Italian Phrase of the Week

If someone thanks you for a favour you've done, or apologises for a mistake they've made, there is one easygoing response that covers all the bases: Non c'è problema! (No problem!). It literally translates as there isn't a problem. IPA: /nón ˈtʃɛ pro·blè·ma/ Caspita, ho dimenticato il regalo per Anna... - Non c'è problema. Lo prendiamo al ritorno. Darn, I forgot Anna's present... - No … [Read more...] about Italian Phrase of the Week: Non c’è problema! (No problem!)

Is your Italian friend about to head off on a trip? Then today's expression will definitely come in handy! The Italian phrase for Have a good trip! is Buon viaggio! IPA: /ˈbwɔ.n viˈad.dʒo/ Literally translating as good journey, it greatly resembles a French expression with which we are all familiar: Bon voyage! Buon viaggio, Alice! Ci vediamo tra una settimana! Have a good trip, … [Read more...] about Italian Phrase of the Week: Buon viaggio! (Have a good trip!)

Today’s phrase is part of our Italian Christmas Word Advent Calendar series. Each day throughout December, we’ll post a word or phrase that is related to the holiday season. Enjoy! Americans greet one another with Merry Christmas! whereas the British tend to prefer Happy Christmas! but what about the Italians? The Italian Christmas greeting you will hear most often is Buon Natale! … [Read more...] about Italian Phrase of the Week: Buon Natale! (Merry Christmas!)

Chissà is an interesting word in Italian because it is an abbreviation of chi lo sa (literally, who knows it). The accent on the à tells you that the stress falls on the final syllable. IPA: /chis·sà/ When used on its own in response to a question, its closest translation is Who knows! or Goodness knows! in English. Chi è quel ragazzo? - Boh*, chissà!(Chi è quel ragazzo? - Boh*, chi lo … [Read more...] about Italian Phrase of the Week: Chissà! (Who knows!)

If you are lost in the middle of an Italian city, a useful phrase to have in your arsenal is Dove si trova ...? The literal translation is Where is ... found? but it is the same as saying Where is ...? or Where can I find ...? in English. Dove si trova la stazione? Devo prendere il treno per Napoli. Where is the station? I have to take the train to Naples. The plural form of Dove si … [Read more...] about Italian Phrase of the Week: Dove si trova…? (Where is…?)

A question that is rarely asked in real-world conversations, but almost always taught during the first lessons of any language course, is How old are you? or Quanti anni hai? in Italian. Quanti anni hai? - Ho tre anni e mezzo! How old are you? - I'm three and a half! It is important to point out that Quanti anni hai? is the informal way of asking someone's age in Italian. It is the … [Read more...] about Italian Phrase of the Week: Quanti anni hai? (How old are you?)