You have read the beginner lessons on Italian greetings, introductions, and making plans, and now you want your mouth to keep up with your memory. This page is a rehearsal space, not a course: you speak every line yourself, out loud, and answer the follow-up turn before checking anything. The phrases and patterns below come from the three lessons on hello and goodbye, introducing yourself, and making plans, so you are practising language and patterns you have already met rather than new material. Work through the three scenarios in order, and if a line feels clumsy, repeat the same turn until it comes out without reading.
Warm up your voice with the phrases and patterns you already know
Before the scenarios, read these lines aloud twice each, copying the rhythm rather than the spelling. Greetings: Buongiorno, buonasera, ciao, salve, arrivederci. Note that Buongiorno and Buonasera are polite, Ciao is casual, Salve is neutral and not normally used as a goodbye, and Arrivederci is polite. Introductions: Mi chiamo Marco, Sono Marco, Sono italiano, Vengo dagli Stati Uniti, Di dove sei? (informal), Di dov'è? (formal). Note that Mi chiamo and Sono are full introductions, not isolated verbs, and that Di dove sei? is informal while Di dov'è? is formal. Planning: Ti va di prendere un caffè?, Ti andrebbe di uscire sabato? (softer and more tentative), Che ne dici di + day + alle + time (for example, Che ne dici di venerdì alle otto?), Sì, volentieri!, Mi dispiace, ma non posso, Possiamo fare + day (for example, Possiamo fare lunedì prossimo?). Say them at a normal speaking speed, not a reading speed. If you stumble, slow down only that phrase and repeat it three times, then return to full speed. The goal of this warm-up is not perfection but availability: when a scenario starts, you want these chunks and patterns to arrive without a search.
When the other person changes the plan
The turn that most often needs rehearsal is not the first invitation but the reply that moves the plan. In the lesson dialogue, one speaker suggests tomorrow at five, the other declines with Mi dispiace, ma domani non posso, and immediately offers Possiamo fare giovedì? That is the shape to rehearse: a short apology, a clear no, and a concrete alternative with a day. Practise saying the refusal without trailing off, then land the alternative as a full question. If the other person then asks A che ora?, you need a time ready, and if they ask Dove?, you need a place. The source dialogue supplies Alle sei, davanti al bar in piazza as a model. Prepare one day, one time, and one meeting point before you start, so the harder turn has somewhere to go instead of stalling.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Buongiorno
Good morning / Hello (polite, morning to early afternoon)
bwohn-JOHR-noh
Buonasera
Good evening / Hello (polite, from late afternoon onward)
bwoh-nah-SEH-rah
Ciao
Hi / Bye (casual)
CHAH-oh
Salve
Hello (neutral, slightly formal)
SAHL-veh
Ciao, mi chiamo Marco.
Hi, my name is Marco.
CHOW, mee KYAH-moh MAR-koh
Buongiorno, mi chiamo Laura.
Good morning, my name is Laura.
bwon-JOR-noh, mee KYAH-moh LOW-rah
Sono americano/a.
I am American.
SOH-noh ah-meh-ree-KAH-noh/nah
Vengo dagli Stati Uniti.
I come from the United States.
VEN-goh dahl-yee STAH-tee oo-NEE-tee
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Buongiorno, signora. Come sta?
Good morning, ma'am. How are you?Buongiorno. Sto bene, grazie. E Lei?
Good morning. I am well, thank you. And you? (polite)Molto bene, grazie. Arrivederci.
Very well, thank you. Goodbye.Arrivederci. Buona giornata!
Goodbye. Have a good day!Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Morning greeting at a small shop
It is ten in the morning and you walk into a small neighbourhood shop. The shopkeeper looks up from the counter. You want to greet her politely, ask how she is, and say goodbye when you leave with your purchase.
Your task: Say your greeting aloud first, using Buongiorno or Salve. Then add the polite how-are-you question from the lesson: Buongiorno, come sta? Then answer as the shopkeeper would, using the source dialogue line: Buongiorno. Sto bene, grazie. E Lei? Close the exchange with a polite goodbye and a wish for a good day, using the source forms: Arrivederci. Buona giornata! Speak all four turns yourself, changing your voice slightly for each speaker so you hear the exchange as a conversation rather than a list.
Introducing yourself to a new classmate
You are at the first meeting of a language class. A classmate your own age turns to you and says: Ciao! Mi chiamo Giulia. E tu? You want to give your name, say where you are from, and ask the same question back.
Your task: Answer Giulia aloud with your name, using Mi chiamo or Sono. Then add your origin using the source pattern Sono italiano/a, di + city or Vengo dagli Stati Uniti. Then ask her where she is from, using the informal form Di dove sei? When she answers, react to what she said before the conversation moves on, using a source reaction such as Che bello! or a simple acknowledgement. Keep the whole exchange informal, the way the lesson dialogue does, and say each line at conversational speed rather than spelling it out in your head.
Inviting a friend and rescuing a declined plan
A friend you see regularly is free this week, and you want to suggest coffee together. You have Saturday afternoon and Monday evening available, and you prefer the café in the square. Your friend is likely to be busy on the first day you suggest.
Your task: Open with an informal invitation, using Ti va di prendere un caffè? or Ti andrebbe di uscire sabato? Suggest a specific day and time using Che ne dici di + day + alle + time. Be ready to hear a refusal. When the refusal comes, apologise briefly, give your no clearly, and offer Monday evening as an alternative with a time and a place, using the source forms Mi dispiace, ma non posso and Possiamo fare + day, and a time and place such as alle sei, davanti al bar in piazza. Then confirm the final plan out loud, using Sì, giovedì va bene or Ti va bene? Speak both roles yourself, and make the alternative specific rather than vague.
Common questions
Do I need a partner to practise these conversations?
No. Speaking both roles yourself, with a small change of voice for each speaker, gives you the full turn-taking practice. A partner helps later, once the lines already come out without reading.
Should I use ciao or buongiorno with a shopkeeper I see every week?
The lesson treats buongiorno as the safe polite choice with shop staff, and salve as a neutral option. Ciao is reserved for people you address with tu, and the lesson says to avoid it with strangers, elders, and in very formal service situations. If the shopkeeper has started using ciao with you first, following their lead is reasonable.
What if I cannot remember the phrase for the follow-up turn?
Say the part you do remember and keep the turn moving, then repeat the whole scenario once more after checking the lesson. Repeating the same scenario beats starting a new one with the same gap.
Sources and further reading
- italian: hello and goodbyeChecked September 2026
- italian: introduce yourselfChecked September 2026
- italian: make plansChecked September 2026
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