Ready to be on your best behavior? After this free Rocket Italian lesson you’ll be able to say "thank you", "sorry" and "excuse me" in Italian, and use other polite Italian words and phrases with confidence.
You’ll also know how to express your appreciation when someone is being helpful to you.
We want you to feel comfortable around native speakers right from the start, and a few courteous expressions can go a long way when you’re a beginner. We’ll show you the difference between formal and informal expressions, so you can be sure you’re using the right tone for the situation.
Listen carefully to the audio and practice saying the Italian phrases aloud – you’ll have these mastered in no time! Just as in your native language, speaking to Italian-speaking people in a polite manner will win you friends and gain you respect, so it’s worth making the effort!
Resources for further reading:
Let's get started...
Rocket Record lets you perfect your Italian pronunciation. Just listen to the native speaker audio and then use the microphone icon to record yourself. Once you’re done, you’ll get a score out of 100 on your pronunciation and can listen to your own audio playback. (Use a headset mic for best results.) Problems? Click here!
Mi scusi
Excuse me (formal)
Scusa
Excuse me (casual)
Le chiedo perdono
Excuse me (very polite)
Mi dispiace
Sorry
Mi dispiace di questo
I'm sorry about that
La ringrazio dell’aiuto
Thank you for your help (formal)
Grazie dell’aiuto
Thanks for your help (casual)
Grazie mille
Thanks a lot
Grazie tante
Many thanks
Prego
You're welcome
È molto gentile
You are very kind (formal)
Sei molto gentile
You are very kind (casual)
Use all of the above phrases liberally, and you’ll find that people will treat you well.
That’s it for this lesson. If you want more lessons on Italian salutations then I recommend that you check out the following:
A presto!
Maria DiLorenzi and the Rocket Italian Team
Reinforce your learning from this lesson with the Rocket Reinforcement activities!