When expressing satisfaction, admiration or approval in Italian, it is perfectly acceptable to use overtly positive expressions such as Che bello! (How wonderful!), Fantastico! (Fantastic!) or Meraviglioso! (Marvellous!). However, in some cases, you may want to express a positive judgement using a litote (a negative, often ironic understatement that expresses a positive meaning). One frequently …
If you are travelling around Italy and somehow manage to lose your way despite having invested in a reliable map and travel book, fear not – you can always rely on the tried and tested method of asking the locals for help! 😀 To inform someone that you are lost in Italian, you can use …
The literal translation for the phrase I want to be with you is Io voglio essere con te but it is more common for Italians to say Io voglio stare con te (literally: I want to stay with you) instead. It is made up of the following components: Io (I) + voglio (first person present …
If you’ve been learning Italian for a while now, you may already be familiar with the classic greeting Buonasera! which is how you say Good evening! in a formal context. Buonasera signore. Come sta? Good evening sir. How are you? If you want to explicitly wish someone a good evening however, it is necessary to …
One of the most contentious and disrespectful phrases of speech in the Italian language is Stai zitto! which is the equivalent of Shut up! or Be quiet! in English. It is made up of the following components: Stai zitto, non sento niente! Shut up, I can’t hear anything! In many cases, Stai zitto! is abbreviated …
The phrase Mi dispiace in Italian translates as I’m sorry in English. It comes from the verb dispiacere which means to be sorry or to regret. Mi dispiace is mainly used when you wish to express regret or sorrow about an unfortunate situation. Imagine, for example, that your friend tells you that she didn’t pass …