Survival Italian for learners
The fastest way to learn Italian is to ask about Italian — in Italian. This lesson is your classroom survival kit: fixed phrases you deploy whole, the moment the language runs ahead of you. Do not build them from grammar; say them as they are.
When you are lost
non ho capito — I did not understand — is the honest start of every repair. Follow it with puoi ripetere — can you repeat? The verb inside is ripetere, a regular -ere verb you can also use on its own: an insegnante repeats a word, students repeat a rule. And when the answer itself is missing, admit it with non lo so — I do not know.
| Sorry, I didn't understand. Can you repeat, please? | Scusa, non ho capito. Puoi ripetere, per favore? |
Asking about words
Three questions built on si — which you met with reflexive verbs — treat the language itself as the subject:
| ask... | to find out... |
|---|---|
| come si dice | how to say something |
| come si scrive | how to write or spell it |
| come si chiama | what someone or something is called |
When the mystery is the meaning, ask che cosa significa — what does it mean? — and point at the word.
| I didn't understand. How do you write this word? | Non ho capito. Come si scrive questa parola? |
