60 Italian phrases for travel, with pronunciation you can read
Updated 24 October 2026 · 8 min read
You don't need to learn Italian for a trip to Italy. You need about sixty phrases, the courage to say them, and one piece of knowledge: Italians will help you finish the sentence, cheerfully, every time. Buongiorno at the bar changes the whole morning.
Below: the phrases you'll actually use, grouped by situation, with a pronunciation you can read. The stressed syllable is in CAPITALS. Italian is spoken exactly as it's written, so once you can say these, you can read the menu too.
Greetings and politeness
| Italian | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ciao | chow | Hi / bye (informal) |
| Buongiorno | bwon-JOR-no | Good morning / good day |
| Buonasera | bwo-na-SE-ra | Good evening (from mid-afternoon) |
| Buonanotte | bwo-na-NOT-te | Good night |
| Salve | SAL-ve | Hello (neutral, safe with anyone) |
| Grazie (mille) | GRA-tsye (MEEL-le) | Thank you (very much) |
| Prego | PRE-go | You're welcome / please, go ahead / how can I help? |
| Per favore | per fa-VO-re | Please |
| Sì / No | see / no | Yes / No |
| Scusi / Scusa | SKOO-zi / SKOO-za | Excuse me, sorry (polite / informal) |
| Mi dispiace | mi dis-PYA-che | I'm sorry |
| Come sta? / Come stai? | KO-me sta / KO-me sty | How are you? (polite / informal) |
| Bene, grazie. E Lei? | BE-ne GRA-tsye, e lay | Fine, thanks. And you? (polite) |
| Arrivederci | ar-ri-ve-DER-chi | Goodbye |
| Parla inglese? | PAR-la in-GLE-ze | Do you speak English? |
| Non capisco | non ka-PEES-ko | I don't understand |
| Parlo un po' di italiano | PAR-lo un po di i-ta-LYA-no | I speak a little Italian |
| Più lentamente, per favore | pyoo len-ta-MEN-te per fa-VO-re | Slower, please |
| Può ripetere? | pwo ri-PE-te-re | Can you repeat? |
At the bar and the restaurant
| Italian | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Un caffè, per favore | un kaf-FE per fa-VO-re | A coffee, please (it's an espresso) |
| Un cappuccino / un caffè macchiato | un kap-pu-CHEE-no / un kaf-FE mak-KYA-to | A cappuccino / an espresso with a dash of milk |
| Un bicchiere d'acqua, naturale / frizzante | un bik-KYE-re DAK-kwa, na-tu-RA-le / frit-TSAN-te | A glass of water, still / sparkling |
| Una birra / un bicchiere di vino rosso | OO-na BEER-ra / un bik-KYE-re di VEE-no ROS-so | A beer / a glass of red wine |
| Il menù, per favore | il me-NOO per fa-VO-re | The menu, please |
| Cosa mi consiglia? | KO-za mi kon-SEE-lya | What do you recommend? |
| Vorrei… | vor-RAY | I would like… |
| Per me… | per me | For me… |
| Sono vegetariano / vegetariana | SO-no ve-je-ta-RYA-no / -RYA-na | I'm vegetarian (m / f) |
| Senza carne | SEN-tsa KAR-ne | Without meat |
| Sono allergico a… | SO-no al-LER-ji-ko a | I'm allergic to… |
| Il conto, per favore | il KON-to per fa-VO-re | The bill, please |
| Era buonissimo | E-ra bwo-NEES-si-mo | It was delicious |
| Salute! / Cin cin! | sa-LOO-te / chin chin | Cheers! |
| Buon appetito | bwon ap-pe-TEE-to | Enjoy your meal |
Getting around
| Italian | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Dov'è…? | do-VE | Where is…? |
| …la stazione / la spiaggia / il bagno | la sta-TSYO-ne / la SPYAJ-ja / il BA-nyo | …the station / the beach / the toilet |
| A sinistra / a destra / sempre dritto | a si-NEES-tra / a DES-tra / SEM-pre DREET-to | Left / right / straight on |
| È lontano? | e lon-TA-no | Is it far? |
| Un biglietto per…, per favore | un bi-LYET-to per | One ticket to…, please |
| A che ora parte? | a ke O-ra PAR-te | What time does it leave? |
| Devo convalidare il biglietto? | DE-vo kon-va-li-DA-re il bi-LYET-to | Do I need to validate the ticket? (on regional trains: yes, in the machine) |
| All'aeroporto, per favore | al-la-e-ro-POR-to per fa-VO-re | To the airport, please (taxi) |
| Qui va bene, grazie | kwee va BE-ne GRA-tsye | Here is fine, thanks (to stop the taxi) |
Shopping and money
| Italian | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Quanto costa? | KWAN-to KOS-ta | How much does it cost? |
| Quant'è? | kwan-TE | How much is it? (the total) |
| È troppo caro | e TROP-po KA-ro | It's too expensive |
| Avete…? | a-VE-te | Do you have…? |
| Questo / questa, per favore | KWES-to / KWES-ta per fa-VO-re | This one, please (m / f) |
| Posso pagare con la carta? | POS-so pa-GA-re kon la KAR-ta | Can I pay by card? |
| In contanti | in kon-TAN-ti | In cash |
| Lo scontrino, per favore | lo skon-TREE-no per fa-VO-re | The receipt, please |
Numbers, time, trouble
| Italian | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque | OO-no, DOO-e, tre, KWAT-tro, CHEEN-kwe | One to five |
| sei, sette, otto, nove, dieci | say, SET-te, OT-to, NO-ve, DYE-chi | Six to ten |
| Oggi / domani / ieri | OJ-ji / do-MA-ni / YE-ri | Today / tomorrow / yesterday |
| Che ore sono? | ke O-re SO-no | What time is it? |
| Aiuto! | a-YOO-to | Help! |
| Ho bisogno di un medico | o bi-ZO-nyo di un ME-di-ko | I need a doctor |
| Dov'è il bagno? | do-VE il BA-nyo | Where is the toilet? |
| Mi sono perso / persa | mi SO-no PER-so / PER-sa | I'm lost (m / f) |
| Chiami la polizia | KYA-mi la po-li-TSEE-a | Call the police |
Five things that make you sound right
- Say every vowel, cleanly. Grazie has three syllables, buonasera has five. Italian never swallows a vowel the way English does.
- Hold the double consonants. Penne and pene are different words; so are anno (year) and ano. Hold the doubled letter a beat longer — Italians hear it instantly.
- C and g change before e and i. Ciao is 'chow', gelato is 'je-LA-to'; add an h and they go hard again: chiesa 'KYE-za', spaghetti 'spa-GET-ti'.
- Stress usually lands on the second-to-last syllable. When it doesn't, the written accent tells you: città, caffè, perché.
- A coffee is an espresso. Ask for un caffè and you get a small, strong cup, standing at the bar. A cappuccino after 11am marks you as a tourist, which is fine, but now you know.
Rehearse them before you go
Reading a phrase list is not the same as saying it to the man behind the bar. Spend a few ten-minute sessions ordering, asking the way and paying with Matteo — he answers in Italian the way the barista will, and you'll arrive having already done it. For more words by situation, our Italian vocabulary by topic has 200 of them with pronunciation, and the guide to learning Italian as an adult has the plan if you want to go further than the trip.
Questions people ask
- What are the most important Italian phrases for tourists?
- Buongiorno, grazie, per favore, il conto per favore (the bill), quanto costa? (how much), dov'è…? (where is), and non capisco (I don't understand). With those, every vowel pronounced and a smile, Italy opens up.
- Do I need to speak Italian to visit Italy?
- No, English works in tourist areas and big cities. But a few phrases said properly change how you're treated, and outside the centre of Rome, Florence and Venice they're genuinely useful.
- How do you say hello in Italian?
- Buongiorno (bwon-JOR-no) until mid-afternoon, buonasera (bwo-na-SE-ra) after. Ciao is for friends and people your age; salve (SAL-ve) is a safe neutral hello with anyone.
- How do you say thank you in Italian?
- Grazie (GRA-tsye, three syllables, not 'grazi'). 'Grazie mille' is thanks a lot. The reply is prego (PRE-go), which also means 'please, go ahead' and 'how can I help you?'.
- What does 'prego' mean?
- Several things depending on the moment: 'you're welcome' after grazie, 'please, go ahead' when someone holds a door, and 'how can I help you?' from a shopkeeper. Context makes it obvious.
Practise them out loud before the trip
Order a coffee from Matteo in Italian, tonight. Free account, no credit card.
Rehearse with Matteo