Giving your name and contact details – Making business phone calls in Italian

🏢📞

Studio Rossi.

STOO-dyoh ROHS-see

Rossi Office.

🇮🇹 Law firms, accountants and notaries usually answer with just Studio plus the surname. Expect this, not a full greeting.

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❓🤝

Mi dica.

mee DEE-kah

How can I help you?

💬 Literally "tell me", in the polite form used for a stranger: dica, not the casual dimmi. It's an invitation to state your business, not a question.

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🗣️💬

Vorrei parlare

vor-RAY par-LAH-reh

I'd like to speak

💬 vorrei "I would like" is the go-to polite request and works before any action: vorrei prenotare "I'd like to book", vorrei sapere "I'd like to know".

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⚖️

L'avvocato

l ahv-voh-KAH-toh

The lawyer

🇮🇹 Italians use professional titles like avvocato and dottore "doctor/graduate" where English uses Mr. or Ms. Using the title on the phone sounds respectful and normal.

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⚖️🤝

Con l'avvocato Bianchi

kohn l ahv-voh-KAH-toh BYAHN-kee

With lawyer Bianchi

💬 Keep l' before a title when you talk about someone, but drop it when you speak to them directly: Buongiorno, avvocato "Good morning, sir".

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🙋‍♂️🗣️⚖️

Vorrei parlare con l'avvocato Bianchi.

vor-RAY par-LAH-reh kohn l ahv-voh-KAH-toh BYAHN-kee

I'd like to speak with Mr. Bianchi, the lawyer.

💬 Vorrei is the polite way to ask for something. Voglio "I want" sounds blunt on a business call.

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😔

Mi dispiace

mee dee-SPYAH-cheh

I'm sorry

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👩‍💼📅

È in riunione.

eh een ree-oo-NYOH-neh

She's in a meeting.

💬 Italian usually drops the word for "she" or "he", so è alone means "she is", "he is" or "it is". Context tells you which one is meant.

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😔👩‍💼📅

Mi dispiace, è in riunione.

mee dee-SPYAH-cheh eh een ree-oo-NYOH-neh

I'm sorry, she's in a meeting.

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❓📞

Chi parla?

kee PAHR-lah

Who's calling?

💬 Literally "who is speaking?". Italian asks about the speaker, while English asks about the caller.

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🙋‍♂️🏷️

Sono Emily Smith

SOH-noh

I'm Emily Smith

💬 On the phone Italians introduce themselves with sono "I am" plus their name, never with a word-for-word "this is".

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❓🚪

Posso lasciare?

POHS-soh lah-SHAH-reh

Can I leave?

💬 Lasciare means to leave something behind, like a message or details. To leave a place you say andare via "to go away".

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📇

I miei contatti

ee MYEH-ee kohn-TAHT-tee

My contact details

💬 Italian keeps il, la or i before words like miei. Same pattern: la mia email "my email".

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❓📇

Posso lasciare i miei contatti?

POHS-soh lah-SHAH-reh ee MYEH-ee kohn-TAHT-tee

Can I leave my contact details?

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❓🔁

Mi ripete?

mee ree-PEH-teh

Can you repeat?

💬 Formal "you" uses the same verb form as "he/she": ripete, not the casual ripeti.

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🧑‍🤝‍🧑

Il cognome

eel koh-NYOH-meh

The surname

💬 Cognome is the family name. Your first name is nome.

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🙏

Per favore

pehr fah-VOH-reh

Please

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❓🔁🧑‍🤝‍🧑

Mi ripete il cognome, per favore?

mee ree-PEH-teh eel koh-NYOH-meh pehr fah-VOH-reh

Could you repeat your surname, please?

🇮🇹 Italians spell names over the phone using city names: A come Ancona "A as in Ancona". Learning a few will save you on every call.

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❓🤲

Mi dà?

mee dah

Can you give me?

💬 The accent matters: dà means "gives", while da means "from".

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📞🔢

Numero di telefono

NOO-meh-roh dee teh-LEH-foh-noh

Phone number

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📞🔢👤

Il suo numero di telefono

eel SOO-oh NOO-meh-roh dee teh-LEH-foh-noh

Your phone number

💬 Suo means formal "your", but it also means "his" or "her". Context tells you which.

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❓📞🔢

Mi dà il suo numero di telefono?

mee dah eel SOO-oh NOO-meh-roh dee teh-LEH-foh-noh

Could you give me your phone number?

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✅

Sì

see

Yes

💬 The accent matters: sì means "yes", while si without it means "oneself".

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3️⃣4️⃣7️⃣1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣4️⃣5️⃣6️⃣

È tre quattro sette, uno due tre, quattro cinque sei.

eh treh KWAHT-troh SEH-teh OO-noh DOOH-eh treh KWAHT-troh CHEEN-kweh say

It's three four seven, one two three, four five six.

🇮🇹 Italians usually dictate phone numbers in small groups of digits, pausing between them. Some say pairs instead, like trentaquattro "thirty-four", so be ready for both.

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✅3️⃣4️⃣7️⃣1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣4️⃣5️⃣6️⃣

Sì, è tre quattro sette, uno due tre, quattro cinque sei.

see eh treh KWAHT-troh SEH-teh OO-noh DOOH-eh treh KWAHT-troh CHEEN-kweh say

Yes, it's three four seven, one two three, four five six.

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📧

Un indirizzo email

oon een-dee-REET-tsoh ee-MAYL

An email address

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📧❓