Most phrasebooks are organised for the publisher, not the traveller. This list is ordered by how often you will actually reach for it.
Arriving and greeting
- Buongiorno / buonasera. Not ciao. Ciao is for friends; using it with a shopkeeper is like calling a stranger "mate". Buongiorno until roughly mid-afternoon, then buonasera.
- Scusi. Your most valuable word. Opens every request, apologises for every mistake, and stops a passing waiter.
- Per favore / grazie / prego. Prego is the one visitors miss: it means "you're welcome", "go ahead", "after you", and "what can I get you", depending on tone.
Ordering and buying
- Vorrei… "I would like." The single most useful construction in the language. Vorrei un caffè.
- Prendo… "I'll take." What Italians actually say when ordering. Sounds more natural than vorrei at the bar.
- Quanto costa? How much is it.
- Il conto, per favore. The bill. It will not arrive unasked; that is politeness, not neglect.
- Posso pagare con la carta? Can I pay by card. Still worth asking outside the cities.
Getting around and getting unstuck
- Dov'è…? Where is. Dov'è la stazione?
- A che ora…? At what time. Works for trains, museums, dinner.
- Non capisco. I don't understand. Ends the pretending and usually produces a slower, kinder repeat.
- Può ripetere, più lentamente? Can you repeat that, more slowly. The most useful sentence you will learn, and the one most people are too shy to use.
- Parla inglese? Do you speak English. Ask it in Italian. The difference in the answer you get is remarkable.
The two that change how you are treated
- Mi dispiace, parlo poco italiano. "I'm sorry, I speak a little Italian." Said at the start, this reframes the whole exchange: you are trying, and Italians respond to trying.
- È buonissimo. "It's delicious." Say it to whoever cooked and watch what happens next.
Fifteen phrases will not make you fluent. They will change whether you are treated as a tourist or as a guest.
The two everyone gets wrong
Ciao in formal situations, as above. And buon appetito, which visitors say to waiters — it is what the host or the staff say to you, and what you say to your own table. Reply with grazie, altrettanto.
If your trip is close, we build lessons around your actual route: Italian for travel.