The musical cadence of Italian words, the hand gestures, and the colorful humor essential to the culture make learning and speaking it fun. When you visit Italy, you’ll hear a lot of idioms and expressions that might sound strange to beginner learners. Learning a few common Italian expressions ahead of time will help you participate confidently in more candid conversations.
Rosetta Stone tutoring can also help you gain confidence using these Italian expressions. Interactive conversations with expert language instructors ensure you’re saying and using all these phrases correctly.
Boh (I don’t know)
Why waste words on “I don’t know, man” or “I have no idea” when a simple boh will do? This exclamation is usually used with friends and family but can be used with strangers in informal settings. To get the point across effectively, raise your shoulders and frown. Those gestures on their own can communicate the sentiment nonverbally like an exaggerated shrug.
Mah!is a similar expression but more exasperated. The subtext for it can be, “I’m at a loss for words.” In some regions, particularly the south, chi sacciu?(“Who knows?”) is more common.
Dai (Come on, please?)
This word is used most often by children begging to get what they want. But adults can be a little childish, too. Gestures that go with dai include frowning and looking to the side, grabbing the other person’s arm (again, most common with children and their caretakers), or a whiny tone of voice.
In bocca al lupo (Good luck!)
If you want to wish an Italian good luck, say in bocca al lupo. The literal translation of this expression of well wishes is “in the wolf’s mouth.” The correct response to it is, crepi il lupo (“may the wolf die”) or simply, crepi. Northern Italians have a more vulgar variation we won’t detail.
Che figuraccia (We made a bad impression)
These two words convey embarrassment when you make a fool of yourself. Fare una figuraccia is the verb phrase “to make a bad impression,” so if you’re apologizing in a more formal setting, you can say, ho fatto una figuraccia (“I made a bad impression”).
Mamma mia! (My goodness!)
Mamma mia, here we go again! You’ve heard this one but may or may not know all the contexts when Italians use it. Mamma mia can express any strong emotion, and Italians usually open their arms while saying it to express frustration. Whether it’s surprise, joy, impatience, bewilderment, or despair, this general exclamation has you covered.
Che bello/bella (How lovely)
This phrase literally translates to “how beautiful” or “how lovely” but can be used to show enthusiasm in other contexts, too. If you’re talking about a masculine person or thing, use bello. If you’re talking about a feminine person or thing, use bella.
Whether it’s a majestic building, a delicious pasta dish, or a hottie across the piazza (square), Italy will give you plenty of reasons to use this exclamation. Che carina (feminine) or che carino (masculine) is a similar expression, closer to “how cute” or “how sweet.” This one is mostly used for babies, animals, or anything small and adorable.
Uffa! (Ugh!)
Uffa is a clear and easy way to express anger, boredom, frustration, or annoyance. It’s usually paired with eye rolling. Even if you don’t know any Italian, you’d probably understand how someone felt if you heard it. The exclamation is considered informal, but not vulgar. Children often use it when adults would use more, well, adult language. When you’re really, really frustrated and want to be dramatic about it, elongate the “f” sound to Uffffffffffa!
Che ne so? (What do I know?)
Che ne so is a versatile phrase. As a statement, it can mean “As far as I know” or “Whatever,” depending on the context and its place in the sentence. As a question, it translates to “What do I know?” In informal situations when someone asks a question you couldn’t answer if your life depended on it, just shrug and hit them with che ne so?
Mannaggia (Dang)
This word is an expression of annoyance or frustration mostly used in southern Italy. It doesn’t have an English equivalent, but “dang” is pretty close in spirit. Mannaggia is considered a minor curse word. So maybe don’t use it in front of someone’s nonna (grandmother), but it’s not terribly offensive in most circumstances. There are other frequently used phrases that include the word: Mannaggia la miseria is equivalent to “for goodness’ sake.”
Figurati (You’re welcome; It’s okay)
This word is a response to grazie (“Thank you” in Italian) that’s equivalent to the English “It’s okay.” You can use it in formal and informal settings. English speakers have a generational split over responding to “thank you” with “no problem,” but Italians consider similar responses to be perfectly correct and acceptable in all conversations.
Magari (if only)
Magari is a versatile word that has no direct English equivalent and comes from the Greek word makàrios, which means “blessed event.” The phrase can mean “if only,” “hopefully,” “I wish,” or even “possibly.” Basically, it’s an expression of what you hope. If an Italian asks if you want to win the lottery, magari would work as a response. If you’re invited to a party and you plan on going, you could use it then, too.
Ti sta bene! (Serves you right!)
Ti sta bene! can mean three different things. It can mean “It suits you” when complimenting someone’s clothes or haircut. As a question, it means “Is that okay with you?” As an exclamation, it means “Serves you right!” or “You had it coming!” when someone gets the punishment or consequences they deserve.
Che schifo! (Yuck!)
Che schifo! is an expression of disgust. Whether it’s food that’s gone bad, an unpleasant situation, or seeing something nasty, turning up your nose and exclaiming these two words can pack a punch. It can also be used sarcastically if it’s said with a sly smile and a jaunty tone.
Che figata! (Cool!)
This expression is most often used in southern Italy. The English equivalent is “cool” in an impressed or pleasantly surprised context. The literal translation is “What a big fig.” In the past, a really big fig would indeed be cool enough to base an exclamation around. In northern Italy, they use the longer ma che figata more often.
Non te la prendere (Don’t worry about it)
This phrase is usually spoken when someone is upset or worked up about something out of their control. Depending on the tone, the phrase can be genuinely soothing or come off as dismissive. Use it carefully and receive it with grace.
Che macello! (What a mess!)
This expression translates literally to “What a slaughterhouse!” Figuratively, it means “What a mess!” or “What a screw-up!” We can assume that slaughterhouses get messy and gross even without having experience with them.
Non mi va (I don’t feel like it)
If you’re asked to do something and you’re too tired or simply not in the mood, non mi va is the response you need. The expression literally translates to “It doesn’t go for me,” but the meaning is closer to “I don’t feel like it” or “It doesn’t sit well with me.”
Mi raccomando (Please, I beg you)
This phrase emphasizes desperation when you ask for something. The verb raccomandare means “to recommend.” But in its reflexive form, raccomandarsi, it becomes “to beg” or “to plead.” You can think of it as the more grown-up version of dai.
Meno male (Thank God)
This expression of relief is common across Italy. It literally means “less bad,” but its usage is more like “Thank God.” Meno male is usually paired with a praying gesture, which makes sense and is often involuntary. It can also pair with other gestures depending on the region and age of the person.
Porca miseria! (Misery is a pig)
Porca miseria! is a useful, versatile exclamation for any unfortunate situation. Stubbed your toe? Misery is a pig! Left your keys in your car? Misery is a pig! Got fired from your job? Misery is a pig!
Mi tocca ___ (I don’t feel like ___)
Similar to non mi va, this phrase is used when you don’t feel like doing something. Mi tocca means “It’s my turn.” When it’s used in this context, followed by the thing you don’t feel like doing, it becomes an expression of dread for something you don’t want to do but have to get done. For example, mi tocca studiare is “I have to study, but I don’t feel like it.”
Sei fuori (You’re out of your mind)
This expression is a response to doing something crazy or poorly thought out. It literally translates to “You are out.” Out of your head or out of your mind is implied. We have that in English, but we don’t shorten it for convenience.
Che pizza (How boring)
What could be more Italian than pizza? Pizza is so commonplace that Italians say, “What a pizza” to mean “How boring.” The expression can be used for events, tasks, and even people. Che noia (literally “How boring”) is another equivalent.
Perfect your Italian with Rosetta Stone
Now that you know a few fun Italian expressions for different situations, practice saying them. Our TruAccent speech recognition engine helps you sound more like a local by comparing your voice to thousands of native speakers’. Add these 23 phrases to your list of essential Italian phrases for travel, and you’ll fit right in on your next trip.
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