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100 Essential Italian Phrases for Work (With Pronunciation Guide)
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Langera Team
June 1, 2026
100 Essential Italian Phrases for Work (With Pronunciation Guide)
The problem with most Italian phrase lists is that they were written for tourists. You will find plenty of "where is the nearest pharmacy" and "can I have the bill please" — but very little that helps you survive an actual working day in Italy.
This list is different. These are phrases organised by real workplace situations, written for people who work in Italy or work alongside Italian speakers. Each phrase is followed by a pronunciation guide written phonetically, without requiring you to know the International Phonetic Alphabet.
How to Read the Pronunciation Guide
Italian pronunciation is consistent — the same letters almost always make the same sounds. A few rules to know first:
- c before e or i sounds like "ch" in "church" — ciao is "chow"
- c before a, o, u sounds like "k" — casa is "KAH-zah"
- g before e or i sounds like "j" — giorno is "JOR-no"
- gl sounds like "ly" — figlio is "FEEL-yo"
- gn sounds like "ny" — bagno is "BAN-yo"
- z at the start of a word usually sounds like "ts" — zero is "TSEH-ro"
- Double consonants are held slightly longer — palla vs pala
- Every syllable is pronounced — importante has four syllables: im-por-TAN-te
At the Start of Your Shift
| Italian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Buongiorno, sono pronto per iniziare. | Good morning, I am ready to start. | bwon-JOR-no, SO-no PRON-to per ee-nee-TSYA-re |
| A che ora inizia il mio turno? | What time does my shift start? | ah ke O-ra ee-NEE-tsya eel MEE-o TUR-no |
| Chi è il responsabile oggi? | Who is the manager today? | kee eh eel res-pon-SAH-bee-le OD-jee |
| Devo timbrare qui? | Do I need to clock in here? | DE-vo teem-BRAH-re kwee |
| Dove metto le mie cose? | Where do I put my things? | DO-ve MET-to le MEE-e KO-ze |
| Il mio turno finisce alle diciotto. | My shift ends at six. | eel MEE-o TUR-no fee-NEE-she AL-le dee-CHOT-to |
Talking to Your Supervisor
| Italian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Ho capito, grazie. | I understood, thank you. | o ka-PEE-to, GRAT-sye |
| Può ripetere più lentamente? | Can you repeat more slowly? | pwò ree-pe-TE-re pyoo len-ta-MEN-te |
| Non ho capito bene. | I didn't quite understand. | non o ka-PEE-to BE-ne |
| Ho un problema, può aiutarmi? | I have a problem, can you help me? | o un pro-BLE-ma, pwò ah-yoo-TAR-mee |
| Devo chiedere un giorno di permesso. | I need to request a day off. | DE-vo KYE-de-re un JOR-no dee per-MES-so |
| Posso cambiare turno questa settimana? | Can I swap shifts this week? | POS-so kam-BYA-re TUR-no KWES-ta set-tee-MA-na |
| Quando arriva il prossimo rifornimento? | When does the next delivery arrive? | KWAN-do ar-REE-va eel PROS-see-mo ree-for-nee-MEN-to |
| Ho finito il lavoro assegnato. | I have finished the assigned work. | o fee-NEE-to eel la-VO-ro as-sen-YA-to |
With Colleagues
| Italian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Puoi coprire la mia pausa? | Can you cover my break? | PWOI ko-PREE-re la MEE-a PAU-za |
| Ti aiuto subito. | I will help you right away. | tee ah-YOO-to SOO-bee-to |
| Facciamo insieme? | Shall we do it together? | fat-CHA-mo een-SYME-e |
| Ci vediamo dopo. | See you later. | chee ve-DYA-mo DO-po |
| Hai finito con quello? | Have you finished with that? | ai fee-NEE-to kon KWEL-lo |
| Dove lo metto? | Where do I put it? | DO-ve lo MET-to |
| Hai bisogno di aiuto? | Do you need help? | ai bee-ZON-yo dee ah-YOO-to |
| Attento, è pesante. | Careful, it is heavy. | at-TEN-to, eh pe-ZAN-te |
With Customers or Clients
| Italian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Buongiorno, come posso aiutarla? | Good morning, how can I help you? | bwon-JOR-no, KO-me POS-so ah-yoo-TAR-la |
| Mi dispiace, questo prodotto è esaurito. | I am sorry, this product is out of stock. | mee dees-PYA-che, KWES-to pro-DOT-to eh e-zau-REE-to |
| Posso verificare in magazzino? | Can I check in the warehouse? | POS-so ve-ree-fee-KA-re een ma-gad-DZEE-no |
| Accettiamo carta e contanti. | We accept card and cash. | at-chet-TYA-mo KAR-ta e kon-TAN-tee |
| Vuole lo scontrino? | Would you like the receipt? | VWOH-le lo skon-TREE-no |
| L'ordine arriverà entro domani. | The order will arrive by tomorrow. | lor-DEE-ne ar-ree-ve-RAH EN-tro do-MA-nee |
| Mi scusi per l'attesa. | I am sorry for the wait. | mee SKOO-zee per lat-TE-za |
| Posso parlare con il responsabile? | Can I speak to the manager? | POS-so par-LA-re kon eel res-pon-SAH-bee-le |
Handling Problems
| Italian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| C'è un problema con la macchina. | There is a problem with the machine. | che un pro-BLE-ma kon la MAK-kee-na |
| La cassa non funziona. | The till is not working. | la KAS-sa non foon-TSYO-na |
| Ho fatto un errore nell'ordine. | I made a mistake with the order. | o FAT-to un er-RO-re nel-lor-DEE-ne |
| Dobbiamo chiamare l'assistenza. | We need to call for assistance. | dob-BYA-mo kya-MA-re las-sees-TEN-tsa |
| Manca del materiale. | Material is missing. | MAN-ka del ma-te-RYA-le |
| Il sistema è lento oggi. | The system is slow today. | eel sees-TE-ma eh LEN-to OD-jee |
| Non riesco ad aprire il file. | I cannot open the file. | non RYES-ko ad a-PREE-re eel FEE-le |
Health and Safety
| Italian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Attenzione, il pavimento è bagnato. | Careful, the floor is wet. | at-ten-TSYO-ne, eel pa-vee-MEN-to eh ban-YA-to |
| Indossa sempre il casco in cantiere. | Always wear your helmet on site. | een-DOS-sa SEM-pre eel KAS-ko een kan-TYE-re |
| Ho bisogno di guanti. | I need gloves. | o bee-ZON-yo dee GWAN-tee |
| Devo segnalare un incidente. | I need to report an incident. | DE-vo sen-ya-LA-re un een-chee-DEN-te |
| Non mi sento bene. | I do not feel well. | non mee SEN-to BE-ne |
| Dov'è il pronto soccorso? | Where is the first aid? | do-VEH eel PRON-to sok-KOR-so |
For Healthcare Workers
| Italian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Il paziente ha la febbre alta. | The patient has a high fever. | eel pa-TSYEN-te a la FEB-bre AL-ta |
| Devo controllare i parametri vitali. | I need to check the vital signs. | DE-vo kon-trol-LA-re ee pa-RA-me-tree vee-TA-lee |
| Ha allergie a qualche farmaco? | Do you have allergies to any medication? | a al-ler-JEE-e a KWAL-ke FAR-ma-ko |
| Chiamo il medico subito. | I will call the doctor immediately. | KYA-mo eel ME-dee-ko SOO-bee-to |
| Il turno di notte inizia alle ventidue. | The night shift starts at ten. | eel TUR-no dee NOT-te ee-NEE-tsya AL-le ven-tee-DOO-e |
| Devo aggiornare la cartella clinica. | I need to update the medical file. | DE-vo ad-jor-NA-re la kar-TEL-la KLEE-nee-ka |
Breaks and End of Shift
| Italian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Faccio pausa tra dieci minuti. | I am taking a break in ten minutes. | FAT-cho PAU-za tra DYE-chee mee-NOO-tee |
| Torno subito. | I will be right back. | TOR-no SOO-bee-to |
| Ho finito il turno. | I have finished my shift. | o fee-NEE-to eel TUR-no |
| Ci vediamo domani. | See you tomorrow. | chee ve-DYA-mo do-MA-nee |
| Buona serata a tutti. | Good evening everyone. | BWOH-na se-RA-ta a TOOT-tee |
| Ho straordinari fino alle venti. | I have overtime until eight. | o stra-or-dee-NA-ree FEE-no AL-le VEN-tee |
A Note on Formal vs Informal Italian
In Italian workplaces, the choice between formal (Lei) and informal (tu) matters more than in many other languages. As a general rule:
- Use Lei (formal) with supervisors, managers, clients and customers you are meeting for the first time
- Use tu (informal) with colleagues once you have established a working relationship
- When in doubt, start formal — an Italian will invite you to use tu when it is appropriate
The formal versions of phrases use Lei instead of tu: "Come stai?" becomes "Come sta?" and "Puoi aiutarmi?" becomes "Può aiutarmi?" — a small change that makes a significant difference in how you are perceived professionally.