Italian · Neighbours · Elementary

Small talk phrases in Italian

Greet with “Buongiorno” or “Buonasera”, then pick a light topic. The weather works anywhere: “Che bella giornata, vero?” or “Oggi fa molto freddo”. Neighbours may ask “A che piano abita?” or “Da quanto tempo abita qui?”. Use Lei until they suggest tu, and finish with “Buona giornata”.

Try it · about two minutes

You share the lift with a neighbour and fill the ride with a few friendly words about the weather.

Sound on: the neighbour speaks Italian. You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.

The conversation

Neighbour
Come sta oggi?
How are you today?
You
Bene, grazie. E lei?
Fine, thanks. And you?
Neighbour
Che caldo oggi!
It’s so hot today.
You
Sì, davvero. Non si respira.
Yes, really. It’s stifling.
Neighbour
A che piano abita?
Which floor do you live on?
You
Al quarto piano.
On the fourth floor.
Neighbour
Da quanto tempo abita qui?
How long have you lived here?
You
Vivo qui da sei mesi.
I’ve lived here for six months.
Neighbour
Le piace stare qui?
Do you like living here?
You
Sì, mi piace molto.
Yes, I like it a lot.
The lift stops at your floor and the doors open.
You
È stato un piacere parlare con lei.
It was nice talking to you.

Key phrases

Che bella giornata, vero?
Lovely day, isn’t it?
Oggi fa molto freddo.
It’s very cold today.
Piove di nuovo.
It’s raining again.
Come sta oggi?
How are you today?
Bene, grazie. E lei?
Fine, thanks. And you?
A che piano abita?
Which floor do you live on?
Da quanto tempo abita qui?
How long have you lived here?
Vivo qui da sei mesi.
I’ve lived here for six months.
Abito qui da poco.
I’ve only just moved in.
È stato un piacere parlare con lei.
It was nice talking to you.

Good to know in Italy

Lei, not tu

With a neighbour

Come sta oggi?

How are you today?

With friends

Ciao, come stai?

Hi, how are you?

Use Lei with neighbours you don’t know well, especially older ones. Switch to tu when they suggest it.

A ride in the lift

1
Say buongiorno or buonasera as you step in.
2
Pick a light topic: the weather, the building, the weekend.
Lovely day, isn’t it?
3
Say goodbye at your floor: buona giornata.

Counting floors

Il piano terra is the ground floor, and il primo piano is one floor up. Lift buttons usually mark the ground floor with T or 0.

More situations in Italian

All situations in Italian

Keep these phrases in Frasa

Frasa is an iPhone app for the conversations in front of you. Save phrases like these, rehearse them out loud, and they come back until they stick.

Download on the App Store (opens the App Store in a new tab)

AI-generated. May be inaccurate.