First Phrases

Language café · Italiano

Language café in Italian: 10 phrases for tonight

You are there to practise, so mistakes are the point. Say what you are learning, ask people to slow down, and ask them to correct you.

Register: Informal (friendly). "Tu" is normal in language cafés. With staff or older people "Lei" is safer ("Può parlare più piano?").

How to read the sounds: Italian is spoken as written. Double consonants (tt, ll, zz) are held longer. c before e/i = ch, g before e/i = j, gn = ny, gli = ly, sc before e/i = sh. Stress is in CAPITALS.

10 phrases, door to goodbye

  1. 01 · Arriving
    Ciao! Piacere di conoscervi.
    Say it like: chow! pyah-CHEH-reh dee koh-NOSH-shehr-vee
    Hi! Nice to meet you all.
  2. 02 · Saying you're new
    È la mia prima volta e sto imparando l'italiano.
    Say it like: eh lah MEE-ah PREE-mah VOL-tah eh stoh eem-pah-RAHN-doh lee-tahl-YAH-noh
    It's my first time and I'm learning Italian.
  3. 03 · Asking how it works
    Come funziona? Parliamo in gruppi per lingua?
    Say it like: KOH-meh foon-TSYOH-nah? par-LYAH-moh een GROOP-pee pehr LEEN-gwah
    How does it work? Do we talk in groups by language?
  4. 04 · Small talk
    Da quanto tempo studi le lingue?
    Say it like: dah KWAHN-toh TEM-poh STOO-dee leh LEEN-gweh
    How long have you been studying languages?
  5. 05 · Small talk
    Qual è la tua lingua madre?
    Say it like: kwal eh lah TOO-ah LEEN-gwah MAH-dreh
    What is your mother tongue?
  6. 06 · Small talk
    Quale lingua trovi più difficile?
    Say it like: KWAH-leh LEEN-gwah TROH-vee pyoo deef-FEE-chee-leh
    Which language do you find hardest?
  7. 07 · Slow down
    Puoi parlare più piano, per favore?
    Say it like: PWOY par-LAH-reh pyoo PYAH-noh, pehr fah-VOH-reh
    Could you speak more slowly, please?
  8. 08 · Asking for a word
    Come si dice "slow" in italiano?
    Say it like: KOH-meh see DEE-cheh "slow" een ee-tahl-YAH-noh
    How do you say "slow" in Italian?
  9. 09 · Being corrected
    Mi correggi se sbaglio?
    Say it like: mee kor-RED-jee seh ZBAHL-yoh
    Will you correct me if I make a mistake?
  10. 10 · Leaving & keeping in touch
    Grazie per la chiacchierata. Ci vediamo un altro giorno per uno scambio?
    Say it like: GRAH-tsyeh pehr lah kyahk-kyeh-RAH-tah. chee veh-DYAH-moh oon AL-troh JOR-noh pehr OO-noh SKAHM-byoh
    Thanks for the chat. Shall we meet another day for an exchange?

3 things you will probably hear

  1. H1 · You may hear
    Che lingua vuoi praticare?
    Say it like: keh LEEN-gwah vwoy prah-tee-KAH-reh
    Which language do you want to practise?
  2. H2 · You may hear
    Con calma, ti capisco.
    Say it like: kohn KAHL-mah, tee kah-PEES-koh
    Take your time, I understand you.
  3. H3 · You may hear
    Ogni dieci minuti cambiamo lingua.
    Say it like: OH-nyee DYEH-chee mee-NOO-tee kahm-BYAH-moh LEEN-gwah
    Every ten minutes we switch language.

Go and try it

Find language cafés on speak.comealone.app

Quick answers

What do I say when I arrive alone at a language café in Italian?

Start with: "Ciao! Piacere di conoscervi." (Hi! Nice to meet you all.). Then say you are new: "È la mia prima volta e sto imparando l'italiano." (It's my first time and I'm learning Italian.)

Should I use informal or formal Italian at a language café?

"Tu" is normal in language cafés. With staff or older people "Lei" is safer ("Può parlare più piano?").

How do I ask to meet again after a language café in Italian?

Try: "Grazie per la chiacchierata. Ci vediamo un altro giorno per uno scambio?" (Thanks for the chat. Shall we meet another day for an exchange?)

Same evening, another language

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Italian, another evening

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All 7 × 6 cards · Phrases for a specific event near you

How it works

  1. Pick the evening and the language people will speak.
  2. Read the ten phrases in order: they follow the evening from the door to goodbye. Tap the speaker to hear each one in your device's voice.
  3. Print the card or keep it open on your phone. Native-speaker review is still pending; a "check" mark flags a phrase we are least sure of.
  4. Find the event on Come Alone, open it in Meet & Mint to see who else is going, and say the first phrase for real.

firstphrases.app/tonight/cafe/it/ · Meet & Mint