How to Start a Conversation:
Politeness is especially important when abroad; after all, you don’t want to make a negative impression upon arrival.
| German | Italian |
|---|---|
| Good day! | Buongiorno |
| Good evening! | Buona sera |
| Good night! | Buona notte |
| Goodbye! | Arrivederci |
| Please | Per favore |
| Thank you | Grazie |
| Excuse me | Scusi |
| Yes | Si |
| No | No |
| Today | Oggi |
| Tomorrow | Domani |
| I don’t speak Italian. | Non parlo l’italiano. |
| Do you speak English? | Parla inglese? |
Fancy some small talk?
Italians are very warm people, but a hug is not suitable for a first encounter. With our vocabulary, nothing can go wrong.
| German | Italian |
|---|---|
| What is your name? | Come ti chiami? |
| I am Sarah. And you? | Mi chiamo Sarah. E tu? |
| Where are you from? | Di dove sei? |
| I am from Munich. | Sono di Monaco. |
| How are you? | Come stai? |
| Fine, thank you. And yourself? | Bene, grazie! E tu? |
| I don’t understand. | Non capisco |
At the Restaurant
Italians have different meal times than we do. The further south you go, the later dinner is eaten. If you sit in a restaurant at 6 PM, you’ll likely be met with amusement. To avoid immediately outing yourself as a tourist, you can meet for an aperitivo instead.
| German | Italian |
|---|---|
| The drinks menu, please! | La lista delle bevande, per favore! |
| The bill, please! | Il conto, per favore! |
| Bring me…! | Portami…! |
| Enjoy your meal | Buon appetito |
| Where are the restrooms? | Dov’é il bagno? |
| Breakfast | La prima colazione |
| Lunch | Il pranzo |
| Dinner | La cena |
| Meat | La carne |
| Fish | Il pesce |
| Vegetables | La verdura |
| Salad | L’insalata |
At the Hotel
Who hasn’t experienced it? You’ve just arrived in your hotel room and you need another pillow, or you have questions about your valuables. Here’s the right vocabulary for that.
| German | Italian |
|---|---|
| At the hotel | L’hotel |
| Do you have a room available? | C’é una camera libera? |
| I have a reservation. | Ho fatto una prenotazione. |
| How much is one night, please? | Quanto costa una notte, per favore? |
| Where can I park my car? | Dove posso parcheggiare l’auto? |
| Does the room have… | La camera ha… |
| …a shower? | …una doccia? |
| …a toilet? | …un bagno? |
| …a sea view? | …vista sul mare? |
| I would like… | Vorrei… |
| …a double room. | …una camera duppia. |
| …a blanket. | …una coperta. |
| …a pillow. | …un cuscino. |
| …a towel. | …un asciugamano. |
| Is there a safe? | C’é una cassaforte? |
| Can you recommend a good restaurant? | Mi può consigliare un ristorante buono? |
