Italian Phrase of the Week: Quanti anni hai? (How old are you?)

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 …

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Italian Word of the Day: Cin cin! (Cheers!)

All languages have their own way of fare un brindisi, or toasting the health of other people. In English, we say Cheers!, in Japanese they say Kampai! and in French you’ll hear À votre santé! but what about Italian? Well, a favourite amongst learners is the onomatopoeic expression Cin cin! (pronounced chin chin). Cin cin …

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Italian Phrase: Lei parla inglese? (Do you speak English?)

If you’ve only just arrived in Italy and your vocabulary hasn’t progressed far beyond ciao and grazie, there is a survival phrase you should definitely make an effort to learn: Do you speak English? Italian has both formal and informal registers, so if you’re addressing a stranger on the street or in a shop, the …

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Italian Phrase of the Week: Posso avere il conto per favore?

When travelling around Italy, the temptation to eat out will prove difficult to resist with all the wonderful ristoranti there are. But even the best meal must come to an end! There are different ways to ask for the bill in Italian. One of the most common is: posso avere il conto per favore? Let’s …

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How to Say “I love you!” in Italian – Ti amo!

We’ve already talked about the word amore, so now it’s time to write about one of the most important expressions in any language to communicate your love for someone else. I love you translates to Ti amo in Italian. Learn with our video Naturally it is most common to use this phrase with your boy/girlfriend, …

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