Reacting in Conversation
Public
•
November 10, 2026
Generating pronunciation audio...
This might take a moment. Feel free to explore other parts of the set in the meantime.
0
Listen & review
Add at least 2 Voca cards to unlock Listen & review and practice with audio.
Short expressions and spoken fillers Italians use to react in everyday conversation with friends:
- Surprise, joy and relief: Davvero?, Ma dai!, Che bello!, Meno male!
- Sympathy, agreement and reassurance: Che peccato!, Appunto!, Figurati!, Ci mancherebbe!
- Doubt, impatience and spoken fillers: Macché!, Uffa!, Boh!, cioè, insomma
Listen closely to the intonation in the examples, since tone of voice gives these short reactions much of their meaning.
Voca cards
1.
Davvero?
Really?, Seriously?
Davvero cambi lavoro il mese prossimo? Non me l'aspettavo proprio!
Are you really changing jobs next month? I didn't expect that at all!
2.
Che bello!
That's great!, How nice!
Che bello, finalmente questo fine settimana andiamo al mare insieme!
That's great, we're finally going to the beach together this weekend!
Stays 'Che bello!' even when you react to feminine or plural things.
3.
Meno male!
Thank goodness!, Thankfully!
Meno male che hai preso l'ombrello, guarda che temporale!
Thank goodness you brought an umbrella, look at that storm!
Followed by 'che' when you add what you are relieved about.
4.
Che peccato!
What a shame!, Too bad!
Che peccato che tu non possa venire alla cena di stasera!
What a shame you can't make it to dinner tonight!
Often shortened to just 'Peccato!'.
5.
Mi dispiace.
I'm sorry.
Mi dispiace tanto che il tuo cane non stia bene.
I'm so sorry your dog isn't feeling well.
Used mainly to show sympathy for bad news or a real problem; to apologise for a small everyday mistake, 'Scusa' is more natural.
6.
Magari!
I wish!, If only!
Magari! Sarebbe bellissimo passare il Capodanno in montagna insieme a voi.
I wish! It would be amazing to spend New Year's Eve in the mountains with you guys.
Used to react with strong hope or enthusiasm ('I wish!', 'I'd love to!'), even though inside a statement 'magari' often just means 'maybe'.
7.
Dai!
Come on!
Dai, non fare quella faccia, vedrai che andrà tutto bene!
Come on, don't make that face, you'll see everything will be fine!
Can urge someone on, comfort them, or show mild impatience, depending on your tone of voice.
8.
Ma dai!
No way!, Get out of here!
Ma dai, sul serio hai incontrato il tuo ex al supermercato?
No way, did you seriously run into your ex at the supermarket?
Adding 'ma' turns 'Dai!' into an exclamation of surprise or amused disbelief.
9.
Non ci credo!
I can't believe it!, I don't believe it!
Non ci credo, hai trovato due biglietti per il concerto di stasera!
I can't believe it, you found two tickets for tonight's concert!
10.
Ma va'!
Not at all!, Come on!
Ma va', non sei affatto in ritardo, sono appena arrivata anch'io!
Come on, you're not late at all, I just got here myself!
Short for 'Ma va' là!'. Used to brush off what the other person just said as untrue or exaggerated.
11.
Esatto!
Exactly!, That's right!
Esatto, è proprio quello il ristorante di cui ti parlavo ieri!
Exactly, that's the very restaurant I was telling you about yesterday!
12.
Appunto!
Exactly!, Precisely!
Appunto, anch'io dicevo che è meglio prenotare il treno prima di venerdì.
Exactly, I was also saying it's better to book the train before Friday.
Stronger than 'Esatto!': it confirms that the other person has just backed up the exact point you were making.
13.
Figurati!
→ figurarsi
Don't mention it!, No problem!
Figurati, per me non è nessun disturbo passarti a prendere in stazione!
Don't mention it, it's no trouble at all for me to pick you up at the station!
From 'figurarsi'. Used with 'tu' to say 'don't mention it, no problem at all'.
14.
Ci mancherebbe!
Of course!, It's the least I can do!
Ci mancherebbe, dopo tutto quello che hai fatto per me ti aiuto volentieri!
Of course, after everything you've done for me, I'm happy to help you!
Literally 'that would be missing': a warm way to say 'of course, it's the least I can do'.
15.
Hai voglia!
You bet!, Plenty!
Hai voglia, c'è ancora tantissima pasta, siediti pure a mangiare con noi!
You bet, there's still a ton of pasta left, go ahead and sit down to eat with us!
Despite containing 'voglia' (desire), as a reaction it means 'plenty!' or 'and how!'.
16.
Macché!
Hardly!, Far from it!, No way!
Macché riposato, ho lavorato tutto il fine settimana senza fermarmi un attimo!
Far from rested, I worked all weekend without stopping for a second!
Used at the start of a reply to reject what the other person just assumed.
17.
Mamma mia!
Oh my goodness!, Good grief!
Mamma mia, quanta gente c'è in centro oggi, non si riesce neanche a camminare!
Oh my goodness, downtown is so crowded today, you can't even walk!
18.
Uffa!
Ugh!
Uffa, piove di nuovo e avevo appena steso i panni sul balcone!
Ugh, it's raining again and I just hung the laundry out on the balcony!
19.
Boh!
Beats me!, Who knows?, Dunno!
Boh, Marco non risponde ai messaggi, non so proprio dove sia finito.
Beats me, Marco isn't answering his texts, I really don't know where he went.
Very informal, usually said with a shrug. For a more thoughtful 'who knows?', Italians say 'Mah!'.
20.
cioè
I mean, that is
La serata è andata bene, cioè, il film era noioso ma dopo siamo andati a mangiare una pizza.
The evening went well, I mean, the movie was boring, but afterward we went out for pizza.
Used as a spoken filler to clarify, adjust or soften what you just said.
21.
diciamo che
let's say, let's just say
Diciamo che il nuovo capo è simpatico, ma pretende davvero troppo da tutti.
Let's just say the new boss is nice, but he expects way too much from everyone.
A polite filler ('let's say that...') used to introduce a diplomatic or not-so-positive opinion.
22.
insomma
anyway, basically, in short
Insomma, dopo mille discussioni abbiamo deciso di rimandare il viaggio a settembre.
Anyway, after endless discussions, we decided to postpone the trip until September.
At the start of a sentence it sums things up ('in short, well'); on its own as an answer, 'Insomma...' means 'so-so'.