Italian Phrase of the Week

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 indicative of volere 'to want') + stare (infinitive of 'to stay') + con (with) + te (you). Note that the … [Read more...] about Italian Phrase: Voglio stare con te! (I want to be / to stay with you!)

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 use a slight variation on this expression which is Buona serata! (Have a … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Buona serata! (Have a nice evening!)

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: the verb stare (to stay) in the informal singular form of the imperative (stai)the adjective zitto meaning silent or quiet (masculine singular: zitto | feminine singular: zitta | … [Read more...] about Italian Phrase: Stai zitto! (Shut up!)

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 her exam despite studying very hard. In order to express sympathy, you could … [Read more...] about Italian Phrase of the Week: Mi dispiace! (I’m sorry!)

If you want to pay a compliment to the lucky lady in your life, a romantic phrase that never fails is Come sei bella! or Ma come sei bella! The phrase is made up of the following components: Ma (but) + come (how) sei (are) + bella (feminine form of bello meaning 'beautiful')! The ma at the beginning is not mandatory but it does add extra emphasis. The literal translation is But how … [Read more...] about Italian Phrase: Ma come sei bella! (You’re so beautiful!)

When I was working as an au pair for an Italian family in Turin, the three children I looked after would begin every meal with a cheerful chorus of Buon appetito! (Enjoy your meal!), an expression many Italians say before eating. The proper response to this expression is grazie, altrettanto (thanks, likewise) or grazie, anche a te / voi (thanks, and to you or you too). La cena è servita! … [Read more...] about Italian Phrase: Buon appetito! (Enjoy your meal! / Bon appetit!)