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!