more about personal pronouns in Italian.

Even within simple Italian phrases, to avoid awkward situations, it’s useful to know the correct vocabulary term for referring to people based on their age, gender, or relationship to you.

Learn more about the most common Italian words.

The best way to learn is by speaking.

Use these common Italian phrases with your friends.

Even speaking to yourself will help!

Learn Italian phrases for travelers

Here are the most common Italian phrases that are particularly helpful to international travelers.

Use these simple Italian phrases often during your trip!

Learn more about Italian for travel.

How to say common places and locations in Italian

How to speak Italian to find places?

Here’s some vocabulary for the common places or locations that you might need or want while traveling in Italy.

You definitely need to learn basic Italian phrases and phrases and feel free to speak, like a native!

Other places in italian:

How to say numbers in Italian

Whether you’re ordering drinks, paying a bill, or buying a train ticket, numbers are something you’ll need to be familiar with in Italian right from the beginning.

In fact, when you start learning a new language, one of the first things you learn is numbers.

The numbers in Italian are not hard to remember, and everything follows a very logical pattern.

Let’s learn Italian numbers and how to count in Italian, then move on to useful Italian phrases related to numbers.

Sometimes, to make everyday Italian phrases, you need numbers, especially the first 10 numbers.

If you manage to learn how to count from one to 10, you will have an easy time learning further.

Italian numbers 1 – 10 for basic Italian phrases

After 10, things start to get interesting.

From 11 to 16, numbers end in dici.

Starting with 17, just say dici in front of the single-digit number.

Italian numbers 11-20

After 20, it gets easier. You only need to remember how to say the tens, and pair them together:

Italian numbers 21 – 30

Italian numbers 31 – 40

If you pay attention to the pattern, starting with 40 and up to 90, all the tens will end in -anta, so it’s going to be very easy to remember.

Here are all the tens in Italian:

Learn more about the numbers in Italian.

Italian numbers in proverbs

Some common Italian proverbs involving numbers:

For common Italian sentences that are not related to numbers, check out this collection of funny idioms, common Italian proverbs, and famous quotes.

Days of the week and months of the year in Italian

With just a few common phrases and words, you can cover the topic of time.

Everyday Italian sentences like this:

Days of the week in Italian

If you’ve started learning Italian, whether, for pleasure or to improve your professional profile, it won’t be long before you need to learn the days of the week in Italian.

Just so you know, in Italian, the days of the week aren’t capitalized. 

Here they are:

Did you notice? The first five days of the week (lunedì, martedì, mercoledì, giovedì, venerdì) end with dì, where the stress of the word falls.

Interestingly, dìis an old way of saying giorno (day), the equivalent of Mon-day, Tues-day, etc. This might help you remember the days of the week!

Also, you can make a pretty good approximation of the names of the months in Italian by just saying the English versions.

Learn more about the days of the week in Italian.

Months of the year in Italian:

If you are an English speaker, you are in luck, as the names for the months in Italian and English come from the same Latin root, which makes them sound similar in the two languages.

Did you notice that the names of the months don’t start with capital letters?

In fact, months aren’t capitalized in Italian. (It’s the same deal with days of the week too.)

Italians write dates in a different order than we do.

We start with the day, then the month, and then the year.

For example, to express January 08, 2009, you would write 8/1/09 instead of 1/8/09.

If you write it 1/8/09, it would be assumed you were talking about August.

Learn more about the months of the year in Italian.

Well, if you’ve learned the name of the months in Italian, you might as well learn the seasons!

Learn more about the season in Italian.

Dates and calendar terms

You can use the following phrases when discussing dates in Italian.

Telling time with Italian phrases for beginners

Italian phrases for beginners often include time expressions.

The time of day can be described in general terms or at specific times.

You can use the following words to describe the time in a general sense.

Learn more about time expressions in Italian.

Telling time in Italian is really just a question of counting.

Italy commonly uses a 24-hour clock.

When using a 24-hour clock, just add 12 to every hour after noon, for example, 6 p.m. becomes 18.

When you want to know a specific time of day, you can ask:

When expressing time between the hours, say the hour + minute, for example:

When you get past the half-hour, start going the other says the number of minutes until the next hour, for example, say:

You can use the following basic Italian phrases as a guide when talking about time.

In Italian, 9:50 p.m. is spoken as ventidue meno dieci. (9:50 p.m.)

However, informally, it is usually written as 9:50.

Here are some important Italian phrases to know about opening hours and departure times.

With these easy Italian phrases, you can survive during your trip to Italy.

Learn more about how to tell the time in Italian.

Common Italian phrases for daily life

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Here are some Italian sentences that can be useful in daily life:

How to talk about your family in Italian

If you’ve watched enough gangster movies, you probably know the Italian word for family: la famiglia.

In Italy, family is sacred: it is an essential aspect of the culture and of every Italian’s life, so knowing all the terms to talk about your family is key if you want to sound like a native speaker.

Let’s start with those creatures who put us into this world…

Careful here, as there is a word in Italian that is dangerously similar to “parents”: parenti. This, however, means “relatives”, and not “parents”!

When you’re talking about just one member of your family, or of someone else’s family, you just strap the Italian word for “my”, “your”, “his”, “her” etc (a.k.a possessive adjectives) onto the front.

When there are multiple family members to talk about (plural), like aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, children, etc, you need to use one of those words for “The” in Italian (definite articles).

By the way, did you know that there are 6 words for “the” in Italian?

You choose one depending on the number and gender of nouns.

Learn more about how to talk about your family in Italian.

Italian phrases for lovers

The Italian language is, after all, one of the most romantic languages in the world.

Learn the Italian phrases for lovers you’ll need to successfully navigate a romantic candlelit dinner with your lover.

First, you need some pet names:

Oh, they’ve got a present for you!

Here’s a list of romantic Italian phrases:

Learn more about how to say I love you in Italian.

Useful phrases… with swear words (!)

A list of the most common phrases would not be complete without some colorful expressions.

Be it about politics, romance, or the weather, the Italians love arguing, possibly with swear words.

These are Italian phrases to know if you want to win an argument.

I’m not showing them in this post, but there’s a collection of swear words with audio.

It’s a lesson made up of 30 basic phrases with… you know.

With this audio material, you can also improve your Italian pronunciation.

Learn more about Italian swear words.

Italian hand gestures

Language learning is not limited to words, but also includes gestures.

In fact, some common Italian phrases are better expressed through typical hand gestures.

That’s why this language is so rich in gestures.

Some are funny, some are aggressive, some are just rude.

That’s culture, too! Sometimes, these Italian phrases in English just don’t feel the same.

That’s why you use gestures!

Learn more about Italian hand gestures.

How to practice new phrases

Now that you learned lots of new phrases, you can talk about pretty much everything (in general terms, of course).

Why don’t you play around with these new words and phrases?

You could invent dialogue and play two different characters.

Or if you have an Italian friend or a friend who speaks Italian, you could practice and perform with them.

You could also write a short story with dialogues.

Make sure they make sense and are not too overwhelming.

You could also make your own art-and-learning area.

Take the phrases that you find difficult, find a place in your room, and dedicate that space to those phrases.

You could do arts and crafts, or you could draw and associate a drawing with a phrase.

Whatever you decide, make sure you feel motivated to do it!

Basic Italian phrases PDF

I collected the most important basic Italian phrases in a 13-page PDF file.

To download the basic Italian phrases PDF, just tell me where I should send it and you’ll receive it immediately.