Learning Italian

Learning Italian is more difficult than most people might think. Don't expect to have mastered the language in a few short weeks, because virtually no one manages to do so. In order to help you learn Italian, we'll dive deeper into the Italian alphabet, Italian words and phrases, as well as false friends (falsi amici). In addition, you will find a number of tips that will come in handy when learning Italian. For advanced learners, we'll cap off the article with some of the best Italian tongue twisters.

The Italian alphabet

Like most alphabets, the Italian alphabet originates from the Latin alphabet. You might believe both alphabets are one and the same, but that's not the case. Whereas the English alphabet consists of 26 letters, the Italian alphabet ‘only’ has 21 letters. The consonants ‘j’, ‘k’, ‘w’, 'x’ and ‘y’ are not part of the Italian alphabet. This is something to keep in mind when learning Italian.

In the table below you will find all the letters of the Italian alphabet. In order to help you learn Italian, we've also included the pronunciation of every letter.

Native Italian words do not feature ‘j’, ‘k’, ‘w’, ‘x’ or ‘y’. You may think you can skip learning them, but that isn't the case. They are still used in many loanwords, as is the case in many other languages. Because these words come from languages that do use these consonants, it's good to know how to pronounce them. In the table below you will find the pronunciation of these letters.

50 fundamental Italian words

Learning Italian is about more than just knowing the alphabet and knowing how to pronounce the letters. Letters alone won't allow you to express yourself, because to do so you need words you can turn into sentences. So make sure you know the most important Italian words. In the following table you will find some of the most common ones, as well as their English translation. Hopefully this will help you learn Italian even faster.

Italian words almost always end in a vowel

One of the things you need to keep in mind when learning Italian is that words almost always end in a vowel: a, e, i, o or u. If you look at the above table again you will notice it immediately. All 50 words in this overview end in a vowel You can clearly hear this when you listen to spoken Italian. Words that end in a vowel do not get cut off, but they linger, so to speak.

300 Italian phrases and words for beginners

Have you practised and mastered the above words? Then you have a basic understanding of the Italian language. You might still want to learn more words and phrases, however. In that case, we highly recommend watching the video below. In about thirty minutes you will learn 300 Italian words and phrases, which will solidify your foundation for learning Italian.

Falsi amici: false friends in Italian

Some Italian words resemble English words, but mean something else. ‘La cantina’ and ‘la gamba’ are good examples. You might think they mean something like ‘canteen’ or ‘shrimp’, but they mean something else entirely. When an Italian says ‘la cantina’ they mean ‘the basement’. And ‘la gamba’ means ‘leg’. These words are called false friends. Curious about what other falsi amici exist in Italian? Find out on this page.

Falsi amici: false friends in Italian →

10 tips for learning Italian

If you barely speak any Italian, it can be quite a challenge to master the language. With the right mindset and a healthy dose of determination, you can make it though. Don't know exactly where to start? Or are you curious about the methods that exist to learn Italian? Then the following tips are sure to be helpful.

1. Use post-it notes

   Learning Italian is something you can easily do at home. All you need to get started is a pen and some post-it notes. Look up the Italian words for items you use a lot, like the dishwasher, kettle, refrigerator, dustbin and sink. Write the Italian word for the item on a post-it note and stick on said item. Because you use these items day in and day out, you will remember them better.

   You can take it a step further and use the same principle at work as well. Stick post-it notes with Italian words to the corresponding objects at the office. For example, your desk, computer, a pen or in the break room. In doing so you will keep building your Italian vocabulary.

2. Listen to Italian music, podcasts and/or audiobooks

   Many people associate learning with books. But there are plenty of alternative ways to improve your Italian. For example, you could start listening to music by well-known Italian artists like Andrea Bocelli or Eros Ramazzotti, and trying to figure out what they're singing about. Italian podcasts and audiobooks can also help you become more proficient in this language. We only recommend learning this way if you already have a basic understanding of the Italian language. Is yours lacking? Then it's going to be hard to understand the material.

3. Dive into the grammar

   Do you want to do more than just talk, and communicate with Italians in writing as well? Then you need to know how Italian grammar works. It will take quite a bit of time to master Italian grammar, as it is fairly complex. The large number of verb conjugations and noun inflections are the primary reasons. And as if it's not difficult enough, word order in Italian can vary greatly.

4. Know the hand gestures

   Because Italians tend to talk fast, it can be quite tricky to follow them when they speak. Additionally, they use their hands a lot. If you think hand gestures are only used to emphasize words, you would be mistaken. Many Italian hand gestures have their own specific meaning. Do you want to learn Italian? Make sure you don't just know the words, phrases and grammar, but learn the hand gestures as well. This will help you better understand Italians.

5. Use a dictionary

   Even if you know the Italian language fairly well, you will always encounter new words. Based on the context, you might be able to guess their meaning, but that won't always work. In those cases, it's best to look up the unfamiliar word in an Italian dictionary. Chances are you won't forget the meaning of the word again.

   Moreover, a dictionary can help you learn Italian faster. Do you find yourself leafing through a dictionary on a regular basis? No doubt you will be learning lots of new words all the time. Consider bringing a dictionary with you when you travel, for example during a holiday in Italy. During those hours on a plane or in the back of the car, you can learn a lot of new words.

6. Read Italian news

   It might surprise you that reading news messages in Italian can also help you learn the language. Are you going to make it a habit to read the news in Italian regularly? If so, your grasp of Italian will improve slowly but surely. But in order to apply this tip, you will need a basic understanding of the language first. If you don't know many words yet, you will likely not be able to guess what a particular news item is actually about. So learn the foundation first, and then slowly start reading Italian news items.

7. Watch movies or shows with Italian subtitles.

   Do you like movies or shows? Then use this opportunity to learn Italian. For example, find a movie or show you like and set the subtitles to Italian. By listening to what's being said while reading subtitles, you will improve your Italian vocabulary. Once you've improved said vocabulary, you can try watching an Italian movie or show.

8. Change the language settings on your smartphone

   Are you already an advanced learner of Italian? Then change the language setting on your phone to Italian. This will force you to start thinking in Italian. You might struggle a little bit in the beginning, but don't give up. Give it some time and you will be able to use your smartphone as per usual even when it's set to Italian.

9. Find a language buddy

   Learning Italian on your own can be a little boring. There's no external motivator which might result in it taking longer than you had hoped. So try to find a language buddy who - just like you - wants to learn Italian. Learning together is a lot more fun than learning alone. Additionally, you will make faster progress if you learn with a buddy. You can also find someone in your area to learn Italian with, but finding a buddy online might be a bit easier.

10. Take an Italian language course

    Would you like to eventually translate texts from or into Italian? Then you need more than just a large vocabulary, because you need to know Italian grammar inside and out. Because it can be challenging to teach yourself this, it might be a good idea to take an Italian language course. During a course like this, you will learn all the important foundations about the language, which means you will eventually learn to speak and write flawless Italian.

For advanced learners: Italian tongue twisters

Once you have a grasp of Italian pronunciation, you might start thinking you can get by pretty easily in your new language. This is likely true in most cases, but some words and phrases are very tricky to pronounce. We call these kinds of words and phrases tongue twisters. ‘She sells seashells by the seashore’ is a prime example in English, but Italian has its own fair share. The following words and phrases are good examples. Try to pronounce them without ‘twisting’ your tongue, so to speak.

• Italian: Scioglilingua.
• English: Tongue twister.
• Italian: Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliofobia.
• English: fear of long words.
• Italian: Tre tigri contro tre tigri.
• English: Three tigers versus three tigers.
• Italian: Trentatré trentini entrarono a Trento, tutti e trentatré trotterellando.
• English: 33 people from Trentino arrive in Trento, all 33 of them waddling.
• Italian: Sopra la panca la capra campa, sotto la panca la capra crepa.
• English: Above the bench, the goat manages just fine, but below the bench the goat dies.
• Italian: Li vuoi quei kiwi? E se non vuoi quei kiwi che kiwi vuoi?
• English: Who wants these kiwi fruits? And if you don't want these kiwi fruits, which kiwi fruits do you want?