Language in Venice
What language is spoken in Venice? Will they understand me in the restaurants if I only speak English?
The official language spoken in Venice and the rest of Italy is Italian, although Venetian is also spoken in the Veneto region.
Even though English is spoken in most hotels and restaurants, you might find some of the following words and expressions in Italian to be useful during your stay in Venice.
Courtesy
- Hello/bye
- Ciao
- Bye
- Arrivederci
- Good morning
- Buon giorno
- Good afternoon
- Buona sera
- Good night
- Buona notte
- Welcome
- Benvenuto
- Please
- Per favore
- Thank you
- Grazie
- You're welcome
- Prego
- Sorry/excuse me
- Scusi
Useful Expressions
- Yes
- Si
- No
- No
- Maybe
- Forse
- What?
- Che cosa?
- When?
- Quando?
- Why?
- Perchè?
- Where?
- Dove?
- A lot
- Molto
- A little
- Poco
- Too much
- Troppo
- All
- Tutto
- Nothing
- Niente
- Do you speak English?
- Parla inglese?
- I don't understand
- Non capisco
Numbers in Italian
- Zero
- Zero
- One
- Uno
- Two
- Due
- Three
- Tre
- Four
- Quattro
- Five
- Cinque
- Six
- Sei
- Seven
- Sette
- Eight
- Otto
- Nine
- Nove
- Ten
- Dieci
Days of the week
- Monday
- Lunedi
- Tuesday
- Martedi
- Wednesday
- Miercoledi
- Thursday
- Giovedi
- Friday
- Venerdi
- Saturday
- Sabato
- Sunday
- Domenica
At a restaurant
- Do you have a table for?
- Avete una tavola per...?
- I would like to book
- Vorrei riservare
- Today's special
- Piatto del giorno
- Cutlery
- Coperto
- Starters
- Antipasti
- The bill, please
- Il conto, per favore
- Butter
- Burro
- Squid
- Calamari
- Lamb
- Castrado
- Onion
- Cipolla
- Vegetable garnish
- Contorno di verdure
- Ribs
- Cotoletta
- Mussels
- Cozze
- Fruit cake
- Crostata
- Dessert
- Dolce
- Liver
- Fegato
- Cheese
- Formaggio
- Strawberries
- Fragole
- Omelette
- Frittata
- Seafood
- Frutti di mare
- Mushrooms
- Fungí
- Prawns
- Gamberi
- Shrimps
- Gamberoni
- Ice cream
- Gelato
- Salad
- Insalata
- Pork
- Maiale
- Apple
- Mela
- Mustard
- Mostarda
- Hazelnut
- Nocciola
- Nut
- Noce
- Oysters
- Ostriche
- Peppers
- Paperoni
- Fish
- Pesce
- Chicken
- Pollo
- Tomato
- Pomodoro
- Mushrooms
- Porcini
- Rice
- Riso
- Risotto
- Risotto
- Veal escalope
- Saltimbocca
- Cream
- Panna
- Bakery
- Pasticceria
- Peppers
- Paperoni
- Cuttlefish
- Seppia
- Sole
- Sogliola
- Truffles
- Tartufi
- Tuna
- Tonno
- Trout
- Trota
- Egg
- Uovo
- Veal
- Vitello
- Clams
- Vongole
- Sugar
- Zucchero
- Soup
- Zuppa
Curiosity
The word “ciao” derives from the old Venetian greeting “s’ciavo” (meaning “slave”, excluding “your”), which was used as a referential approach to another interlocutor. From “s’ciavo” to “s’ciao”, this word finally became “ciao”. Nowadays, it is one of the best-known Italian words in the world.