| Italian (Italiano (it)) | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Official language |  Italy,  San Marino,  Vatican,  Swiss,  European Union |
|---|---|
| Language spoken | Italy, San Marino, Vatican, Swiss (Ticino, Graubünden),  Croatia (Istria),  Slovenia (Piran, Izola, Koper)  Malta |
| Number of speakers | 65 to 80 million |
| Standardization institution | Accademia della Crusca |
| ISO 639-1 | it |
| ISO 639-2 | ita |
| ISO 639-3 | ita |
| Bases | |
| Hello | Buongiorno |
| Thank you | Grazie |
| Goodbye | Arrivederci |
| Yes | Yes |
| No | No |
| Location | |
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TheItalian is the official language ofItaly, of San Marino, of the Vatican City and the canton Swiss of Ticino. It is also locally official in Croatia (Istria), in Slovenia (Piran, Izola and Koper). He is also spoken to Malta (where it was an official language until 1934, currently 66% of Maltese speak it), in Albania, to United States (around 1 million speakers), Canada (particularly in Montreal), in South America (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay), in Ethiopia, in Eritrea, in Libya (it is the commercial language with theEnglish), and in Somalia (it was a university language there until 1991).
Even if in most tourist places in Italy French, theEnglish and theGerman are widely spoken, most Italians only speak their own language so you would do well to learn some basic expressions, to make yourself understood a minimum of Italian.
In Italian, you use the polite form ("lei") with everyone you don't know; it doesn't matter if they are older or younger than you. You will use the confidential form ("you") with people you know. The two forms differ in the use of second and third persons in verbs.
Pronunciation
Vowels
There are seven vocalic phonemes for six written vowels: a / a /, e / e / or / ɛ /, i / i /, o / o / or / ɔ /, u / u /, y /i/. that the y comes from foreign words.
All vowels are pronounced in Italian. There is no e silent as in French or German ("faire "," Machenot ")
The at is pronounced [a], as in French paw. In the northern regions, we can hear [ɑ] as in French pastry.
The e presents more difficulties. Indeed, it can be pronounced [ɛ] as in French Party or [e] as in French foot.
There is no single rule for knowing the correct pronunciation:
- under the accent, the e can be open or closed.
- apart from the accent, it is always pronounced closed. Thus, the Italian university is pronounced [universiˈta] while the French university is pronounced [ynivɛʁsite].
- if it is surmounted by a grave accent, it is pronounced open: coffee [kafˈfɛ]
- if it is surmounted by an acute accent, it is pronounced closed: perched [perˈke]
The i and the y are pronounced [i], as in French.
- if it is not under stress, it can be pronounced [j] when it precedes another vowel: mi chiamo [mi ˈkjamo] or [i̯] when it follows another vowel ormay [orˈmai̯]
As the e, the o presents some difficulties: it can be pronounced [ɔ] as in French gold or [o] as in French bean.
The few rules that can be given are essentially the same as for the e :
- under the accent, the o can be open or closed
- apart from the accent, it is always pronounced closed: Thus, Italian torsion is pronounced [torˈsjone] while the French torsion is pronounced [tɔʁsjɔ̃].
- when it is at the end (therefore surmounted by a grave accent), it is pronounced open: he Pò (Italian river) [il ˈpɔ] although in French we always close the o finally : the pot [lə po]
The u is always pronounced [u], as in French or.
When they precede a m or one not, the at and the o have a slight tendency to nasalize (very weakly) but overall there is no nasal vowel in Italian (unlike French which uses four: [ɑ̃], [ɛ̃], [ɔ̃], and [œ̃] ). One of the difficulties for French speakers learning Italian is to lose their tendency to nasalize vowels in front of a m or one not.
Consonant
If the vowels are less numerous (seven in Italian against fourteen in French), it is not the same in the case of consonants.
The b is pronounced [b] as in French.
The vs has several pronunciations:
- before at, o and u it is pronounced [k], as in French menu
- before i and e it is pronounced [t͡ʃ], as in French Czech
- suites cia, cio and ciu are pronounced respectively [t͡ʃa], [t͡ʃo] and [t͡ʃu]; hence the famous ciao [ˈT͡ʃao]
- to mark the hard sound in front of a i or one e we forward the vs of a h : che [ke], chi [ki]
The d is pronounced [d] as in French
The f is pronounced [f] as in French
The g has several pronunciations whose rules are the same as for the vs :
- before at, o and u it is pronounced [g], as in French station
- before i and e it is pronounced [d͡ʒ] as in French Djibouti
- suites gia, gio and giu are pronounced respectively [d͡ʒa], [d͡ʒo] and [d͡ʒu]; ex: Giorgio [ˈd͡ʒɔrd͡ʒo]
- to mark the hard sound in front i and e we forward the g of a h ; ex: spaghetti [spaˈɡetti]
The h is silent and only found in foreign words and verb conjugation recognized.
The the is pronounced [l] as in French.
The m is pronounced [m] as in French. It never nasalizes the consonant that precedes it. not is pronounced differently depending on the letter that follows it:
- before b and p it is pronounced like a m (phenomenon of assimilation); ex: a bambino [um bamˈbino]
- before f and v it is pronounced [ɱ], which is pronounced like a m but with the upper teeth touching the lower lip (as when pronouncing a f).
- before vs and g hard, it is pronounced velar [ŋ], as in -ng of car park.
- before vs, g and sc soft, it is pronounced palatalized, as if one were pronouncing [nʲ].
- in all other situations it is pronounced [n].
Although this may sound complex, it is not. Simply, the articulation point of [n] moves to reach that of the consonant that follows. By not trying at all costs to pronounce an [n] but by letting go, the tongue should naturally position itself at the point of articulation of the next consonant (assimilation) and the pronunciation should be correct.
The p is pronounced [p] as in French.
The what pronounced [kw], as in French aquatic.
The r is pronounced [r]: it is rolled and not just beaten and is pronounced quite close to the rr Spanish.
The s can be pronounced [s] or [z] depending on the context:
- between two vowels it is pronounced sound, except in the case where the word is composed and the prefix-root distinction is well identified; ex: casa [ˈKaza] but risolvere (solve) [riˈsɔlvere]
- before a sonorous consonant, it becomes sonorized; note that, although normally deaf in this position, the s before a sonorous consonant tends to sound also in French. In Italian, however, the sound system is systematic.
- in all other positions he is normally deaf
The t is pronounced [t] as in French
The v is pronounced [v] as in French
The z is pronounced [t͡s] or [d͡z]:
- in the initial position or between two vowels it tends to be pronounced sound
- in other positions it is usually pronounced deaf
Special digrams and trigrams:
- gn pronounced [ɲ], like French Lamb
- gli is pronounced [ʎi] or [ʎ] before another vowel. You must pronounce [l] by pressing the tongue against the palate.
- gu is pronounced [ɡw]; by imitation of French, French speakers tend to pronounce it [ɡ].
- sc is pronounced [∫] before i and e ; suites scia, scio and sciu are pronounced respectively [∫a], [∫o] and [∫u].
Grammar
Based
For this guide, we are using polite form for all expressions, on the assumption that you will be speaking most of the time with people you do not know.
Help ! : Aiuto! (pron.: aïouto)
Goodbye : Arrivederci. (pron.: arrivédertchi)
Hello : Buongiorno. (pron.: bouone DJIOR-no)
Good morning (morning until noon) : Buongiorno. (pron.: bouone JYOHR-noh)
Hello (common) : Ciao. (pron.: chao)
Good evening (from the afternoon) : Buonasera. (pron.: bouona séra or even will be alone)
Good night : Buona notte. (pron.: bouona noted)
How are you ? : Come sta? (pron.: KO-me STA?)
Nice to meet you : Piacere di conoscerla. (pron.: pïa-TCHÈ-ré di ko-no-CHER-la)
Thanks : Prego. (pron.: PRE-go)
I apologize : Mi scuso. (pron.: mi-SCOU-zo)
I do not speak Italian : Not speaking Italiano. (pron.: none parlo itaLIAno))
I hardly know anything : No so almost niente (pron.: none so kouazy niente))
I do not understand : No capisco. (pron.: none kaPIsko))
I am sorry. : Mi scuso. (pron.: mi-SCOU-zo)
Thank you. : Grazie. (pron.: GRA-tsïè )
My name is ______. : mi chiamo ______ (pron.: mi KÏA-mo)
No : No (pron.: no)
Yes : Yes (pron.: if)
Where are the toilets ? : Dove è il bagno? (pron.: dové è il bagno)
Do you speak French ? : Parla Francese? (pron.: spoke franntchézé)
What's your name ? : Come si chiama? (pron.: KO-me if KÏA-ma?)
Please : Per favore. (pron.: pèr-fa-VO-re)
Very well thank you. : Bene, grazie. (pron.: BÉ-né GRA-tsïè)
Does anyone speak French here? : Qualcuno parla Francese? (pron.: koualkouno speaks franntchézé)
Numbers
1 : uno
2 : due
3 : tre
4 : quattro
5 : whith
6 : sei
7 : sette
8 : otto
9 : nove
10 : dieci
11 : undici
12 : dodici
13 : tredici
14 : quattordici
15 : quindici
16 : sedici
17 : diciassette
18 : diciotto
19 : diciannove
20 : venti
30 : trenta
40 : quaranta
50 : fiftieth
60 : sessanta
70 : settanta
80 : ottanta
90 : novanta
100 : cento
1000 : thousand
Days of the week
- Monday : Monday
- Tuesday : martedì
- Wednesday : Wednesday
- Thursday : giovedì
- Friday : venerdì
- Saturday : sabato
- Sunday : domenica
All the names of the days of the week are masculine except domenica which is feminine.
Months of the year
- January : gennaio
- February : febbraio
- March : marzo
- April : aprile
- may : maggio
- June : giugno
- July : luglio
- August : agosto
- September : September
- October : ottobre
- November : November
- December : dicembre
Colors
black : nero
White : bianco
Grey : grigio
red : rosso
blue : azzuro
yellow : giallo
green : verde
orange : arancio
purple : viola
Chestnut : brown
Transport
Bus and Train
How much does the ticket cost to go to ____? : Quanto costa il biglietto per andare a ____? (X)
A ticket for ____, please. : Un biglietto per _____, per favore (X)
Where is this train / bus going? : Dove goes questo treno / bus
Where is the train / bus to ____? : Dove è il treno / autobus per ____? (X ____?)
Does this train / bus stop at ____? : Questo treno / autobus closed at __?
When does the train / bus to XXX leave? : Quando parte il treno / autobus per XXX?
When will this train / bus arrive in _____? : When did questo treno / autobus arrive at ___?
Directions
Where is _____ ? ? : Dove si trova ___? ?
...the train station ? : the stazione?
... the airport : the airport?
...the city ? : the citta?
... the suburbs? : the periferia?
...the hostel : the ostello?
...the hotel _____ ? : the albergo?
... the French / Belgian / Swiss / Canadian embassy? : ambasciata francese / belga / svizzera / canadese?
Where are there lots of ... : Dove ci sono molti ...
... hotels? : alberghi?
... restaurants? : ristoranti?
... sites to visit? : luoghi da visitare?
Can you show me on the map? : può farmi vedere sulla mappa?
Street : via
Turn left : girate a sinistra
Turn right. : girate a destra
left : sinistra
right : destra
straight : dritto
in the direction of _____ : nella direzione di ___
after _____ : dopo he / the
before _____ : prima he / the
at the top : where
downstairs : giù
Taxi! : Taxi!
Take me to _____, please. : Portami a _____, per favore
How much does it cost to go to _____? : Quanto costa andare a ____?
Bring me there, please. : Mi porti là, per favore.
Housing
Do you have free rooms? : Avete camere freed?
How much does a room cost for one person / two people? : Quanto costa una camera per una persona / due persone
Is there in the room ... : Ci sono .. nella camera?
...a bathroom ? : a bagno
...a phone ? : a cellulare
...a television ? : una televisione
Can I visit the room? : Posso visitare the camera?
You don't have a quieter room? : No avete una camera più tranquilla?
... bigger ? : più large?
...less expensive? : meno caro?
well, I take it. : bene, the priso.
I plan to stay _____ night (s). : Credo di restare _____ notte / notti
Eat
A table for one person / two people, please. : Una tavola per una persona / due persone, per favore.
Can I have the menu ? : Posso avere il menu?
Can I visit the kitchens? : Posso visitare la cucina?
What is the specialty of the house ? : Qual è la specialità della casa?
Is there a local specialty? : C'è una specialità locale?
I am vegetarian. : sono vegetariano
I do not eat pork. : No mangio carne di maiale.
I only eat kosher meat. : Mangio solo kosher carne
breakfast : Colazione
to eat lunch : pranzo
Soupe : minestra
I want _____ : Vorrei ______
chicken : pollo
beef : bovine carni
Fish : pesce
some salmon : salmone
tuna : tonno
seafood : frutti di mare
Ham : prosciutto
pork / pig : carne di maiale.
cheese : formaggio
eggs : uova
a salad : un'insalata
vegetables (fresh) : verdura
fruit (fresh) : frutti
bread : pane
pasta : pasta
rice : riso
Can I have a drink of _____? : Posso avere un bicchiere di _____
Can I have a bottle of _____? : Posso avere una botiglia di _____
tea : tè
juice : succo
sparkling water : acqua frizzante
water : acqua
beer : birra
red / white wine : vino rosso / bianco
Can I have _____? : Posso turns out ______?
salt : dirty
pepper : peperone
butter : burro
Please ? (attract the attention of the waiter) : Scusi ...?
I finished : Ho finito
That was delicious.. : Era delizioso
The bill, please. : Il conto per favore
Purchases
Do you have this in my size? : Avete questo nella mia taglia?
How much does it cost ? : Quanto costa?
It's too expensive ! : É troppo caro!
Could you accept _____? : Puoi accettare ___?
Dear : caro
cheap : economico
I can't pay him / her. : Non posso pagare.
I do not want it : No voglio
You are fooling me. : Mi avete derubato
I am not interested. : No mi interessa
well, I'll take it. : bene, lo / la priso
Could I have a bag? : Posso avere una borsa?
I need... : Ho bisogna di ...
... toothpaste. : dentifricio
... tampons. : assorbenti interni
...soap. : sapone
... shampoo. : shampoo
Authorities
I did not do anything wrong.. : No ho fatto nulla di male ..
It is a mistake. : Ci deve essere un errore. (Queste cose non sono mie)
Where are you taking me? : Dove mi stai portando?
Am I under arrest? : Sono in arresto?
I am a French / Belgian / Swiss / Canadian citizen. : Sono un cittadino francese / belga / svizzero / canadese.
I am a French / Belgian / Swiss / Canadian citizen : Sono una cittadina francese / belga / svizzero / canadese.
I have to speak to the French / Belgian / Swiss / Canadian Embassy / Consulate. : Devo parlare conambasciata / consolato francese / belga / svizzero / canadese.
I would like to speak to a lawyer. : Voglio parlare con un avvocato.
Could I just pay a fine? : Posso semplicemente pagare una multa?
