Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! – What We Like about Christmas in Italy

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, for Learn Travel Italian.com

Have you been trying to speak Italian more easily and confidently in 2022?

 I hope that I have helped you this year and you have reached your goal! I have been by posting a new blog every month in the series “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” With these blogs, I discuss how Italians use their language on a daily basis and in so doing help you to “think in Italian.” 

The end of the year is upon us, bringing with it yet another Christmas season in Italy. No matter if you are a child or an adult, there are so many things to like about how this special season is celebrated in Italy — the lights and decorations, the household preparations that have been passed down for generations, and finally, the much anticipated gathering of family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  What better time is there than Christmas to review how Italians use the verb piacere, which means “to like”? 

While many Italian families celebrate Christmas by following traditions passed down through the generations, other families have adopted festivities from neighboring countries. This leaves us with an important conversational point. It is possible to describe what one person likes as it relates to what someone else likes using piacere and the Italian disjunctive pronouns. There are also many Italian verbs that one needs to be familiar with to talk about current Christmas traditions in Italy, many of which have taken on a new importance now that new traditions have been adopted.

As I’ve said before, I believe that “commonly used phrases” are the key for how we can all build fluency in any language in a short time.

If we learn how to incorporate “commonly used phrases”  with the Italian verb piacere, both with and without disjunctive pronouns, we will be able to communicate just as we do in our native language and ask for whatever we need politely!

This post is the 62nd  in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group.  If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE

Many “commonly used phrases” in Italian
use the verb

  Piacere
to describe what one likes and compare this
with what another likes using disjunctive pronouns.
See below for how this works.

As we all master these phrases, so will you. Try my method and let me know how it works. What sentences will you create with these phrases?

Please reply. I’d love to hear from you! Or join our Conversational Italian! group discussion on Facebook.

The basics of the Italian language are introduced in the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar  

                       found on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com.

The rights to purchase the Conversational Italian for Travelers books in PDF format on two electronic devices can also be obtained at Learn Travel Italian.com.

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How to Use the Italian Verb Piacere to Say…

“Mi Piace Natale!”

In a previous blog on this topic, Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! Piacere: How Italians Say, “I like it!,”

we learned:

The Italian verb piacere literally means “to be pleasing.” Italians use this verb when they want to express the idea that they like something. It is how Italians say, “I like it!”

It should first be noted that piacere has an irregular conjugation. Then, it is important to understand that the verb piacere works  differently than most other Italian verbs that have an -ere ending. In effect, the subject of the sentence that uses the verb piacere will be the thing or things that are liked. Therefore, to agree with the subject,  the conjugated forms of piacere  will usually be the singular or plural third person. 

The singular third person form of piacere is piace and the plural is piacciono.

Rather than conjugating the verb piacere in its entirety, for now we will focus on the two most important conjugations of piacere listed above — piace if one thing is liked and piacciono if many things are liked.  

Italians then put one of the indirect object pronouns – mi, ti, Le, le, gli, ci, vi, or gli –before the verb, at the beginning of the sentence, to denote to whom the thing is pleasing.

As a refresher, here is the meaning of the indirect object pronouns we will need to use with piacere.  Notice that the context of the conversation will be important to determine if gli refers to him or to them. 

Italian Indirect Object Pronouns

mi	to me
ti	to you (familiar)
Le	to you (polite)
le	to her (to Maria)
gli	to him (to Mario)
ci	to us
vi	to you all
gli	to them

If someone likes doing something, follow the indirect object and the verb piacere in the third person singular — piace — with an infinitive verb! 

In short, just follow the basic formulas below to describe what things you like in Italian:

Indirect object pronoun + piace + object or activity
Indirect object pronoun + piacciono + objects 

Let’s put all this together to describe the things that are pleasing to us — that is, the things that we like — about the Christmas season in Italy. In the examples for the following sections, the Italian way of thinking is given in English in gray, the true English translation is in black, and the noun or verb that is the subject of the Italian sentence has been underlined.

Also, notice from the examples that Italians use “mi piace molto” to refer to things they really like, where Americans tend to say, “I love.” to express a strong liking for both things and people.

(If you need a more detailed explanation of how piacere works, please see the previous blog about piacere.)

A Traditional Christmas in Italy… 

The Catholic religion is the official religion of Italy. The Italian Christmas season (periodo di Natale) begins on December 8th with the Catholic holiday of L’Immacolata (Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary) and ends on January 6th with L’Epifania (the day the “Three Kings” visit the baby Jesus).

During the Christmas season, lights adorn every town in Italy, and many Italian towns are famous for depictions of Christmas scenes in larger than life light displays. The largest nativity scene in the world, for instance, is on the side of a mountain in the town of Manarola in the famous Cinque Terre region along the northwestern coast of Italy.  This display of lighted homes and figures that is used to create a larger-than-life nativity scene is even included in the Guinness book of world records. Music adds to the special feeling of Christmas in Italy, and Christmas songs from around the world have been translated into Italian. Visit a prior Christmas blog for a link to listen to the most famous Italian Christmas carol, “Tu Scendi dalle Stelle.”

The nativity scene, in Italian called the presepe or presepio, is the center of the religious celebration in Italy. The city of Naples is famous for artisans who produce the manger, figures, animals, and even the surrounding countryside that makes up the nativity scene, in life-like detail. Larger nativity scenes can be found in churches and piazzas, while Italian families often set up a smaller nativity scene at home. Many towns also recruit local volunteers to dress in period costumes and sit in a manger specially constructed for the occasion to create a living nativity scene.

The important family celebration in Italy occurs on Christmas Eve (la Vigilia di Natale). There is a well-known Italian saying that describes the importance of being with family during Christmas: “Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi,” which means, “Christmas with your (family), Easter with whom you want.”

Christmas Eve is celebrated with a large fish dinner (cenone) followed by midnight mass at church. There is another family dinner on Christmas day, and afterwards Italians spend the time between Christmas and the New Year making the rounds to visit family and friends. Presents are exchanged on L’Epifania as a finale to the holiday season. The children are told the story of a friendly witch, La Befana, who long ago missed her chance to greet the baby Jesus with the wise men, and now flies on her broom every year in search of him. While on her journey, she drops presents down the chimney into the homes of the Italian children. 

Let’s talk about how much we all like these Italian Christmas traditions using the Italian verb piacere!

Mi piace il periodo di Natale!
[To me the Christmas season is pleasing.]
I like the Christmas season!

Mi piacciono le decorazioni di Natale, specialmente le luci in piazza.
[To me, the Christmas decorations are pleasing.]
I like the Christmas decorations, especially the lights in the piazza.

Mi piace molto cantare le canzoni di Natale.
[To me, singing Christmas songs is pleasing, very much.]
I love to sing Christmas songs.

Le piace sistemare il presepe in casa.
[To her setting up the nativity scene at home is pleasing.]
She likes setting up the nativity scene at home. 

Gli piace il presepe con persone vere in chiesa.
[To him, the living nativity scene at church is pleasing.]
He likes the living nativity scene at church.

Ci piace il cenone della Vigilia di Natale.
[To us, the big dinner on Christmas Eve is pleasing.]
We like the big dinner on Christmas Eve.

Gli piace l’arrivo della Befana di notte.
[To him / To them the arrival of La Befana at night is pleasing.]
He likes / They like the arrival of La Befana at night.

Gli piacciono molto le feste di Natale in Italia!   
[To him / To them the Christmas holidays in Italy are really pleasing!]
He loves / They love the Christmas holidays!

Christmas in Italy Today…

It is also interesting to note that Christmas celebrations in Italy have become more varied. While many Italian families celebrate Christmas by following traditions passed down through the generations, other families have adopted festivities from neighboring countries. 

This is most evident in the replacement of the household nativity scene with a Christmas tree. Italy boasts the largest lighted Christmas tree display in the world, which is along a mountain that overlooks the town of Gubbio in Umbria. Santa Claus (Babbo Natale) has also been added to or replaced the Italian tradition of La Befana. While some families in Italy favor one type of celebration, others favor another.

This leaves us with an important conversational point.
It is possible to describe what one person likes
as it relates to what someone else likes
using disjunctive pronouns in Italian.

The disjunctive pronouns serve to stress that a person likes something with the “a” for “to”. Notice the similarity of the disjunctive pronouns to the indirect object pronouns and subject pronouns we have already learned.

If you want to be specific and use someone’s name, just put the preposition “a” before their name. This is an especially helpful in the third person; instead of the indirect object pronoun gli, which means both “to him” and “to them,”  one can use the more specific disjunctive pronouns. For general groups, you will need [a + Italian definite article].  

Italian Disjunctive Pronouns and Equivalents

a me	to me
a te	to you (familiar)
a Lei	to you (polite)
a lei / a Maria	to her / to Maria
a lui / a Marco	to him /to Mario
a noi	to us
a voi	to you all
a loro ai bambini agli italiani	to them to the children to the Italians

Three of our examples from the last section are below, changed slightly to reflect some new additions to the Italian Christmas celebration. This time the Italian disjunctive pronouns or a person or group’s name is used to describe to whom the traditions are pleasing. The Italian sentence structure and English translation is the same.

A Maria piace sistemare l’albero d’Natale in casa.
[To Maria setting up the Christmas tree at home is pleasing.]
Mary likes setting up the Christmas tree at home. 

Ai bambini piace l’arrivo di Babbo Natale di notte.
[To the children the arrival of Santa Claus at night is pleasing.]
The children like the arrival of Santa Claus at night.

A tutti gli Italiani piacciono molto le feste di Natale!   
[To all the Italians the Christmas holidays are really pleasing!]
All the Italians love the Christmas holidays!

It is important to realize that piace is most commonly used as given in the first section that describes the traditional Italian Christmas — that is, with indirect object pronouns. The disjunctive pronouns are used mainly when one wants to stress a point — when a person likes something that one wouldn’t expect him or her to like, or when someone likes something that is different than the norm. Disjunctive pronouns are also important when comparing the preference of one person with another.

For instance, maybe I like the traditional Italian nativity scene, but Maria does not. I could say,

A me piace sistimare il presepe, ma a Maria no.  Maria preferisce l’albero di Natale.
[Meaning: I like to set up the nativity scene, but Mary doesn’t.]
(Implied: Even though Mary is Italian, for some unknown reason, she has taken on the tradition of others and Mary prefers to set up a Christmas tree.)
I like setting up the nativity scene, but Mary doesn’t.  Mary prefers  a Christmas tree.

Or perhaps most of the children in a family like the arrival of Santa Claus, but unexpectedly one child in the family wants to wait for La Befana:

Ai nostri bambini piace l’arrivo di Babbo Natale, ma a Marco no.  Invece, Marco aspetta l’arrivo della Befana.
[Meaning: Our children like when Santa Claus arrives, but Mark doesn’t.]
(Implied: For some strange reason, although Mark is young, he doesn’t mind waiting until after Christmas for La Befana to bring him presents.)
The children like when Santa Claus arrives, but Marco doesn’t. Instead, Mark waits for La Befana to arrive.

More Christmas holiday fun…

Below are example sentences for a few more important activities that both Italians and Americans enjoy —  in Italian of course!

Let’s get the house decorated and deck ourselves out as well!

Mi piace addobbare la casa per Natale.
I like decorating/decking out the house for Christmas.

Mi piace anche molto addobbarsi mia bambina per le feste.
Also I love dressing up my baby for the holidays.

And send Christmas wishes to those we care about by snail mail or email…

Nella prima settimana di dicembre, noi mandiamo i bilglietti Natalizi per posta.
In the first week of December, we mail out the Christmas cards.

Negli anni recenti, ho spedito tanti auguri di buon Natale per email.
I recent years, I have sent many Christmas wishes by email.

Wrap presents for Santa or La Befana to deliver for the children…

Ci vuole molto tempo a impacchettare tutti i regali di Natale.
It takes a lot of time to wrap all the Christmas presents.

Lego un fiocco regalo su ogni scatola.
I tie a ribbon around every box.

Exchange and finally unwrap presents!

Alla nostra famiglia piace scambiarsi i regali di Natale dal Natale all’Epifania.
Our family likes to exchange presents with each other from Christmas Day through to the Epiphany.

Ai bambini piace molto scartare i regali!
The children love unwrapping the presents!

When the Christmas holiday is over…

Italians have a saying — “L’epifania tutte le feste porta via!” This means that the arrival of Epiphany signals the end of the holiday season, or, in the Italian way of thinking, “Epiphany takes away the holiday season.” 

The end of the Christmas holidays is, of course, a disappointment. How would we say that we do not like when the holiday season ends in Italian? Just use non as follows: when using the more common sentence structure with indirect object pronouns,  simply place non at the beginning of the sentence. Otherwise, to if you want to use a disjunctive pronoun to emphasize how much you do not when the holidays end, be sure to put non after the disjunctive pronoun, right before piacere.

Non gli piace quando finiscono le feste di Natale!   
[To them, it is not pleasing when the Christmas holidays end!]
They don’t like when the Christmas holidays end!

Agli italiani non piace quando finiscono le feste di Natale!   
[To the Italians, it is not pleasing when the Christmas holidays end!]
The Italians don’t like when the Christmas holidays end!

Buone Feste a tutti e Buon Anno Nuovo!

Happy Holidays to all and Happy New Year! 

Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Grammar” and “Just the Verbs” books: Available on  amazon.com  and Learn Travel Italian.com

Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Important Phrases” book downloaded onto a cell phone from www.learntravelitalian.com

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! – Let’s Talk About… An Italian Christmas Celebration

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, for Conversational Italian for Travelers books

Buon Natale a tutti voi!

Christmastime is a magical time in Italy. The colorful decorations and holiday lights that adorn every Italian town bring with them a feeling of celebration that inspires children and adults alike. Italians of Jewish faith celebrate Chanukah in December as well, with glowing candles that bring their own special beauty to the December evenings. Chanukah was celebrated earlier this month, and if you’d like to learn more about how Chanukah is celebrated in Italy, please visit the blog “Our Italy — Celebrating Chanukah in Italy. 

 

But what really makes the December holidays special,
both in Italy and around the world? For most, it is the gathering of family and friends. 

For 2021, my hope is that all people who celebrate the Christmas holiday (le vacanze di Natale) or another holiday of their faith this December, can gather with their loved ones. As of this writing, there is a good possibility that the new normal will continue to expand to include Christmas parties (le feste di Natale) and gatherings for Chanukah dinners, instead of online meetings where people are together, yet distant. Extended families and friends should be able to celebrate the joy of being in each others’ presence and even have the opportunity to introduce new friends to old ones during the holidays  for 2021.

This post is the 51st in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group.  If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE.

Many “commonly used phrases” in Italian

are used during the 
Christmas  Holiday Season

See below for how this works.

As we all master these phrases, so will you. Try my method and let me know how it works. What sentences will you create with these phrases?

Please reply. I’d love to hear from you! Or join our Conversational Italian! group discussion on Facebook.

The basics of the Italian language are introduced in the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar  

                       found on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com.

The rights to purchase the Conversational Italian for Travelers books in PDF format on two electronic devices can also be obtained at Learn Travel Italian.com.

 

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Christmas in Italy

There are several important holidays that Italians celebrate during the Christmas season (periodo di Natale), which begins on December 8th with L’Immacolata and ends on January 6th with L’Epifania. The feast of Santa Lucia on December 13th is also an important holiday in northern Italy and this saint day is celebrated with candles, special pastries, and presents for children who have been good during the year.

 

Young girl celebrating Santa Lucia Day

See the table below for a list of the important celebrations that take place in Italy during the Christmas season and some common phrases that Italians use to wish each other “happy holidays.” We first encountered these phrases in our blog What I wish… for the holidays! 

L’Immacolata	Feast of the Immaculate Conception: Catholic holiday that celebrates mother Mary.
Vigilia di Natale Natale	Christmas Eve Christmas
Buon Natale! Buone Feste!	Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!
Auguri di buon Natale!	Best wishes for a merry Christmas!
Tanti Auguri! / Auguri!	Best wishes!
Il biglietto di auguri Natalizi Regalo di Natale	Christmas greeting card Christmas gift

L’ultimo dell’anno	New Year’s Eve
La notte di San Silvestro	December 31st is the feast day of San Silvestro for the Catholic church.
Capodanno	New Year’s Day
Buon anno nuovo! Buon anno!	Happy New Year! (used most often)
Felice anno nuovo!	Happy New Year!
L’Epifania	Epiphany: Catholic holiday that celebrates when “Wise Men” visited the baby Jesus. In Italy, gifts are exchanged on this day.   Italian tradition holds that a friendly witch, La Befana, brings gifts to children on this day, although Santa Claus is also celebrated.

 

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 An Italian Holiday Party Conversation

 

When at a holiday party where Italian is spoken,
one will surely encounter the introductory phrases and  polite responses below.

Introductions:

The most common Italian introduction at a gathering is a familiar phrase — a phrase used when a person introduces one of their friends to another. For example, let’s assume Pietro and Caterina are friends. Pietro wants to introduce Caterina to another of his friends, Paolo. He will do this with the simple sentence, “Caterina, ti presento il mio amico Paolo.” Pietro uses the informal “ti” since he is already friends with Caterina, the person to whom he is speaking. 

In a more formal situation, Pietro may want to introduce someone he does not know well to one of his friends. In this case, if Pietro is addressing either a woman or a man, he will need to use “Le” (“polite you” indirect object pronoun). To stay in the polite mode of conversation, Pietro will likely introduce one guest to another using their last names with a polite title, such as il Signor (Mr.), la Signora (Mrs.), or la Signorina (Miss).

Keep in mind that in English we do not use the same sentence structure as in Italian, so the English translation of these phrases will not follow the Italian word for word. We may start out with “Let me” or “I would like to” and then add “introduce you to…” Also, in an informal situation, English speakers in America tend to omit the “Let me introduce you to” altogether! Instead, an English speaker might just say something like, “Kathy, meet my friend Paul.”

Several options to use when making an introduction are listed below. Remember to use the direct article before the title for a formal introduction!

Caterina, ti presento il mio amico Paolo.	Kathy, let me introduce you to my friend Paul. Kathy, meet my friend Paul.
Signor Rossi, Le presento il Signor Manzini.	Mr. Rossi, let me introduce you to Mr. Manzini.
Signora Rossi, Le presento il Signor Manzini.	Mrs. Rossi, let me introduce you to Mr. Manzini.
Signorina Rossi, Le presento il Signor Manzini.	Miss Rossi, I would like to introduce you to Mr. Manzini.

 

Responses:

At first glance at the table below, the responses to an Italian introduction may seem a bit complicated, because they have several variations. The most important key to understanding which of these variations to choose is the formality of the situation. 

In the initial phrases in this table, “Piacere di conoscerla“ and “Piacere di conoscerti,“ the difference between the two phrases will depend on whether one is speaking in the polite (pol.) or the familiar (fam.). The polite phrases are given first in our example list, as it is the norm in Italy to use the polite form with a new acquaintance. The familiar form of this phrase is often be used between younger people, who tend to be less formal, and may also be appropriate among older adults of the same age or social status. If you need a refresher on when to use polite and formal Italian phrases, please refer to our blog Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! – Getting from polite to familiar with “Dare del tu.”

The other reason there are so many variations to learn when introductions are made is the Italian use of masculine and feminine nouns and adjectives.  Every Italian student learns early on that nouns and adjectives must agree in gender and number.*  At first, it may not be obvious that one is using an adjective at the beginning of the sentence, “Lieto(a) di conoscerla/ti,” since these phrases are used so often in Italy that the subject and verb of the sentence, “I am…” have been left out! The full sentence, “I am delighted to meet you,” though, makes it clear that the verb essere (to be) is in use, and of course the ending for the adjective lieto(a) for delighted must reflect back to the gender of the speaker to make sense. 

The easiest thing for the Italian student to do, of course, is to pick out the phrase that corresponds to their own situation and memorize the endings. But these phrases provide a good opportunity to learn how to change Italian endings quickly and easily and can provide a pattern for more complicated sentences. For the examples below, the nouns, adverbs, and prepositions are black, the verbs are green, the polite/familiar pronouns red, masculine adjectives blue, and feminine adjectives brown.

Piacere di conoscerla. Piacere di conoscerti.	Pleased to meet you (pol.). Please to meet you (fam.).
Piacere mio.	The pleasure is mine.
Lieto di conoscerla. Lieta di conoscerla. Lieto di conoscerti. Lieta di conoscerti.	Delighted (masc. speaker) to meet you (pol.). Delighted (fem. speaker) to meet you (pol.). Delighted (masc. speaker) to meet you (fam.). Delighted (fem. speaker) to meet you (fam.).
Molto lieto! Molto lieta!	Delighted! (masc. speaker) Delighted! (fem. speaker)
Sono molto contento di vederla. Sono molto contenta di vederla. Sono molto contento di vederti. Sono molto contenta di vederti.	(I) am very happy (masc. speaker) to see you (pol.). (I) am very happy (fem. speaker) to see you (pol.). (I) am very happy (masc. speaker) to see you (fam.). (I) am very happy (fem. speaker) to see you (pol.).
Sono felice di rivederla. Sono felice di rivederti.	(I) am happy to see you (pol.) again. (I) am happy to see you (fam.) again.

*Italian nouns are assigned a gender, either masculine or feminine. Italian adjectives, which modify nouns, will change their endings to match the noun modified. In general, Italian nouns will end in -o if masculine and -a if feminine. A noun that ends in -e can be either masculine or feminine. There are, of course, many exceptions to these rules!

 

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Below is an excerpt from the Conversational Italian for Travelers story found on the website www.learntravelitalian.com.  This short dialogue will allow us to put together all we have discussed about what to say when introducing and meeting others at an Italian holiday party. In this dialogue, Pietro introduces his cousin Caterina to his friends Luigi and Paolo. This simple conversation uses phrases that are repeated over and over again at Italian gatherings of every type.

At the end of the dialogue printed here is a common transition phrase that takes Caterina into the familiar form with Pietro’s friends, “Diamoci del tu, per favore!” We have discussed this phrase and others used to make the transition from a polite to a formal situation in a previous blog, “Getting from Polite to Familiar in Italian with ‘Dare del tu!'”  With this simple line, a friendly conversation can truly begin! To listen to the remainder this conversation in its entirety, just click on the link It’s a Party! 

 

Pietro:	Caterina, ti presento il mio amico Paolo.
	Kathy, (I) introduce to you (fam.) my friend Paul.
Caterina:	Piacere di conoscerla.
	(It is a) pleasure to meet you (fam.).
	(Caterina uses the polite form for a person she has just met, even though Paolo is Pietro’s friend.)
Pietro:	E questo è il mio amico Luigi.
	And this is my friend Louis.
Caterina:	Piacere.
	(It is) a pleasure.
Luigi:	Piacere mio. Io sono professore dell’italiano, come Pietro.
	Paolo è un medico.
	(The) pleasure is mine. I am (an) Italian professor, like Peter.
	Paul is a physician.
Caterina:	Molto interessante.
	Very interesting.
Paolo:	Io sono di Novara, una città vicino a Milano.
	Diamoci del tu, per favore!
	I am from Novara, a town near to Milan.
	Let’s use the familiar form of you with each other, please!
	(Paolo officially asks if he can use the familiar, or “tu” form with Caterina.)
Caterina:	Va bene. Volentieri!
	O.K. Gladly!

Warm wishes for a Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year
filled with treasured time
together with family and friends!

Auguri a tutti voi!

Make it a “Conversational Italian” Christmas! “Just the Phrases” makes a great stocking stuffer. Or Just download the Conversational Italian for Travelers books on your phone for easy reference anywhere you go! Download at www.learntravelitalian.com. Purchase books at Amazon.com

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! How to say, “I feel…” on Valentines Day with “Sentirsi”

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, for Learn Travel Italian.com

Buon giorno a tutti! How do you feel about Valentines Day?  Is Valentines Day an important holiday for you? Does the thought of Valentines Day bring the same feelings as it did when you were younger?

If you want to express your feelings in Italian this Valentines Day, the verb sentirsi is essential!  This verb is a part of many commonly used phrases in Italian. 

As I’ve said before in this blog series, I believe that “commonly used phrases” are the key for how we can all build fluency in any language in a short time.

If we learn how to incorporate “commonly used phrases”  when we talk about how we feel in Italian with the verb sentirsi, we will be able to communicate with the same complexity as we do in our native language!

This post is the 41st in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group.  If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE

Many “commonly used phrases” in Italian

start with “I feel” 

and use the verb

Sentirsi 

See below for how this works.

As we all master these phrases, so will you. Try my method and let me know how it works. What sentences will you create with this verb?

Please reply. I’d love to hear from you! Or join our Conversational Italian! group discussion on Facebook.

The basics of the Italian language are introduced in the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar  

                       found on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com.

The rights to purchase the Conversational Italian for Travelers books in PDF format on two electronic devices can also be obtained at Learn Travel Italian.com.

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Sentirsi — to feel

The verb sentirsi means “to feel” in Italian and therefore sentirsi is the verb Italians use to describe their deepest emotions. You will immediately notice from the -si ending that sentirsi is a reflexive verb. English, on the other hand, does not consider “feeling” a reflexive activity; so when we English speakers put our emotions into words, we do not use a reflexive verb. Because of this important difference, we will really have to learn how to think in Italian to express our feelings with sentirsi!  

Learning how to use the verb sentirsi is really not all that tricky, though, once you understand the general idea of how to conjugate a reflexive verb.  Just remember to add one of the reflexive pronouns (mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si) before the conjugated form of sentirsi. Then finish the sentence by saying how you feel, just as you would in English. 

Sentirsi has been conjugated in full in the table below. Sentirsi is a regular -ire verb, so its conjugations are presented in green.  The reflexive pronouns that go with each conjugation are in blue. Since we do not use reflexive pronouns with the equivalent verb “to feel” in English, the Italian reflexive pronouns will not appear in the translation.

Sentirsi – to feel

io	mi sento	I feel
tu	ti senti	you (familiar) feel
Lei lei/lui	si sente	you (polite) feel she/he feels
noi	ci sentiamo	we feel
voi	vi sentite	you all feel
loro	si sentono	they feel

 

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Sentirsi vs. Stare

People across the globe commonly talk about how they are feeling. and Italians are no different! Let’s try  to use our newly conjugated Italian verb sentirsi by creating some simple sentences  to describe how we may feel.

From the table above, we can see that the common statement, “I feel…” is, “Io mi sento…” But, of course, we always leave out the Italian subject pronoun, so the phrase that Italians use is conversation is just, “Mi sento…” To complete the phrase, just add how you are feeling after the verb! 

One way to use the verb sentirsi in conversation is to say, “Mi sento bene!” which means, “I feel well!” (Notice Italians do not say, “I feel good,” which is actually grammatically incorrect, although we say this in English all of the time.)

If we remember how to use our reflexive verbs, we know that if we want to ask someone how they are feeling, we can simply say, “Ti senti bene?”  “Are you feeling well?” (By the way, if you need a review of Italian reflexive verbs, please see previous blogs on this topic or our Conversational Italian for Travelers book, “Just the Important Verbs.”)

To have a conversation with one person about another person’s health, we can use the same phrase to relay a fact or to ask a question: “Si sente bene.”  “He/she is feeling well.” “Si sente bene?” “Is he/she feeling well?” 

(Io) Mi sento bene. (Io) Non mi sento bene. (Io) Mi sento male.	I feel well. I don’t feel well. I don’t feel well.
(Tu) Ti senti bene.	Do you feel well?
(Lei/Lui) Si sente bene.	She/he feels well.
(Lei/Lui) Si sente bene.	Does she/he feel well?

You will remember from our last blog about the Italian verb stare that  stare is also used to talk about general well-being, either “good” or “bad,” similar to the sentences above.” Since both stare and sentirsi are used to describe how we feel, the difference in meaning between these two verbs can seem insignificant. But, by convention, stare is always the verb used when greeting someone. And, although sentirsi can be used to make generalizations, the use of sentirsi is more often a specific referral about how we feel, either to a health issue or actual feelings of happiness, sadness, etc.

 

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Adjectives to Use with Sentirsi

The table below is a list of adjectives that you can use to describe how you are feeling.  Just add one of these adjectives after the words, “I feel…” in Italian, just as you would in English. Remember that male speakers must use the “o” ending and female speakers the “a” ending for these adjectives that refer back to the subject.  If the adjective ends in an “e,” the ending does not need to be changed, of course.

bene	well
contento(a) / felice	happy
male	badly, unwell
nervoso(a) emotionato(a)	nervous excited/thrilled
triste	sad

Some simple example sentences:

Mi sento conteno.	I am happy. (male speaker)
Mi sento contenta.	I am happy. (female speaker)
Mi sento triste.	I feel sad. (male or female speaker)

Notice, that both “contento(a)” and “felice” mean “happy” in Italian.  But when an Italian wants to describe an internal feeling of happiness, the word chosen is usually “contento(a).”  Contento also translates into the English word, “content,” meaning to feel comfortable with or about something. The phrase, “Contento lui!” translates as, “Whatever makes him happy!” 

Also, a note about feeling “excited” about things.  In America, a very common phrase is, “I am excited…” about what I am about to do, or perhaps an event I will attend. In Italy, the word for “excited” or “thrilled” is “emotionato(a).”

Although the Italian word emotionato sounds to the English speaker like “emotional,” the Italian adjectives for emotional are actually, “emotivo(a),” or “emozionale.” Be careful! The Italian adjectives emotivo(a) and emozionale are most commonly used to mean “excited” with a negative connotation.

 

The words emotionato and emotional, which sound like they should have similar meanings in each language, but do not, are often called, “false friends.” 

 

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Valentines Day Sayings with Sentirsi

Now that we know how to make sentences with the verb sentirsi, let’s see how we can tell others how we feel on Valentines Day, or La Festa Degli Innamorati, as the Italians call this day. One of the legends surrounding Saint Valentines Day is that San Valentino, a priest in the Christian church who was jailed by the Romans, wrote the girl he loved a farewell love letter and signed it ‘Your Valentine.”  He knew that this lettera d’amore, would be the last he would write to her before his execution as a Christian.

What do you imagine he could have written in this letter?

The Italian phrase for “I love you,” — when talking about love in a romantic way — is easy. It takes just two short words to relay your special feelings for someone: “Ti amo.”  But after that, what do you say? How do you tell someone how wonderful they make you feel when you are with them?

 

Below are a few expressions that one can use on Valentines day,
some of  which use the verb sentirsi.

Quando ti vedo …mi sento contento(a).	When I see you …I am happy.
…mi sento un uomo fortunato.	I feel like a lucky man.
…mi sento una donna fortunata.	I feel like a lucky woman.
…sento che la mia vita è appena cominciata.*	I feel like my life has just begun.
… sento che il mondo è tutto mio.*	I feel like the world is all mine.

*You will notice from two of our examples above that the verb sentire was chosen for the Italian verb that means “to feel,” rather than the reflexive sentirsi. In these two cases, sentire is used in order to make a general comparison about how one’s feeling relates to something else, rather than to state one’s exact feeling. This type of comparison is called a simile and is used to make an idea more vivid — or in our examples,  more “flowery” and romantic. It is easy to spot a comparison in Italian, because “che” will be used to link one’s feeling to the descriptive phrase.  In English we can translate che into “like.” 

 

Sentire is used in the following to phrases in our table below as well, but for a different reason.  These two examples use the sentence structure, “You make me feel…” which requires sentire to be used in it’s infinitive form.

Mi fai sentire molto contento(a).	You make me feel very happy.
Mi fai sentire che tutto è possibile.	You make me feel that everything is possible.

If the time “feels right” for you and your Italian love to “officially” declare your  feelings for each other,  you may want to try the important phrases listed here.

Vuoi essere la mia fidanzata?	Do you want to be my girlfriend?
Vuoi essere il mio fidanzato?	Do you want to be my boyfriend?
Vuoi stare insieme a me per sempre?	Do you want to stay together forever?
Vuoi fidanzarti con me?	Do you want to get engaged (engage yourself to me)?
Vuoi fidanzarti con me?	Will you be my fiancée/finance?
Vuoi sposarti con me?	Do you want to get married (marry yourself to me)?
Vuoi sposarti con me?	Will you marry me?

 

How would you use sentirsi to tell your love how you feel?
Please leave some examples. I’d love to hear from you!

 

One last note…

Italians do not use the words contenta or felice, to wish each other a “Happy Valentines Day,”  but instead use “buon/buono/buona,” as for other holiday expressions, as in: Buona Festa degli Innamorati!

Click on this blog from expoloreitalianculture.com if you are interested in learning more about the traditions of Valentines Day in Italy.

Buon Festa degli Innamorati a tutti voi!

 

Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Verbs”

Valentine Phrases in Italian for Your Special Someone

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD for http://www.learntravelitalian.com  It’s easy… if you know the right Italian phrases!

It’s easy to say, “I love you!” in a romantic way in Italian.  When you are with your special someone this Valentines Day, just remember two little Italian words: “Ti amo!” But, of course, there is so much more to love and romance than just saying a few special words!

That’s why I’ve included a special section in my pocket travel book, Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Important Phrases,” entitled “Making Friends.”

For Valentine’s Day this year, I’ve reprinted some of the phrases from my “Making Friends” section this blog. In the Conversational Italian for Travelers book, I’ve included some typical Italian phrases to use if you’ve decided to stay awhile in Italy and want to approach someone to get to know them better. Or maybe you know an Italian or Italian-American here in the states, and both of you realize how romantic the Italian language can be! In this slim Italian phrase book are some tongue-in-cheek, humorous phrases, some phrases one might say in return if they are interested… and other phrases one might say in return if they are not! We will stick to the positive phrases for this blog for Valentines Day.

Also, I am including in this blog a few new phrases I have just learned from the You Tube Italian personality Anna on the channel Your Italian Circle.  Her video, “How to talk about LOVE in Italian – AMORE in ITALIANO” mentions how to use the verb of romantic love, amore, and the other important phrase for one’s love of family and friends, “Ti voglio bene.”  I’ve covered these topics last year in my blog: “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day — How to say, ‘I love you!’ in Italian.”  Click on the link to my if you like, and then listen to Anna’s clear Italian to practice saying these phrases yourself at the end of this blog.

After reading this blog, please reply and mention your favorite romantic Italian phrase. I’d love to hear from you! Or join our Conversational Italian! group discussion on Facebook.

The basics of the Italian language are introduced in the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar  

                       found on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com.

The rights to purchase the Conversational Italian for Travelers books in PDF format on two electronic devices can also be obtained at Learn Travel Italian.com.

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“Making Friends” in Italian*

So, now you are in Italy, and have decided to stay for awhile.  You may meet someone you want to get to know better.  What to say to them to “break the ice”?  Or, maybe you are just trying to enjoy a coffee, and someone introduces themselves.  What to say if you are interested?  Here are some well-known pick-up lines translated into Italian (some just for fun and others more serious), and some replies – if you are interested – or not!

Let’s get to know one another:

Scusa…	Excuse me… (familiar)
Credo che ci siamo già visiti prima?	Haven’t we seen (already met) each other before?
…da qualche parte?	…around here?
Penso di conoscerti già.	I think that I’ve met you before.
Hai degli occhi molto belli!	You have beautiful eyes.
Tu hai il viso della Madonna.	You have a beautiful face. (lit. the face of Mother Mary)
Che cosa fai…	What are you doing…
…per il resto della tua vita?	…for the rest of your life?

 

Or, a little less flowery:

È libero questo posto?	Is this seat free?
Ti dispiace se mi siedo qui?	Would you mind if I sit here?
Posso sedermi con te?	May I sit with you?
Ti piace questo posto?	Do you like this place?
Ti stai divertendo?	Are you enjoying yourself?
Con chi sei?	Who are you with?
Sono da sola(o).	I am alone. (female/male)
Sono con un’amica/un amico.	I am with a friend. (female friend/male friend)
Sto aspettando qualcuno.	I am waiting for someone.
Sei sposata(o)?	Are you married? (to female/male)
Sei single?**	Are you single?
Sei divorziata(o)?	Are you divorced? (to female/male)
Cosa prendi?	What are you having?
Posso offrirti qualcosa da bere?	May I offer (to) you something to drink?
Vuoi qualcosa da bere?	Do you want something to drink?
Vuoi qualcosa da mangiare?	Do you want something to eat?
Vuoi fare una passeggiata?	Do you want to go for a walk?

**Although the English word single is commonly used in Italian conversation, the Italian words for single are nubile for a woman and celibe for a man, and these words are used on official Italian forms.

 

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Let’s get together…  (This is a good time to memorize those Italian prepositions!)

Perché non ci vediamo?     Let’s get together.

(lit. Why don’t we get together/see each other?)

Posso avere il tuo…                          May I have your….

numero di telefono?                           telephone number?

indirizzo email?***                             email address?

Hai tempo domani?                          Do you have time tomorrow?

Posso rivederti domani?                 May I see you again tomorrow?

Sei libera(o) domani,          Are you free (to female/male) tomorrow,

domani sera,                                        tomorrow night,

la settimana prossima?                    next week?

Vuoi andare al ristorante?  Do you want to go to a restaurant?

al bar?                                                   a (coffee) bar?

al caffé?                                                a cafe?

in pizzeria?                                         a pizzeria?

Posso invitarla/ti a cena?     May I invite you (pol.)/(fam.) to dinner?

Ti piacerebbe/Vuoi…              Would you like to/Do you want to…

andare in piazza?                                 go to the piazza?

andare al cinema?                                go to the movies?

andare al concerto?                             go to the concert?

andare allo spettacolo  ?                    go to the show (performance)?

andare a ballare?                                  go dancing?

***To  learn say your email address in Italian, visit our blog Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day — Let’s talk about email in Italian. 

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According to Anna from the You Tube Channel Your Italian Circle, a familiar way an Italian might ask someone out is with the phrase “Ti va.”  The use of this expression probably derives from the familiar slang phrase, “Come va?” “How’s it going?” and the answer, “Va bene,” for “It’s going well.” The extension of these simple Italian phrases of  greeting into other facets of  life is a good example of how language is always changing and evolving into something new!

So, to ask someone you know if you can get them something, just use:

Ti va + noun (thing) = Do you want…

Expanding on one of our examples above:

Ti va qualcosa da bere?	Do you want something to drink?
Ti va un appertivo?	Do you want a cocktail?
Ti va un caffè?	Do you want a coffee?

 

To ask someone if they want to do something, just use:

Ti va + di + verb (action) = Do you want to…

Expanding on one of our examples above:

Vuoi andare al ristorante?	Do you want to go to a restaurant?
Ti va di andare al ristorante?	Do you want to go to the restaurant?
Ti va di andare al cinema?	Do you want to go to the movies?

 

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And if the answer to any of the questions above is… yes! 

Penso di si.	I think so.
Si, sono libera(o)….	Yes, I am free (female/male).
È stato molto gentile a invitarmi.	It was very nice (of you polite) to invite me.
È molto gentile.	That is very nice (of you polite).
Che bell’idea!	What a wonderful idea!
Che bello!	How nice!
Mi piacerebbe molto.	I would like (it) very much.
Volentieri!	I’d love to! (lit. certainly, gladly)

If you want to hear many of these phrases in action, just click on Anna’s video “How to talk about LOVE in Italian – AMORE in ITALIANO” from Your Italian Circle.

Buon divertimento e Buon San Valentino! 

 

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*Some of this material has been reprinted from our Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Important Phrases pocket travel book. Learn more phrases by purchasing your own handy book of phrases today!

 Available on amazon.com or Learn Travel Italian.com

 

Conversational Italian for Travelers Just the Important Phrases (with Restaurant Vocabulary and Idiomatic Expressions) is YOUR traveling companion in Italy! All the Italian phrases you need to know to enjoy your trip to Italy are right here and fit right into your pocket or purse.

 Purchase at amazon.com or Learn Travel Italian.com

 

Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day! – Benvenuto Natale!

Kathryn Occhipinti, MD, for Learn Travel Italian.com

Do you want to speak Italian more easily and confidently by the end of 2019? Well, it is the end of the year, and time for the fall and winter celebrations. Why not celebrate how much Italian you’ve learned this holiday season?

As I’ve said before, I believe that “commonly used phrases” are the key for how we can all build fluency in any language in a short time.

If we learn how to incorporate the “commonly used phrases”  that we say when attending a holiday gathering, starting, of course with the Italian interjection “Benvenuto(a,i,e)!” or “Welcome!” we will be on our way to conversing in Italian with family and friends for the holidays, just as we do in our native language! 

Of course, we also need to learn the variations of  benvenuto in order to greet each individual or group correctly, just as we have previously how to address those we are talking to with the correct masculine and feminine endings.

And, by remembering common Italian phrases for a holiday gathering, you will automatically have committed to memory the rules for Italian interjections!

This post is the 28th in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group.  If you’d like to read the earlier posts in the series, “Italian Phrases We Use EVERY Day!” just click HERE

Many “commonly used phrases” at Italian gatherings

start with the interjection “Benvenuto!”

See below for how this works and for some “Important Phrases”
to use at YOUR next Italian holiday party!

As we all master these phrases, so will you. Try my method and let me know how it works. What sentences will you create with these phrases?

Please reply. I’d love to hear from you! Or join our Conversational Italian! group discussion on Facebook.

The basics of the Italian language are introduced in the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook and reference books Just the Verbs and Just the Grammar  

                       found on amazon.com and Learn Travel Italian.com.

The rights to purchase the Conversational Italian for Travelers books in PDF format on two electronic devices can also be obtained at Learn Travel Italian.com.

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How to Use Benvenuto!

and Italian Holiday Party

Conversation

“Benvenuto!”* and its variations (Benvenuti! Benvenuta! and Benvenute!) are frequently used Italian interjections that all mean “Welcome!” Guests (gli ospiti) to an Italian household can expect to hear these words as a warm greeting before crossing the threshold into the home (casa) of the host or  hosts (la padrona di casa/il padrone di casa or gli ospiti).**  

Whether family, friend or acquaintance, every guest will be greeted warmly as a sign of the Italian dedication to hospitality for all. And, of course, the Italian Christmas season, which starts in early December and lasts until early January, brings with it many occasions for get-togethers with family and friends. For those interested in reading more about how the Christmas season is observed in Italy, click on the link to our previous blog Sperare (Part 2) – What I wish for the holidays…

Let’s get started learning some useful conversational expressions for Italian holiday gatherings from the very beginning — by first focusing on how to use the Italian interjection “Benvenuto!” to greet others.

There is only one rule to know regarding interjections: the ending of the interjection must agree with the gender and number of the noun (person, place or thing) that the interjection describes. Therefore, when the speaker addresses another person, the interjection must refer to the gender and number of the person or people who are being addressed. This, in turn, will determine the ending of the interjection!

Sound complicated?  Well, it is… a little bit. By remembering which form of benvenuto to use in four different situations, you will automatically have committed the rules for other Italian interjections to memory!

*Benvenuto can also be used as a noun and adjective as well, in these cases without the exclamation point, but with the same meaning of “welcome.” 

**Notice that the same Italian name is given to both guests and hosts: gli ospiti.
La padrona di casa refers to the woman of the house, or as we say in English, the hostess.
Il padrone di casa refers to the man of the house, or the host.

Interestingly, the English word “hostess” means “stewardess” in Italian and has no other meaning in Italian. “L’hostess” means “the stewardess.”  

 

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How to Change Benvenuto

from Singular to Plural 

 

In general, of course:

• A masculine Italian noun and its adjective will end in -o, and this ending will change to -i in the plural.
• A feminine Italian noun and its adjective will ends in -a, and this ending will change to -e in the plural.
• An Italian noun or adjective that ends in -e may be masculine or feminine, and this ending will change to -i in the plural.

If you are interested in learning more about masculine and feminine words in Italian that end in the letter -e, and how to distinguish one from the other, this You Tube Video may be of help: Italian Grammar by Stella Lucente.

 

For our interjection Benvenuto! the following rules apply:

• The singular masculine form is benvenuto.
  The plural masculine form (for a group of males or a group of males and females) is benvenuti.
• The singular feminine form is benvenuta.
  The plural feminine form (for a group of females) is benvenute.

 

Therefore, if greeting one male person, you would say, “Benvenuto!” If greeting a group of males or a mixed group of males and females, you would say “Benvenuti!” 

What should you say if one of your female relatives or or a female friend is at your doorway? “Benvenuta!” of course.  And if she brings her female friends or mother, daughter, or female cousin?  Say, “Benvenute!”

 

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Changing  the Italian Interjections

Bravo! and Beato! 

 

As a visit to the symphony, ballet, or opera is often a part of the Christmas holiday season in Italy and America, let’s apply what we’ve just learned about the interjection “Benvenuto!” to the frequently used interjection “Bravo!” 

If we follow the rules in the last section for masculine and feminine endings, we should cheer “Bravo!” when one talented male Italian singer steps in front of the stage curtain for applause. And we do hear this word “Bravo!” frequently in America for a performance well done. But, in proper Italian, we should also be cheering “Brava!” for the female diva of the performance, and “Bravi!” for the entire fabulous ensemble.

In general, any person, male or female, who is “good” at something, or has done “a good job” is a “brava persona.”  In this case, the noun persona is feminine and so the adjective that modifies this noun must be feminine as well!

One more example of a commonly used interjection is “Lucky you!”  Has your brother received an unexpected holiday gift from a friend?  If so, and if you would like to express your happiness for him, you could say,“Beato te!”  Your sister? “Beata te!” An acquaintance? Either “Beato Lei!” for a male acquaintance or “Beata Lei!” for a female acquaintance, of course!

If your parents were finally able to retire and plan their dream vacation to Italy, you might comment, “Beati voi!” for “How lucky you all are!  And if your sisters are able to take a vacation together after an unexpected windfall — Beate voi!”

The table below summarizes these three common Italian interjections.  There are many more. How many more can you think of?

Benvenuto!	Welcome! (to a male)
Benvenuti!	Welcome! (to a group of males or a group of males+females)
Benvenuta!	Welcome! (to a female)
Benvenute!	Welcome! (to a group of females)
Bravo!	Well done! (to a male)
Bravi!	Well done! (to a group of males or a group of males+females)
Brava!	Well done! (to a female)
Brave!	Well done!  (to a group of females)
Beato te!	Lucky you! (to male) (familiar singular you)
Beato Lei!	Lucky you! (to male) (polite singular you)
Beati voi!	Lucky you!  (to a group of males or a group of males+females) (polite plural you)
Beata te!	Lucky you! (to female) (familiar singular you)
Beata Lei!	Lucky you! (to female) (polite singular you)
Beate voi!	Lucky you! (to a group of  females) (polite plural you)

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Benvenuto Natale!

Now that we understand how Italian endings change for Italian interjections — that is, that the endings must agree with the gender and number of the person or people who are being addressed — we can continue with some useful phrases for conversation at a holiday party.

In the following table:

• Some of the phrases will have nouns or adjectives with endings that change depending on whom is speaking or on whom is being addressed.
• Verb endings will change, as usual, with the choice of  polite or familiar address, and abbreviations pol. and fam. will be given in each case.
• Command verb forms are often used, as denoted.
• Subject pronouns will also change, of course, and when attached to the infinitive form of the verb are given in red.
• When Italian subject pronouns are not given, but must be used in the English translation, they are written with parenthesis in English.

The phrases below have been reproduced from Conversational Italian for Travelers pocket travel book, “Just the Important Phrases.” You can use these phrases as a start, and then create your own!

 

Upon entering someone’s home as a guest,  you may hear these phrases and respond accordingly:

Benvenuto!(a)(i,e)	Welcome! (to male/female, singular and plural)
Entri! Entra!	Come in! (pol./fam. command verb)
Si accomodi. Accomodati!	Make yourself comfortable. (pol./fam. command verb)
Da questa parte, prego.	This way, please.
Si sieda. Siediti!	Sit down. (pol./fam. command verb)
Piacere di conoscerla. Piacere di conoscerti.	Pleased to meet you. (pol./fam.)
Piacere mio.	The pleasure is mine.
Lieto(a) di conoscerla. Lieto(a) di conoscerti.	Delighted (masc./fem. speaker) to meet you (pol./fam.)
Molto lieto(a)!	Delighted! (masc./fem. speaker)
Sono molto contento(a) di vederla. Sono molto contento(a) di vederti.	(I) am very happy (masc./fem.) to see you. (pol./fam.)
Sono felice di riverderla. Sono felice di rivederti.	(I) am happy to see you (pol./fam.) again.

 

Some useful phrases of response during a conversation at a party:

Non mi dica!	You (pol.) don’t say!  (lit. You are not telling me!)
Sono contento(a) per lei. Sono molto contento(a) per te.	(I) am happy (masc./fem. speaker) for you .(pol./fam.)
Mi piace molto! Mi piace tanto!	I love it!/ I like it a lot! (lit. It is very pleasing to me!)
Mi piace un sacco.	I love it! (idiomatic expression) (lit. It is pleasing to me a sac full.)

 

Upon leaving someone’s home after a gathering, you may express the need to leave and your thanks for a lovely evening using these phrases:

Devo andare via ora.	(I) must leave now.
È stato un piacere.	(It) has been a pleasure.
È stato divertente.	(It) has been enjoyable/fun/a blast/amusing/funny.
Ti sei divertito(a)?	(Did) you (fam.) enjoy yourself? (masc./fem.)
Mi sono proprio divertito(a).	(I) really enjoyed myself. (masc./fem. speaker). (I had a great time.)
Grazie di tutto.	Thank you for everything.
Grazie per la Sua ospitalità. Grazie per la tua ospitalità.	Thank you for your (pol./fam.) hospitality.
Grazie per una bella serata.	Thank you for a nice/beautiful evening.
La ringrazio. Ti ringrazio.	(I) thank you. (pol./fam.)

 

There are, of course, many more phrases that are useful to keep in mind for Italian conversations at a get-together or holiday party. 

If you are interested in learning more phrases, and keeping them handy in a pocket or purse for easy reference, consider purchasing Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Important Phrases,” with its beautiful new cover.

Our book makes a great stocking stuffer for the Italophile you know!

Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Important Phrases,” is a stand-alone book with “all the phrases you need to know” to enjoy your trip to Italy and with tips on how to create your own!

 

Conversational Italian for Travelers Just the Important Phrases (with Restaurant Vocabulary and Idiomatic Expressions) is YOUR traveling companion in Italy! All the Italian phrases you need to know to enjoy your trip to Italy are right here and fit right into your pocket or purse.

Remember how to use the interjection Benvenuto! and I guarantee you will be able to easily add many more interjections to your daily Italian conversations!

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