Italian for Long-Distance Friends: Video Chats and Making Plans
Learn elementary Italian to keep a long-distance friendship alive: propose a video call, say you miss hanging out, and agree on a time and day.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
When a close friend lives in another city or country, you need Italian for a specific job: proposing a video call, saying you miss spending time together, and fixing a day and time. This lesson gives you short, natural phrases for chat messages and calls. You will use the informal tu with friends, and you will see how Italians often say missing the person or the time together rather than a literal translation of 'hanging out'.
By the end, you can…
- propose a video call to a friend in Italian.
- say that I miss seeing or spending time with someone.
- suggest and agree on a day and time for a call.
- use informal tu forms and common time expressions.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Ci sentiamo presto in videochiamata?
Shall we talk soon on a video call?
chee sen-TYA-mo PREH-sto in vee-deh-okya-MA-ta
Informal and common in messages; ci sentiamo literally means 'we hear each other', used for 'let's keep in touch'.
Mi manca passare del tempo con te.
I miss spending time with you.
mee MAN-ka pas-SA-reh del TEM-po kon teh
Mi manca + noun or infinitive means 'I miss...'. With a plural person, use mi mancano, e.g. mi mancano i miei amici.
Facciamo una videochiamata sabato?
Shall we do a video call on Saturday?
fat-CHA-mo OO-na vee-deh-okya-MA-ta SA-ba-to
Facciamo...? is a friendly way to suggest a plan. Days of the week take no article here.
Per me va bene alle otto.
Eight o'clock works for me.
per meh va BEH-neh AL-leh OT-to
Va bene means 'it's fine / it works'. Alle otto means 'at eight'. Use alle for clock times.
Ti va se ci vediamo online?
Do you feel like meeting online?
tee va seh chee veh-DYA-mo on-LINE
Ti va...? is very common and informal for 'do you feel like...?'. Ci vediamo means 'we see each other / let's meet'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To suggest a call, use Facciamo...? or Ti va...? plus an infinitive or noun: Facciamo una videochiamata? / Ti va di sentirci domenica? To accept, say Va bene or Per me va bene. To give a time, use alle + number: alle sette, alle nove e mezza. To say you miss something, use mi manca + singular noun or infinitive: Mi manca parlare con te. With plural things, the verb changes: Mi mancano le nostre chiacchierate.
When to use it
Use these phrases with friends, close classmates and relatives you address with tu. In a work or formal context, switch to Lei and softer formulas: Le andrebbe bene una videochiamata? / Possiamo sentirci online? Also note that Italians often write ci sentiamo or ci vediamo as a friendly closing meaning 'let's be in touch / see you'. For a fixed appointment, a more neutral option is fissare una videochiamata, 'to set up a video call'.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Ciao! È da tanto che non ci sentiamo. Ti va una videochiamata questo fine settimana?
Hi! We haven't talked in a long time. Do you feel like a video call this weekend?CHOW eh da TAN-to keh non chee sen-TYA-mo tee va OO-na vee-deh-okya-MA-ta KWEH-sto FEE-neh set-tee-MA-naSì, volentieri! Mi manca passare del tempo con te. Quando?
Yes, gladly! I miss spending time with you. When?see vo-len-TYEH-ree mee MAN-ka pas-SA-reh del TEM-po kon teh KWAN-doFacciamo domenica alle sei? Oppure lunedì sera, se preferisci.
Shall we do Sunday at six? Or Monday evening, if you prefer.fat-CHA-mo do-meh-NEE-ka AL-leh SAY op-PU-reh loo-neh-DEE SEH-ra seh preh-feh-REE-sheeDomenica alle sei va bene. Ci sentiamo in videochiamata!
Sunday at six works. Talk to you on the video call!do-meh-NEE-ka AL-leh SAY va BEH-neh chee sen-TYA-mo in vee-deh-okya-MA-taA little context goes a long way
In informal Italian, ci sentiamo and ci vediamo work as warm closings meaning 'let's be in touch' and 'see you', even when no exact time is fixed. For appointments, Italians often name the day first and then the time: domenica alle sei. If you need to be more formal, use the Lei form Le andrebbe bene...? instead of Ti va...?
One thing to watch for
Translating 'I miss you' as Ti manco or using mancare in the wrong direction.
Try this instead: The person you miss is the subject in Italian: Mi manchi means 'I miss you'. For an activity, use Mi manca + infinitive: Mi manca uscire con te. For several people or things, use the plural verb: Mi mancano i miei amici.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you informally ask a friend, 'Shall we do a video call on Saturday?'
Show a sample answer
Facciamo una videochiamata sabato?
Facciamo...? introduces a friendly suggestion, and sabato needs no article. Ti va una videochiamata sabato? is also correct and slightly more conditional in tone.
2Say 'I miss spending time with you' to one friend.
Show a sample answer
Mi manca passare del tempo con te.
Mi manca takes a singular infinitive phrase here. If you miss the person directly, say Mi manchi; if you miss several things, use Mi mancano.
3Suggest Monday at eight and check if it works.
Show a sample answer
Facciamo lunedì alle otto? Ti va?
Lunedì names the day, alle otto gives the clock time, and Ti va? asks if it suits the other person. Per te va bene lunedì alle otto? is another natural option.
Keep long-distance friendship alive in Italian with three moves: propose with Facciamo...? or Ti va...?, say Mi manca + infinitive, and fix the plan with a day plus alle + time.
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