Work in progress! Native speakers are still checking every phrase. Spot something off? Tell us.
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Italian · 10 phrases

The Basics

The first-hour survival kit — the words you'll hear within minutes of landing and reach for a hundred times a day. Master "cazzo," "che palle," and "mamma mia" and you can already keep up with an Italian in mild distress. We've flagged which ones are truly safe and which just sound it.

Cavolo! KAH-vo-lo Darn! / Shoot! / The clean stand-in for cazzo. Figo! FEE-go Cool! / Awesome! / Sick! Mamma mia! MAHM-mah MEE-ah Oh my! / Good heavens! / Wow! Porca miseria! POR-kah mee-ZEH-ryah Dammit! / For heaven's sake! Che palle! kay PAHL-lay What a pain in the ass! / So annoying!
Merda! MEHR-dah Shit! / Damn it! Minchia! MEEN-kyah Holy shit! / Wow! / Damn! Cazzo! KAHT-tso Fuck! / Damn! / The all-purpose Italian curse. Che cazzo?! kay KAHT-tso What the fuck?! Stronzo! STRON-tso Asshole! / Bastard!