Italian Vocabulary
If you are trying to learn Italian, it may be best to start by learning a few basic Italian vocabulary words. To begin, you may want to learn the basic terms that deal with the family, in most cases the largest part of life in Italy. These vocabulary words can come in handy if you wish to inquire about someone’s family:
family la famiglia (“lah fa-meel-yah”)
relative il parente (“eel pa-ren-tay”)
husband il marito (“eel ma-ree-toh”)
wife la moglie (“lah mole-yah”)
parents i genitori (“ee gin-ah-tar-ee”)
father il padre (“eel pah-dray”)
mother la madre (“lah mah-dray”)
son il figlio (“eel feel-yoh”)
daughter la figlia (“lah feel-yah”)
brother il fratello (“eel frah-tell-ah”)
sister la sorella (“lah sore-el-lah”)
uncle lo zio (“low zee-oh”)
aunt la zia (“lah zee-ah”)
nephew il nipote (“eel nee-poh-tah”)
niece la nipote (“lah nee-poh-tah”)
cousin (male) il cugino (“eel coh-gee-noh”)
cousin (female) la cugina (“lah coh-gee-nah”)
grandparents i nonni (“ee non-nee”)
grandfather il nonno (“eel non-noh”)
grandmother la nonna (“lah non-nah”)
grandchild il nipote (“eel nee-poh-tah”)
grandson il nipote (“eel nee-poh-tah”)
granddaughter la nipote (“lah nee-poh-tah”)
father–in–law il suocero (“eel swah-cheer-ah”)
mother–in–law la suocera (“lah sore-cheer-ah”)
son–in–law il genero (“eel je-neh-roh”)
daughter–in–law la nuora (“lah nor-ah”)
brother–in–law il cognato (“eel con-yah-toh”)
sister–in–law la cognata (“lah con-yah-tah”)
stepfather il patrigno (“eel pa-treen-oh”)
stepmother la matrigna (“lah ma-treen-ah”)
step brother; half brother il fratellastro (“eel frat-tah-las-troh”)
step sister; half sister la sorellastra (“lah sore-ah-las-trah”)
girl la ragazza (“ lah rah-gaz-zah”)
boy il ragazzo (“eel rah-gaz-zoh”)
We have included all members of the family as it is not uncommon for Italian relatives to reside close to each other in many of the villages and cities.
You may be learning this foreign language for business purposes. The following is a list of Italian vocabulary words that you may find useful in an office setting:
crayons i pastelli a cera (“ee pas-stale-yah-chair-ah”)
envelope la busta (“lah boo-stah”)
eraser la gomma (“lah go-mah”)
ball point pen la biro (“ lah beer-ah”)
ball point cartridge il ricambio (“eel ree-cam-bee-ah”)
fountain pen la penna stilografica (“lah pain-yah-steel-ah-graf-ee-cah”)
glue la colla (“lah coal-yah”)
ink l’inchiostro (“ling-cas-troh”)
notebook il quaderno (“eel qua-dern-oh”)
pad il blocco (“eel block-kah”)
paper la carta (“lah car-tah”)
pencil la matita (“lah mah-tee-tah”)
photocopies le fotocopie (“lay foh-toh-cop-ee”)
You may also want to stop at a restaurant while you are in Italy. Here are a few Italian vocabulary words that may be of use in this type of setting:
bread il pane (“eel pah-neh”)
butter il burro (“eel bur-roh”)
coffee il caffè (“eel cahf-fay”)
black(coffee) nero (“nair-oh”)
decaffeinated (coffee) decaffeinato (“day-cahf-fay-not-toh”)
with cream con panna (“con pan-nah”)
with sugar con zucchero (“con zu-care-oh”)
fruit juice il succo di frutta (“eel suke-ah dee fruit-ah”)
grapefruit juice succo di pompelmo (“suke-ah day pom-pell-moh”)
orange juice succo d’arancia (“suke-ah dah ran-jah”)
tomato juice succo di pomodoro (“suke-ah day pohm-mah-dar-oh”)
hot chocolate la cioccolata (“lah choh-kah-lah-tah”)
milk il latte (“eel lah-tay”)
tea il tè (“eel teh”)
with lemon con limone (“con leh-moh-nay”)
with milk con latte (“con lah-tay”)
These are just a few of the many Italian vocabulary words that can be helpful in this type of foreign environment. By using these words or a combination of them, you should have no problem in being understood in the office, at a restaurant, or in polite conversation when inquiring about an Italian’s all-important family.