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How to Say ‘A little Italian’ in Italian

Un po' di italiano

oon poh dee ee-tah-LYAH-noh

[oon poh dee ee-tah-LYAH-noh]

💬 Usage Tip: po' is a shortened poco "little", and it always needs di before the thing. For example: un po' di pane "a bit of bread".

Phrase Breakdown

Un po'

oon poh

A little

Short for 'un poco'. Say it as one smooth unit: 'oon-POH'.

Example

Aspetta un po'.

Wait a little.

Words in this phrase

[oon]

a / an

An indefinite article meaning 'a' before a masculine singular noun.

Example

È stato un incontro molto utile.

It was a very useful meeting.

po'

[poh]

a little / a bit

Shortened form of poco in the fixed expression un po', meaning a little or a bit.

Example

Siamo un po' nervosi prima della partita.

We are a little nervous before the match.

di italiano

dee ee-tah-LYAH-noh

of Italian

'Di' links to the next word: 'dee-ee-tah-LYAH-noh'. The stress falls on 'LYA'.

Example

Una lezione di italiano.

An Italian lesson.

Words in this phrase

[dee]

Preposition linking nouns, often translated as of.

Example

Che tipo di ruolo è disponibile?

What kind of role is available?

italiano

[ee-tah-LYAH-noh]

Italian

The Italian language (or an Italian person/thing).

Example

Studio italiano a scuola.

I study Italian at school.

Guides for Italian learners

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