20 words and phrases to help you speak Italian like a native - Daily Italian Words (2023)

One of the questions we are often asked is "how can I speak Italian like a native speaker?" Aside from the obvious methods like improving your pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary, the best way to learn to sound like a native Italian speaker is to focus on learning specific words and phrases to make your speech more native to add "je ne sais quoi". . Expressions that may not have an exact equivalent in their own language, or that are idiomatic and therefore difficult to translate.

In this article, we present a list of twenty words and expressions that will help you sound more like a native speaker when speaking Italian. Let us know in the comments if you can think of any others!

1. How cool!

When something makes a positive impression on you, such as a breathtaking landscape, a touching film, or good news from a friend, you can always count on the printoutHow nice!

means literallyHow nice!but more precisely it is equivalent to English expressions like:

• How big/wonderful/beautiful!
• It's so good/wonderful/beautiful!
• Yay! / Live! / Wow wow!

Remember that Italians like to use interrogative words (eg.The/for/How much) at the beginning of a sentence to express surprise, excitement, or other strong emotions. On the other hand, in English we prefer the adverb "so" to express the same idea.

• How beautiful is this photo!=This photo is so beautiful!(lit. How beautiful is this photo!)
• What an idiot this movie...=This movie is so stupid...(lit. How stupid is this movie…)
• How cute is she!=She is so pretty!(lit. how pretty she is!)

2. No way!

No wayShort forWhat are you saying("what are you saying") and is used to oppose what another person is saying or to give a negative answer in a situation where an affirmative answer is expected, like the expressions in English:

• Oh come on!
• You play with me?
• It even seems!
• Really sure!
• I wish!

3. Please.

listen to meis a typically Italian expression that is notoriously difficult to translate into English. That's because this little sentence embodies this whole concept:

"I'm giving you advice because I care about you and I hope you do what I suggest for your own good."

listen to meis sometimes translated as "Please“, „do not forget it“, „I'm serious" Ö "I trust you' in English, but none of these translations really sum up its full meaning.

Since it's used to give advice or suggestions, you'll hear many parents use it on their children, especially when they want to encourage good behavior.

For a full explanation of how this phrase is used in Italian, seeMy little corner of ItalyArticles on the topic -listen to me, It is very nice! 😉

4. What should I say?

When you are talking to a friend about a difficult subject and you want to emphasize the fact that you have nothing else to explain, excuse, or clarify, you can use the phrasewhat can i say(what can i say) It's also a great phrase to end a conversation.

5. I can't wait.

In English we use the expression "I can not wait' when we are excited to do or see something. But in Italian they use a very different expression:I can not wait- which literally translates to "I can't see the time".

6. Tell me!

When your child suddenly yells "Mommy!", some of the most natural responses we can give in English are "What's up?". "And since?" or just "yes?"

In Italian, on the other hand, it is very common for the parents to reply with the orderDime!that means "Dime!' is more or less an abbreviation fortell me what is this(tell me what is going on) Ötell me what happened(tell me what happened).

Of course, there's no reason why you shouldn't respond like this:

• And since?=What is wrong?
• What is wrong?=What is wrong?
• The?=The?
• Sim?=Sim?

7. ¡Solo!

the exclamationHardly that!- derived from the verbfulfill(are sufficient) – can mean anythingenoughÖfusesdepending on the context. An extremely versatile term, almost always used to signal that something must come to an end.

hardly thatcan be used in all sorts of contexts, such as when someone has eaten or drunk enough (p.nothing else, thanks=That's enough, thanks.) or to express frustration or irritation, as inEnough! I can not stand it!that meansEnough! I can not stand it!

8. I don't feel like it!

if you feelapathetic(boring/lazy), is a great phrase to use to express your moodI'm not ready for this!It literally means "I have no desires" but is more accurately translated as "I don't feel like it" or "I don't want to".

In very colloquial Italian, you will hear people sayI wouldn't like to!com an abbreviated particleday. It serves to add a bit more emphasis, but be aware that grammar advocates might scold you for using it.

9. I don't feel like it.

Another way of saying you don't feel like doing something or you don't feel like doing anything in Italian isI have no desire, which literally means "It doesn't work for me". For example:

• I don't like pizza tonight.=I don't feel like pizza tonight.
• I don't feel like going to the cinema.=I don't feel like going to the cinema.

10. It's up to me...

In Italian you can use verbs likeObligation(must / must) mineed(need of) to express duties, duties, and needs, but if you want to sound like a true local, try the expressionI have to.

Literally,I have totranslates to "touch me" but is used to emphasize that a person is obligated to do something or is being forced to do something unintentionally. For example:

• I have to clean the kitchen.=It's up to me / It's up to me to clean the kitchen.
• I have to get up at six every morning.=I have to get up at six every morning..

11. Imagine!

like oneResponse to Grazie (thanks), there is nothing wrong with using the standard expressionNagel(You're welcome). However, native speakers tend to prefer other expressions, one of the most popular of which is friendly and relaxed.Forget it!which has a similar toneDo not mention it! The pleasure is mine!ÖHappy to help!

forget itcomes from the verbIntroducewhich means "to introduce". The formal equivalent isand count.

12. It's not that good.

Ah, here we have one of my favorite sayings in Italian. It's used when you feel something isn't particularly good, whether it's a dish you've just eaten or a disappointing movie.

13. What pizza!

Italians loveMention food in your exclamationsof frustration and anger, so much so that even his belovedPizzabecame an interjection.

How irritating!it is very similar to oursdrugs! Shoot!miHow painful!not felt. It literally means "What a pizza!„

14. Would you like to...!

are you in the mooditself can mean "do you want" or "do you want" depending on whether it is a statement or a question. This is exactly how it is used in sentences.Do you want to come?(Do you want to come?) miI see you don't want to(I see that you don't want to) For example.

What many Italian students don't know is thisyou feelhas a second meaning. When prepositions followVonÖA, implies that there is no point in doing something or that doing something does not help the situation. For example:

• Are you overweight? You want to walk 15 minutes a day (if you want to lose weight).=Are you overweight? Walking 15 minutes a day does not help (if you want to lose weight).
• You want to call her, she can't hear you!=It's useless to call her. She can't hear you!

And on its own it can really be translated asClear!ÖSurely!as in the following example:

15. Uh...

Has another person's attitude or an irritating situation made you huff and puff in desperation? If so, you can use this rather cathartic expression:To!- to ventilate. Think of it as the equivalent ofTo!Ö¡Argh!In English.

16. I can't take it anymore!

From time to time we all reach a breaking point. Let's say you've had a long, stressful day and all you want to do is crawl under the covers and hide from the world. On days like these, the perfect phrase in Italian is:

17. What a mess!

If your child decides to throw their bowl of pasta on the floor or toss their blocks across the room, you may find it difficult not to call out.What a mess!and the same goes for the Italians. The wordDisturbanceIt is also used to refer to a person's troubles or problems rather than a physical disaster.

18. Glimmer

GlimmerIt's one of those sneaky words that seems to pop up in conversation all the time, but until you're fluent in Italian it can be difficult to fully understand its meaning and even more difficult to use it properly.

A possible translation is "it's not like", as in the very common expressionIt was not my intention!(It's not like he did it on purpose!) However, it can also mean "not at all" when used in conjunction with the wordMacho(spacious):

Sometimes it plays an emphatic role, as in the phrasedo you not want to go?(you're not going, are you?) Add toGlimmer, you reveal your disbelief that your friend is leaving.

In other cases it can mean "accidental", as inhave you seen my jacket(Did you happen to see my jacket?)

19. lot

The standard meaning ofa lotEsquite,veryÖmanybut did you know that there are other, less well-known translations?

What I want to mention here is "either way" or "in any way" as you will use it in Italy over and over again in this sense:

20. Good luck!

Let's end this article with an expression that every Italian student should remember from day one:Much luck!Literally translated “to the lion's den”, Italians wish luck, just as we say “break a leg” in German.

In response to this sentence one could sayDraw the wolf!(literally let the wolf die) or the more modernLong live the wolf!(Long live the wolf!). You can find out more about this sentence in ourown article.