Top 50 phrases to get by Italy: Essential communication

💬 parla here is the polite "you" form, so you can use it with strangers without adding a separate word for "you." With a friend, you'd switch to parli inglese?.

🇮🇹 This is the normal safe way to ask a stranger, server, or hotel staff member. In tourist areas, many people will answer honestly with a little English even if they don't speak much.

🇮🇹 buongiorno is the default polite greeting for much of the day, especially with strangers and in shops. In many places it can still sound natural well past what English speakers think of as just "morning."

🇮🇹 buonasera is both "good evening" and a common polite greeting from late afternoon onward. Italians often switch to it earlier than English speakers expect.

🇮🇹 buonanotte is for when people are heading off to sleep or ending the night, not for greeting someone at night. If you're arriving somewhere in the evening, say buonasera.

💬 scusi is the polite form, used with strangers or to get someone's attention. With friends or people your age in a casual setting, you'd often hear scusa.

🇮🇹 In Italy, scusi is the go-to way to start many small interactions: getting past someone, calling a server, or asking a question. It often sounds more natural than jumping straight into the request.

💬 sta is the polite "you" form here, so come sta? is for one person you don't know well. With friends or family, it's come stai?.

🇮🇹 Use come sta? in polite first encounters or with older people. In many quick service interactions, though, Italians may skip "how are you?" entirely and go straight to the point.