Travel phrases

Essential Italian travel phrases

Pack the words that matter. These are the 34 Italian phrases that actually come up on a trip, from your first Buongiorno to calling for help, grouped by situation and written with a simple pronunciation guide, and read aloud at the tap of a button. Chosen the way a Italian speaker would choose them, which is why the list ends with the phrases you only hear once you are there.

Quick answer

The most useful Italian travel phrases cover greetings, politeness, directions, food, and emergencies. Learn a handful first: Buongiorno (hello), Per favore (please), Grazie (thank you), and Dov'è il bagno? (where is the toilet?). This free tool groups 34 Italian phrases by situation, each with a plain-English pronunciation and a play button that reads it aloud. They are the phrases Italian speakers really use, not an English list translated into Italian, so the last block is the one a phrasebook never has: what locals say to each other.

Start here

The first 10 Italian phrases to learn

The ones you need on day one. Tap play, say the phrase back until it sounds close, then say it along with the voice: that is shadowing, the drill interpreters train with.

  1. 1 Buongiorno Hello bwon-JOR-noh Say it entering any shop or bar. Buonasera takes over in the afternoon, at an hour that varies by region and daylight, so answer with the greeting you get
  2. 2 Salve Hello (any time of day) SAL-veh Neutral at any hour and safe when unsure of tu or Lei; Buongiorno sounds warmer
  3. 3 Buonasera Good evening bwoh-nah-SEH-rah Used on arrival too, not only on leaving, from late afternoon on
  4. 4 Ciao Hi and bye (informal) CHOW Only with peers and people you know. Ci vediamo means see you around
  5. 5 Arrivederci Goodbye ar-ree-veh-DAIR-chee Usually followed by Buona giornata, or Buona serata in the evening, and you get the same back
  6. 6 Per favore Please pair fah-VOH-reh
  7. 7 Grazie Thank you GRAH-tsyeh Usually answered with Prego; Di niente and Si figuri are common too
  8. 8 Sì / No Yes / No SEE / NOH
  9. 9 Mi scusi Excuse me (to a stranger) mee SKOO-zee Scusi to a stranger, scusa to a friend. Use it to open any question
  10. 10 Non capisco I don't understand non kah-PEES-koh
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All 34 phrases, grouped by situation.

Greetings

Buongiorno Hello bwon-JOR-noh Say it entering any shop or bar. Buonasera takes over in the afternoon, at an hour that varies by region and daylight, so answer with the greeting you get
Salve Hello (any time of day) SAL-veh Neutral at any hour and safe when unsure of tu or Lei; Buongiorno sounds warmer
Buonasera Good evening bwoh-nah-SEH-rah Used on arrival too, not only on leaving, from late afternoon on
Ciao Hi and bye (informal) CHOW Only with peers and people you know. Ci vediamo means see you around
Arrivederci Goodbye ar-ree-veh-DAIR-chee Usually followed by Buona giornata, or Buona serata in the evening, and you get the same back

Basics

Per favore Please pair fah-VOH-reh
Grazie Thank you GRAH-tsyeh Usually answered with Prego; Di niente and Si figuri are common too
Sì / No Yes / No SEE / NOH
Mi scusi Excuse me (to a stranger) mee SKOO-zee Scusi to a stranger, scusa to a friend. Use it to open any question
Non capisco I don't understand non kah-PEES-koh
Parla inglese? Do you speak English? PAR-lah een-GLEH-zeh

Getting around

Dov'è il bagno? Where is the toilet? doh-VEH eel BAH-nyoh Il bagno is the everyday word for it. In a bar, order something first
Scusi, dov'è la stazione? Excuse me, where is the station? SKOO-zee doh-VEH lah stah-TSYOH-neh
Un biglietto, per favore One ticket, please oon bee-LYET-toh pair fah-VOH-reh
Devo timbrare il biglietto? Do I need to stamp the ticket? DEH-voh teem-BRAH-reh eel bee-LYET-toh Paper train tickets are stamped on the platform before you board, bus tickets in the machine on board. A phone ticket does not need it
Scende alla prossima? Are you getting off at the next stop? SHEN-deh AL-lah PROS-see-mah Asked on a crowded bus by the person behind you, so they can move forward

Eating out

Un caffè, per favore An espresso, please oon kaf-FEH pair fah-VOH-reh Caffè means espresso. Standing at the counter costs less than sitting down
Naturale o frizzante? Still or sparkling? nah-too-RAH-leh oh freed-DZAN-teh The waiter's first question. Water comes bottled and goes on the bill
Che cosa mi consiglia? What do you recommend? keh KOH-zah mee kon-SEE-lyah The way to get the house speciality instead of the tourist dish
Il conto, per favore The bill, please eel KON-toh pair fah-VOH-reh It never comes on its own. Coperto is a cover charge per person, not a tip
Buon appetito Enjoy your meal bwon ap-peh-TEE-toh Said to anyone starting a meal, including the next table

Shopping

Quanto costa? How much is it? KWAN-toh KOS-tah
Posso pagare con la carta? Can I pay by card? POS-soh pah-GAH-reh kon lah KAR-tah Cards must be accepted by law, but small bars still prefer cash
Sto solo dando un'occhiata I'm just having a look stoh SOH-loh DAN-doh oon-ok-KYAH-tah The answer when a shop assistant comes over
Posso? May I? POS-soh Said before touching the goods or taking a seat. The answer is Prego

Emergencies

Aiuto! Help! ah-YOO-toh
Chiami un'ambulanza! Call an ambulance! KYAH-mee oon-am-boo-LAN-tsah 112 is the emergency number for everything
Ho bisogno di un medico I need a doctor oh bee-ZOH-nyoh dee oon MEH-dee-koh
Mi hanno rubato il portafoglio My wallet has been stolen mee AN-noh roo-BAH-toh eel por-tah-FOH-lyoh Report it to the carabinieri or the police for the insurance form

Locals say

Prego You're welcome, go ahead, after you PREH-goh Answers Grazie, waves you in, hands you your change and offers you the seat
Permesso? May I come through? pair-MES-soh Said entering someone's home or squeezing past in a crowd. Answered Prego
Salute! Cheers! sah-LOO-teh The toast; Cin cin is just as common. Also what you say to someone who has just sneezed
Allora So, right then al-LOH-rah The all purpose opener while you think. Waiters start half their sentences with it
Magari! If only! mah-GAH-ree The wistful yes to a nice hypothetical. On its own it also means maybe

How to get the most from these phrases

Learn by situation, not alphabetically. Your memory files Buongiorno next to the moment you would use it, so run through the greetings before you fly, the restaurant block on the way to dinner, and the emergency block once so it is there if you ever need it.

The pronunciation guide is written the way an English speaker would read it aloud, with the stressed syllable in capitals. It is a crutch, not the real sound. Press play, listen once, then say the phrase back: the audio fixes the vowels that plain English spelling cannot capture. Once a phrase feels easy, say it together with the voice, a beat behind, the way interpreters drill: our guide to shadowing explains the sequence.

Phrases get you to the country. What gets you fluent is meeting the same words again and again in context, which is exactly what reading does. Once Per favore and Grazie feel automatic, the next step is a real Italian sentence, then a page, then a book. That is the whole idea behind reading in Lingo7.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most important Italian phrases for travel?

Start with greetings and politeness, then the phrases that solve a real problem: asking directions, ordering, paying, and getting help. On this page that is Buongiorno (hello), Per favore (please), Grazie (thank you), Dov'è il bagno? (where is the toilet?), and Aiuto! (help!). Learn those few and you can be polite and safe almost anywhere.

What do Italian locals say that a phrasebook leaves out?

A phrasebook translates English, so it gives you the Italian for "hello" and stops. The phrases people there actually trade all day are the ones with no English slot: Prego (you're welcome, go ahead, after you), Permesso? (may I come through?), Salute! (cheers!). The "Locals say" block on this page collects 5 of them and says when each one is used, which is usually what turns a correct sentence into a normal one.

What do these Italian phrases sound like?

Tap the play button next to a phrase and you hear it read aloud, so you can copy the sound instead of guessing it from the spelling. The written pronunciation is a crutch for English eyes, the audio is the real thing. Play Buongiorno and Grazie a few times, say them back, and they come out right when it counts.

How do you say hello and thank you in Italian?

In Italian, hello is Buongiorno (pronounced bwon-JOR-noh) and thank you is Grazie (GRAH-tsyeh). Add Per favore (please) and Arrivederci (goodbye), and you have the words that carry most short exchanges with a shopkeeper, waiter, or stranger.

How do you ask where the toilet is in Italian?

Ask Dov'è il bagno? (pronounced doh-VEH eel BAH-nyoh), which means "where is the toilet?" in Italian. If you only catch part of the reply, Non capisco (I don't understand) and a smile usually gets it repeated or pointed out. It is one of the few phrases worth memorizing word for word before you go.

Do I need to learn Italian before traveling?

No, but a dozen Italian phrases go a long way. Locals warm up fast when you open with Buongiorno and Grazie instead of English. You do not need grammar or fluency for a trip, just the survival set above. For anything past that, the fastest route to real Italian is reading, which is exactly what Lingo7 is built for.