Italian Vocabulary

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Getting to know Italian vocabulary is an essential part of learning the Italian language.

Along with Italian grammar, Italian vocabulary is the most important skill to know when you’re learning Italian. After all, you can’t actually use a new language without knowing the words, expressions and phrases that make up that language! The more Italian vocabulary you know, the more you’re able to talk about everything in your world — from what you do for work to your hobbies to your favorite colors and foods to the weather outside and everything in between.

Keep reading below to learn more about Italian vocabulary, or skip ahead to learn some of the most important Italian vocabulary words to get you started with the Italian language.

The Roots Of Italian Vocabulary

When it comes to vocabulary, you’re going to find a lot of words in Italian you already recognize. Italian is a Romance language, which means it derived from the vernacular Latin spoken by the common people in the Roman Empire. Of all the Romance languages today, it’s actually the closest to Latin, so if you’ve ever studied Latin, you’re already at an advantage learning Italian.

Many English words come directly or indirectly from Latin, so when you see the Italian words artista, università, educazione or credibile, for example, you’ll probably have no trouble guessing their English equivalents. On top of that, English borrows many words from Italian, too, especially in the realms of art and music terminology, for example. If you play the piano or the piccolo, you’re using Italian words already. There are even lots of fun words invented by Italian-Americans that illustrate how the two languages influence each other.

How Can I Improve My Italian Vocabulary?

There’s no right or wrong way to practice Italian vocabulary. The most important thing is that you find a way that works for you and helps you remember words and phrases when you need them most in conversation, writing or any other context.

Many people find it helpful to practice Italian vocabulary with flashcards. The typical Italian flashcard has an English word on one side and the Italian translation on the other, but you can write anything on either side of the cards — from definitions to example sentences using the word you’re learning.

Online learning sites like Quizlet are great for studying Italian vocabulary. When you use Quizlet Italian flashcards or the platform’s other games and tools, you can boost your memory retention and word recall, hone your spelling skills and practice Italian vocabulary in interactive, engaging ways.

Some people like to practice Italian vocabulary in more real-world ways. You might have heard of the sticky note method, where learners write the Italian word for items in their kitchens or living rooms on sticky notes, for example, and post them on those items to help them make the association with the Italian vocabulary word each time they look at or use that item. You can expand the system to label nearly everything in your home and to put notes of words you want to learn where you’re sure to see them, like on your shower door or on your ceiling above your bed for extra practice. This can be a really helpful Italian learning strategy for people who like to learn visually!

You can also recruit someone else to help you study Italian vocabulary. Have a friend, roommate or partner quiz you on word definitions and translations from a list you prepare. If you’re both learning Italian, challenge each other to review one list of vocabulary every day, and if one of you fails or falls behind, that friend owes the other a drink or a coffee, for example. Or point out different objects in your environment to each other and see who can name the most items in Italian without consulting a dictionary or other resource. There are so many ways to practice Italian vocabulary with another person, whether they’re learning Italian or not!

The most effective way to remember Italian vocabulary is to focus on the words and expressions that interest you the most instead of wasting time on vocabulary you find boring or will never actually use. You can tailor your Italian vocabulary to your careers, hobbies, passions and everyday experiences and fill in the gaps where you want more words. This could include Italian for business or the medical profession. Or perhaps you like talking about sports, the entertainment industry or politics. You can create your own specialized Italian vocabulary depending on what’s important to you in your learning journey.

Most Common Italian Vocabulary — Essential Italian Vocabulary Words By Topic

Get started with the basics of Italian vocabulary by checking out these themed lists of some of the most common Italian vocabulary words and phrases below!

Common Italian Phrases And Conversational Italian Vocabulary

From saying hello to introducing yourself to asking for the bathroom, you’ll want to know how to make a conversation run smoothly — whether you’re on an international adventure or just chatting up your new Italian-speaking friend. Here’s some essential conversational Italian vocabulary to get you started.

Looking for more of the most common Italian phrases and expressions for conversation? Learn more about useful common Italian phrases and conversational Italian vocabulary!

Colors In Italian

Roses are rosse, violets are blu, for the rest of the colors in Italian, here’s a handy guide for you. Learn all the colors of l’arcobaleno (the rainbow) with this list of Italian color vocabulary:

red — rosso
orange — arancione
yellow — giallo
green — verde
blue — blu
purple — viola
pink — rosa
brown — marrone
black — nero
white — bianco

Want to learn all the colors in Italian? Learn more Italian color vocabulary!

Numbers In Italian

Learning numbers in Italian will help you do everything from buying goods at the local supermarket to giving a cute stranger your phone number. The rules governing how to count in Italian are pretty straightforward, so with practice, it can be as easy as uno, due, tre! Learn the basics of Italian number vocabulary below:

zero — zero
one — uno
two — due
three — tre
four — quattro
five — cinque
six — sei
seven — sette
eight — otto
nine — nove

ten — dieci
eleven — undici
twelve — dodici
thirteen — tredici
fourteen — quattordici
fifteen — quindici
sixteen — sedici
seventeen — diciassette
eighteen — diciotto
nineteen — diciannove

twenty — venti
thirty — trenta
forty — quaranta
fifty — cinquanta
sixty — sessanta
seventy — settanta
eighty — ottanta
ninety — novanta
one hundred — cento

Learn more about numbers in Italian and the sometimes tricky rules about how to use them with this helpful guide to Italian numbers vocabulary!

Italian Food Vocabulary

Whether you’re deciphering a menu in Italy or following the steps of your favorite Italian recipe, you’ll want to know Italian food and drink vocabulary. Here are some basics to get you started:

to eat — mangiare
to drink — bere

the starter/appetizer — l’antipasto
the main dish — il piatto principale
the dessert — il dessert

the meat — la carne
the beef — la carne di manzo
the pork — la carne di maiale
the chicken — il pollo
the fish — il pesce
the vegetables — le verdure
the fruit — la frutta
the potato — la patata
the cheese — il formaggio
the bread — il pane

the drink — la bevanda
the water — l’acqua
the juice — il succo
the coffee — il caffè
the wine — il vino
the beer — la birra
the tea — il tè

Want to be able to talk about all types of food and drink in Italian? Learn more Italian food vocabulary.

Animals In Italian

Whether you’re scared of spiders or a regular swimmer with the sharks, you can’t get by without knowing how to talk about animals in Italian. Check out this Italian animal vocabulary to help you talk about the natural world and the creatures that inhabit it:

the pet — l’animale domestico
the fur — il pelo
the farm animal — l’animale da fattoria
the sea creature — la creatura marina
the wild animal — l’animale selvaggio
the fish — il pesce
the dog — il cane
the cat — il gatto
the mouse — il topo
the rabbit — il coniglio
the duck — l’anatra
the chicken — la gallina
the cow — la vacca
the pig — il maiale
the horse — il cavallo
the bird — l’uccello
the penguin — il pinguino
the dolphin — *il delfino
the octopus — il polpo
the bear — l’orso
the wolf — il lupo
the snake — il serpente
the frog — la rana
the giraffe — la giraffa

To get to know more names of the animals in Italian, learn more Italian animal vocabulary!

Parts Of The Body In Italian

From your head to your shoulders to your knees to your toes, your body is a part of your everyday experience. So there’s no question you should learn Italian body part vocabulary; it’s a no-brainer. (Cue the eye roll.) Check out some important words below:

the body part — la parte del corpo
the body — il corpo
the face — il viso

the foot — il piede
the arm — il braccio
the hand — la mano
the head — la testa
the finger — il dito
the leg — la gamba
the knee — *il ginocchio
the neck — il colo
the back — la schiena
the stomach — la pancia

the eyes — *gli occhi
the mouth — la bocca
the nose — il naso
the ear — l’orecchio
the tooth — il dente

Learn all you need to know about the parts of the body in Italian. Learn more about Italian body part vocabulary!

Feelings And Emotions In Italian

It can be tough to talk about your feelings in your native language, let alone a foreign one. But you know how to talk about moods, feelings and emotions in Italian, you’ll have the right words to express yourself when you’re happy, sad, angry and everything in between. Here’s some essential Italian emotions vocabulary to get you started:

the emotion — l’emozione
the feeling — il sentimento
the mood — l’umore
happy — felice
sad — triste
excited — emozionato
angry — arrabbiato
depressed — depresso
lonely — solo
satisfied — soddisfatto
proud — orgoglioso
upset — indignato
disappointed — deluso
nervous — nervoso
tired — stanco

the joy — la gioia
the love — l’amore
the hate — l’odio
the hope — la speranza
the sympathy — la compassione
the hunger — la fame
the thirst — la sete
the pain — il dolore
the fear — la paura

I like you. — Mi piaci.
I love you. — Ti amo.
I am in a good mood today. — Sono di buon umore oggi.
I’m afraid. — Ho paura.
Why are you sad? — Perché sei triste?
I am so unhappy. — Sono così infelice.

Learn more about Italian feelings and emotions vocabulary!

Hobbies In Italian

If you like to spend time doing something in your free time, you should learn how to talk about it! Filling your Italian vocabulary with expressions that let you speak passionately about your interests and hobbies will help you add some personal flair to your Italian repertoire. Here’s some Italian hobbies vocabulary you might want to know:

the book — il libro
the theater — il teatro
the play — l’opera teatrale
the musical — il musical

the painting — il dipinto
the museum — il museo
the photography — la fotografia
the gallery — la galleria d’arte
the photo — la oto
the drawing — il disegno

the music — la musica
the instrument — lo strumento
the guitar — la chitarra
the piano — il pianoforte

the game — il gioco
the puzzle — il rompicapo
the chess — gli scacchi
the card — la carta
the video game — il videogioco
the board games — il gioco in scatola

the sport — lo sport
the soccer — il calcio
the gymnasium — la palestra
the team — la squadra

to play — giocare
to go shopping — andare a fare la spesa
to eat out — mangiare fuori
to sing — cantare
to read — leggere
to dance — ballare
to paint — dipingere

What do you do in your free time? — Che fai nel tuo tempo libero?
Do you have any hobbies? — Hai qualche hobby?
Do you play an instrument? — Suoni uno strumento?
I like to listen to my music very loud. — Mi piace ascoltare la musica ad alto volume.
I like going to the theater to see plays and musicals? — Mi piace andare a teatro per vedere opere teatrali e musical.
I learn dancing in a dance course. — Imparo a ballare in un corso di danza.
I love going to restaurants. — Adoro andare al ristorante..

Want to know how to talk about all your different hobbies in Italian? Learn more about Italian hobbies vocabulary!

Italian Travel Vocabulary

When you’re ready to take your Italian on the go on your next vacation around the world, you’ll need some Italian travel vocabulary to help get you there. Make the most of your next adventure with these vocabulary terms to talk about vacations, transportation and travel in Italian:

the plane — l’aereo
the airport — l’aeroporto
the terminal — il terminal
the luggage — il bagaglio
the hand luggage — il bagaglio a mano
the departure — il decollo
the flight — il volo
the security check — il controllo di sicurezza
the connection — la coincidenza
the gate — il gate

the public transportation — il trasporto pubblico
the bus — l’autobus
the train — il treno
the train station — la stazione
the stop — la fermata
the ticket — il biglietto
the subway — la metro
the passenger — il passeggero
the timetable — l’orario

the car — l’automobile
the driver — l’autista
the bicycle — la bicicletta
the helmet — il casco
the key — la chiave
the driver’s license — la patente di guida

to drive — guidare
to park — parcheggiare
to land — atterrare
to check in — fare il check in
to board — imbarcarsi

Be better equipped to travel in Italian by learning more about Italian travel and transportation vocabulary!

Weather In Italian

There’s no better way to small talk than to chat about the weather. So when you’re looking to shoot the breeze in Italian, look no further than Italian weather vocabulary. Here are some words and terms you should know to talk about the weather in Italian:

the weather — il tempo
the weather forecast — le previsioni metereologiche
the climate — il clima
the degree — il grado
tropical — tropicale
temperate — temperato
cloudy — nuvoloso

the sunlight — la luce del sole
the rain — la pioggia
the cloud — la nuvola
the snow — la neve
the wind — il vento
the storm — la tempesta
the thunder — il tuono
the lightning — il fulmine

the season — la stagione
the spring — la primavera
the summer — l’estate
the autumn — l’autunno
the winter — l’inverno

the natural disaster — la catastrofe natural
the earthquake — il terremoto
the tsunami — lo tsunami
the flood — l’inondazione
the drought — la siccità
the fire — l’incendio

What is the weather like? — Che tempo fa?
The sun is shining. — C’è il sole.
The sky is cloudy. — **Il cielo è nuvoloso.
It stopped raining. — La pioggia ha smesso.
It was snowing all day. — Ha nevicato tutto il giorno.

Learn more about Italian weather vocabulary!

woman on phone learning italian vocabulary

Learning Italian Vocabulary With Babbel

Babbel makes learning and practicing Italian vocabulary easy, interactive and fun. Our Italian learning content is designed by language experts and teachers who know the best methods to build your Italian vocabulary skills and make sure they stick.

A variety of speaking, writing, reading and listening exercises reinforce all the elements of language learning so you’ll be ready to use the terms you’re learning in different situations.

Babbel lessons introduce new words and expressions in stages, focusing on vocabulary that applies in conversations with actual native speakers — not nonsensical or impractical words that you’ll never use. Almost every Babbel Italian lesson features a simulated dialogue that lets you use what you’ve learned in real-life contexts.

The Review feature brings back Italian vocabulary words from earlier lessons when you’re most at risk of forgetting them, helping you strengthen your word recall skills with interactive flashcard and spelling exercises.