🇮🇹 ITALY · ITALIAN FOR AUSSIE TRAVELLERS
Essential phrases for travel in Italy.
THE SHORT ANSWER · ITALIAN
The five phrases you'll use most in Italy are: Ciao (hello), Arrivederci (goodbye), Grazie (thank you), Per favore (please), Scusi (excuse me / sorry). Locals appreciate any effort — even rough pronunciation lands warmer than English-only.
What language do they speak in Italy?
From Rome to Sicily to the Alps. Italian doesn't really branch by region for travellers — what works in Milan works in Naples. We focus on the polite forms strangers use, plus the food vocab that makes you sound less like a phrasebook.
The 12 phrases that get you through day one
HELLO
Ciao
CHOW
'Ciao' is informal — fine with anyone under 60 in casual settings. For shops, hotels, and older folks, use 'Salve' (SAHL-veh) — universally polite, harder to get wrong.
GOODBYE
Arrivederci
ah-ree-veh-DEHR-chee
'Ciao' works for goodbye too in informal settings. Use 'arrivederci' when leaving a shop or restaurant — it's the polite default.
THANK YOU
Grazie
GRAH-tsee-eh
'Grah-tsee-eh' — NOT 'grah-see'. That 'z' is a 'tz' sound (like in 'pizza'). Italians wince at the silent-z version.
PLEASE
Per favore
pair fah-VOH-reh
EXCUSE ME / SORRY
Scusi
SKOO-zee
'Scusi' is the polite form (use with strangers). 'Scusa' (SKOO-zah) is informal. When in doubt, 'scusi'.
YES / NO
Sì / No
SEE / NOH
DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH?
Parla inglese?
PAR-lah een-GLEH-zeh
A TABLE FOR TWO, PLEASE
Un tavolo per due, per favore
oon TAH-voh-loh pair DOO-eh pair fah-VOH-reh
THE MENU, PLEASE
Il menu, per favore
eel meh-NOO pair fah-VOH-reh
THE BILL, PLEASE
Il conto, per favore
eel KOHN-toh pair fah-VOH-reh
You have to ask — bills never come automatically. Sometimes you walk to the counter to pay instead, especially at smaller spots.
I'M ALLERGIC TO…
Sono allergico/a a…
SOH-noh ah-LEHR-jee-koh ah
Write the allergen down in Italian and SHOW the waiter. Don't rely on verbal-only for anything that could land you in hospital.
WATER PLEASE — STILL / SPARKLING
Acqua, per favore — naturale / frizzante
AH-kwah pair fah-VOH-reh — nah-too-RAH-leh / free-TSAHN-teh
Tap water is fine but rarely offered — restaurants will assume you want bottled. Specify 'naturale' (still) or 'frizzante' (sparkling).
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Learn the full Italian traveller phrasebook
Paced to your trip date, with cultural context and mnemonics.
Phonetics are Aussie-friendly pronunciation guides — not academic IPA. Speak each one aloud before you need it.