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When meeting people in Italy, be sure to use the appropriate formal title. Italians tend to use titles whenever possible. Use the Lei form when using any of the following titles. A man would be called Signore, which is the same as Mr. or Sir. An older or married woman is called Signora and a young lady is called Signorina.

​​Common people

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​It is also helpful to know the correct vocabulary term for referring to people based on their age, gender, or relationship to you.

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• uomo (man)
• donna (woman)
• ragazzo (boy)
• ragazza (girl)
• bambino [M]; bambina [F] (child)
• padre (father)
• madre (mother)
• figlio [M]; figlia [F] (son/ daughter)
• fratello (brother)
• sorella (sister)
• marito (husband)
• moglie (wife)
• amico [M]; amica [F] (friend)

In Italian, there are four words to cover the English indefinite articles a and an. For masculine words, you would use uno if the word begins with a z or an s and a consonant and you would use un for the rest. For feminine words, you should use 'un for words beginning with a vowel and una for words beginning with a consonant.

​Common places and locations



​It is also helpful to know the correct vocabulary for some of the common places or locations that you might need or want while traveling in Italy.

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• banca (bank)
• città (city)
• il consolato Americano (American consulate)
• il ristorante (restaurant)
• in campagna (in the country)
• in città (in the city)
• in montagna (in the mountains)
• l'albergo (hotel)
• l'ospedale (hospital)
• la casa (house)
• la polizia (police)
• la stazione dei treni(train station)
• metropolitana (subway)
• museo (museum)
• negozio (store)
• paese (country)
• spiaggia (beach)
• stato (state)
• ufficio (office)