How many Italian words do I need to get by as a tourist?

With these 100 words plus the numbers you can already handle a bar, a restaurant, a hotel check-in and basic small talk. Conversations start to flow at around 500–800 words, but these are the highest-value ones because they turn up in almost every sentence, especially essere, avere, fare, andare, potere and volere.

Should I say scusa or scusi?

'Scusa' is informal, for friends, family and people your own age. 'Scusi' is the polite form for shop assistants, waiters, older strangers and anyone you address with 'Lei'. When you don't know the person, 'Scusi' is the safe default — nobody is ever offended by it.

What's the difference between buono and bene?

'Buono' is an adjective and describes things: 'la pizza è buona' (the pizza is good). 'Bene' is an adverb and describes how something happens or how you are: 'sto bene', 'parli bene italiano'. 'Sto buono' means roughly 'I'm behaving myself', so it's a mistake worth avoiding.

Why does perché mean both why and because?

Italian uses one word for both. 'Perché non mangi?' is 'Why aren't you eating?' and 'Perché non ho fame' is 'Because I'm not hungry.' Intonation tells you which is which: the question rises at the end. In writing you may also see 'poiché' or 'siccome' for 'since/because'.

100 Basic Italian Words for Beginners (A1)

🇮🇹 Italian · 100 cards · A1 · by Giulia Ferrante

This is the list I hand to travellers and new expats in their first week here. It is not a frequency list scraped from books: these are the Italian words you need to order a coffee, ask where the bathroom is, catch a train and chat with the neighbour on the stairs.

Two things to watch. Nouns carry gender, so learn them with the article — il pane, la casa — and adjectives change their ending (buono / buona). Negation is easy once you see it: non goes straight before the verb, and it stays there even when niente or mai follows. Every example is written the way people really talk in a bar or at the station, so say them out loud and reuse them whole.

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How to use this deck

Flip through the cards, then switch to Quiz. Tap the play button on any row to hear it. The full table below is there to read, print or copy into your own flashcard app.

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All 100 cards

#	Italian	English	Example
1	ciao Informal; works for both hello and goodbye. With strangers or older people use buongiorno/buonasera.	hi, bye	Ciao, come stai? Hi, how are you?
2	grazie 'Grazie mille' is the everyday way to say thanks a lot.	thank you	Grazie mille per l'aiuto! Thanks a lot for the help!
3	prego Also used to invite someone in or to let them go first.	you're welcome; go ahead	Grazie per l'aiuto! – Prego! Thanks for the help! – You're welcome!
4	per favore 'Per piacere' and 'per cortesia' mean the same thing.	please	Un caffè, per favore. A coffee, please.
5	scusa Informal. Say 'scusi' to a stranger, a waiter or in a shop.	sorry, excuse me	Scusa, non ti ho sentito. Sorry, I didn't hear you.
6	sì Keep the accent: 'si' without it is the reflexive/impersonal pronoun.	yes	Sì, volentieri! Yes, gladly!
7	no 'Sono a posto' is the usual polite refusal at a table or a bar.	no	No, grazie, sono a posto. No thanks, I'm fine.
8	non Goes immediately before the verb.	not	Non parlo bene italiano. I don't speak Italian well.
9	buongiorno Used from early morning until mid-afternoon; the standard polite greeting.	good morning, hello	Buongiorno, vorrei un cappuccino. Good morning, I'd like a cappuccino.
10	buonasera Starts around 4–5 p.m., earlier in the south.	good evening	Buonasera, avete un tavolo per due? Good evening, do you have a table for two?
11	buonanotte Only when someone is going to bed, not as a general goodbye.	good night	Buonanotte, a domani! Good night, see you tomorrow!
12	arrivederci Neutral to polite; 'arrivederLa' is very formal.	goodbye	Arrivederci e grazie di tutto. Goodbye and thanks for everything.
13	piacere Also a verb: 'mi piace' = I like it.	nice to meet you; pleasure	Piacere! Da dove vieni? Nice to meet you! Where are you from?
14	come Also in 'Come stai?' (informal) and 'Come sta?' (polite).	how; as, like	Come si dice in italiano? How do you say it in Italian?
15	cosa 'Che' and 'che cosa' are equally common in speech.	what; thing	Cosa fai stasera? What are you doing tonight?
16	chi Never changes form, singular or plural.	who	Chi è quel ragazzo? Who is that guy?
17	dove Before 'è' it becomes dov'è: 'Dov'è il bagno?'	where	Dove andiamo a cena? Where are we going for dinner?
18	quando	when	Quando parte il prossimo treno? When does the next train leave?
19	perché Same word for the question and the answer.	why; because	Perché non vieni con noi? Why don't you come with us?
20	quanto Before a noun it agrees: quanta, quanti, quante.	how much	Quanto costa questo? How much does this cost?
21	io Usually dropped; used for emphasis or contrast.	I	Io prendo una pizza margherita. I'll have a margherita pizza.
22	tu With strangers and in formal situations use 'Lei'.	you (informal, singular)	E tu, cosa vuoi bere? And you, what do you want to drink?
23	lui Subject and object pronoun; 'loro' = they.	he, him	Lui lavora in banca. He works at a bank.
24	lei Capitalised 'Lei' is the polite 'you' and takes the he/she verb form.	she, her; you (formal)	Lei arriva domani mattina. She arrives tomorrow morning.
25	noi 'Voi' = you plural, 'loro' = they.	we, us	Noi andiamo al mare ad agosto. We're going to the seaside in August.
26	essere Irregular: sono, sei, è, siamo, siete, sono.	to be	Sono italiana, e tu? I'm Italian, and you?
27	avere Also for age and physical states: ho trent'anni, ho fame.	to have	Hai una penna? Do you have a pen?
28	fare Very broad verb: faccio, fai, fa, facciamo, fate, fanno.	to do, to make	Che lavoro fai? What do you do for a living?
29	andare Irregular: vado, vai, va, andiamo, andate, vanno.	to go	Vado a casa a piedi. I'm walking home.
30	venire Irregular: vengo, vieni, viene, veniamo.	to come	Stasera viene mia sorella. My sister is coming this evening.
31	volere 'Vorrei' is the polite 'I would like' — use it when ordering.	to want	Vuoi un bicchiere d'acqua? Do you want a glass of water?
32	potere Irregular: posso, puoi, può, possiamo.	can, to be able to	Posso pagare con la carta? Can I pay by card?
33	dovere Irregular: devo, devi, deve, dobbiamo.	must, to have to	Devo andare, è tardi. I have to go, it's late.
34	sapere For people and places use 'conoscere'.	to know (facts); to know how to	Sai nuotare? Do you know how to swim?
35	dire Irregular: dico, dici, dice; past participle detto.	to say, to tell	Che cosa hai detto? What did you say?
36	vedere 'Ci vediamo' is the everyday 'see you'.	to see	Ci vediamo domani sera. See you tomorrow evening.
37	mangiare 'Mangiare fuori' = to eat out.	to eat	Mangiamo fuori stasera? Shall we eat out tonight?
38	bere Stem changes: bevo, bevi, beve, beviamo.	to drink	Bevo solo acqua a pranzo. I only drink water at lunch.
39	parlare 'Parlare di' = to talk about; 'parlare con' = to talk to.	to speak, to talk	Parli inglese? Do you speak English?
40	capire -isc- verb: capisco, capisci, capisce, capiamo.	to understand	Scusi, non ho capito. Sorry, I didn't understand.
41	abitare 'Vivere' also works and is slightly broader.	to live (reside)	Abito a Bologna da tre anni. I've lived in Bologna for three years.
42	lavorare 'Lavorare in/da' + place of work.	to work	Lavoro in un ufficio in centro. I work in an office in the centre.
43	comprare	to buy	Compro la frutta al mercato. I buy fruit at the market.
44	dormire Regular -ire verb: dormo, dormi, dorme.	to sleep	Ho dormito poco stanotte. I didn't sleep much last night.
45	acqua Feminine. 'Naturale' = still, 'frizzante' = sparkling.	water	Una bottiglia d'acqua naturale, grazie. A bottle of still water, please.
46	pane Masculine, normally uncountable.	bread	Il pane qui è ancora caldo. The bread here is still warm.
47	vino Masculine: il vino, un vino.	wine	Il vino rosso di questa zona è ottimo. The red wine from this area is excellent.
48	caffè Masculine, invariable in the plural. At a bar 'un caffè' means an espresso.	coffee	Andiamo a prendere un caffè? Shall we go and get a coffee?
49	casa Feminine. 'A casa' = at/to home, with no article.	house, home	Torno a casa alle sette. I'm coming home at seven.
50	macchina Feminine. 'Auto' (also feminine) is a common synonym.	car; machine	La macchina è parcheggiata lì. The car is parked over there.
51	treno Masculine. 'In ritardo' = late, delayed.	train	Il treno è in ritardo di dieci minuti. The train is ten minutes late.
52	stazione Feminine: la stazione.	station	Ci incontriamo davanti alla stazione. Let's meet in front of the station.
53	albergo Masculine; plural alberghi. 'Hotel' is used just as much.	hotel	Abbiamo prenotato un albergo vicino alla stazione. We've booked a hotel near the station.
54	ristorante Masculine: il ristorante.	restaurant	Conosci un buon ristorante qui vicino? Do you know a good restaurant nearby?
55	bagno Masculine; also means 'bath'. In public places you may see 'toilette'.	bathroom, toilet	Il bagno è in fondo a destra. The bathroom is at the end on the right.
56	conto Masculine; also means 'bank account'.	bill, check	Il conto, per favore. The bill, please.
57	soldi Masculine plural; 'un soldo' is an old coin, not used for money in general.	money	Non ho soldi con me. I don't have any money on me.
58	biglietto Masculine; also a short note or card (biglietto d'auguri).	ticket	Dove si compra il biglietto? Where do you buy the ticket?
59	giorno Masculine. 'Giornata' stresses the day as a stretch of time.	day	Che giorno è oggi? What day is it today?
60	notte Feminine: la notte, di notte.	night	Di notte la città è silenziosa. At night the city is quiet.
61	mattina Feminine. 'Di mattina' = in the morning.	morning	Domani mattina mi alzo presto. Tomorrow morning I'm getting up early.
62	sera Feminine. 'Stasera' = this evening.	evening	La sera guardo un film. In the evening I watch a film.
63	settimana Feminine: la settimana.	week	Parto la settimana prossima. I'm leaving next week.
64	anno Masculine. Age uses 'avere' + anni, never 'essere'.	year	Ho ventisei anni. I'm twenty-six years old.
65	ora Feminine. 'Che ore sono?' is just as common; as an adverb 'ora' means 'now'.	hour; time (on the clock)	Scusi, che ora è? Excuse me, what time is it?
66	tempo Masculine. 'Che tempo fa?' = what's the weather like?	time; weather	Non ho tempo adesso. I don't have time right now.
67	uomo Masculine, irregular plural: uomini.	man	Quell'uomo lavora al mercato. That man works at the market.
68	donna Feminine: la donna, le donne.	woman	È una donna molto simpatica. She's a very nice woman.
69	bambino 'Bambina' for a girl; 'bambini' for mixed groups.	child, little boy	Il bambino dorme in macchina. The child is sleeping in the car.
70	amico Plural amici; feminine amica, plural amiche.	friend	Ho un amico che vive a Napoli. I have a friend who lives in Naples.
71	famiglia Feminine; takes a singular verb, as in English.	family	La mia famiglia vive in Sicilia. My family lives in Sicily.
72	mamma Warm and everyday; 'madre' is the neutral word.	mum, mom	Chiamo la mamma più tardi. I'll call my mum later.
73	papà Invariable, stress on the last syllable; 'babbo' in Tuscany. Neutral word: padre.	dad	Mio papà cucina benissimo. My dad cooks really well.
74	nome Masculine; surname is 'cognome'.	name, first name	Scrivi qui il tuo nome. Write your name here.
75	lavoro Masculine; 'cercare lavoro' takes no article.	work, job	Cerco lavoro a Milano. I'm looking for a job in Milan.
76	buono With food it means tasty. Agrees: buona, buoni, buone.	good, tasty	Questa pizza è molto buona! This pizza is really good!
77	bello Agrees with the noun: bella, belli, belle.	beautiful, nice	Che bella giornata! What a lovely day!
78	grande Same form for masculine and feminine; plural grandi.	big, large	Vorrei una birra grande. I'd like a large beer.
79	piccolo Agrees: piccola, piccoli, piccole.	small, little	Abito in un paese piccolo. I live in a small village.
80	nuovo Agrees: nuova, nuovi, nuove.	new	Ho comprato un telefono nuovo. I bought a new phone.
81	vecchio For people it can sound blunt; 'anziano' is politer.	old	Questo palazzo è molto vecchio. This building is very old.
82	caldo Weather: 'fa caldo'. Person: 'ho caldo' (I'm hot).	hot, warm	Oggi fa davvero caldo. It's really hot today.
83	freddo Say 'ho freddo', never 'sono freddo' (that means cold-hearted).	cold	Chiudi la finestra, ho freddo. Close the window, I'm cold.
84	molto Invariable as an adverb; agrees when it means 'much/many': molta acqua, molti amici.	very; a lot	Mi piace molto questa città. I like this city a lot.
85	poco 'Un po' di' = a bit of.	little, not much	Mangio poco a pranzo. I don't eat much at lunch.
86	bene Adverb: 'sto bene', 'parli bene italiano' — not 'sto buono'.	well, fine	Sto bene, grazie. I'm fine, thanks.
87	male 'Non c'è male' = not bad (answering 'come stai?').	badly; unwell	Mi sento un po' male. I feel a bit unwell.
88	tutto Agrees with the noun: tutta la città, tutti i giorni. 'Tutti' = everyone.	all, everything	Ho mangiato tutto. I ate everything.
89	niente Keep 'non' before the verb: the double negative is correct in Italian.	nothing	Non c'è niente da fare. There's nothing to be done.
90	sempre Goes after the verb, not before it.	always	Arrivi sempre in ritardo! You're always late!
91	mai Needs 'non' before the verb: non... mai. A woman says 'non sono mai stata'.	never; ever	Non sono mai stato a Roma. I've never been to Rome.
92	oggi	today	Oggi resto a casa. Today I'm staying home.
93	domani 'A domani!' = see you tomorrow.	tomorrow	Ci sentiamo domani, va bene? Let's talk tomorrow, okay?
94	ieri 'Ieri sera' = last night.	yesterday	Ieri sera siamo andati al cinema. Last night we went to the cinema.
95	adesso 'Ora' means the same; both are very common.	now	Adesso non posso, ti chiamo dopo. I can't right now, I'll call you later.
96	qui 'Qua' is an equally common variant; 'lì/là' = there.	here	Vieni qui un momento. Come here for a moment.
97	anche With 'io' it contracts: anch'io (me too).	also, too	Vuoi anche un dolce? Do you want a dessert as well?
98	ma	but	Mi piace, ma costa troppo. I like it, but it costs too much.
99	con Does not usually contract with the article: con il treno, con la macchina.	with	Vieni al cinema con noi? Are you coming to the cinema with us?
100	più 'Non... più' = not anymore. Also makes comparatives: più grande.	more; (with non) no longer	Non voglio più aspettare. I don't want to wait any longer.

Giulia Ferrante

Native Italian · Speaks English, French

From Bologna, where the food vocabulary alone could fill a deck. I teach Italian to travellers and expats and build decks around the situations they land in first.

Published 17 Sept 2026

Questions about this deck

How many Italian words do I need to get by as a tourist?: With these 100 words plus the numbers you can already handle a bar, a restaurant, a hotel check-in and basic small talk. Conversations start to flow at around 500–800 words, but these are the highest-value ones because they turn up in almost every sentence, especially essere, avere, fare, andare, potere and volere.
Should I say scusa or scusi?: 'Scusa' is informal, for friends, family and people your own age. 'Scusi' is the polite form for shop assistants, waiters, older strangers and anyone you address with 'Lei'. When you don't know the person, 'Scusi' is the safe default — nobody is ever offended by it.
What's the difference between buono and bene?: 'Buono' is an adjective and describes things: 'la pizza è buona' (the pizza is good). 'Bene' is an adverb and describes how something happens or how you are: 'sto bene', 'parli bene italiano'. 'Sto buono' means roughly 'I'm behaving myself', so it's a mistake worth avoiding.
Why does perché mean both why and because?: Italian uses one word for both. 'Perché non mangi?' is 'Why aren't you eating?' and 'Perché non ho fame' is 'Because I'm not hungry.' Intonation tells you which is which: the question rises at the end. In writing you may also see 'poiché' or 'siccome' for 'since/because'.

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