For this phrasebook, we use the polite form for all phrases, on the presumption that you’ll mostly be talking to people you don’t already know.

Hello.
Buon giorno. (bwohn JOHR-noh)
Hello. (informal)
Ciao. (chow)
How are you?
Come stai? (informal)(koh-meh STAI?), Come sta? (formal)(koh-meh STAI?)
Fine, thank you.
[...]

Pronunciation is relatively easy in Italian since most words are pronounced exactly how they are written. Unless accented, words are normally pronounced with the emphasis on the second to last syllable. Double consonants tend to affect how the preceding vowel is pronounced; e.g. in “sono” (I am) the “o” is pronounced like the “o” in [...]

Italian is the official language of Italy, San Marino and the Swiss Canton Ticino and the southern valleys of Graubunden. It is a co-official language in Istria and the coastal region of Slovenia. Furthermore, it is the de facto primary language of the Vatican City and is widely used and understood in Monaco, Corsica and [...]