Quick Tips: How To Call Someone In Italian
We are starting a new series in the blog called “Quick Tips” with the aim of helping those coming to Italy on holiday. The first article in our series is aimed at making a call in Italy, which we know can be quite daunting for those who don’t speak Italian. However, it is quite useful to have at the very least, a basic knowledge of certain phrases, especially when booking restaurants or calling a taxi. 
While you certainly can ask your hotel (like us!) to make a call for you, just in case of emergency situations, you may want to try calling someone locally on your own. Just keep this post handy and you should be just fine.
In Italian when people pick up the phone they say “pronto” which literally means “ready”. The best way to answer is to offer a simple “ciao, io sono….” – “hello I am” and include your name, if you are looking for someone than you would want to say “vorrei parlare con…” (I want to speak with”. Occasionally you can say “salve” which is a more formal version of hello. You can also ask “Con chi parlo?” or “Chi lo desidera?” which means “whom am I speaking with?”. If someone calls you, you can answer in Italian by saying “Pronto, sono Amanda”, “Hi, I am Amanda.”
If you ask for someone and they are not present, you may hear this “Non può venire al telefono ora, posso prendere un messaggio”. “He/she cannot come to the telephone, Can I take a message?”
You may hear “Mi senti?” if the line isn’t perfect which basically is – “Can you hear me?”, obviously “Sì” (yes) and “no” are the appropriate responses. Also remember to use “Parli più lentamente, per favore.” – Speak slower please, if you can’t understand what they are saying. You can also ask if they speak English by saying “parla inglese?”.
You also might hear “Attenda prego or Resti in linea” which means “wait on the line”.
Dial the wrong number? No problem! Just say ” Scusi, ho sbagliato numero” which is “Excuse me, I called the wrong number”.
To make a reservation for dinner “Vorrei prenotare un tavolo per (number of people) stasera”.
To reiterate that you will talk to someone later, “Ti richiamo più tardi” = I’ll call you back later.
To end a phone call you can say ‘La ringrazio” (thank you in a formal way) or “grazie mille” in an informal way.
The Guardian offers these useful tips for calling a cab, and everything in between.
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