Italian phrases for your Italy trip

No. English works in hotels, big stations and tourist restaurants in Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan. But in small towns, markets, trattorias and local transport, Italian carries the day. Start every conversation with Buongiorno and a smile - it changes how people treat you.

We mark five at the top: Buongiorno (hello), Per favore (please), Grazie (thank you), Parla inglese? (do you speak English?) and Sono vegetariano (I am vegetarian). With these plus pointing, a family manages almost every situation on a first trip.

Say Sono vegetariano (I am vegetarian), then Senza carne e pesce (without meat and fish). For stricter needs add Senza cipolla e aglio (without onion and garlic) and ask whether soups and risotto use brodo di carne (meat stock). Our Italy food guide lists the dishes that are safe and the traps to check.

It is one of the easiest: Italian is spoken almost as written, with open vowels close to Hindi. Watch three letters: c before e or i sounds like ch (ciao = chow), gn sounds like the ny in canyon (gnocchi = NYOK-kee), and gli sounds like lyi (famiglia). Our as-it-sounds column covers each phrase.

Enormously. Even a clumsy Buongiorno and Grazie earn warmth, patience and often better service, especially outside the big cities. Say the greeting first, then ask Parla inglese? - most people will happily switch to English from there.