Ten most important Italian language words or phrases to know?

Those are good. It is hard to narrow it down to 5, though. I also like.... please, and for me, quanto costa, (what is the cost). And, any food words so I know what I am eating!

I'll change it to ten

Where is? Excuse (or pardon) me-or is that like sorry? I like "food words" a lot, Charlotte!

Viatato! ( forbidden)

why would I use that word Lola?

Pickup Rick's phrase book, it's a good one.

When you are lost all you need is ... Dove ______ = Where is ______

My favorite is Una caraffa di vino della casa. A carafe of the house wine. And just sit at a table in a piazza and enjoy it.

Piacere di conoscerla - a pleasure to meet you.

Jim,

Besides the common courtesy words such as: Please, thank you, hello, good morning/good afternoon/ good night, excuse me, etc...

Here are a few phrases you might like to learn:

Parla inglese? = Speak English?
Dov'è...? = where is....?
Non capisco = I don't understand
Quanto costa? = How much does it cost?
Un momento = just a moment

You may also want to learn such words as:

ticket =biglietto
train = treno
train station = stazione (ferroviaria)
bus station = stazione degli autobus
bus stop = fermata dell'autobus
closed = chiuso
open = aperto
right/left = sinistra/destra
straight = diritto
with/without = con/senza
today/tomorrow =oggi/domani

You may enjoy reading a similar post from a few weeks ago: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/words-we-should-learn-before-heading-to-italy

Have a wonderful trip!

Vietato! ( forbidden)

why would I use that word Lola?

As a teenager in 1968 I visited the Archaeological Museum in Naples. There I photographed an iron stove from Pompeii and the small sign in front of it, which at the time I believed bore the name of the artifact.

It wasn't until I studied Italian decades later that I realized "Vietato Toccare" meant ... "Don't touch!"

Il conto, per favore - The bill, please
Un quarto di vino rosso (bianco) - a quarter litre of red (white) wine
Uno, due - one, two

Cornuto! If somebody cuts you off in traffic.

Campari would have to be #1

Per Piacere -- Please

Grazie -- Thank you

Prego -- you're welcome

Jim---not that you would use the word yourself, but you should understand what it means when you see it written. Or hear someone saying it to you.

My husband had that experience when he was swimming laps at a public pool in Venice. He swam a good distance underwater, using a dolphin kick---farther than he would in a swim meet. When he reached the far end,the lifeguard scolded him, as that is "vietato". Fortunately he understood her and did not repeat the forbidden action.

Hello--A formal, respectful greeting during the day or early in the day--"Buon giorno".
Pronounced "Bon journo".
Hello--A less formal greeting, used more casually in the late afternoon or evening--"Buon sera".
Goodbye--"Ciao"--Pronounced "chow", sort of.
Bellissimo--Lovely or beautiful, usually to describe a person's appearance, but I suppose you could use it to describe food, as when the waiter puts a delicious-looking plate of food in front of you. (Bellissimo describes a good looking man, Bellissima describes a woman.)
If you said, "Bellissimo! Grazie!" when your waiter gave you your food, you would be saying that it looked great, and thank you.
That's all I know! My father's best friend was an Italian architect, and he taught my sister and myself a few words when we were children.

Scusi, parla inglese?

When speaking English to Italian speakers, since their degree of fluency may not always be optimal, follow these rules:
1. Speak slowly
2. Don't use contractions (say 'it is not' instead of 'it isn't')
3. Avoid the Saxon genitive and use 'of' (say "the wife of my friend" instead of "my friend's wife")
4. Use English words of Latin origin instead of Germanic origin when possible, no matter how sophisticated the word might appear. So use 'pain' instead of 'ache' or 'sore'. Use 'request' instead of 'ask'. Use 'in this manner' instead of 'this way'. Use 'commence' instead of 'begin'. Use 'depart' instead of 'leave'. Use 'large' or 'grand' instead of 'big'. Use 'insect' instead of 'bug'. Use 'fraternal' instead of 'brotherly'. Use 'oriental' instead of 'eastern'. Use 'finish' instead of 'end'. Use 'arrive' instead of 'get to'. Use 'obtain' instead of 'get'. Actually avoid any verb that includes 'get' (get in, get off, get away, etc) and find a synonym. I'm sure you can search online a list of English Germanic words and their Latinate equivalent.

If you have Rick's Italy guidebook, you can tear out page 1245 (or photocopy it in a blown-up size), which has about two dozen of the top general-use phrases on one side and dining terms on the other side. But I think you're traveling long enough that the separate phrasebook will also be nice to have.

Mi dispiace - I am sorry or I am displeasing to myself

Da portare (or some version of this) when you are ordering food, means take out or take away.

Great suggestions everyone! I do have Rick's guide book and phrase book, as well as Google Translate on my phone.

Basta! (Rhymes with Pasta)

It basically means "enough" or "I've had enough". Used in a huge range of settings when you are being served food, wine, or anything measured out. It can also be used to call an end to any situation as in "Basta!" - I've had enough of this/you.

melissa, my guess is your inflection is important when using the word "Basta" no?

Nice list everyone, and I especially enjoyed Roberto's reference to the "Anglo Saxon genitive", a new phrase to me I must admit.
However, you all left off the #1 word and solution to all problems, that being the easy-to-pronounce "gelato"! As in my motto "when in doubt, have a gelato" or, "when you need a bathroom, go for a gelato" etc.

I think I'm lost so I will just get a gelato!!

Actually I think it's called the SAXON GENITIVE.
I can't believe you never heard of it. All English teachers I had (mostly native Britons or schooled in Britain) bugged us with that crazy way of expressing a possessive and known as the Saxon Genitive. I bet the Romans abandoned Britannia because they didn't want to deal with it.

Bene Roberto, let's take a poll: how many people reading this have ever heard of the "Saxon genitive" or "Anglo Saxon genitive"? And if yes, where did you learn or hear about it? (other than right here).

Same as Roberto, here. The notorious Saxon Genitive!
Larry, how do US teachers call it while teaching grammar in elementary school? Maybe "Our own Genitive"?

P.s. Most important italian words to know: "Mi scusi, parla inglese?"

P.s. 2 A "Basta" without a "grazie" (or a smile) would be quite rude. Out of tourist path waiters wouldn't appreciate it.

Presumably most people here know what genitive means

I bet you'd have to poll 100 college graduates to find one who knows what "genitive" means.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O29-SAXONGENITIVE.html

I can't believe an Italian native speaker has to teach basic English grammar to Americans. I guess you can learn much more than travel on this forum.

I like to know the numbers up to twenty /venti and clock times since we travel by train, and I can understand which platform to head to with an announcement. Of course, being able to order a gelato is a high priority, too!

Almost forget - words need to also have hand movements to complete the Italian conversation. : )

Enjoy your trip!

I can't believe an Italian native speaker has to teach basic English grammar to Americans. I guess you can learn much more than travel on this forum.

Now, Roberto, no need to get worked up. Americans certainly know the difference between "Tom's hat" and "the hat of Tom", but it's the term (genitive) itself that they won't know. We know it as the possessive.

I didn't introduced anything new. It's a basic linguistic concept.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genitive_case
http://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/genitive_case.htm
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genitive

I guess it's one of those things, among others, that are not taught in American schools.

How about 'ablative' and 'accusative'?

Like I said, we are taught it as the possessive, not the genitive. Maybe it's a British English v. American English thing. Lift/elevator, nappy/diaper, petrol/gas, genitive/possessive, etc.

We are also taught it as the possessive in Australia but thank you for the condescension, Roberto.

Also, why would people know about the ablative case when it is not used in English?

so what is the Italian phrase for "I've created a Monster!!"?

No condescending on my part. But it's not that I used an English term that I made up. It is even in my old American English Merriam Webster dictionary.

JiminVA, we're just having a little fun. I hope you don't mind.

Oh, and the answer to your question is "Ho fatto un mostro." (^_^)

no problema ... haha

Jean,
I get hand gestures are indeed a part of the conversation ...that will be fun!

più vino per favore ... more wine please

I guess it's one of those things, among others, that are not taught in American schools.
How about 'ablative' and 'accusative'?

Well Roberto, I learned about ablative and accusative in my American school ... it is just that I learned those terms in my Latin class and not in my English class. Ablative case doesn't exist in English and we'd call it a direct object rather than accusative case. We'd also refer to the "subject"' and "indirect object" rather than the nominative and dative.

We do learn grammar here (at least we used to. ... who knows what the schools are teaching now).

Convalidare - to validate

As in to validate one's train ticket. Do I validate this ticket? Where do I validate this ticket? How do I validate this ticket?

I used this word often.

In most cases, if the Italian word sounds or looks like an English word, then it probably means the same thing. It's the exceptions that can trip you up. The one most likely to come up is probably camera, which means room in Italian. (It's the same origin as "chamber" which is where we get the word for the thing we use to take pictures with, because it has a chamber inside.) The Italian term for what we call a camera translates literally as "photographic machine" - macchina fotografica. Which brings us to just macchina (MAH-kee-nah), which by itself usually means car, as in motorcar, not train car. That would be carrozza.

Pepperoni means little peppers, not the salami-like meat that comes to mind to Americans. A pepperoni pizza will have little peppers all over it and no meat.

Biscotti and panini are plural. You can't order "a biscotti" or "a panini". You would order "un biscotto" or "un panino."

Latte means milk. Caffe' latte is espresso with milk. If you ask for a latte, they might just hand you a glass of milk.

Bruschetta is pronounced "broo- SKEH-tah", not "broo-SHEH-tah".

Interesting read, these posts.

Here is a word I use a lot in Italy, vorrei (vor ray) "I would like"

It is a nice, polite way of ordering things in a restaurant, or anywhere for that matter.

A camera to take pictures is macchina fotografica, but if you film a TV video then you need a 'telecamera'.

I find that listening for the ~exit on the right/left~ announcement on the train or tram is a clear marker of who's a local and who's new in town -- when you go towards the wrong door as the vehicle slows to a stop, it's clear to everyone that you don't know that station.
Scendere a la sinistra/destro.