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Why learn Italian?
Italian is spoken by around 85 million people and is famed as the language of art, music, and cuisine. Its clear, phonetic pronunciation and Latin vocabulary make it one of the most enjoyable Romance languages for beginners.
In the US Foreign Service Institute ranking, Italian is a Category I language - about 700 class hours to professional working proficiency for English speakers. Italian belongs to the Indo-European (Romance) family - if you enjoy it, a natural next step is Spanish, French or Portuguese.
The 50 most common Italian words
Start with the words you will actually meet: learn these and you will recognize something in almost every Italian sentence.
| # | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | il | eel | the (definite article) |
| 2 | di | dee | of |
| 3 | che | keh | that (conjunction) |
| 4 | e | eh | and |
| 5 | essere | ES-seh-reh | be |
| 6 | un | oon | one |
| 7 | a | ah | to |
| 8 | avere | ah-VEH-reh | have |
| 9 | non | nohn | not (negation) |
| 10 | in | een | in |
| 11 | per | pehr | for |
| 12 | io | EE-oh | I |
| 13 | con | kohn | with |
| 14 | si | see | self |
| 15 | mi | mee | me |
| 16 | lui | LOO-ee | he |
| 17 | ma | mah | but |
| 18 | fare | FAH-reh | do |
| 19 | questo | KWES-toh | this |
| 20 | se | seh | if |
| 21 | come | KOH-meh | how |
| 22 | lei | lay | she |
| 23 | ci | chee | us |
| 24 | no | noh | no |
| 25 | tu | too | you |
| 26 | dire | DEE-reh | say |
| 27 | noi | noy | we |
| 28 | sapere | sah-PEH-reh | know |
| 29 | cosa | KOH-zah | thing |
| 30 | tutto | TOOT-toh | all |
| 31 | potere | poh-TEH-reh | can |
| 32 | più | pyoo | more |
| 33 | o | oh | or |
| 34 | volere | voh-LEH-reh | want |
| 35 | molto | MOHL-toh | very |
| 36 | bene | BEH-neh | well |
| 37 | anche | AHN-keh | also |
| 38 | quando | KWAHN-doh | when |
| 39 | vedere | veh-DEH-reh | see |
| 40 | chi | kee | who |
| 41 | altro | AHL-troh | other |
| 42 | ora | OH-rah | now |
| 43 | andare | ahn-DAH-reh | go |
| 44 | tempo | TEHM-poh | time |
| 45 | uomo | WAW-moh | man |
| 46 | giorno | JOR-noh | day |
| 47 | mio | MEE-oh | my |
| 48 | da | dah | from |
| 49 | su | soo | on |
| 50 | dovere | doh-VEH-reh | must |
Useful phrases in Italian
- Ciao · chah-oh · Hello / Good day
- Come stai? · KOH-meh STAH-ee · How are you?
- Grazie · GRAH-tsyeh · Thank you
- Per favore · pehr fah-VOH-reh · Please
- Mi chiamo... · mee KYAH-moh · My name is...
- Dov'è...? · doh-VEH · Where is...?
- Arrivederci · ah-ree-veh-DEHR-chee · Goodbye
- Scusi · SKOO-zee · Excuse me
- Non capisco · nohn kah-PEES-koh · I don't understand
- Può aiutarmi? · pwoh ah-yoo-TAR-mee · Can you help me?
- Quanto costa? · KWAN-toh KOS-tah · How much is it?
- A domani! · ah doh-MAH-nee · See you tomorrow!
Learn Italian with comprehensive language resources
- Pronunciation
- Numbers
- Verbs and adjectives
- Frequency dictionaries
- Basic sentences
- Thematic dictionaries
- Politeness
- Idioms
Learn Italian, wherever you are
- AI-powered spaced repetition learning system on the go
- Audio processing for pronunciation
- Creation of visual language flash cards with images
- Search for speaking practice partners
- Frequency and thematic dictionaries for any language
- Alert system with exercise reminders
- Live video and messaging to facilitate learning
Join our global Italian learning community
Collaborate with native Italian speakers and fellow learners: exchange messages, correct each other's cards, and practice real conversation.
Send friend requests to the speakers you click with and build your own friends list - many practice partners become real friends.
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Frequently asked questions about learning Italian
How difficult is it to learn Italian?
Italian is one of the friendliest languages for English speakers, with clear pronunciation and a great deal of Latin-rooted vocabulary. The Foreign Service Institute rates it among the easier languages, at roughly 600-750 hours of study.
What should I learn first to reach a basic level in Italian?
Start with the 100-500 most frequent words (free in our apps) and the thematic dictionaries most relevant to your daily life. Set clear goals and practise a few minutes every day - consistency is what produces results. Then connect with other learners to build confidence at your new basic level.
How long does it take to learn Italian?
Most learners reach a comfortable conversational level within 6-10 months of consistent daily study. Practising vocabulary with spaced repetition and speaking regularly speeds this up considerably. About 85 million people across 4 countries speak Italian, so you will never run short of practice partners.
How do I improve my Italian vocabulary?
Use the spaced-repetition and flashcard systems in the app. You can set daily, weekly, or yearly goals in our mobile apps and steadily reach the vocabulary size you’re aiming for.
Is Italian pronunciation hard?
Italian pronunciation is wonderfully consistent - words are read exactly as written - which makes speaking it early very satisfying. Double consonants are the main detail to listen for.
How do I get Free Italian speaking practice?
Open the Practice or Friends page in the app, send practice requests, and start real conversations with other learners - don’t be shy! You can also mention that you want speaking practice when you create your account, and the platform will help match you with suitable partners.
Do I need to learn the Italian alphabet first?
Italian uses the Latin alphabet, so if you read English you can start reading Italian right away. On Lingocard you'll find every alphabet, with example words, free.