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How to Say ‘I speak a little Italian’ in Italian

Parlo un po' di italiano

PAHR-loh oon poh dee ee-tah-LYAH-noh

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

💬 Usage Tip: The -o ending on parlo already means "I", so there's no need to add io "I". Same with capisco "I understand".

Phrase Breakdown

Parlo un po'

PAHR-loh oon poh

I speak a little

'Parlo' means 'I speak', with the stress on PAR. Roll the 'r' lightly: PAR-loh oon POH.

Example

Parlo un po' di inglese.

I speak a little English.

Words in this phrase

Parlo

[PAHR-loh]

I speak

To talk or converse about something.

Example

Io parlo italiano.

I speak Italian.

un

[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

This completes 'a little (of) Italian'. Say dee ee-tah-LYAH-noh.

Example

Studio un po' di italiano.

I study a little Italian.

Words in this phrase

di

[dee]

of

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.

Related guides

Duolingo vs Busuu: Which Is Better for Actually Improving?Duolingo vs Busuu compared: a free gamified habit versus structured levels with corrections from native speakers. Which to choose, and when to use both.

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