The 200 Words That Cover 50% of Italian Conversations

The Italian vocabulary contains around 270,000 words, but in everyday life we always use the same ones! Studies show that about 50% of everything we say is made up of the same 150-200 words. By mastering the most frequent words, you’ll be able to understand most Italian conversations.

• YouTube
• Facebook
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Pinterest
• X
• LinkedIn
• Telegram
• WhatsApp

The 220 Most Common Italian Words: Complete Guide to Essential Vocabulary

Nouns: The Words That Name the World

The noun (also called “name”) is a fundamental word we use to identify people, animals, things, places, or abstract concepts. It’s the protagonist of the sentence: without it, we wouldn’t know what we’re talking about.

Categories of Nouns

Category	Examples
People	mamma [mom], dottore [doctor], studente [student], bambino [child]
Animals	gatto [cat], cane [dog], farfalla [butterfly]
Things	tavolo [table], telefono [phone], pizza [pizza]
Places	Roma [Rome], parco [park], ristorante [restaurant], casa [house]
Abstract concepts	amore [love], felicità [happiness], libertà [freedom], tempo [time]

The 30 Most Common Nouns in Italian

N°	Noun	Meaning	Example
1	Cosa [thing]	An object, an element, something indefinite	Mi piace questa cosa. [I like this thing]
2	Tempo [time]	Hours, minutes, the duration of something	Non ho tempo per uscire stasera. [I don’t have time to go out tonight.]
3	Giorno [day]	A period of 24 hours	Che bel giorno! C’è il sole! [What a beautiful day! The sun is out!]
4	Anno [year]	A period of 12 months, 365 days	Quest’anno voglio imparare l’italiano! [This year I want to learn Italian!]
5	Uomo [man]	An adult male human being	Quell’uomo con la barba è mio zio. [That man with the beard is my uncle.]
6	Donna [woman]	An adult female human being	La donna con i capelli rossi è la mia professoressa. [The woman with red hair is my professor.]
7	Mondo [world]	Planet Earth and everything it contains	L’Italia è il paese più bello del mondo! [Italy is the most beautiful country in the world!]
8	Vita [life]	Existence, the period between birth and death	La vita è troppo breve per essere tristi. [Life is too short to be sad.]
9	Mano [hand]	The body part at the end of the arm	Dammi la mano, attraversiamo la strada. [Give me your hand, let’s cross the street.]
10	Parte [part]	A portion, a piece of something	Questa è la parte più difficile del libro. [This is the most difficult part of the book.]
11	Occhio [eye]	The body organ with which we see	Ha gli occhi verdi come il mare. [She has green eyes like the sea.]
12	Casa [house/home]	The place where you live, your dwelling	Torno a casa alle sette. [I’m going home at seven.]
13	Momento [moment]	An instant, a brief period of time	Aspetta un momento, arrivo subito! [Wait a moment, I’ll be right there!]
14	Paese [country/village]	A nation, or a small inhabited center	L’Italia è un paese con molta storia. [Italy is a country with a lot of history.]
15	Modo [way]	The manner in which something is done	Non mi piace il suo modo di parlare. [I don’t like his way of speaking.]
16	Punto [point]	A mark, a precise position, a topic	Questo è un punto importante. [This is an important point.]
17	Lavoro [work/job]	The activity you do to earn money, profession	Il mio lavoro è molto interessante. [My job is very interesting.]
18	Fatto [fact]	Something that happened, a real event	Questo è un fatto, non un’opinione. [This is a fact, not an opinion.]
19	Problema [problem]	A difficulty, a situation to solve	Nessun problema, ti aiuto io! [No problem, I’ll help you!]
20	Gente [people]	People in general, a group of individuals	C’è molta gente in piazza oggi. [There are many people in the square today.]
21	Notte [night]	The dark period, when the sun is not there	Buonanotte! Dormi bene! [Good night! Sleep well!]
22	Acqua [water]	The transparent liquid we drink	Vorrei un bicchiere d’acqua, per favore. [I would like a glass of water, please.]
23	Ora [hour/now]	A period of 60 minutes, or the present moment	Che ora è? Sono le tre. [What time is it? It’s three o’clock.]
24	Parola [word]	A sound or group of letters with a meaning	Non trovo le parole giuste. [I can’t find the right words.]
25	Città [city]	A large urban center with many inhabitants	Milano è una città molto moderna. [Milan is a very modern city.]
26	Amico [friend]	A dear person with whom you have an emotional bond	Marco è il mio migliore amico. [Marco is my best friend.]
27	Famiglia [family]	The group of people related by kinship	La mia famiglia è molto grande. [My family is very large.]
28	Strada [street/road]	The path where people walk	Questa strada porta al centro. [This street leads to the center.]
29	Bambino [child]	A very young human being	Il bambino gioca nel parco. [The child plays in the park.]
30	Cuore [heart]	The organ that pumps blood, symbol of love	Ti amo con tutto il cuore! [I love you with all my heart!]

Pronouns: The Words That Replace Nouns

The word “pronoun” comes from Latin and literally means “in place of the noun”. The pronoun is a word that replaces a noun to avoid repeating it too many times. Without pronouns we would say: “Marco is nice. Marco lives in Rome. Marco works in a bank.” With pronouns instead: “Marco is nice. He lives in Rome and works in a bank.”

Subject Personal Pronouns

Subject personal pronouns indicate who performs the action of the verb. They are the first words you learn when studying a language.

N°	Pronoun	Person	Example
31	Io [I]	1st singular	Io sono italiana. [I am Italian.]
32	Tu [you]	2nd singular	Tu sei molto gentile. [You are very kind.]
33	Lui [he]	3rd singular masculine	Lui è mio fratello. [He is my brother.]
34	Lei [she]	3rd singular feminine	Lei è la mia insegnante. [She is my teacher.]
35	Noi [we]	1st plural	Noi siamo studenti. [We are students.]
36	Voi [you (plural)]	2nd plural	Voi siete fantastici! [You are fantastic!]
37	Loro [they]	3rd plural	Loro vivono a Napoli. [They live in Naples.]

Linguistic curiosity: In Italian, we often omit the subject pronoun because the verb ending already tells us who is performing the action. For example: “Sono italiana” instead of “Io sono italiana” – it’s already understood that I’m talking about myself!

Object Personal Pronouns

Object personal pronouns indicate who receives the action or to whom/for whom something is done. They are divided into direct pronouns (answering the question “who?” or “what?”) and indirect pronouns (answering the question “to whom?”).

N°	Pronoun	Type	Example
38	Me [me]	Stressed	Questo regalo è per me? [Is this gift for me?]
39	Te [you]	Stressed	Penso sempre a te. [I always think of you.]
40	Lo [him/it]	Direct (him/it)	Lo vedo ogni giorno. [I see him every day.]
41	La [her/it]	Direct (her/it)	La chiamo domani. [I’ll call her tomorrow.]
42	Li [them (m.)]	Direct (them, masculine)	Li ho incontrati al bar. [I met them at the bar.]
43	Le [them (f.)]	Direct (them, feminine)	Le ho comprate ieri. [I bought them yesterday.]
44	Ci [us]	Direct/Indirect (us)	Ci vediamo domani! [See you tomorrow!]
45	Vi [you (pl.)]	Direct/Indirect (you)	Vi aspetto alle otto. [I’ll wait for you at eight.]
46	Gli [to him/to them]	Indirect (to him/to them)	Gli ho dato il libro. [I gave him the book.]
47	Ne [of it/some]	Partitive	Ne vuoi un po’? [Do you want some?]

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns are used to point to something or someone by specifying their position in space or time relative to the speaker. Questo/a/i/e indicates something near; quello/a/i/e indicates something far.

N°	Pronoun	Gender/Number	Example
48	Questo [this]	Masculine singular	Questo è il mio cane. [This is my dog.]
49	Quello [that]	Masculine singular	Quello è il ristorante che ti dicevo. [That is the restaurant I was telling you about.]
50	Questa [this]	Feminine singular	La mia pizza è questa! [My pizza is this one!]
51	Quella [that]	Feminine singular	Mia cugina è quella. [My cousin is that one. ]
52	Questi [these]	Masculine plural	Questi sono i miei genitori. [These are my parents.]
53	Quelli [those]	Masculine plural	Quelli sono i miei libri preferiti. [Those are my favorite books.]

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns are used when we don’t want to or can’t be precise about who or what we’re talking about. They indicate something or someone in a vague, generic way.

N°	Pronoun	Use	Example
54	Qualcuno [someone]	Indeterminate person (affirmative)	C’è qualcuno in casa? [Is anyone home?]
55	Nessuno [no one]	No person	Nessuno mi ha detto niente! [No one told me anything!]
56	Qualcosa [something]	Indeterminate thing (affirmative)	Vuoi qualcosa da bere? [Do you want something to drink?]
57	Niente/Nulla [nothing]	No thing	Non ho capito niente. [I didn’t understand anything.]
58	Tutto [everything]	The totality (singular)	Ho mangiato tutto! [I ate everything!]
59	Tutti [everyone]	The totality (plural, people)	Tutti amano la pasta! [Everyone loves pasta!]
60	Altro [other/another]	Something/someone different	Ti piace il caffè? Ne vuoi un altro? [Do you like coffee? Do you want another one?]
61	Molto [much/a lot]	Large quantity	Ho molto da fare oggi. [I have a lot to do today.]
62	Poco [little/few]	Small quantity	Serve tempo e io ne ho poco. [It takes time and I have little of it.]
63	Tanto [so much]	Large quantity (intensive)	Bene? Te ne voglio tanto.[Honey? I love you so much.]

Relative and Interrogative Pronouns

Relative pronouns connect two sentences by referring to an element already mentioned. They work like a bridge between two ideas! Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions about people, things, quantity, or quality.

N°	Pronoun	Type	Example
64	Che [that/which/who]	Relative	Il film che ho visto era bellissimo. [The movie that I saw was beautiful.]
65	Chi [who]	Relative/Interrogative	Chi dorme non piglia pesci! [He who sleeps doesn’t catch fish!]
66	Cui [whom/which]	Relative	La persona di cui ti parlavo è arrivata. [The person I was telling you about has arrived.]
67	Quale [which]	Relative/Interrogative	Non so quale scegliere. [I don’t know which one to choose.]
68	Che cosa / Cosa [what]	Interrogative	Che cosa fai stasera? [What are you doing tonight?]
69	Quanto [how much]	Interrogative	Quanto costa questo? [How much does this cost?]
70	Dove [where]	Interrogative	Dove vai? [Where are you going?]
71	Perché [why]	Interrogative	Perché piangi? [Why are you crying?]

Verbs: The Heart of the Italian Sentence

The verb is the heart of the sentence, the most important word. Without a verb, there is no sentence. It expresses an action (eating, running, speaking), a state (being, staying, seeming), or an event (happening, occurring). It also tells us when something happens and who performs the action.

Auxiliary Verbs

Auxiliary verbs (“auxiliary” means “that helps”) are verbs that help other verbs form compound tenses, like the present perfect. In Italian, there are two auxiliary verbs: ESSERE (to be) and AVERE (to have).

N°	Auxiliary	Use	Simple Example	Compound Example
72	Essere [to be]	State, identity, verbs of movement	Sono felice di conoscerti! [I’m happy to meet you!]	Sono andato a Roma. [I went to Rome.]
73	Avere [to have]	Possession, transitive verbs	Ho due gatti e un cane. [I have two cats and a dog.]	Ho mangiato la pizza. [I ate the pizza.]

Modal Verbs

Modal verbs (also called “servile” because they “serve” other verbs) express the modality with which an action is performed: whether it’s possible, necessary, desired, or if one has the ability to do it. They are always followed by another verb in the infinitive!

N°	Verb	Expresses	Example
74	Potere [can/to be able to]	Possibility/Ability	Posso aiutarti? [Can I help you?]
75	Dovere [must/to have to]	Necessity/Obligation	Devo studiare per l’esame. [I have to study for the exam.]
76	Volere [to want]	Desire/Intention	Voglio un gelato al cioccolato! [I want a chocolate ice cream!]
77	Sapere + infinitive [to know how to]	Acquired ability	Sai suonare la chitarra? [Do you know how to play the guitar?]

Most Common Verbs

Fundamental Action Verbs

N°	Verb	Example
78	Fare [to do/to make]	Cosa fai di bello oggi? [What are you up to today?]
79	Dire [to say/to tell]	Cosa hai detto? Non ho sentito. [What did you say? I didn’t hear.]
80	Andare [to go]	Vado al supermercato. Ti serve qualcosa? [I’m going to the supermarket. Do you need anything?]
81	Venire [to come]	Vieni alla festa sabato? [Are you coming to the party on Saturday?]
82	Vedere [to see]	Vedo che sei stanco. Riposati! [I see that you’re tired. Rest!]
83	Dare [to give]	Mi dai una mano? [Can you give me a hand?]
84	Stare [to stay/to be]	Come stai? Tutto bene? [How are you? All good?]
85	Sapere [to know]	Non so dove ho messo le chiavi! [I don’t know where I put the keys!]
86	Pensare [to think]	Penso che tu abbia ragione. [I think you’re right.]
87	Credere [to believe]	Non ci credo! È incredibile! [I don’t believe it! It’s incredible!]
88	Trovare [to find]	Ho trovato un ristorante fantastico! [I found a fantastic restaurant!]
89	Prendere [to take]	Prendo un caffè, grazie. [I’ll have a coffee, thanks.]
90	Mettere [to put]	Metti la giacca, fa freddo! [Put on your jacket, it’s cold!]

Communication and Perception Verbs

N°	Verb	Example
91	Parlare [to speak]	Parli italiano molto bene! [You speak Italian very well!]
92	Sentire [to hear/to feel]	Senti che profumo di pizza! [Smell that pizza aroma!]
93	Capire [to understand]	Non capisco questa parola. [I don’t understand this word.]
94	Chiamare [to call]	Ti chiamo dopo. [I’ll call you later.]
95	Guardare [to watch/to look]	Guardiamo un film insieme? [Shall we watch a movie together?]
96	Aspettare [to wait]	Aspettami! Arrivo! [Wait for me! I’m coming!]
97	Leggere [to read]	Leggo un libro ogni mese. [I read a book every month.]
98	Scrivere [to write]	Scrivo una mail al mio capo. [I’m writing an email to my boss.]

Movement Verbs

N°	Verb	Example
99	Partire [to leave/to depart]	Parto domani mattina presto. [I’m leaving tomorrow morning early.]
100	Arrivare [to arrive]	A che ora arrivi? [What time are you arriving?]
101	Tornare [to return]	Torno subito! [I’ll be right back!]
102	Entrare [to enter]	Posso entrare? [May I come in?]
103	Uscire [to go out]	Esco con gli amici stasera. [I’m going out with friends tonight.]
104	Passare [to pass/to stop by]	Passa a trovarmi quando vuoi! [Stop by to see me whenever you want!]
105	Rimanere [to stay/to remain]	Rimango a casa stasera. [I’m staying home tonight.]

Everyday Life Verbs

N°	Verb	Example
106	Lavorare [to work]	Lavoro in un’azienda italiana. [I work for an Italian company.]
107	Mangiare [to eat]	Mangiamo fuori stasera? [Shall we eat out tonight?]
108	Dormire [to sleep]	Ho dormito benissimo stanotte! [I slept very well last night!]
109	Giocare [to play]	I bambini giocano in giardino. [The children are playing in the garden.]
110	Vivere [to live]	Vivo in Italia da cinque anni. [I’ve been living in Italy for five years.]
111	Aprire [to open]	Apri la finestra, per favore. [Open the window, please.]
112	Chiudere [to close]	Chiudi la porta, c’è corrente! [Close the door, there’s a draft!]

Other Essential Verbs

N°	Verb	Example
113	Sembrare [to seem]	Sembri stanco oggi. [You seem tired today.]
114	Piacere [to like]	Mi piace molto questo corso! [I really like this course!]
115	Cercare [to look for]	Cerco le mie chiavi da un’ora! [I’ve been looking for my keys for an hour!]
116	Portare [to bring/to carry]	Ti porto un regalo! [I’m bringing you a gift!]
117	Lasciare [to leave/to let]	Lascia stare, non preoccuparti. [Let it go, don’t worry.]
118	Conoscere [to know (people/places)]	Conosci quel ragazzo? [Do you know that guy?]
119	Perdere [to lose]	Ho perso il treno! [I missed the train!]
120	Finire [to finish]	Ho finito i compiti! [I finished the homework!]
121	Cominciare/Iniziare [to begin/to start]	Il film comincia alle nove. [The movie starts at nine.]
122	Cambiare [to change]	Devo cambiare lavoro. [I need to change jobs.]
123	Provare [to try]	Prova questo dolce, è squisito! [Try this dessert, it’s delicious!]
124	Ricordare [to remember]	Non ricordo il suo nome. [I don’t remember his name.]

Adjectives: The Words That Describe

The adjective is a word that is “added” to the noun to describe, qualify, or determine it better. It tells us WHAT something or someone is LIKE. In Italian, the adjective must agree with the noun in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural). Examples: Il ragazzo alto [The tall boy] / La ragazza alta [The tall girl] / I ragazzi alti [The tall boys] / Le ragazze alte [The tall girls].

Qualifying Adjectives

Qualifying adjectives describe a quality of the noun: how it looks, what characteristics it has, what sensations it provokes.

N°	Adjective	Meaning	Example
125	Grande [big/great]	Of notable dimensions	Roma è una grande città. [Rome is a big city.]
126	Piccolo [small]	Of reduced dimensions	Ho un piccolo appartamento. [I have a small apartment.]
127	Bello [beautiful]	Aesthetically pleasing	Che bella giornata! [What a beautiful day!]
128	Brutto [ugly/bad]	Not aesthetically pleasing	Che brutto tempo oggi! [What bad weather today!]
129	Buono [good]	Of positive quality, tasty	Questo vino è molto buono. [This wine is very good.]
130	Cattivo [bad]	Of negative quality	Non è una cattiva idea. [It’s not a bad idea.]
131	Nuovo [new]	Recent, just acquired	Ho comprato un telefono nuovo. [I bought a new phone.]
132	Vecchio [old]	Ancient, from a long time ago	Questa è una vecchia foto. [This is an old photo.]
133	Lungo [long]	Of great extension	È stata una lunga giornata. [It was a long day.]
134	Alto [tall/high]	Of elevated stature	Mio fratello è molto alto. [My brother is very tall.]
135	Giovane [young]	Of little age	È una ragazza giovane e ambiziosa. [She’s a young and ambitious girl.]
136	Stesso [same]	Identical	Abbiamo la stessa età. [We are the same age.]
137	Ultimo [last]	Final, that comes at the end	Questo è l’ultimo treno. [This is the last train.]
138	Primo [first]	Initial, that comes at the beginning	È il mio primo viaggio in Italia! [It’s my first trip to Italy!]
139	Vero [true/real]	Real, authentic	È una storia vera. [It’s a true story.]
140	Possibile [possible]	That can happen	È possibile cambiare la data? [Is it possible to change the date?]
141	Certo [certain/sure]	Sure, convinced	Sono certo che andrà tutto bene. [I’m certain everything will be fine.]
142	Solo [only/alone]	Only, solely	Sono solo stanco, niente di grave. [I’m just tired, nothing serious.]
143	Proprio [own]	Personal, specific	Ho visto con i miei propri occhi! [I saw it with my own eyes!]
144	Diverso [different]	Different, not the same	Siamo molto diversi, ma siamo amici. [We are very different, but we are friends.]

Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives indicate to whom something or someone belongs. In Italian, unlike other languages, the possessive adjective is almost always preceded by the article. Examples: il mio libro [my book], la tua casa [your house].

N°	Person	Masc. sing.	Fem. sing.	Masc. plur.	Fem. plur.
145	I	mio [my]	mia [my]	miei [my]	mie [my]
146	You	tuo [your]	tua [your]	tuoi [your]	tue [your]
147	He/She	suo [his/her]	sua [his/her]	suoi [his/her]	sue [his/her]
148	We	nostro [our]	nostra [our]	nostri [our]	nostre [our]
149	You (pl.)	vostro [your]	vostra [your]	vostri [your]	vostre [your]
150	They	loro [their] (invariable)

Important exception! With singular family member names, we don’t use the article. Examples: mia madre [my mother], tuo fratello [your brother], sua sorella [his/her sister]. But in the plural, yes. Examples: i miei genitori [my parents], le tue sorelle [your sisters].

Adverbs: The Words That Modify

The adverb is an invariable word (it never changes form!) that serves to modify or specify the meaning of a verb (Corro velocemente [I run quickly]), an adjective (È molto bella [She is very beautiful]), another adverb (Parla troppo piano [He speaks too quietly]), or an entire sentence (Purtroppo non posso venire [Unfortunately I can’t come]). Adverbs answer questions like: How? When? Where? How much? Why?

Adverbs of Negation

N°	Adverb	Example
151	Non [not]	Non capisco. [I don’t understand.]
152	Mai [never]	Non arrivo mai in ritardo. [I never arrive late.]

Adverbs of Quantity

N°	Adverb	Example
153	Più [more]	Non ne posso più! [I can’t take it anymore!]
154	Molto [very/much]	Ti amo molto. [I love you very much.]
155	Poco [little]	Mangio poco la sera. [I eat little in the evening.]
156	Tanto [so much]	Grazie tanto! [Thanks so much!]

Adverbs of Time

N°	Adverb	Example
157	Sempre [always]	Ti penso sempre. [I always think of you.]
158	Ora/Adesso [now]	Adesso devo andare. [I have to go now.]
159	Ancora [still/again]	Vuoi ancora un po’ di pasta? [Do you want some more pasta?]
160	Già [already]	Hai già mangiato? [Have you already eaten?]
161	Poi [then]	Prima mangiamo, poi usciamo. [First we eat, then we go out.]
162	Prima [before/first]	Prima il dovere, poi il piacere! [Duty first, then pleasure!]
163	Dopo [after]	Ci vediamo dopo. [See you later.]
164	Subito [immediately]	Vengo subito! [I’m coming right away!]
165	Presto [soon/early]	Ci vediamo presto! [See you soon!]
166	Tardi [late]	È tardi, devo andare. [It’s late, I have to go.]

Adverbs of Place

N°	Adverb	Example
167	Qui/Qua [here]	Vieni qui! [Come here!]
168	Lì/Là [there]	Il ristorante è là, dietro l’angolo. [The restaurant is there, around the corner.]
169	Vicino [near]	Abito vicino alla stazione. [I live near the station.]
170	Lontano [far]	Roma è lontano da qui. [Rome is far from here.]
171	Fuori [outside]	Andiamo fuori! [Let’s go outside!]

Adverbs of Manner and Other Useful Adverbs

N°	Adverb	Type	Example
172	Bene [well]	Manner	Stai bene? [Are you okay?]
173	Male [badly]	Manner	Mi sento male. [I feel sick.]
174	Così [so/like this]	Manner	Perché sei così felice? [Why are you so happy?]
175	Insieme [together]	Manner	Facciamolo insieme! [Let’s do it together!]
176	Come [how/like]	Manner/Interrogative	Come stai? [How are you?]
177	Anche [also/too]	Additive	Anche io voglio venire! [I want to come too!]
178	Solo/Soltanto [only]	Limitative	Ho solo cinque minuti. [I only have five minutes.]
179	Forse [maybe/perhaps]	Dubitative	Forse vengo anch’io. [Maybe I’ll come too.]
180	Quasi [almost]	Approximative	Sono quasi arrivato. [I’m almost there.]
181	Proprio [really/exactly]	Reinforcing	È proprio vero! [It’s really true!]

Prepositions: The Words That Connect

Prepositions are invariable words that serve to connect words or sentences, establishing a relationship between them. They indicate relationships of place (Vado a Roma [I’m going to Rome]), time (Arrivo tra un’ora [I’ll arrive in an hour]), manner (Parlo con calma [I speak calmly]), cause (Tremo per il freddo [I’m shivering from the cold]), and possession (Il libro di Marco [Marco’s book]).

Simple Prepositions

In Italian, there are nine fundamental simple prepositions: di, a, da, in, con, su, per, tra, fra. These can combine with articles to form articulated prepositions (del, al, dal, nel, sul…).

N°	Preposition	Main Use	Example
182	Di [of/from]	Origin, possession, material	Sono di Roma. [I’m from Rome.]
183	A [to/at]	Destination, time	Vado a scuola. [I’m going to school.]
184	Da [from/by/at]	Provenance, agent	Vengo da te alle cinque. [I’m coming to your place at five.]
185	In [in]	Location, means	Vivo in Italia. [I live in Italy.]
186	Con [with]	Company, instrument	Esco con Maria. [I’m going out with Maria.]
187	Su [on]	Position above	Il libro è sul tavolo. [The book is on the table.]
188	Per [for]	Purpose, recipient	Questo regalo è per te. [This gift is for you.]
189	Tra/Fra [between/in]	Interval of time/space	Arrivo tra dieci minuti. [I’ll arrive in ten minutes.]

Other Useful Prepositions

N°	Preposition	Example
190	Senza [without]	Caffè senza zucchero, per favore. [Coffee without sugar, please.]
191	Sopra [above]	L’aereo vola sopra le nuvole. [The plane flies above the clouds.]
192	Sotto [under]	Il gatto è sotto il letto. [The cat is under the bed.]
193	Dentro [inside]	Cosa c’è dentro la scatola? [What’s inside the box?]
194	Verso [toward]	Cammino verso casa. [I’m walking toward home.]
195	Dopo [after]	Ci vediamo dopo cena. [See you after dinner.]
196	Durante [during]	Non parlare durante il film! [Don’t talk during the movie!]
197	Fino [until]	Aspetto fino alle cinque. [I’ll wait until five.]

Articles: The Small but Fundamental Words

The article is a small word placed before the noun that gives us information about it: whether it’s masculine or feminine, whether it’s singular or plural, whether it’s specific (definite) or generic (indefinite). Example: Il gatto [The cat] → a specific cat, one I know; Un gatto [A cat] → any cat, generic.

Definite Articles

Definite articles are used when we talk about something specific, known, already mentioned.

N°	Article	Use	Example
198	Il [the]	Masculine singular before consonant	Il sole splende. [The sun is shining.]
199	Lo [the]	Masculine singular before s+consonant, z, gn, ps, x, y	Lo studente studia. [The student is studying.]
200	La [the]	Feminine singular	La luna è bella. [The moon is beautiful.]
201	L’ [the]	Singular before vowel	L’amore è tutto. [Love is everything.]
202	I [the]	Masculine plural before consonant	I ragazzi giocano. [The boys are playing.]
203	Gli [the]	Masculine plural before vowel, s+consonant, z…	Gli amici sono importanti. [Friends are important.]
204	Le [the]	Feminine plural	Le ragazze ridono. [The girls are laughing.]

Indefinite Articles

Indefinite articles are used when we talk about something generic, non-specific, mentioned for the first time.

N°	Article	Use	Example
205	Un [a/an]	Masculine singular	Ho visto un film. [I saw a movie.]
206	Uno [a/an]	Masculine singular before s+consonant, z…	C’è uno sbaglio. [There’s a mistake.]
207	Una [a/an]	Feminine singular	Vorrei una pizza. [I would like a pizza.]
208	Un’ [a/an]	Feminine singular before vowel	Ho un’idea! [I have an idea!]

Conjunctions: The Words That Unite Ideas

Conjunctions are invariable words that serve to unite words, sentences, or parts of a sentence. They are like the glue that holds ideas together! There are different types: copulative (add), disjunctive (give alternatives), adversative (oppose), causal (explain the cause), and temporal (indicate time).

The 12 Most Common Conjunctions

N°	Conjunction	Type	Function	Example
209	E [and]	Copulative	Unites two elements	Pane e Nutella. [Bread and Nutella.]
210	O [or]	Disjunctive	Gives an alternative	Tè o caffè? [Tea or coffee?]
211	Ma [but]	Adversative	Contrasts	È piccolo ma accogliente. [It’s small but cozy.]
212	Però [however]	Adversative	Contrasts	Mi piace, però è caro. [I like it, however it’s expensive.]
213	Perché [because]	Causal	Explains the cause	Studio perché voglio imparare. [I study because I want to learn.]
214	Che [that]	Declarative	Introduces a subordinate	Penso che sia giusto. [I think that it’s right.]
215	Se [if]	Conditional	Introduces a condition	Se vuoi, possiamo uscire. [If you want, we can go out.]
216	Quando [when]	Temporal	Indicates time	Chiamami quando arrivi. [Call me when you arrive.]
217	Come [as/like]	Modal	Indicates manner	Fai come vuoi. [Do as you wish.]
218	Mentre [while]	Temporal	Indicates simultaneity	Ascolto musica mentre cucino. [I listen to music while I cook.]
219	Quindi/Dunque [therefore/so]	Conclusive	Indicates consequence	Quindi, cosa facciamo? [So, what do we do?]
220	Anche se [even if]	Concessive	Introduces a concession	Esco anche se piove. [I’m going out even if it rains.]

Summary of the 220 Words by Category

Category	Number of Words	Numbering	Importance
Nouns	30	1-30	Name people, things, concepts
Pronouns	41	31-71	Replace nouns, avoid repetition
Verbs	53	72-124	Express actions, states, events
Adjectives	26	125-150	Describe and qualify nouns
Adverbs	31	151-181	Modify verbs, adjectives, sentences
Prepositions	16	182-197	Connect elements of the sentence
Articles	11	198-208	Determine the noun
Conjunctions	12	209-220	Unite words and sentences
TOTAL	220	1-220	Foundation of everyday vocabulary

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Words Do I Need to Know to Speak Italian?

Linguistic studies show that with the 220 most frequent words you can understand about 50% of everyday conversations. For basic fluent conversation, knowing between 1,000 and 2,000 words is sufficient. An advanced level requires about 5,000-10,000 words.

Why Is the Subject Pronoun Often Omitted in Italian?

Italian is a “pro-drop” language, which means the subject pronoun can be omitted because the verb ending already indicates who is performing the action. For example, “mangio” can only refer to “io” [I], so saying “io mangio” is redundant, although grammatically correct.

What Is the Difference Between “Sapere” and “Conoscere”?

Sapere [to know] is used for information, facts, and acquired skills. Examples: So nuotare [I know how to swim], So che Roma è in Italia [I know that Rome is in Italy]. Conoscere [to know/to be acquainted with] is used for people, places, and things you are familiar with. Examples: Conosco Marco [I know Marco], Conosco bene Firenze [I know Florence well].

When Do You Use “Essere” and When “Avere” as Auxiliary?

Essere [to be] is used with: movement verbs (andare [to go], venire [to come], partire [to leave]), reflexive verbs (lavarsi [to wash oneself], svegliarsi [to wake up]), verbs indicating change of state (nascere [to be born], morire [to die], diventare [to become]). Avere [to have] is used with most transitive verbs (mangiare [to eat], vedere [to see], comprare [to buy]).

How Do I Know Which Preposition to Use?

Unfortunately, there is no universal rule: Italian prepositions often depend on idiomatic usage. However, some general guidelines help: “a” [to/at] for destination and time (vado a Roma [I go to Rome], alle tre [at three]); “di” [of/from] for possession and origin (il libro di Marco [Marco’s book], sono di Milano [I’m from Milan]); “da” [from/by] for provenance and duration (vengo da casa [I’m coming from home], studio da due anni [I’ve been studying for two years]).

Why Does the Article Change Before Different Words?

The Italian article changes for reasons of euphony (pleasant sound). “Lo” and “gli” are used before words starting with s + consonant, z, gn, ps, x, y because they make pronunciation smoother. Before a vowel, “l'” is used to avoid hiatus (the meeting of two vowels).

Are you interested in this topic? Learn more about when to use the article and when not to use it on the dedicated page.

Do pronominal verbs trip you up and fill you with doubts? Turn confusion into confidence with our exclusive course:“Da «Non ce la faccio più» a «Ora me la cavo»: i verbi pronominali in 30 giorni”. With fun, bite-size lessons and targeted practice, you’ll learn to use them naturally in just one month.

Loading quiz…

Exercise: The 220 Most Common Italian Words

Test on essential Italian vocabulary. Put your knowledge to the test on pronouns, verbs, articles, prepositions, and conjunctions. Free exercise for Italian students.

Question 1 of 10

🎧 Listen to all our exclusive podcasts with full transcripts! Join the Academy →

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 48:57 — 112.0MB)

Iscriviti: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podcast Index | TuneIn | Deezer | RSS | Altri...