If you’d like to say “very good” in Italian, you’d generally say “molto bene.” That said, there are some common informal and/or slang expressions that convey the same idea:
- benissimo
- che bello
- che fico
- fantastico
Each conveys a sense of goodness, greatness, niceness, or excellence.
Although the use of the expression “molto bene” and its synonyms may seem a little intimidating, most new learners tend to get used to the right choice of words naturally. With practice, and as you absorb the language, switching between “molto bene” and something like “che fico” begins to feel effortless.
When learning Italian, it’s helpful to start with picking up some of the most common words and phrases and then trying to replicate the infamous Italian accent—perfecting_, mi dispiace, buongiornio, bruschetta, basta, prego,_ and more. Some may be coming back to Italian after having studied it in school or having been exposed to the language while traveling. Whatever your reasons are for taking on Italian, you should definitely consider a language-learning program built with your goals in mind.
Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion® methodology teaches you to speak the language, not just memorize the words. What makes it so effective is that we prepare you to use your new language in your everyday life. So it’s not just about the features, but what you’re able to do because of them. That way, you’ll be ready to handle any situation with ease and confidence.
Learn Italian Words and Phrases
Many people are concerned about the commitment needed to learn Italian. But really, there’s no need to be. That’s because Rosetta Stone breaks up the learning journey into brief, 10-minute lessons—so you can fit Italian language lessons into your life, not fit your life around language lessons. Whether you’re taking a short break from watching the kids, or driving to work, Rosetta Stone language lessons are designed to fit into your daily life. Rosetta Stones will lead you step-by-step in your journey to learning to understand and speak Italian with confidence.
One of the first features you’ll notice is the frequent use of double consonants. You will encounter this again and again in popular words, including the words anno and pizza and the name Alessandra. But even though every Italian word is enunciated a bit differently, there is a general rule of thumb when it comes to pronouncing words with double consonants: Deemphasize the vowel that precedes the double consonants.
Another notable characteristic of Italian pronunciation relates to the letter c. You may be familiar with the Spanish pronunciation of the letter c which is often spoken as an s sound. In contrast, the letter c in Italian can have a hard ch sound, like you hear in the English word “change.”
It’s important to note that the Italian letter c is pronounced differently in other contexts. The Italian letter c can sound like an English c and very similar to the k sound, as you hear in English words like car, can, cat, call, company, Carol, campus, California, and code. You’ll hear this same k sound in Italian words. Of note, the words will include one of these vowels; a, o, or u. Examples of these Italian words with a c that sounds like a k include capra, Capri, Campari, cannoli, and campione.
Honing your Italian pronunciation requires that you receive real-time and accurate feedback. Rosetta Stone embeds our patented TruAccent™ speech-recognition engine into every Italian language lesson. It provides precise and instant feedback to help you match your pronunciation and accent with that of fluent Italian speakers. From there, you will want to practice until you get a feel for how to shape the sounds of the Italian language.
After you have learned basic Italian words and phrases, you can move onto learning the longer phrases that make up so much of everyday conversation. Rosetta Stone’s lessons are built to help you learn in exactly this way—structuring vocabulary acquisition in context with real-world situations. Rosetta Stone’s proven and practical approach to language learning can help you confidently speak Italian.