How to Speak Italian in Rome: A Beginner’s Guide

Last Updated: Jul 02, 2023
Reading Time: 11 minutes
By: Shaun

Rome is one of the most popular destinations in the world, attracting millions of visitors every year. The city’s ancient monuments, artistic treasures, cultural heritage, and culinary delights require no introduction. But Rome is also a place where you can experience the beauty and richness of the Italian language, one of the most widely spoken and studied languages in the world.

Italian is the official language of Italy, as well as one of the official languages of Switzerland, San Marino, and Vatican City. It is also spoken by many people in nearby countries, like Malta and Slovenia, together with the millions of immigrants spread around the world. Italian is a Romance language derived from Latin and closely related to other languages such as French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian.

If you are planning to visit Rome, learning some basic Italian phrases and words can make your trip more enjoyable and rewarding. Not only will you be able to communicate with the locals more easily, but you will also appreciate the nuances and expressions of this melodious and expressive language.

In this guide, we will provide you with some essential tips to help you learn Italian for your trip to Rome.

Why Learn Italian for Your Trip to Rome?

Castel Sant'Angelo | Image by Thomas Wolf on Wikimedia Commons

You might be wondering why you should bother learning Italian if you can get by with English or other languages in Rome. After all, many people in Rome speak English or other languages, especially those who work in the tourism industry. You can also find signs, menus, maps, and guides in English or other languages in many places.

However, there are many benefits to learning some Italian for your trip to Rome. Here are some of them:

You will show respect and appreciation for the local culture and people. Italians are very proud of their language and culture, and they appreciate it when foreigners make an effort to speak it. Even if you make mistakes or have a strong accent, they will be happy to help you and correct you politely.
You will have more opportunities to interact with the locals and make new friends. Italians are very friendly and sociable people, and they love to chat and joke with strangers. By speaking some Italian, you will be able to join their conversations and learn more about their lives, opinions, stories, and traditions. You will also have more chances to ask for recommendations, tips, directions, or help from the locals.
You will enhance your travel experience and memories. By learning some Italian, you will be able to immerse yourself more deeply in the Roman culture and atmosphere.

What are Some Useful Italian Words and Phrases for Your Trip to Rome?

Here are some of the most useful Italian words and phrases that you should know for your trip to Rome. We have grouped them into different categories according to the situations where you might need them. We also include in parentheses how the words sound phonetically using the sound of the letters in the English language.

Greetings and Introductions

Aventine Keyhole | Image by Galen Crout on Wikimedia Commons

These are the words and phrases that you will use to greet people, introduce yourself, or say goodbye.

Hello / Good morning / Good day: Buon giorno (BWOH-JOR-noh)
Good afternoon: Buon pomeriggio (BWOH-po-meh-reej-joh)
Good evening: Buona sera (BWOH-nah-SAY-rah)
Good night: Buona notte (BWOH-nah-NOT-teh)
Hi / Bye (informal): Ciao (CHOW)
Goodbye (formal): Arrivederci (ah-ree-vay-DEHR-chee)
Nice to meet you: Piacere di conoscerti (informal) / Piacere di conoscerla (formal) (pyah-CHEH-reh dee koh-noh-SHEHR-tee / pyah-CHEH-reh dee koh-noh-SHEHR-lah)
How are you?: Come stai? (informal) / Come sta? (formal) (KOH-meh STAI / KOH-meh STAH)
I’m fine, thank you: Sto bene, grazie (STOH BEH-neh GRAH-tsee-eh)
And you?: E tu? (informal) / E Lei? (formal) (EH too / EH lay)
What’s your name?: Come ti chiami? (informal) / Come si chiama? (formal) (KOH-meh tee KYAH-mee / KOH-meh see KYAH-mah)
My name is…: Mi chiamo… (Mee KYAH-moh)
Where are you from?: Di dove sei? (informal) / Di dov’è? (formal) (Dee DOH-veh SEI / Dee DOH-veh eh)
I’m from…: Sono di… (SOH-noh dee)

Courtesies

Knowing how to be polite and respectful in your interactions can go a long way. So here are some words you should know:

Yes: Sì (SEE)
No: No (noh)
Please: Per favore (Pehr fah-VOH-reh)
Thank you: Grazie (GRAH-tsee-eh)
You’re welcome: Prego (PREH-goh)
I’m sorry: Mi dispiace (Mee dees-PYAH-cheh)
Excuse me (for attention): Scusi (formal) / Scusa (informal) (SKOO-see / SKOO-zah)
Excuse me (to pass by): Permesso (Pehr-MEH-soh)
Can you help me?: Può aiutarmi? (formal) / Puoi aiutarmi? (informal) (PWOH ah-yoo-TAHR-mee / PWOY ah-yoo-TAHR-mee)
Do you speak English?: Parla inglese? (formal) / Parli inglese? (informal) (PAR-lah een-GLEH-seh / PAR-lee een-GLEH-seh)
I don’t speak Italian: Non parlo italiano (Non PAR-loh ee-tah-LYAH-noh)
I don’t understand: Non capisco (Non kah-PEE-skoh)
Could you repeat that?: Potrebbe ripetere? (formal) / Potresti ripetere? (informal) (Poh-TREHB-beh ree-peh-TEH-reh / Poh-TREHS-tee ree-peh-TEH-reh)
Could you speak more slowly?: Potrebbe parlare più lentamente? (formal) / Potresti parlare più lentamente? (informal) (Poh-TREHB-beh PAR-lah-reh pyoo lehn-tah-MEN-teh / Poh-TREHS-tee PAR-lah-reh pyoo lehn-tah-MEN-teh)

Numbers

Monti | Image by Jorge Franganillo on Wikimedia Commons

The numbers are one of the most useful sets of words to know in any language. Here are the numbers from zero to twenty in Italian:

Zero: Zero (DZEH-roh)
One: Uno (OO-noh)
Two: Due (DOO-eh)
Three: Tre (Treh)
Four: Quattro (KWAHT-troh)
Five: Cinque (CHEEN-kweh)
Six: Sei (SEI)
Seven: Sette (SEHT-teh)
Eight: Otto (OH-toh)
Nine: Nove (NOH-veh)
Ten: Dieci (DYEH-chee)
Eleven: Undici (OON-dee-chee)
Twelve: Dodici (DOH-dee-chee)
Thirteen: Tredici (TREH-dee-chee)
Fourteen: Quattordici (KWAHT-tohr-dee-chee)
Fifteen: Quindici (KWEEN-dee-chee)
Sixteen: Sedici (SEH-dee-chee)
Seventeen: Diciassette (Dee-chyahs-SEHT-teh)
Eighteen: Diciotto (Dee-chyoh-toh)
Nineteen: Diciannove (Dee-chyah-noh-Veh)
Twenty: Venti (VEHN-tee)

Dates

How do you tell the date in Italian? We’ve got you covered with the below.

Today: Oggi (OH-jee)
Tomorrow: Domani (Doh-MAH-nee)
Yesterday: Ieri (YEH-ree)
Day: Giorno (JOR-noh)
Week: Settimana (Seht-tee-MAH-nah)
Month: Mese (MEH-seh)
Year: Anno (AHN-noh)

To ask what day it is, you can say:

What day is it today?: Che giorno è oggi? (Keh JOR-noh eh OH-jee)

To answer, you can say:

Today is…: Oggi è… (OH-jee eh)

The days of the week in Italian are:

Monday: Lunedì (Loo-neh-DEE)
Tuesday: Martedì (Mar-teh-DEE)
Wednesday: Mercoledì (Mehr-koh-leh-DEE)
Thursday: Giovedì (Joh-veh-DEE)
Friday: Venerdì (Veh-nehr-DEE)
Saturday: Sabato (SAH-bah-toh)
Sunday: Domenica (Doh-MEH-nee-kah)

Time

Trevi Fountain | Image by Ademar Gomes on Flickr

In this day and age, who asks strangers what time it is anymore? However, knowing how to tell and understand the time in the local language can still be very useful. Here are the basics:

Hour: Ora (OH-rah)
Minute: Minuto (Mee-NOO-toh)
Second: Secondo (Seh-KOHN-doh)
O’clock: In punto (Een POON-toh)
Quarter: Quarto (KWAHR-toh)
Half: Mezza (MEH-tzah)

To ask what time it is, you can say:

What time is it?: Che ora è? (Keh OH-rah eh)

To answer, you can use the following formula:

It is + hour + and + minutes

For example:

It is one o’clock: È l’una (eh LOO-nah)
It is two o’clock: Sono le due (SOH-noh leh DOO-eh)
It is three fifteen: Sono le tre e quindici (SOH-noh leh TREH eh KWEEN-dee-chee)
It is four thirty: Sono le quattro e mezza (SOH-noh leh KWAHT-troh eh MEH-tzah)
It is five forty-five: Sono le sei meno quindici (SOH-noh leh SEI MEH-noh KWEEN-dee-chee)

To indicate whether it is morning, afternoon, evening, or night, you can add the following words after the time:

Morning: Di mattina (Dee maht-TEE-nah)
Afternoon: Del pomeriggio (Dehl poh-meh-REE-joh)
Evening: Di sera (Dee SEH-rah)
Night: Di notte (Dee NOH-teh)

Colors

Colosseum Arena Floor | Image by Guy on Pixabay

Colours are another set of words that can be very helpful, especially when shopping. Here are the translations of the most common colours:

White: Bianco (BYAHN-koh)
Black: Nero (NEH-roh)
Red: Rosso (ROHS-soh)
Blue: Blu (BLOO)
Green: Verde (VEHR-deh)
Yellow: Giallo (JAH-loh)
Orange: Arancione (Ah-rahn-CHEE-oh-neh)
Pink: Rosa (ROH-sah)
Purple: Viola (VYOH-lah)
Brown: Marrone (Mahr-ROH-neh)
Gray: Grigio (GREE-joh)

Questions

Most likely, your interaction with the locals will revolve around asking questions. Here are some basic words and examples you should be familiar with.

Who?: Chi? (Kee)
What?: Che? / Cosa? (Keh / KOH-sah)
When?: Quando? (KWAHN-doh)
Where?: Dove? (DOH-veh)
Why?: Perché? (Pehr-KEH)
How?: Come? (KOH-meh)
How much?: Quanto? (KWAHN-toh)
How many?: Quanti? (KWAHN-tee)
Which?: Quale? (KWAH-leh)
What kind of?: Che tipo di? (Keh TEE-poh dee)

To form a question in Italian, you can either use one of these words at the beginning of the sentence, or simply raise your intonation at the end of the sentence. For example:

Who are you?: Chi sei? (Kee SEI)
What is this?: Che cos’è questo? (Keh koh-ZEH KWEH-stoh)
When are you leaving?: Quando parti? (KWAHN-doh PAR-tee)
Where are you going?: Dove vai? (DOH-veh VAI)
Why are you sad?: Perché sei triste? (Pehr-KEH SEI TREET-seh)
How are you?: Come stai? (KOH-meh STAI)
How much is it?: Quanto costa? (KWAHN-toh KOH-stah)
How many people are there?: Quante persone ci sono? (KWAHN-teh pehr-SOH-neh chee SOH-noh)
Which one do you prefer?: Quale preferisci? (KWAH-leh preh-feh-REE-shee)
What kind of music do you like?: Che tipo di musica ti piace? (Keh TEE-poh dee MOO-zee-kah tee PYAH-cheh)

Directions

Just like time, who asks for directions nowadays when you have Google Maps or similar maps? However, if you get lost in a Museum, being able to ask for directions from an attendant can be a lifesaver. Here are some words to keep handy:

Left: Sinistra (See-NEES-trah)
Right: Destra (DEHS-trah)
Straight: Dritto (DREET-toh)
Ahead: Avanti (Ah-VAHN-tee)
Behind: Dietro (Dyeh-TROH)
Next to: Accanto a (Ah-KAHN-toh ah)
Opposite: Di fronte a (Dee FROHN-teh ah)
Near: Vicino a (Vee-CHEE-noh ah)
Far: Lontano da (Lohn-TAH-noh dah)
Here: Qui (Kwee)
There: Lì (Lee)
Where is…?: Dov’è…? (DOH-veh)
How do I get to…?: Come faccio ad arrivare a…? (KOH-meh FAH-choh ad ah-ree-VAH-reh ah)

To ask for directions in Italian, you can use the following formula:

Excuse me, where is…?: Scusi, dov’è…? (SKOO-see, DOH-veh)

Restaurants

Carbonara | Image by Wow Phochiangrak on Pixabay

No visit to Rome is complete without a healthy dose of Italian food. Here is a common list of words you can use when in a restaurant or coffee shop.

Restaurant: Ristorante (Ree-stoh-RAHN-teh)
Menu: Menù (Meh-NOO)
Appetizer: Antipasto (An-tee-PAH-stoh)
Main course: Piatto principale (PYAH-toh preehn-chee-PAH-leh)
Side dish: Contorno (Kohn-TOHR-noh)
Dessert: Dolce (DOHL-cheh)
Drink: Bevanda (Beh-VAHN-dah)
Water: Acqua (AHK-kwah)
Wine: Vino (VEE-noh)
Beer: Birra (BEER-rah)
Coffee: Caffè (Kahf-FEH)
Tea: Tè (Teh)
Juice: Succo (SOOK-koh)
Milk: Latte (LAH-teh)
Sugar: Zucchero (ZOO-kheh-roh)
Salt: Sale (SAH-leh)
Pepper: Pepe (PEH-peh)
Oil: Olio (OH-lyoh)
Vinegar: Aceto (Ah-CHEH-toh)
Bread: Pane (PAH-neh)
Cheese: Formaggio (For-MAH-joh)
Meat: Carne (KAHR-neh)
Fish: Pesce (PEH-sheh)
Chicken: Pollo (POHL-loh)
Egg: Uovo (OO-oh-voh)

Museums

Galleria Corsini | Image by AlexanderVanLoon on Wikimedia Commons

Rome is a city full of museums and art, so these words will come in handy as well.

Museum: Museo (Moo-ZEH-oh)
Ticket: Biglietto (Bee-LYEH-toh)
Entrance: Ingresso (Een-GREH-soh)
Exit: Uscita (Oo-SHEE-tah)
Guide: Guida (GEE-dah)
Audio guide: Audioguida (OW-dyoh-GEE-dah)
Map: Mappa (MAH-pah)
Exhibition: Mostra (MOH-strah)
Painting: Dipinto (Dee-PEEN-toh)
Sculpture: Scultura (Skool-TOO-rah)
Artist: Artista (Ar-TEE-stah)
Masterpiece: Capolavoro (Kah-poh-LAH-voh-roh)
History: Storia (STOH-ryah)
Culture: Cultura (Kool-TOO-rah)
Art: Arte (AR-teh)

Transport and Getting Around

Roma Termini Station | Image by Ingolf on Flickr

Using the public transport system is one of the best ways to get around Rome, so here are some words you will for sure encounter.

Transport: Trasporto (Trah-SPOHR-toh)
Bus: Autobus (OW-toh-boos)
Train: Treno (TREH-noh)
Metro: Metro (MEH-troh)
Car: Auto (OW-toh)
Bike: Bici (BEE-chee)
Scooter: Scooter (SKOO-tehr)
Station: Stazione (Stah-TSYOH-neh)
Stop: Fermata (Fehr-MAH-tah)
Ticket: Biglietto (Bee-LYEH-toh)
Timetable: Orario (Oh-RAH-ryoh)
Departure: Partenza (Par-TEN-zah)
Arrival: Arrivo (Ah-REE-voh)
Delay: Ritardo (Ree-TAR-doh)

Shopping

Via Dei Condotti | Image by Sonse on Wikimedia Commons

If you indulge yourself in some shopping, you will for sure need the below.

Shop: Negozio (Neh-GOH-tsyoh)
Market: Mercato (Mehr-KAH-toh)
Mall: Centro commerciale (CHEHN-troh koh-mehr-TSYAH-leh)
Supermarket: Supermercato (SOO-pehr-mehr-KAH-toh)
Pharmacy: Farmacia (Fahr-MAH-chyah)
Bank: Banca (BAHN-kah)
ATM: Bancomat (BAHN-koh-maht)
Money: Soldi (SOHL-dee)
Credit card: Carta di credito (KAR-tah dee KREH-dee-toh)
Cash: Contanti (Kohn-TAHN-tee)
Change: Resto (REH-stoh)
Receipt: Scontrino (Skohn-TREE-noh)
Price: Prezzo (PREH-tsoh)
Discount: Sconto (SKOHN-toh)
Sale: Saldo (SAHL-doh)

Help

While we wish you the time of your life in Rome, it’s good to know some words if you ever are in need of help. These are some words and phrases that you can use to ask for or offer help in Italian.

Help: Aiuto (Ah-YOO-toh)
Emergency: Emergenza (Eh-mehr-JEN-zah)
Police: Polizia (Poh-LEE-tsyah)
Ambulance: Ambulanza (Ahm-boo-LAHN-zah)
Firefighters: Vigili del fuoco (Vee-JEE-lee dehl FWOH-koh)
Doctor: Dottore (Doh-TOH-reh)
Hospital: Ospedale (Oh-speh-DAH-leh)
Pharmacy: Farmacia (Fahr-MAH-chyah)
Phone: Telefono (Teh-leh-FOH-noh)
Can you help me?: Può aiutarmi? (formal) / Puoi aiutarmi? (informal) (PWOH ah-yoo-TAHR-mee / PWOY ah-yoo-TAHR-mee)

Conclusion

In this guide, we have provided you with some essential tips to enhance your trip to Rome. We have covered the most useful and common words and phrases that you will need in different situations, such as greetings, courtesies, questions, directions, restaurants, museums, transport, shopping, and help.

We hope that this guide will help you communicate more easily and effectively with the locals and enjoy the beauty and richness of the Italian language. Buon viaggio e buon divertimento! (Have a good trip and have fun!)

Frequently Asked Questions

How hard is it to learn Italian?

Italian is not a very difficult language to learn, especially if you already know some Spanish, French, or other Romance languages. It has a regular grammar and a clear pronunciation. However, you will need to practise a lot and expose yourself to different sources of Italian input, such as books, movies, podcasts, etc.

How can I learn some basic Italian phrases and words for my trip to Rome?

There are many resources online that can help you learn some basic Italian for travellers. For example, you can check out Babbel's guide to the Italian basics, which includes useful words and phrases for greetings, apologies, compliments, insults, asking someone out, and more. You can also watch the BBC's Italian class or check out the many videos on YouTube that cover the basics of the language.

What are some cultural tips to keep in mind when visiting Rome?

Rome is a beautiful and historic city that attracts millions of tourists every year. However, it is also a place where you should respect the local customs and etiquette. Make sure you dress appropriately when visiting churches or other religious sites; don't touch or climb on monuments or fountains; and don't be frustrated if things are running late. Italians are not very punctual and often have a relaxed attitude towards schedules. Be patient and flexible.