Italian phrasebook: Difference between revisions

[[File:MapLinguistic Italophonemap Worldof the Italian language.pngsvg|thumb|500px|Italian speaking areas - Dark blue: native language, Light blue: former Italian colonies , Green square: Italophone minorities]]

'''Italian''' (''italiano'') is the official language of [[Italy]] and [[San Marino]], and one of the four official languages of [[Switzerland]], spoken mainly in the cantons of [[Ticino]] and [[Grigioni]]. It is a co-official language in [[Istria]], a coastal region of [[Slovenia]] and [[Croatia]]. Furthermore, it is the ''de facto'' primary language of the [[Rome/Vatican|Vatican City]], where it is co-official with Latin, and is widely used and understood in [[Monaco]], [[Corsica]] and, [[Malta]] and even in, [[Albania]], and in [[Romania]]. It is also used outside of Europe in parts of [[Libya]] and [[Somalia]].

In most of the touristy resorts along Italy's coasts, English and German are widely spoken, but in any part of Italy, it will hold you in good stead to know at least basic phrases of polite Italian and not to assume that whoever you are speaking with will know your language.

All Italian nouns are assigned one of two genders: masculine or feminine. Unlike in English, even inanimate objects are assigned a gender (e.g. ''tavolo'' [table] is masculine, ''casa'' [house] is feminine). The article before a noun depends on its gender: ege.g. ''il'' (m for most cases), ''lo'' (m if word starts with ''s + consonant'', z, gn, ps, pn, x, y and consonant clusters), ''la'' (f for most cases) or ''l''' (if word starts with a vowel). Likewise, third person subject pronouns also depend on the grammatical gender of the subject : ''lui/egli/esso'' (m) and ''lei/ella/essa'' (f).

In Italian, you use the polite form of you ("lei") with all the people you don't know; it doesn't matter whether they are older or younger than you, unless they are children. You'll use the familiar form ("tu") with the people you know and with children. The two forms differ in that 2nd person singular verb forms are used for "tu" and 3rd person singular verb forms are used for "lei" (which can also mean "she").

Pronunciation is relatively easy in Italian since most words are pronounced exactly how they are written. The main letters to watch out for are '''c''' and '''g''', since their pronunciation varies based on the following vowel. Also, make sure to pronounce '''r''' and '''rr''' differently: ''caro'' means dear, whereas ''carro'' means chariot.

; c : like 'kch' in "skinchipper" (when before 'ai', or 'oe', 'u')<br>like 'chk' in "chipperskin" (before 'i' or 'e')otherwise

; r : trill with the tip of the tongue just as in Spanish. A double r (rr) requires a stronger trill.

; io : "EE-oh" like the 'eo' in "Leo"

; How are you? : Come stai? (''informal'')(''koh-meh STAISTAHEE?''), Come sta? (''formal'')(''koh-meh STAH?'')

; Where are the restrooms? (public place) : Dov'è ilun bagno? (''doh-VEH oon BAHN-yoh'')

[[File:Piadena staz.jpg|thumb|L'Le undici e nove]]

; blue : blu (''bloo'') / azzurro (''ahd-DZOOHR-roh'')

[[File:FettuccineTagliatelle al ragù (image modified).jpg|300px|thumb|Fettuccine al ragù]]

; coffee : caffè (''kahf-FEH''). If you want coffee with milk, you need to say ''caffè latte''.

[[File:Corso Buenos Aires in Milan.jpg|thumb|300px|Corso Buenos Aires, one of the busiest shopping streets in Milan]]