Embarking on the journey of learning a new language like Italian is exciting! At the A1 level, the focus is on building a foundational vocabulary that allows you to understand and use basic phrases for everyday situations. This vocabulary is the bedrock upon which you'll build your fluency.

In our online Italian courses and Italian classes in Chennai, we prioritize practical, communicative vocabulary from day one. This comprehensive list covers key categories essential for the A1 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).

Let's dive into the first Italian words and phrases you should learn!

Saluti e Frasi Base (Greetings and Basic Phrases)

Getting started means being able to say hello, goodbye, thank you, and ask basic questions.

• Ciao (informal): Hello / Hi / Goodbye
• Buongiorno: Good morning (until lunch)
• Buon pomeriggio: Good afternoon (from lunch to sunset)
• Buonasera: Good evening (from sunset onwards)
• Buonanotte: Good night (used when going to bed)
• Salve (formal/neutral): Hello / Hi (can be used any time, safer than Ciao if unsure)
• Arrivederci (formal): Goodbye
• Come stai? (informal): How are you?
• Come sta? (formal): How are you?
• Sto bene, grazie.: I'm well, thank you.
• Non c'è male.: Not bad.
• Sì: Yes
• No: No
• Grazie: Thank you
• Prego: You're welcome / Please (when offering something)
• Scusi (formal) / Scusa (informal): Excuse me / Sorry
• Mi scusi (formal) / Scusami (informal): Excuse me / Sorry (more specifically "forgive me")
• Per favore / Per piacere: Please
• Parli inglese?: Do you speak English?
• Non capisco.: I don't understand.
• Può ripetere, per favore?: Can you repeat, please? (Formal)
• Come ti chiami? (informal): What's your name?
• Come si chiama? (formal): What's your name?
• Mi chiamo...: My name is...
• Piacere!: Nice to meet you!

Example: Buongiorno! Come sta? Sto bene, grazie. E Lei? (Good morning! How are you? I'm well, thank you. And you?)
Example: Ciao Marco! Come stai? Non c'è male. (Hi Marco! How are you? Not bad.)

Numeri (Numbers)

Counting is essential for prices, time, dates, and quantities.

Practice saying these numbers aloud. Pay attention to pronunciation!

Example: Ho venti anni. (I am twenty years old.)
Example: Due caffè, per favore. (Two coffees, please.)

L'alfabeto (The Alphabet)

Knowing the Italian alphabet is useful for spelling names and places.

The letters J (i lunga), K (cappa), W (doppia vu), X (ics), Y (ipsilon) are not native to Italian and are only found in loanwords.

Example: Il mio nome è M-A-R-C-O. (My name is M-A-R-C-O.)

Giorni, Mesi e Stagioni (Days, Months, and Seasons)

Talking about dates and time is fundamental.

I giorni della settimana (Days of the week)

• lunedì: Monday
• martedì: Tuesday
• mercoledì: Wednesday
• giovedì: Thursday
• venerdì: Friday
• sabato: Saturday
• domenica: Sunday

Days of the week are not capitalized in Italian unless at the beginning of a sentence.

Example: Oggi è lunedì. (Today is Monday.)

I mesi dell'anno (Months of the year)

• gennaio: January
• febbraio: February
• marzo: March
• aprile: April
• maggio: May
• giugno: June
• luglio: July
• agosto: August
• settembre: September
• ottobre: October
• novembre: November
• dicembre: December

Months are not capitalized in Italian unless at the beginning of a sentence.

Example: Il mio compleanno è a giugno. (My birthday is in June.)

Le stagioni (Seasons)

• la primavera: Spring
• l'estate: Summer
• l'autunno: Autumn/Fall
• l'inverno: Winter

Note the articles (la, l') used before the seasons.

Example: Mi piace l'estate. (I like summer.)

Colori (Colors)

Colors are adjectives, so they agree in gender and number with the noun they describe.

• rosso / rossa / rossi / rosse: red
• blu (invariant): blue
• verde / verdi: green
• giallo / gialla / gialli / gialle: yellow
• nero / nera / neri / nere: black
• bianco / bianca / bianchi / bianche: white
• arancione / arancioni: orange
• rosa (invariant): pink
• viola (invariant): purple
• marrone / marroni: brown
• grigio / grigia / grigi / grigie: grey

Most colors change ending (-o, -a, -i, -e). Some ending in -e (like verde, arancione, marrone) only have singular and plural forms (-e, -i). A few (like blu, rosa, viola) are invariant.

Example: Ho una penna rossa. (I have a red pen.)
Example: Compro due maglie verdi. (I buy two green sweaters.)

Aggettivi Comuni (Common Adjectives)

Simple adjectives to describe things and people.

Remember adjectives agree with the noun's gender and number!

• bello / brutto: beautiful / ugly
• grande / piccolo: big / small
• buono / cattivo: good / bad
• felice / triste: happy / sad
• nuovo / vecchio: new / old
• facile / difficile: easy / difficult
• interessante: interesting
• simpatico / antipatico: nice/likeable / unpleasant
• stanco: tired
• contento: happy/pleased

Example: È un film interessante. (It's an interesting film.)
Example: Maria è molto simpatica. (Maria is very nice.)
Example: Sono stanco/stanca. (I am tired - masculine/feminine)

La Famiglia (The Family)

Basic words to talk about family members.

• il padre / la madre: father / mother
• il genitore / i genitori: parent / parents
• il figlio / la figlia: son / daughter
• il fratello / la sorella: brother / sister
• il nonno / la nonna: grandfather / grandmother
• il nipote / la nipote: grandson / granddaughter / nephew / niece
• lo zio / la zia: uncle / aunt
• il cugino / la cugina: male cousin / female cousin
• il marito / la moglie: husband / wife

Example: Ho un fratello e una sorella. (I have one brother and one sister.)
Example: Questo è mio padre. (This is my father.)

Oggetti Comuni (Common Objects)

Words for everyday items you might encounter.

Pay attention to the article (il/lo/la/l'/i/gli/le) to learn the gender!

• il libro: book
• la penna: pen
• la matita: pencil
• il tavolo: table
• la sedia: chair
• la casa: house / home
• l'appartamento: apartment
• la porta: door
• la finestra: window
• la macchina / l'auto: car
• il telefono: telephone
• il cellulare: mobile phone
• la chiave: key
• la borsa: bag / purse
• il quaderno: notebook
• il computer: computer
• lo zaino: backpack
• l'orologio: watch / clock

Example: Dove sono le chiavi? (Where are the keys?)
Example: Ho un libro interessante. (I have an interesting book.)

Luoghi e Posti (Places)

Words for places you might go in a city.

• la città: city
• il paese: town / village / country
• la piazza: square
• la strada: street
• il negozio: shop / store
• il supermercato: supermarket
• il mercato: market
• il ristorante: restaurant
• il bar: cafe / bar
• l'albergo: hotel
• il museo: museum
• la stazione: station (train, bus)
• l'aeroporto: airport
• la banca: bank
• l'ufficio postale: post office
• la scuola: school
• l'università: university

Example: Andiamo al ristorante stasera. (We're going to the restaurant tonight.)
Example: La stazione è vicina. (The station is near.)

Cibo e Bevande (Food and Drink)

Essential words for ordering and talking about food.

• l'acqua: water
• il caffè: coffee
• il latte: milk
• il tè: tea
• il succo di frutta: fruit juice
• il vino: wine
• la birra: beer
• il pane: bread
• la pasta: pasta
• la pizza: pizza
• la frutta: fruit
• la verdura: vegetables
• la carne: meat
• il pesce: fish
• il formaggio: cheese
• il dolce / i dolci: dessert / sweets

Example: Vorrei un caffè, per favore. (I would like a coffee, please.)
Example: Mi piace la pizza. (I like pizza.)

Verbi Essenziali (Essential Verbs - Infinitives)

These are the base forms (infinitives) of the most common verbs at A1. Knowing their conjugations (Essere and some irregulars are key!) is crucial, but the infinitive itself is vocabulary.

• essere: to be
• avere: to have
• parlare: to speak
• mangiare: to eat
• bere: to drink
• dormire: to sleep
• andare: to go
• fare: to do / to make
• stare: to stay / to be (well, location)
• venire: to come
• uscire: to go out / to exit
• entrare: to enter
• leggere: to read
• scrivere: to write
• capire: to understand
• volere: to want
• potere: to be able to / can
• dovere: to have to / must
• preferire: to prefer
• vedere: to see
• sentire: to hear / to feel

Check out our other blog posts linked in the sidebar for conjugation help with key A1 verbs like essere, avere, and common irregulars.

Example: Voglio imparare l'italiano. (I want to learn Italian.)
Example: Dove andiamo? (Where are we going?)
Example: Posso aiutarti? (Can I help you?)

Parole Interrogative (Question Words)

These help you ask for information.

• Chi?: Who?
• Cosa? / Che cosa? / Che?: What?
• Dove?: Where?
• Quando?: When?
• Perché?: Why? / Because
• Come?: How?
• Quanto? (masc. sing.) / Quanta? (fem. sing.) / Quanti? (masc. plur.) / Quante? (fem. plur.): How much? / How many?

Example: Chi è questo? (Who is this?)
Example: Cosa fai? (What are you doing?)
Example: Quando arrivi? (When are you arriving?)
Example: Quanto costa? (How much does it cost?)

Preposizioni Semplici (Simple Prepositions)

Connectors that show relationships between words (location, origin, etc.).

• di: of / from
• a: to / at
• da: from / by / at the house of
• in: in / to (countries, regions, large places)
• con: with
• su: on / upon
• per: for / through
• tra / fra: between / among / in (future time)

These often combine with articles (il, la, i, le etc.) to form articulated prepositions (e.g., di + il = del). This is a topic for further study, but knowing the simple forms is the first step.

Example: Vengo da Roma. (I come from Rome.)
Example: Vado al cinema. (I go to the cinema - a + il = al)
Example: Siamo in Italia. (We are in Italy.)

Come Imparare Efficacemente il Vocabolario (How to Learn Vocabulary Effectively)

Memorizing lists is a start, but using words is key. Here are some tips:

• Flashcards: Use physical or digital flashcards (like Anki or Quizlet) to test yourself regularly.
• Use them in sentences: Don't just learn the word; try to use it in a simple sentence immediately.
• Label objects: Put sticky notes on things in your home with their Italian names.
• Listen and repeat: Pay attention to how native speakers pronounce the words and mimic them.
• Review consistently: Little and often is more effective than cramming.
• Use context: Try to learn words within phrases or sentences, not just in isolation.
• Engage actively: Join interactive classes where you can practice speaking and using the new words naturally.

Learning vocabulary is an ongoing process, but mastering these foundational A1 words will give you a strong base to start building simple sentences and understanding basic conversations.

Ready to Expand Your Italian Vocabulary?

Building a solid vocabulary is just the first step. To truly learn Italian, you need to combine vocabulary with grammar and, most importantly, practice speaking and listening.

At Sprachlingua, our courses are designed to help you integrate new vocabulary into fluent communication from the beginner level. Whether you prefer online flexibility or in-person learning in Chennai, our focus on interactive, research-backed methods makes learning Italian effective and enjoyable.

Take the next step in your Italian journey!

Happy learning and *In bocca al lupo*!