The 100 Most Common Italian Words You NEED to Know

The average Italian vocabulary lists the definitions for about 200,000 lemmas. However, native Italian speakers can get by with just a tiny fraction of that huge number. You can actually live in the country if you know as little as 7,000 words.

In this lesson, we’ll cover the 100 most common Italian words you’ll need to know as a foreigner. We’ve selected the ones that are more useful for practical purposes.

We’ll also look at plenty of example sentences to help you learn these words more easily. Let’s get started!

The 100 most common Italian words

10 Italian words you will use on a daily basis

ciao	hello, bye
buongiorno	good morning, good day
buonasera	good evening
arrivederci	goodbye
sì	yes
no	no
grazie	thanks, thank you
prego	you’re welcome
mi scusi	excuse me, sorry
per favore	please

In Italy, ciao is an informal greeting you use with friends and family. Buongiorno and buonasera are polite greetings. You can also use ciao to part ways in informal settings. If you need to say bye to your boss or a stranger, use arrivederci. This literally means “to see each other again”.

Sì and no are the translations for “yes” and “no”, respectively. If you need to write them, make sure you put an accent mark on sì, because si is a different Italian word.

Grazie and prego are the words for “thank you” and “you’re welcome”. If you want to say “yes, please”, you actually have to use sì, grazie. This literally translates as “yes, thank you”. I know it may sound strange, but that’s the way it goes in Italy!

If you want to apologize or ask something of a stranger, use mi scusi. It works for both “sorry” and “excuse me”. If you want to ask a favor, use per favore, which literally means “for favor” but translates as “please”.

Examples:

• Buongiorno signor Rossi, come sta?
  Good morning Mr. Rossi, how are you?
• Vuoi del tè? – Si, grazie.
  Would you like some tea? – Yes, please.
• Mi scusi, sa dove trovo la stazione degli autobus?
  Excuse me, do you know where the bus station is?

The 10 most important Italian verbs

essere	to be
avere	to have
stare	to stay
fare	to do
andare	to go
venire	to come
dovere	must, have to
potere	can, be able to
volere	to want
sapere	to know

Essere and avere are used in compound verb tenses like some Italian past tenses (ho mangiato, “I have eaten”), while stare is used in the gerund mood (sto mangiando, “I am eating”).

The four Italian modal verbs are dovere, potere, volere and sapere. Unlike other verbs, these can be followed by a verb in the infinitive mood (the basic form of Italian verbs ending in –are, –ere and –ire).

Examples:

• Sono andato in farmacia.
  I went to the pharmacy.
• Sto leggendo un libro giallo.
  I am reading a crime book.
• Devo pulire i piatti entro sera.
  I have to do the dishes by evening.
• Enrico sa suonare la chitarra.
  Enrico can play the guitar.

The 10 most common Italian words for asking questions

cosa, che cosa	what
chi	who
dove	where
quando	when
perché	why
come	how
quanto	how much
quanti	how many
come mai	how come
a che ora	at what time

If you want to ask a question in Italian, you don’t have to change the order of the subject and verb or add a helper verb. All you need to do is add a “?” at the end of the sentence.

• Stefano abita in quella casa.
  Stefano lives in that house.
• Stefano abita in quella casa?
  Does Stefano live in that house?

You’ll probably use the interrogative pronouns cosa, chi, dove, quando, perché and come the most. These always come first in the question, just like their English translations. It’s a good idea to learn these well because you’ll probably use them pretty much daily, likely more than once. Here are a few examples:

• Cosa vuoi mangiare per cena?
  What would you like to eat for dinner?
• Chi ha mangiato l’ultimo pezzo di torta?
  Who ate the last piece of cake?
• Dove ho lasciato i miei occhiali?
  Where did I leave my glasses?
• Quando partirai per Parigi?
  When are you leaving for Paris?
• Perché il cane si morde la coda?
  Why is the dog biting its own tail?
• Come si scrive questa parola?
  How do you spell this word?
• Quanto costa una bottiglia d’acqua?
  How much does a bottle of water cost?

The 10 most common Italian words for travelling

stazione (ferroviaria)	(train) station
aeroporto	airport
valigia/bagaglio	suitcase/luggage
biglietto	ticket
museo	museum
treno	train
autobus	bus
hotel	hotel
chiesa	church
camera doppia/singola	single/double room

If you ever get the chance to visit Italy, you’ll probably need to get your bearings. This section and the next will help you avoid getting lost.

You can use these words in lots of different ways, but there are a few common sentences and questions you’ll often hear or need to ask, such as:

• Quanto costa un biglietto per…?
  How much is a ticket to…?
• Dove posso comprare…?
  Where can I buy…?
• Vorrei prenotare una camera singola/doppia.
  I would like to book a single/double room.
• Ho perso il mio bagaglio!
  I lost my luggage!
• Devo arrivare all’hotel…
  I have to get to the hotel…
• Ho perso l’aereo / il treno / l’autobus.
  I missed the plane / the train / the bus.

The 10 most common Italian words for going places

via	street
strada	road
piazza	square
città	city
paese	small town
sinistra	left
destra	right
dritto	straight ahead
casa	home
chilometro	kilometer

You also need to know how to read directions. Use a sinistra to translate “to the left”, and a destra to say “to the right”. If someone says you need to andare dritto, it means you have to “go straight ahead”.

If you need to ask where something is or you happen to get lost, you can say:

• Dove si trova…?
  Where is…?
• Mi sono perso!
  I got lost!
• Sto cercando Via Manzoni.
  I’m looking for Via Manzoni.
• Sa dirmi come raggiungere Piazza Navona?
  Can you tell me how to get to Piazza Navona?

Just a quick note: If you’re used to calculating distances in miles, remember that the numbers you see on Italian road signs are always in chilometri, which is the Italian word for kilometers. So, “BERGAMO 12” means that the city of Bergamo is 12 kilometers away, even if no unit is given. A kilometer is about 0.62 miles.

The 10 most common Italian words for talking about time

giorno	day
sera	evening
notte	night
ora	hour
minuto	minute
oggi	today
domani	tomorrow
ieri	yesterday
mese	month
settimana	week

You need to know how to answer the question quando?, “when?”. It’s a pretty common question in Italian, so it’s worth learning how to respond. Here are some common questions and sentences for talking about time:

• Che ore sono?
  What time is it?
• Che giorno è oggi?
  What day is today?
• A che ora chiude la banca?
  What time does the bank close?
• Come si dicono i giorni della settimana in italiano?
  How do you say the days of the week in Italian?

Find out how to say the days of the week in Italian here! 😉

The 10 most common Italian words to go shopping

supermercato	supermarket
cassa	check-out, cash register
carrello	shopping cart
spesa	grocery shopping
borsa	bag
carne	meat
pesce	fish
pane	bread
frutta e verdura	fruits and vegetables
carta di credito	credit card

If you’re grocery shopping in Italy, it’s good to know some of the most common words you’ll find in supermarkets.

Another quick note: If you’re planning on staying in the country for a while and doing your grocery shopping almost every day, make sure you bring your own tote bag. Supermarkets, supermercati, will charge you 2-10 cents for every compostable bag you request at their place (they used to be free!), and the cost can add up pretty quickly.

That said, here are a few common sentences you need to know:

• Posso pagare con carta di credito?
  Can I pay by credit card?
• Dov’è il reparto della carne / del pesce?
  Where is the meat/fish department?
• Dov’è la cassa?
  Where is the cash register?
• Mi sa dire dov’è il supermercato più vicino?
  Can you tell me where the nearest supermarket is?

The 10 most common Italian words for eating out

ristorante	restaurant
pizzeria	pizzeria
menù	menu
primo	first course
secondo	main course
dolce	dessert
tavolo	table
forchetta	fork
cameriere	waiter
conto	bill

A full Italian meal is made up of three parts: il primo (first course), il secondo (main course) and il dolce (dessert). If you want to reserve a table, just say:

• Vorrei prenotare un tavolo per… due/tre/quattro.
  I would like to reserve a table for… two/three/four.

Once you’ve finished your meal, it’s not typical for Italian waiters to bring the bill to your table unprompted. You’ll have to ask for it directly or walk up to the cash register yourself. Eating out is a social event, and waiters will let you stay for as long as you like without rushing you to leave! To ask for the bill, just say:

• Mi porta il conto, per favore?
  Would you bring me the bill, please?

It’s also pretty common for people to drop their fork or some other piece of cutlery on the floor by accident. If that happens, just call for the waiter with cameriere, mi scusi (do NOT shout!) and then say:

• Mi porterebbe una nuova forchetta?
  Would you bring me a new fork?

Or un nuovo cucchiaio, if you need a spoon. Or a new glass, un nuovo bicchiere.

The 10 most common Italian words for talking about relationships

famiglia	family
mamma	mom
papà	dad
fratello	brother
sorella	sister
ragazzo	boy, boyfriend
ragazza	girl, girlfriend
uomo	man
donna	woman
bambino/a	child (m/f)

Fratello and sorella are the Italian words for “brother” and “sister”, but there’s no word in Italian that translates “sibling”. You’ll have to use either of the two, while in the plural you have to say fratelli e/o sorelle, “brothers and/or sisters”.

If you’re talking about a little boy, use bambino. For little girls, use bambina. You’ll also find the masculine/feminine distinction in ragazzo (“boy”) and ragazza (“girl”). These can also be used to translate “boyfriend” and “girlfriend”.

Here are some common sentences you might come across:

• Hai fratelli o sorelle?
  Do you have any brothers or sisters?
• Quanti siete in famiglia?
  How many of you are in the family?
• Il papà e la mamma sono sposati.
  Dad and Mom are married.

10 beautiful Italian words

At last, you’re going to learn some Italian words that will put a smile on your face!

amore	love
felicità	happiness
sorriso	smile
auguri	best wishes
compleanno	birthday
amico	friend
cane	dog
gatto	cat
fiore	flower
cuore	heart

Isn’t it interesting how cuore, the Italian word for “heart”, and amore, rhyme? 🙂 The same goes for fiore, “flower”.

To wish happy birthday to someone, use buon compleanno. If you want to say “best wishes” instead, you can simply say auguri or also tanti auguri, literally “many wishes”.

Examples:

• Tanti auguri di buon compleanno!
  Many happy birthday wishes!
• Chi è il tuo amico del cuore?
  Who is your BFF?
• Cuore e amore fanno rima.
  “Cuore” and “amore” rhyme.
• Ho raccolto un bel fiore.
  I picked a beautiful flower.

I guess you’re still hungry for new Italian words. Even if what we’ve seen so far are very common words, there are still many that you need to learn. How? Read our guide on the best strategies to learn Italian vocabulary here!