The vocabulary every Italian learner needs first. Research consistently shows that the top 500–1,000 words cover around 75–85% of everyday speech. Learn these and you can hold a real conversation.
329 words across 12 categoriesPart of speech labeled for each wordEnglish translation included
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The 60 most common Italian verbs cover the majority of everyday speech.
Italian
Type
English
essere
verb
to be
avere
verb
to have
fare
verb
to do / make
dire
verb
to say / tell
andare
verb
to go
sapere
verb
to know (a fact)
volere
verb
to want
vedere
verb
to see
potere
verb
to be able to / can
dare
verb
to give
stare
verb
to stay / be (state)
venire
verb
to come
dovere
verb
to have to / must
conoscere
verb
to know (a person/place)
prendere
verb
to take
portare
verb
to bring / carry / wear
trovare
verb
to find
mettere
verb
to put / place
parlare
verb
to speak / talk
capire
verb
to understand
sentire
verb
to hear / feel
pensare
verb
to think
tornare
verb
to return / come back
partire
verb
to leave / depart
arrivare
verb
to arrive
aprire
verb
to open
chiudere
verb
to close
lavorare
verb
to work
vivere
verb
to live
mangiare
verb
to eat
bere
verb
to drink
dormire
verb
to sleep
comprare
verb
to buy
pagare
verb
to pay
chiamare
verb
to call
guardare
verb
to watch / look at
ascoltare
verb
to listen
leggere
verb
to read
scrivere
verb
to write
studiare
verb
to study
imparare
verb
to learn
aiutare
verb
to help
chiedere
verb
to ask
rispondere
verb
to answer
cercare
verb
to look for / search
aspettare
verb
to wait
ricordare
verb
to remember
dimenticare
verb
to forget
cominciare
verb
to begin / start
finire
verb
to finish / end
rimanere
verb
to stay / remain
camminare
verb
to walk
correre
verb
to run
giocare
verb
to play
usare
verb
to use
cambiare
verb
to change
smettere
verb
to stop (doing something)
continuare
verb
to continue
provare
verb
to try
sembrare
verb
to seem / appear
People & relationships
Italian
Type
English
persona
noun
person
uomo
noun
man
donna
noun
woman
bambino / bambina
noun
child (boy / girl)
ragazzo / ragazza
noun
boy / girl; boyfriend / girlfriend
amico / amica
noun
friend (male / female)
famiglia
noun
family
madre / mamma
noun
mother / mum
padre / papà
noun
father / dad
figlio / figlia
noun
son / daughter
fratello
noun
brother
sorella
noun
sister
marito
noun
husband
moglie
noun
wife
nonno / nonna
noun
grandfather / grandmother
collega
noun
colleague
vicino
noun
neighbour
gente
noun
people
tutti
pron
everyone / all
nessuno
pron
nobody / none
Time & frequency
Italian
Type
English
tempo
noun
time; weather
ora
noun
hour; now
minuto
noun
minute
giorno
noun
day
settimana
noun
week
mese
noun
month
anno
noun
year
mattina
noun
morning
pomeriggio
noun
afternoon
sera
noun
evening
notte
noun
night
oggi
adv
today
ieri
adv
yesterday
domani
adv
tomorrow
adesso / ora
adv
now
prima
adv
before; first
dopo
adv
after; later
sempre
adv
always
mai
adv
never; ever
spesso
adv
often
qualche volta
adv
sometimes
raramente
adv
rarely
già
adv
already
ancora
adv
still; again; yet
subito
adv
right away / immediately
presto
adv
soon; early
tardi
adv
late
lunedì
noun
Monday
venerdì
noun
Friday
domenica
noun
Sunday
Places & spaces
Italian
Type
English
casa
noun
house; home
città
noun
city; town
paese
noun
country; village; town
mondo
noun
world
strada
noun
road; street
piazza
noun
square; plaza
negozio
noun
shop; store
ristorante
noun
restaurant
bar
noun
café; bar
ufficio
noun
office
scuola
noun
school
università
noun
university
ospedale
noun
hospital
chiesa
noun
church
mercato
noun
market
stazione
noun
station
aeroporto
noun
airport
spiaggia
noun
beach
montagna
noun
mountain
mare
noun
sea
cucina
noun
kitchen; cuisine
bagno
noun
bathroom; bath
camera
noun
room; bedroom
giardino
noun
garden
porta
noun
door; gate
finestra
noun
window
Everyday objects
Italian
Type
English
macchina
noun
car; machine
telefono
noun
phone
computer
noun
computer
libro
noun
book
tavolo
noun
table
sedia
noun
chair
letto
noun
bed
chiave
noun
key
borsa
noun
bag; handbag
vestiti
noun
clothes
scarpe
noun
shoes
soldi
noun
money
prezzo
noun
price
carta
noun
paper; card
treno
noun
train
autobus
noun
bus
bicicletta
noun
bicycle
orologio
noun
watch; clock
foto
noun
photo
Food & drink
Italian
Type
English
acqua
noun
water
vino
noun
wine
caffè
noun
coffee
latte
noun
milk
succo
noun
juice
birra
noun
beer
tè
noun
tea
pane
noun
bread
pasta
noun
pasta
riso
noun
rice
carne
noun
meat
pesce
noun
fish
pollo
noun
chicken
formaggio
noun
cheese
uovo
noun
egg
verdura
noun
vegetables
frutta
noun
fruit
insalata
noun
salad; lettuce
pizza
noun
pizza
gelato
noun
ice cream
dolce
noun
dessert; sweet
zucchero
noun
sugar
sale
noun
salt
olio
noun
oil
pranzo
noun
lunch
cena
noun
dinner
colazione
noun
breakfast
cibo
noun
food
Common adjectives
Italian
Type
English
bello
adj
beautiful; nice; great
buono
adj
good
brutto
adj
ugly; bad
cattivo
adj
bad; evil; naughty
grande
adj
big; great; large
piccolo
adj
small; little
nuovo
adj
new
vecchio
adj
old
lungo
adj
long
corto
adj
short
alto
adj
tall; high; loud
basso
adj
short; low; quiet
caldo
adj
hot; warm
freddo
adj
cold
facile
adj
easy
difficile
adj
difficult; hard
importante
adj
important
diverso
adj
different; various
stesso
adj
same
vero
adj
true; real
falso
adj
false; fake
aperto
adj
open
chiuso
adj
closed
libero
adj
free; available
occupato
adj
busy; occupied
felice
adj
happy
triste
adj
sad
stanco
adj
tired
veloce
adj
fast; quick
lento
adj
slow
forte
adj
strong; loud
debole
adj
weak
sano
adj
healthy
malato
adj
ill; sick
solo
adj
alone; only
insieme
adj
together
pronto
adj
ready
giusto
adj
right; correct; fair
sbagliato
adj
wrong; mistaken
possibile
adj
possible
Quantities & degree
Italian
Type
English
molto
adv/adj
very; much; many
poco
adv/adj
a little; few; not much
troppo
adv/adj
too much; too many
abbastanza
adv
enough; quite
quasi
adv
almost; nearly
tutto
adj/pron
all; everything; every
niente / nulla
pron
nothing
qualcosa
pron
something
qualche
adj
some; a few
ogni
adj
every; each
tanto
adv/adj
so much; a lot
più
adv
more
meno
adv
less; fewer
meglio
adv
better
peggio
adv
worse
bene
adv
well
male
adv
badly; poorly
così
adv
so; like this; thus
forse
adv
maybe; perhaps
circa
adv
about; approximately
Pronouns
Italian
Type
English
io
pron
I
tu
pron
you (singular, informal)
lui
pron
he
lei
pron
she; you (formal)
noi
pron
we
voi
pron
you (plural)
loro
pron
they
mi
pron
me; to me; myself
ti
pron
you; to you; yourself
si
pron
oneself; himself; herself
ci
pron
us; to us; ourselves; there
vi
pron
you; to you; yourselves
lo / la
pron
him / her; it
li / le
pron
them (masc. / fem.)
ne
pron
of it; of them; from there
questo / questa
pron
this
quello / quella
pron
that
chi
pron
who; whoever
che / cosa
pron
what; which; that
quale
pron
which; what
Prepositions & conjunctions
Italian
Type
English
di
prep
of; from; about
a
prep
to; at; in
da
prep
from; by; since; at (someone's place)
in
prep
in; to; by
con
prep
with
su
prep
on; about; up
per
prep
for; through; in order to
tra / fra
prep
between; among; in (time)
senza
prep
without
dopo
prep
after
prima di
prep
before
durante
prep
during
invece di
prep
instead of
e / ed
conj
and
ma
conj
but
o / oppure
conj
or
però
conj
however; but
quindi
conj
so; therefore; thus
perché
conj
because; why
se
conj
if
quando
conj
when
mentre
conj
while; whereas
che
conj
that; which; who
come
conj
as; like; how
anche
conj
also; too; even
né … né
conj
neither … nor
Numbers & quantities
Italian
Type
English
zero
num
zero
uno / una
num
one
due
num
two
tre
num
three
quattro
num
four
cinque
num
five
sei
num
six
sette
num
seven
otto
num
eight
nove
num
nine
dieci
num
ten
venti
num
twenty
trenta
num
thirty
cento
num
one hundred
mille
num
one thousand
primo
ord
first
secondo
ord
second
terzo
ord
third
ultimo
ord
last
metà
noun
half
Body, health & feelings
Italian
Type
English
corpo
noun
body
testa
noun
head
occhio
noun
eye
orecchio
noun
ear
naso
noun
nose
bocca
noun
mouth
mano
noun
hand
braccio
noun
arm
gamba
noun
leg
piede
noun
foot
cuore
noun
heart
voce
noun
voice
vita
noun
life; waist
salute
noun
health
dolore
noun
pain; ache
paura
noun
fear
amore
noun
love
gioia
noun
joy
rabbia
noun
anger
speranza
noun
hope
How to actually learn these words
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