Italian language basics for Rome

A short list of words and phrases that genuinely improve a trip to Rome.

At the bar

Un caffè (espresso), un cappuccino, un cornetto (croissant), il conto (the bill). Al banco means at the counter — always cheaper than sitting down.

At the restaurant

Il menù (the menu), il conto per favore (the bill please), è delizioso (it's delicious), senza [ingredient] (without [ingredient]). Scusi is the polite way to get a waiter's attention.

Getting around

Dov'è [place]? (Where is [place]?), a destra (right), a sinistra (left), dritto (straight ahead), la fermata (the stop — bus or metro). Quanto costa? (How much does it cost?).

General courtesy

Buongiorno (good morning, until about 1pm), buonasera (good evening), grazie (thank you), prego (you're welcome/please/after you — extremely versatile), mi dispiace (I'm sorry).

The phrases that matter most in practice

Beyond 'grazie' and 'per favore,' the single most useful phrase for a visitor is genuinely 'Parla inglese?' (Do you speak English?) asked politely before launching into English — the small courtesy of asking first, rather than assuming, is noticed and appreciated even when the answer is yes.

Formal versus informal address

Italian distinguishes formal ('Lei') from informal ('tu') address — as a visitor, defaulting to formal with shopkeepers, waiters and anyone you don't know well is the safer, more respectful choice, even though get-by tourist Italian rarely requires you to conjugate verbs correctly enough for it to matter grammatically.