When learning Italian, it’s essential to know the most common Italian words, phrases and expressions that are widely used by natives in everyday conversations. These are the basis for engaging in a polite and effective conversation. When it comes to variety in ways of expressing yourself, Italian is rich in colourful phrases that will elevate your speech and make you sound more like a native!
As proof of this, not only are there several ways to express gratitude, but also there are countless ways to respond! It’s just as important to know how to express your willingness and pleasure to help someone, as it is to say “grazie” (thank you). That is why you should definitely master the most common words and expressions to say things like “No problem!”, and โYouโre very welcomeโ in Italian, plus how to use them in different contexts.
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Pronti? (Ready?)โฆ Cominciamo! (Letโs get started!)
1. Prego
Pronunciation: preh-goh
Usage: formal/ informal
Example: Grazie per il tuo aiuto! โ Prego! (Thank you for your help! โ Youโre welcome!)
โPregoโ is certainly the most popular and frequently used expression and directly translates to the English โyouโre welcomeโ. Itโs a standard answer used in response to โgrazieโ. โPregoโ in Italian can be used both in formal and informal situations. This means that you might hear native speakers use it in a variety of interactions: with friends, family members, elderly people, doctorsโฆ Basically, any type of exchange regardless of the degree of formality required by the situation.
However, youโll be surprised to see that this versatile little word has many other meanings! Eccoli qua (here they are):
5 ways you can use “Prego”
1. Prego also translates to โpleaseโ and is a polite word that you can use:
- When you hold the door for someone. For instance: Prego, dopo di Lei. (Please, after you.)
- When you invite someone to sit down. For instance: Prego, si sieda. (Please, have a seat.)
Notice how here โpregoโ is used in formal contexts and therefore you must use the โLeiโ form (that is, the formal โyouโ) to address someone.
With the same meaning but in a different (much more informal) context you might hear the expression โTi pregoโ, which translates to โPleaseโ, โI implore youโ, โIโm begging youโ. For example:
- Papร , posso usare la tua macchina? Ti prego! (Dad, can I use your car? Pleeeease!)
2. Another situation where you might hear โpregoโ is from a waiter/waitress or a salesperson when walking in a bar or restaurant or shop. If they greet you with โBuongiorno, prego?โ theyโre asking โHow may I help you?โ or (in the case of the bar/ restaurant) โAre you ready to order?โ. So donโt look so shocked, theyโre not telling you โyouโre welcomeโ, theyโre actually starting a conversation with you ๐
3. The next meaning of โpregoโ weโre going to look at is when it means โGo ahead!โ, which is used as an invitation to speak or give permission to do something after being asked a request. For example,:
- Posso chiederle una cosa? โ Certo, prego. (May I ask you something? โ Sure, go ahead).
In this context, the usage of โpregoโ is quite formal.
4. โPregoโ is also the first person singular of the verb โpregareโ, to pray. โIo pregoโ or just โpregoโ therefore both mean, โI prayโ.
5. And finally, this little but powerful word can be used as a sort of question that you ask when you want the other person to repeat what theyโve just said. As in โPardon?โ, โSorry?โ, โWhat was that?โ, โSorry, I didnโt get thatโ. If your Italian friend is telling you in very fast Italian what their day was like, at some point you might need to stop them and ask to repeat: Prego?
Saying โPrego!โ is the main expression you learn to say โyouโre welcomeโ, but there are so many other, more colourful variations you can use! Keep reading to learn all about them ๐
But first, here is a little task for you! Read the following sentences and try to understand which meaning โpregoโ has in each of them, and translate it into English.
Youโll find the answers at the end of the guide!
- Prego Signori, da questa parte.
- Grazie, sei davvero gentile. โ Prego!
- Buongiorno, prego! โ Salve, vorrei un cappuccino e un cornetto, per favore.
- Sono una persona molto religiosa, prego tutti i giorni.
- Ieri ho cucinato i paccheri al salmone. โ Prego?
- Posso usare il telefono? โ Prego!
2. Di niente! / Di nulla!
Pronunciation: dee nyehn-teh / dee nool-lah!
Usage: formal/ informal
Example: Grazie per la cena! โ Di nulla! (Thank you for dinner! โ It was nothing!)
These phrases literally mean โof nothingโ (โnienteโ and โnullaโ are synonyms that translate to โnothingโ) and they are interchangeable. Theyโre frequently used and quite neutral, that is, like โpregoโ, you can use them in both formal and informal contexts. You can use them to express your willingness to help or do something by saying that there was no inconvenience caused.
3. Ci mancherebbe (altro)
Pronunciation: chee man-keh-reb-beh (al-troh)
Usage: formal/ informal
Example: Grazie, sei un tesoro! โ Ci mancherebbe altro! (Thank you, youโre a sweetheart! โ Donโt even mention it!)
This highly idiomatic expression would translate literally as โthere would miss (something else)โ, which sounds a bit odd in English but it is a popular (albeit less common than โpregoโ and โdi nulla/nienteโ) way Italians use to say โyouโre welcomeโ. It comes from the verb โmancareโ (to miss) but its actual meaning has nothing to do with that. You could translate it as โDonโt even mention itโ, “You’re very welcome” or โIt was a pleasureโ.
โCi mancherebbe (altro)โ is very emphatic and fits in both formal and informal contexts. The word โaltroโ (another/different) doesnโt add anything special to the phrase, so both versions are accepted.
4. Ma ti pare?
Pronunciation: mah tee pah-reh?
Usage: informal
Example: Grazie mille, ti devo un favore! โ Ma ti pare? (Thank you so much, I owe you one! โ Donโt mention it/ No worries!)
The next phrase to say โyouโre welcomeโ in Italian is also very idiomatic, meaning, it canโt be translated literally. It is actually quite hard to find a proper translation in English for this one. How come? Because sometimes Italians use typical expressions whose meaning is clear only to native speakers because theyโre part of the common usage โ but to foreigners, they donโt make any sense! โMa ti pare?โ is one of them! In English, it would translate to something like โbut does it seem to you?โ, because it derives from the verb โparereโ (to seem).
Unlike the previous examples, this expression is mainly used in informal contexts, that is, with friends, peers, and close acquaintances. It fits those situations where a person expresses extreme gratitude and another one responds to it with a high level of enthusiasm for being able to be of assistance or help.
5. Figurati! / Si figuri!
Pronunciation: fee-goo-rah-tee! / see fee-goo-ree!
Usage: informal/ formal
Example: Grazie del regalo. โ Figurati! (Thanks for the present. โ My pleasure/ Anytime/ Donโt mention it!)
The next two expressions used in Italian to say โyouโre welcomeโ come from the verb โfigurarsiโ (to imagine, to figure), but once again they are used figurativamente (figuratively). No pun intended ๐
The informal version, โfiguratiโ, is a much friendlier way to say โpregoโ and conveys the idea of โmy pleasureโ, โhappy to helpโ, โanytimeโ. For instance, if you give your Italian friend a present, you can reply to their โgrazie!โ with a โfigurati!โ.
On the other hand, the formal version, โsi figuriโ, is also friendly but at the same time very polite. For example:
- La ringrazio per il Suo tempo. โ Si figuri. (Thank you for your time. โ Youโre welcome/ My pleasure.)
Like โpregoโ, โfiguratiโ can have different meanings too, depending on the situation where itโs used. Take a look at the following sentences:
- Pensi che lo chiamerรฒ? Figurati! (You think Iโm going to call him? No way!)
- Non viaggia mai nel suo Paese, figurati allโestero. (She never travels in her own country, let alone abroad.)
6. Ma scherzi!
Pronunciation: mah skehr-tsee!
Usage: informal
Example: Grazie per avermi aiutato! โ Ma scherzi! (Thanks for helping me! โ Donโt mention it/ Of course!)
The phrase โMa scherzi!โ (uttered in a tone between a question and an exclamation) is very similar to โMa ti pare?โ, which means itโs used mostly in informal contexts. Itโs a very enthusiastic and emphatic way to express your pleasure to help or do something for someone, such as a friend. The literal translation in English would be โbut you are joking!โ, although itโs used to mean โof course!โ, or โdonโt mention it!โ.
7. Nessun problema
Pronunciation: nes-soon proh-bleh-mah
Usage: formal/ informal
Example: Grazie per il consiglio. โ Nessun problema! (Thank you for the advice. โ No problem!)
The next one is another common phrase Italians use to say โyouโre welcomeโ. Unlike some of the previous expressions weโve seen so far, the meaning of โnessun problemaโ can be literally translated to โno problemโ. It conveys the idea that giving help or assistance to someone didnโt cause you any inconvenience. This phrase is actually the shortened form of โnon cโรจ nessun problemaโ, meaning โthereโs no problemโ.
Attenzione! (Careful!) If youโre a beginner in Italian you would probably translate the English โno problemโ with โno problemaโ in Italian, which is a very common mistake. However, the word โnoโ in Italian is not used in these kinds of expressions, but only as a reply to a question. Check my guide to see the most deadly mistakes Italian beginners make!
8. Piacere mio / ร stato un piacere
Pronunciation: pee-ah-cheh-reh mee-oh / eh stah-toh oon pee-ah-cheh-reh
Usage: formal
Example: Grazie per essere venuti. โ ร stato un piacere (Thank you all for coming. โ It was a pleasure.)
Another way to say โyouโre welcomeโ in Italian is with โpiacere mioโ (my pleasure) or its variation โรจ stato un piacereโ (it was a pleasure), which conveys the idea of you enjoying assisting or doing something for someone, as in โI donโt/ didnโt mind helping, in fact, I am/ was happy to!โ.
Remember that โรจ stato un piacereโ refers to the past, so itโs only really appropriate to use it when the act of helping has already taken place. These expressions are both quite formal, so you wonโt hear them very often in informal contexts, such as among friends.
9. Assolutamente
Pronunciation: ah-ssoh-loo-tah-mehn-teh
Usage: informal
Example: Grazie per avermi invitato. โ Assolutamente. (Thanks for inviting me. โ Absolutely)
This word is used to say โyouโre welcomeโ in Italian. It is quite informal and translates to the English word โabsolutelyโ, which can be used as an adverb in other kinds of sentences too. For example: Non รจ assolutamente vero! (This is absolutely not true!)
10. Non c’รจ di che
Pronunciation: nohn cheh dee keh
Usage: formal
Example: Grazie per lโinformazione. โ Non cโรจ di che (Thank you for the information. โ Anytime/ Donโt mention it.)
Last but not least is โNon c’รจ di cheโ, a more colourful way to say โyouโre welcomeโ in Italian. โNon cโรจ di cheโ is very idiomatic and therefore impossible to translate directly into English (literally, it means something like โthere isnโt of whatโ). It is quite formal and very polite.
Conclusion
Now that youโve learned all the common ways Italians say โyouโre welcomeโ, go, and be creative! Next time your Italian friends express their gratitude, practice these alternative expressions to add variety to your speech (and remember, try not to use โpregoโ all the time!).
Notice how many of the phrases above are used figuratively and not literally. It might be hard at first to know when to use these idiomatic expressions but the more you practice and immerse yourself in the language, the sooner youโll master them and youโll sound like a real native speaker!
P.S. Here are the answers from the exercises in the first section where you learned about โPregoโ.
Here is the meaning of โpregoโ alongside each sentence:
- Prego Signori, da questa parte. (Meaning: Please)
- Grazie, sei davvero gentile. โ Prego! (Meaning: Youโre welcome)
- Buongiorno, prego! โ Salve, vorrei un cappuccino e un cornetto, per favore. (Meaning: What can I get you? / Ready to order?)
- Sono una persona molto religiosa, prego tutti i giorni. (Meaning: I pray)
- Ieri ho cucinato i paccheri al salmone. โ Prego? (Meaning: What was that? / Sorry?)
- Posso usare il telefono? โ Prego! (Meaning: Go ahead)
Now you know all the ways to “you’re welcome”, watch these videos to learn how to say “thank you” and “please” in Italian like a native!
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Over to you!
Which of these phrases do you use the most to say “you’re welcome”? Which one is your favourite? Let me know using the comments section below or join me on social media to start a conversation.
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