Italian is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, with about 60 million native speakers and 20 million second-language speakers. It is the second most widely spoken Romance language after Spanish.
Italian is descended from Vulgar Latin, which was spoken in the Roman Empire. It began to diverge from Latin in the 9th century, and by the 14th century, it had become a distinct language.
Italian is considered to be a beautiful and melodic language. It is known for its rich vocabulary, expressive gestures, and operatic tradition.
Here are some basic Italian phrases:
- Ciao: Hello
- Buongiorno: Good morning
- Buonasera: Good evening
- Buonanotte: Good night
- Arrivederci: Goodbye
- Grazie: Thank you
- Prego: You're welcome
- Scusi: Excuse me
- Mi scusi: I'm sorry
- Per favore: Please
- Sì: Yes
- No: No
- Non capisco: I don't understand
- Parlo italiano: I speak Italian
- Dov'è il bagno?: Where is the bathroom?
- Quanto costa?: How much does it cost?
- Vorrei un caffè: I would like a coffee
- Vorrei una pizza: I would like a pizza
- Mi chiamo [your name]: My name is [your name]