Italians love it when visitors try their language, and they'll tell you so. This lesson shows you how to say you're learning, how to ask for a word, and how to answer a compliment on your Italian.

Tocca a te

After a few sentences, Signor Greco says to Karen Ma Lei parla benissimo! What is he saying, and what could she answer?

The main idea

Talking about your Italian

Sto imparando l'italiano.
I'm learning Italian.
Parlo solo un po' d'italiano.
I only speak a little Italian.
Come si dice in italiano?
How do you say it in Italian?
Può parlare più piano?
Could you speak more slowly?
Scusi il mio italiano!
Sorry about my Italian!
Ho capito.
Got it.

Sto imparando is I'm learning, right now and these days. imparando is eem-pa-RAN-do; può is one syllable, pwo, and più is pyoo. piano has two syllables, PYAH-no, and the h of ho is silent: ho sounds like o.

Answering a compliment

Parla benissimo!
You speak really well!
Grazie, ma faccio ancora molti errori.
Thanks, but I still make lots of mistakes.

In benissimo (beh-NEES-see-mo), the stress falls on -is-; in faccio (FAT-cho), cc before i is a long ch sound and the i is silent.

Karen tries to say something about the cathedral:

Karen: Il Duomo è molto… come si dice… alto?
The cathedral is very… how do you say… tall?
Greco: Alto, sì! E anche antico.
Tall, yes! And old, too.
Karen: Ah, ho capito! Scusi il mio italiano, sto imparando.
Oh, got it! Sorry about my Italian, I'm learning.
Greco: Ma Lei parla benissimo!
But you speak really well!
Karen: Grazie, ma faccio ancora molti errori.
Thanks, but I still make lots of mistakes.

Quick check

Tocca a te

Karen doesn't know the Italian word for something. What does she ask?

Tocca a te

Complete: I'm learning Italian.

Sto l'italiano.
Tocca a te

Someone says Parla benissimo! What's a modest answer?

Tocca a te

A woman speaks too fast for you. Tell her you're learning Italian, and ask her to speak more slowly.

Take with you

Sto imparando l'italiano.
I'm learning Italian.
Parlo solo un po' d'italiano.
I only speak a little Italian.
Come si dice in italiano?
How do you say it in Italian?
Può parlare più piano?
Could you speak more slowly?
Scusi il mio italiano!
Sorry about my Italian!
Parla benissimo!
You speak really well!
Grazie, ma faccio ancora molti errori.
Thanks, but I still make lots of mistakes.
Ho capito.
Got it.

Sto imparando: say it, and every Italian becomes your teacher.