1.) Tranquilla – Don’t worry. It’s all good.
Nobody likes being told to calm down when they’re upset. It just fuels the fire. And for the longest time, I thought that this phrase meant calm down. I don’t know where I got this misconception from, but all of my friends thought so too. Saying ‘tranquilla’ to us always had the opposite effect.
Sigh.
#Italianfail.
2.) Aspetta! – Wait!
If you’re trying to say ‘wait a moment’, an informal way to say it is un’attimo.
3.) Pronto? – Hello? (when answering the phone)
‘Pronto’ literally means ‘ready’, but it’s used here to say ‘Hello’ when you answer the phone.
If you change it just a tad and add an ‘a’ to the end making it ‘Pronta?’, it means ‘Are you ready?’ to a female.
You could use the ‘Pronto?’ to ask a guy if he’s ready too, which he’ll most likely answer with No as I firmly believe that Italian men take longer to get ready than women.
4.) Come va? – How are you?
You’ll hear this all the time in polite exchanges when people are meeting or bumping into each other on the street. You’ll also hear ‘Come sta? (formal)’ and ‘Come stai? (informal)’, which means the same thing.
5.) Salve – Hello!
This is the formal way to say hello, as opposed to Ciao.
6.) Capito – Understood. I get it. I hear you.
I’m sure you always hear the word ‘Capisce’ since it’s been popularized by the Godfather, which means ‘You understand?’
And this one is similar, but it’s used to show that you understand what someone is saying. It’s used a ton in everyday conversation in the same way that Americans say “I get what you’re saying”
7.) Buona giornata! – Have a good day!
You can either say Buongiorno to say “Good morning/Good afternoon” or “Buona giornata” when you’re leaving someone or somewhere to say “Have a good day!”
8.) Allora – Now, well, then, so
This is the Italian ‘um’, ‘ah’, and ‘so’. They say it ALL of the time. It sounds beautiful with the two L’s and the rolling R, and it’s used for a variety of words. It has no real definition.
BONUS: Va bene, Vabbè – Alright, okay
“Va bene” is the Italian equivalent of saying “okay”, “alright” or “that’s fine.” You might also hear it being shortened as “vabbè.” I have heard some people say that it’s sometimes understood as meaning “whatever” in its shortened form, but I’ve also heard it, particularly in the center of Italy, as meaning the same thing as “va bene.”
In the comments below, tell me what phrases you’ve learned and any you’re curious about.
These are all so helpful, thank you for sharing them. One suggestion, I think a pronunciation guide next to each word would also be useful.
I definitely agree. When I started the site, I had no idea how to properly model pronunciation, and now that I have a better handle I haven’t made time to go back through all the articles and take care of it. There’s a huge archive of stuff now, so it makes the project a lot more daunting.
Yes!!
I’m wanderlusting for Sicily again…allora, ho bisogno di andare in nuovo! (Di nuovo?)
Di nuovo is right! :]
I don’t get number 1 – Tranquilla – what part of speech is that?
the book says tranquillare is to tranquilize : )
eric
Ciao Eric! It isn’t a verb if that’s what you were wondering. It’s just an expression that Italians say, and I’m not exactly positive on which part of speech it is. It’s not even listed in the dictionary online! Haha.
It is an adjective. You’re describing a state, a way of doing something essentially. In this case it is the verb to be, which is just implied. But saying “tranquillo” o “tranquilla” is the same as saying “stai tranquillo” “stai calmo”. And the translation for the expression you hear around would be “don’t worry”, but it can mean “stay still” or “calm down” when said to a child.
Thanks for the explanation, Luisana!
It is an adjective. Musica tranquilla. Mare tranquillo.
i like it so much , is perfect for me because i am learning italian, thanks a lot 🙂
Glad you found it useful!
This is completely accurate, and I really like your descriptions of each! I was, however, a bit shocked to see “va bene” missing from your list. It was of the first useful expressions I learned when I moved here, and I think I hear and use it everyday!
Hey Paige! I’m shocked I didn’t write it as an expression in there, too! Haha.
Great post! In Milan, I was corrected for saying vabbè instead of va bene, as I came off as rude apparently for saying what they felt was “whatever.”
Hmmm, interesting. Must be more of a problem in the north than in the center!
Vabbè is considered “whatever/oh well” here too (Naples) 🙂
Not a problem. If you’re going to learn Italian, you should know geographical colloquialisms.
Yes that’s correct!
Not exactly. Tanquilla (for a female) or tranquillo ( for a male) is an adjective. The use and meaning depend on the contest.
It can mean “calm down” or “don’t worry, it’s all good”
Ciao
Correct!
By the way, they use this expression A LOT in Spain as well and it means exactly the same thing! 😉 As in Tranquila in Spanish meaning “don’t worry about it”, “it’s all good”! We do not use that phrase here in America, but I’ve incorporated into my vocabulary because it sounds so wonderful and reassuring!.So glad it also exists in Italian..I’ll be sure to use it as well! 🙂 🙂 The more I study Italian, the more I fall in love! Such a beautiful language!
Basta! I hear that one all the time at my son’s Asilo, lol. It means “that’s enough”.
Yep, that’s right but it’s also used as: “stop it!”; “quit it!”
I’m running across Magari (spelling?) as well as A Dio instead of Arrivaderci or Ciao. Are these regional expressions?
Magari and addio are not regional, they are normal words used all over Italy! 🙂