Daily Italian Words Menu

20 Words & Expressions to Help You Speak

Italian Like a Native
January 27, 2023 by Heather Broster

One of the questions we often get asked is “How can I speak Italian like a
native?” In addition to obvious methods such as improving your
pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary, the best way to learn how to
sound like a native Italian speaker is to focus on learning specific words
and expressions to add that native “je ne sais quoi” to your speech.
Expressions that, perhaps, don’t have an exact equivalent in your own
language, or are idiomatic and therefore not easily translatable.

In this article, we have come up with a list of twenty words and expressions
that will help you sound more like a native speaker when you speak Italian.
Let us know in the comments if you can think of any others!

289

Springer
OPEN
Open Access Journal
 ···
Elevate
Elevate your
your experience
experience
in the sky
BOOK NOW

···
Terms & conditions apply

1. Che bello!

0:00 / 0:01

If something leaves a positive impression on you, such as a gorgeous

landscape, a moving film, or a friend’s good news, you can always rely on
the expression Che bello!
It literally means How beautiful! but more accurately equates to English
expressions like:

That’s great / wonderful / beautiful!

It’s so great / wonderful / beautiful!
Yay! / Hooray! / Woo hoo!

Domani torna mio figlio! – Che bello!

Tomorrow my son is coming home! – That’s great!

0:00 / 0:03

· · ·

···
 Ah, che bello, posso finalmente godermi il caffè. = Ah, how lovely, I can finally enjoy my coffee.

Note that Italians absolutely love to place question words (e.g. che / come
/ quanto) at the beginning of a sentence to express surprise, excitement
or any other strong emotion. In English, on the other hand, we tend to
prefer the adverb “so” to express the same idea.

Com’è bello questo quadro! = This picture is so beautiful! (lit. How

beautiful this picture is!)
Quant’è stupido questo film… = This film is so stupid… (lit. How
much stupid is this film…)
Che carina che è! = She’s so cute! (lit. How cute she is!)
 ···

2. Macché!

0:00 / 0:01

Macché is the abbreviation of ma che dici (“what are you saying”) and is
used to oppose another person’s affirmation, or to deliver a negative
response in a situation where a positive response is expected, much like
the English expressions:

Subscribe to Daily Italian Words!

Want to improve your Italian vocabulary? Subscribe to
Daily Italian Words, a bite-sized 'word of the day'
newsletter sent to over 45,000 learners daily. Each
word comes with audio pronunciation, example
sentences, and helpful explanations on how to use it in
context. Join us today – it's completely free! 😊

Your Email... SUBSCRIBE

I consent to receiving emails and personalized ads.

Oh, come on!
Are you kidding me?
As if!
Yeah, right!
I wish!

Ti ha ripagato? – Macché!

Did he pay you back? – As if!

0:00 / 0:02

· · ·

···
 È già arrivato l’autobus? – Macché, è in ritardo di un’ora! = Has the bus arrived? – As if, it’s an hour late!

3. Mi raccomando.

0:00 / 0:01

Mi raccomando is a quintessentially Italian expression that is notoriously

difficult to translate into English. That’s because this one little phrase
embodies this entire concept:
“I am giving you advice because I care about you and I hope that
you will do what I suggest for your own good.”

···

Mi raccomando is sometimes rendered as “please“, “don’t forget“, “I really

mean it” or “I’m trusting you” in English but none of these translations truly
encapsulate its full meaning.

For example:

Non toccare il forno, mi raccomando.

Don’t touch the oven, please.

(I’m telling you this because I care about you and don’t want you to
get hurt).

0:00 / 0:02
 · · ·

Mi raccomando, fai la brava a scuola! = Don’t forget, be good at school!

···
Because it is used when giving advice or suggestions, you will hear parents
using it a lot with their children, especially when they want to encourage
good behaviour.

Mi raccomando, sii bravo quando sei dalla zia.

Don’t forget (and listen to my kind advice), be good when you’re at

your aunt’s house.

0:00 / 0:03

· · ·

For a complete explanation on how to use this expression in Italian, check

out My Corner of Italy‘s article on the topic – mi raccomando, it’s really
good! 😉

4. Cosa vuoi che ti dica?

0:00 / 0:01
 ···

If you’re chatting about a difficult topic with a friend, and wish to

emphasise the fact that you are unable to explain, excuse, or clarify
something any further, you can use the expression Cosa vuoi che ti dica?
(What can I say?) It’s also an excellent phrase to put an end to a
conversation.

Com’è che sei andata male all’esame? – Cosa vuoi che ti dica?
Ero troppo stanca!

Why did you do badly on the exam? – What can I say? I was too
tired!

0:00 / 0:05

· · ·
Cosa vuoi che ti dica? – What can I say?

···
5. Non vedo l’ora.

0:00 / 0:01

In English, we use the expression “I can’t wait” when we are excited about
doing or seeing something. But in Italian, they use a completely different
expression – non vedo l’ora – which literally translates to something along
the lines of “I can’t see the hour”.

Non vedo l’ora di cominciare il corso di danza domani, mi

divertirò un sacco!

I can’t wait to start my dance class tomorrow, I’ll have lots of fun!

0:00 / 0:05

· · ·

···
 Non vedo l’ora! = I can’t wait!

6. Dimmi!

0:00 / 0:01

If your child suddenly calls out “Mommy!”, a few of the most natural
responses we might give in English include “What’s wrong?” “What’s up?”
or simply “Yes?”

In Italian, on the other hand, it is really common for parents to respond

with the command Dimmi! which means “Tell me!” It is more or less an
abbreviation of Dimmi che cosa c’è (Tell me what’s up) or Dimmi che
cos’è successo (Tell me what’s happened).

···

Mamma! – Dimmi! – Ho perso il mio orsetto…

Mommy! – What’s up? – I’ve lost my bear…

0:00 / 0:04

· · ·

Of course, there’s no reason you cannot respond using the following:

Cosa c’è? = What’s wrong / up?

Cosa c’è che non va? = What’s wrong?
Cosa? = What?
Sì? = Yes?

Mamma? – Dimmi, tesoro… = Mommy? – What is it, sweetie?

···
7. Basta!

0:00 / 0:01

The exclamation Basta! – which derives from the verb bastare (to be
enough) – can mean either enough or stop depending on the context. An
extremely versatile term, it is almost always used to signal that something
should come to an end.

Basta can be used in all sorts of contexts, such as when someone has had
enough to eat or drink (e.g. Basta così grazie. = That’s enough, thanks.),
or to express frustration or annoyance, as in Basta! Non ne posso più!
which means Enough! I can’t take it anymore!

Basta parlare!

Stop talking!

0:00 / 0:01

· · ·
 ···

Basta! Lasciami stare! = Stop! Leave me alone!

8. Non ho voglia!

0:00 / 0:02
If you are feeling svogliato (sluggish / lazy), a great phrase you can use to
express your mental state is Non ho voglia! It literally means “I don’t have
desire” but more closely translates to “I don’t feel like it” or “I don’t want
to”.

Non ho voglia di lavare i piatti…

I don’t feel like doing the washing up…

0:00 / 0:02

· · ·

···
In very colloquial Italian, you will hear people say Non c’ho voglia! with
the abbreviated particle ci. It serves to add that little bit of extra emphasis
but be aware, sticklers for grammar may chastise you for using it.

Non ho voglia di lavorare. = I don’t feel like working.

9. Non mi va.

0:00 / 0:01
 ···

Another way of saying that you don’t feel like doing something or that you
aren’t in the mood for something in Italian is Non mi va, which literally
means “It doesn’t go for me”. For example:

La pizza non mi va stasera. = I’m not in the mood for pizza tonight.
Non mi va di andare al cinema. = I don’t feel like going to the
cinema.

Vuoi venire in palestra con me? – No, oggi non mi va…

Do you want to come to the gym with me? – No, I’m not in the mood
today…

0:00 / 0:04

· · ·
Non mi va di uscire oggi. Preferisco stare a casa a giocare ai videogiochi. = I don’t feel like going out today. I’d
rather stay at home and play video games.

···

10. Mi tocca…
 0:00 / 0:01

In Italian, you can use verbs like dovere (to have to / must) and bisognare
(to need to) to express duties, obligations and necessities, but if you want
to sound like a real native, try using the expression Mi tocca.

Literally, mi tocca translates as “it touches me” but it is used to underline

the fact that a person has the duty to do something, or is unwillingly being
forced to do something. For example:

Mi tocca pulire la cucina. = It’s up to me / it falls to me to clean the

kitchen.
Mi tocca alzarmi alle sei ogni mattina. = I have to wake up at six
every morning.

Mi tocca andare dal dottore anche se non voglio.

I’ve got to go to the doctor’s even though I don’t want to.

0:00 / 0:03

· · ·
 ···

Ora mi tocca studiare. = Now I have got to study.

11. Figurati!

0:00 / 0:01
 ···

As a response to grazie (thank you), there’s nothing wrong with using the
default expression prego (you’re welcome). However, native speakers tend
to prefer other expressions, one of the most popular being the friendly
and laid-back Figurati! which is similar in tone to Don’t mention it! My
pleasure! or Happy to help!

Figurati comes from the verb figurarsi which means “to imagine”. The
formal equivalent is si figuri.

Grazie per il libro! – Figurati!

Thanks for the book! – Don’t mention it!

0:00 / 0:03

· · ·
Grazie per i tuoi consigli! – Ma figurati! = Thanks for your advice! – My pleasure!

···
12. Non è un granché.

0:00 / 0:01

Ah, here we have one of my favourite sayings in Italian. It is used when you
don’t feel something is particularly great, be it a dish you’ve just eaten or a
disappointing film.

Non è un granché questa serie. Perché non guardiamo

qualcos’altro?

This series isn’t great. Why don’t we watch something else?

0:00 / 0:04

· · ·

···
 Questo libro non è un granché. = This book isn’t very good.

13. Che pizza!

0:00 / 0:01

Italians love to mention food in their exclamations of frustration and

annoyance, so much so that even their beloved pizza has become an
interjection.

Che pizza! is very similar to our Darn! Shoot! and What a pain! in
meaning. It literally means “What pizza!“
 Ho una lezione domani mattina alle 8. Che pizza!

I have a lesson tomorrow at 8 a.m. What a pain!

0:00 / 0:04

· · ·

···
 Che pizza! = Darn!

14. Hai voglia…!

0:00 / 0:01

Hai voglia on its own can mean “you want” or “do you want” depending
on whether it is a statement or a question. This is precisely how it is used
in the phrases Hai voglia di venire? (Do you want to come?) and Vedo che
non hai voglia (I can see you don’t want to) for example.

···
What many learners of Italian don’t realise is that hai voglia has a second
meaning. When followed by the prepositions di or a, it implies that there
is no point in doing something or that doing something isn’t going to help
the situation. For instance:

Sei sovrappeso. Hai voglia di camminare 15 minuti al giorno (se

vuoi dimagrire). = You’re overweight. Walking 15 minutes a day
isn’t going to help (if you want to lose weight).
Hai voglia a chiamarla, non può sentirti! = It’s pointless trying to
call her. She can’t hear you!

And on its own, it can actually translate as Sure! or Certainly! as in the

following example:

Posso avere un biscotto? – Hai voglia!

Can I have a cookie? – Certainly!

0:00 / 0:03

· · ·
 ···

Hai voglia di strepitare! Non cambierà mai idea. = You can rant and rave all you like! He’s never going to change
his mind.

15. Uffa…

0:00 / 0:01
Has someone’s attitude or an annoying situation got you huffing and
puffing in despair? If so, you can use this rather cathartic expression –
Uffa! – to let off some steam. Think of it as the equivalent of Ugh! or Argh!
in English.

Uffa! Ma dove sei? Aspetto da ore!

Ugh! Where are you? I’ve been waiting for hours!

0:00 / 0:03

· · ·

···
16. Non ce la faccio più!
From time to time, we all face a breaking point. Say you’ve had a long and
stressful day, and all you want to do is jump under the covers and hide
away from the world. On days like this, the perfect expression you can use
in Italian is:

Non ce la faccio più!

I can’t take it anymore!

0:00 / 0:02

· · ·
···
17. Che pasticcio!

0:00 / 0:02

If your child decides to toss his bowl of pasta on the floor, or throw his
blocks all over the living room, you might find it hard not to exclaim What
a mess! and the same goes for Italians. The word pasticcio is also used to
refer to a person’s troubles or problems rather than a physical mess.

···

Che pasticcio che hai combinato!

What a mess you’ve made!

0:00 / 0:02
· · ·

···
18. Mica

0:00 / 0:01

Mica is one of those sneaky words that seems to pop up in conversation

all the time, but until you become relatively fluent in Italian, it can be
difficult to comprehend its meaning completely, and even more
challenging to use properly.

One possible translation is “it’s not like” as in the very common phrase
Non l’ho fatto mica apposta! (It’s not like I did it on purpose!) However, it
can also mean “at all” when used in conjunction with the word male (bad):

Non è mica male questo posto!

This place isn’t bad at all!

0:00 / 0:02

· · ·

Sometimes it serves an emphatic role, as in the phrase Mica stai per

partire? (You’re not about to leave, are you?) By adding mica, you are
revealing your incredulity at the fact your friend is leaving.
 ···

In other cases it can mean “by any chance” as in Hai mica visto la mia
giacca? (Have you seen my jacket by any chance?)

Non è mica male questo hamburger! = This hamburger isn’t half bad!
19. Tanto

0:00 / 0:01

The default meaning of tanto is a lot, much or many but did you know
that it has a few other lesser known translations as well?

The one I want to mention here is “at any rate” or “anyway” as you will
hear Italians use it in this sense all the time:

···

Prendi pure la penna, tanto ne ho un’altra.

Go ahead and take the pen, I have another one anyway.

0:00 / 0:03
 · · ·

È inutile parlare con te, tanto non mi ascolti mai. = It’s useless talking to you, you never listen to me at any rate.

20. In bocca al lupo!

Let’s bring this article to a close with an expression that every Italian
learner should memorise from day one: In bocca al lupo! Literally
translating as “in the mouth of the wolf”, it is how Italians wish each other
luck, much like we say “break a leg” in English.
 ···

In bocca al lupo!

Good luck! / Break a leg!

0:00 / 0:01

· · ·

In response to this phrase, you can say Crepi il lupo! (lit. may the wolf die)
or the more modern Viva il lupo! (Long live the wolf!). You can find out
more about this phrase in our dedicated article.
Il messaggio legge “In bocca al lupo!” – The message says “Good luck!”

···
 Save for later!

Heather Broster
Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of
Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as
well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally
from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period
of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition,
education, and bilingual instruction.
 ···

Blog

Ethics statement: Below you will find affiliate links. If you buy something after clicking the link, we will receive a
small commission. To know more about our ethics, you can visit our full disclosure page. Thank you!
Lingopie (affiliate link) is the Netflix of language learning application that uses
real TV shows and movies to help you learn a new language. You can
choose a show to watch based on your fluency level, and use the
interactive subtitles to get instant translations to help you learn quickly.
Are you interested in improving your Italian in a fun and stress-free
manner? Then we highly recommend Serena Capilli's short stories in Italian
(affiliate link) , designed for beginners, advanced beginners, and lower
intermediate learners (A1-B1 CEFR). These stories have been optimised for
English speakers in search of a fun, laid-back learning experience! Read
our full review here.

ISCRIVITI ALLA NOSTRA NEWSLETTER! (SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER!)

Do you want to receive an Italian word a day directly into your mailbox? All you
have to do is to go to the subscription form and enter your email address. Your
personal data won’t be recorded until the form has been submitted successfully.
Thank you!

SUBSCRIBE!
CERCA SUL SITO / SEARCH THE WEBSITE

Cerca (Search) ... Cerca (Search)

SPONSOR OUR NEWSLETTER

Find out more about sponsoring the Daily Italian Words newsletter here!

Copyright © 2019-2024 Mathieu Gasquet / Heather Broster

Heather Broster is participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate
advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com
and affiliated sites.

Heather Broster is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising

programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and
linking to Amazon.co.uk.