November 2015

Italian jobs: talking about your profession in Italian

October 7, 2025November 30, 2015 by Coffee Break Languages

One fun and important part of introducing yourself in a new language is chatting about your work life! In this blog post, we’re going to dive into the world of “Italian jobs” and explore how Italians and other Italian speakers talk about their professions.

We’ll also share some handy vocabulary and phrases that will help you discuss your own career and connect with others. As usual, don’t forget to listen to the podcast episode to learn how to pronounce this new vocabulary!

Talking about what you do in Italian

The most common way to start a conversation about Italian jobs with someone is by asking Che lavoro fai? which translates to What work do you do? and is the informal way to ask. For formal situations, you would use Che lavoro fa? addressing someone with Lei, the formal you.

The verb fare to do is crucial here. Let’s look at its conjugation in the present tense:

In addition, you could use the verb lavorare to work, which is fundamental for discussing what you do for a living, especially if you want to specify your workplace. To ask Where do you work? you say Dove lavori? (informal) or Dove lavora? (formal).

Let’s have a look at the present tense conjugation of the verb lavorare:

Once you know these verbs, you can express where you work or what you do for a living. For example:

faccio il cameriere / la cameriera I am a waiter / I am a waitress
faccio il dottore / faccio la dottoressa I am a (male) doctor / I am a (female) doctor
lavoro in un ufficio I work in an office
loro lavorano in un ospedale they work in a hospital

Finally, when discussing Italian jobs, you can use the verb essere to be. This is a simpler structure, translating directly to “I am a [job]”. You can use the indefinite article (a/an) or omit it:

sono insegnante or sono un insegnante I am a teacher

Common Italian job titles

To expand your “Italian jobs” vocabulary, here’s a list of common professions:

l’avvocato/l’avvocata lawyer
il panettiere/la panettiera baker
il meccanico/la meccanica mechanic
l’architetto/l’architetta architect
l’ingegnere/l’ingegnera engineer
il giornalista/la giornalista journalist
l’artista/l’artista artist
il farmacista/la farmacista pharmacist

This list provides a good starting point for discussing various professions in Italian. Remember to pay attention to the masculine and feminine forms, as they are an important aspect of Italian grammar.

By mastering these phrases and vocabulary, you’ll be well-equipped to discuss “Italian jobs” and engage in conversations about work in Italian. This not only enhances your language skills but also provides valuable insight into Italian culture.

But would you know how to say you like your job in Italian? Or would you know how to talk about your likes in the language? If not, make sure to check the blog post we prepared on how to say ‘I like in Italian’!

Episode 17 – Season 4 – Coffee Break Spanish

February 17, 2025November 25, 2015 by Coffee Break Languages

In the latest lesson of our course, we join Carmen and read her letter which includes further details of the dramatic events which occurred in the Bay of Portals in 1949. As usual the text features many complex grammar points and interesting idiomatic expressions, and these are discussed by our hosts.

Learn how to introduce yourself in Italian and talk about yourself

October 4, 2025November 23, 2015 by Coffee Break Languages

Learning how to introduce yourself in Italian is a fundamental step when starting your language journey. Whether you’re travelling to Italy, meeting Italian-speaking friends or just exploring a new language, knowing how to confidently say who you are, where you’re from, and a little about yourself is essential.

In this lesson, we will explore how to introduce yourself in Italian. This is based on a structured lesson from Coffee Break Italian, which you can listen to for more insight into pronunciation and additional tips by pressing play on the button below!

How to introduce yourself in Italian – the basics!

The first step in introducing yourself is by greeting someone in Italian. If you want to make it more personal, follow up with your name using the structure Sono [name]. I am [name]. Once you’ve introduced yourself, it’s polite to ask for the other person’s name using the formal or informal version of the question:

Come ti chiami? What is your name? (informal)
Come si chiama? What is your name? (formal)

After that, you might want to ask or add a question to the person you are speaking to. Doing that is simple; you can just use the structure Sono di [place]. E tu? I am from [place]. And you?. If you’re visiting temporarily, you might say:

Sono qui in vacanza. I am here on holiday.
Sono qui per lavoro. I am here for work.

Talking about your family

Now that you know the basics of how to introduce yourself in Italian, we can move on to talking about yourself and talking more about your family is a natural extension of introducing yourself. To do that, here are a couple of useful phrases:

Hai fratelli o sorelle? Do you have brothers or sisters? (informal)
Sì, ho due fratelli. Yes, I have two brothers.

Ho tre figli: due figli e una figlia. I have three children: two sons and a daughter.
Mio figlio ha quattordici anni e mia figlia ha dieci anni. My son is 14 and my daughter is 10.

Talking more about your Italian learning

In Italian, you can use the present continuous form to describe temporary actions. For example:

Sto imparando l’italiano da nove mesi. I have been learning Italian for nine months.
Sto cercando un giornale. I am looking for a newspaper

Sharing what you do

When introducing yourself, one common topic of conversation is discussing your work or studies. In Italian, you can effectively convey this information by mentioning your current job or, if you are a student:

Che lavoro fai? What work do you do? (informal)
Lavoro come [profession]. I work as a [profession].
Sto lavorando in Italia. I am working in Italy.
Sono qui per studio. I am here for my studies.

And there you have it! You now know how to introduce yourself in Italian! By practising the phrases and tips in this blog post, you’ll not only feel more confident but also build meaningful connections with Italian speakers.

To learn more professions in Italian, read the blog post and listen to the episode we prepared on the subject!

Episode 16 – Season 4 – Coffee Break Spanish

February 24, 2025November 11, 2015 by Coffee Break Languages

In this lesson of Coffee Break Spanish we listen to the response from Jesús to Carmen’s latest email. As usual the episode is rich in idiomatic expressions and complex grammar points. Mark and Carmen are on hand to discuss the Spanish used in this episode.

Learn how to answer the phone in Italian

July 14, 2025November 9, 2015 by Coffee Break Languages

Do you know how to answer the phone in Italian? Booking a table or calling the receptionist at your hotel stay can be an amazing way to put this vocabulary into practice and improve your language skills.

In this blog post, we’ll cover the basics of answering the phone in Italian, including common phrases, etiquette tips and practice scenarios. Press play and listen to the podcast to get the nuances of pronunciation!

How to answer the phone in Italian? – Common phrases

If you are wondering how to answer the phone in Italian, here are some common phrases you might use:

Pronto? Hello? – This is the most common way
Ciao! Hi/Hello! – You can use this one as an informal greeting when answering calls from friends or family. Use it only when you know in advance the identity of the caller.

Moreover, you can use the basic greetings in Italian – like buongiorno/buon giorno and buonasera/buona sera.

Introducing yourself over the phone

After the initial greeting, it’s usually a good idea to introduce yourself. This helps the caller know who they are speaking with. Here are some examples:

Sono … This is…

If you don’t recognise the caller’s voice, asking who is calling is polite. The most common way of doing this is:

Chi parla? Who is speaking?

You can ask then ‘disturbo?’ as in ‘Am I disturbing you?’. If the person says no, non disturba affatto no, you are (formal) not disturbing at all, then you can say ‘vorrei parlare con …’ and add the name of the person.

If you want to talk to someone specifically but they are not there, you are likely to hear something like mi dispiace non c’è I’m sorry s/he’s not here or non è disponibile al moment she’s/he’s not available at the moment.

Saying goodbye on the phone

Now that you know how to answer the phone in Italian, how about learning how to say goodbye and end the call? Let’s check some common phrases:

Arrivederci. Goodbye.
Buona giornata. Have a good day.
Ci sentiamo presto. We’ll talk soon.
A presto. See you soon.

Knowing how to answer the phone in Italian may seem daunting at first, but with practice and the right phrases, you can handle any call with confidence. From common greetings and introductions to polite endings, this quick guide provides you with the tools you need to master phone etiquette in Italian.

So, next time your phone rings, pick it up with confidence and say, ‘Pronto?’! If you want to learn how to talk more about yourself in Italian, check you the article we prepared on the theme for you!

Alphabet in Italian and the present tense: a beginner’s guide

September 27, 2025November 2, 2015 by Coffee Break Languages

Learning a new language is such an exciting adventure, and Italian is definitely no exception! If you’re just starting out, two key things to focus on are the alphabet in Italian and the present tense of regular verbs.

In this post, we will explore the Italian alphabet and dive into conjugating regular -are verbs in the present tense. Plus, we’ll touch on some useful grammar points to help you get started. As always, be sure to check out the podcast episode to hear how everything is pronounced.

The alphabet in Italian

The alphabet in Italian derives from the Latin alphabet and consists of 21 letters with some additional letters borrowed from foreign words. But what does that mean? Well, unlike English, it does not include the letters J, K, W, X, and Y as part of its core alphabet.

Let’s take a closer look at the pronunciation of the letters:

A (a)
B (bi)
C (ci)
D (di)
E (e)
F (effe)
G (gi)
H (acca)
I (i)
L (elle)
M (emme)
N (enne)
O (o)
P (pi)
Q (cu)
R (erre)
S (esse)
T (ti)
U (u)
V (vu/vi)
Z (zeta)

Foreign Letters:

J (i lunga)
K (kappa)
W (vu doppia, doppia vu, or vi doppia, doppia vi)
X (ics)
Y (ipsilon or i greca)

It is important to note that foreign letters are usually found in proper nouns, foreign loanwords, and abbreviations.

Spelling words in Italian becomes straightforward once you become familiar with the pronunciation of each letter. You can practise this skill by spelling your name, numbers, body parts in Italian – or anything really.

Common phrases using the alphabet in Italian

Learning the alphabet in Italian opens up a world of possibilities for asking and answering questions about spelling. Here are some examples of phrases you might need:

Come si scrive? How do you spell it?
Si scrive… It’s spelt…
E poi? And then?

Conjugating verbs in the Italian present tense

Now that we’ve explored the alphabet, let’s move on to verbs. In Italian, verbs are divided into three groups based on their endings: -are, -ere, and -ire. For this lesson, we’ll focus on -are verbs, which are among the most common and versatile.

Conjugating a verb in Italian means modifying its ending to match the subject. Here’s the pattern for regular –are verbs in the present tense:

Let’s take a closer look at some examples that illustrate the use of verbs ending in -are. These verbs are commonly found in Italian and are essential for constructing sentences that convey various actions and states.

Parlo un po’ di italiano. I speak a little Italian.
Parli francese? Do you speak French?
Mio padre mangia pasta. My father eats pasta.
Cantano una canzone. They sing a song.

Practical applications of learning the alphabet in Italian and the present tense

Learning the alphabet in Italian and present tense verbs opens the door to various practical applications. For example, with this knowledge and the knowledge you’ve been building, you will be able to introduce yourself in Italian, describe your activities and ask questions!

Additionally, these skills not only help with pronunciation and communication but also lay the groundwork for more advanced topics in Italian grammar. As you continue your language journey, remember to practice regularly and incorporate these basics into your daily conversations, like chatting on the phone.

To learn vocabulary, especially for talking on the phone in Italian, check out the blog post and episode we prepared on the subject!