Italian · Greetings & Essentials

"How do you say…?" in Italian: Come si dice…?

Come si dice…?

Say it: KOH-meh see DEE-chehphrase/ˈko.me si ˈdi.tʃe/

How do you say…? in Italian is Come si dice…? Fill the blank with the English word or idea: Come si dice "blanket" in italiano?

In class

Come si dice "pillow" in italiano?
How do you say "pillow" in Italian?
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How to pronounce Come si dice…?

Say it

KOH-meh see DEE-cheh

/ˈko.me si ˈdi.tʃe/

Come is KOH-meh. Si is see. Dice is DEE-cheh.

"How do you say…?" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
Come si dice…?How do you say…?

Core learner question.

Come si dice in italiano?How do you say it in Italian?

When the word is clear.

Come si dice questa cosa?How do you say this thing?

Pointing at an object.

Scusa, come si dice…?Sorry, how do you say…?

Softer with tu.

How to use Come si dice…? in real life

  1. 1In class

    Come si dice "pillow" in italiano?

    How do you say "pillow" in Italian?

    Full Come si dice…?

  2. 2At the market

    Scusa, come si dice questo ortaggio?

    Sorry, how do you say this vegetable?

    Come si dice + object.

  3. 3Chat with a friend

    Come si dice "I'm tired" in modo naturale?

    How do you say "I'm tired" naturally?

    Come si dice for a phrase.

Mistakes English speakers make with Come si dice…?

Incorrect: Come tu dici…?

Correct: Come si dice…?

The set learner phrase uses si dice.

Incorrect: How do you say… in English mid-Italian.

Correct: Come si dice…?

Use the Italian frame.

Good to know

Come si dice…? is the survival question of every language exchange. Italians answer with the word and often a quick example sentence. Address friends as tu; with strangers add scusi.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Learning food words

  1. ChatPal

    Vuoi sapere i nomi dei dolci?

    Want to know the names of the desserts?

  2. You

    . Come si dice "pastry" qui?

    Yes. How do you say "pastry" here?

  3. ChatPal

    Dipende. Come si dice spesso "pasticcino".

    It depends. People often say "pasticcino".

  4. You

    Ok. E come si dice "slice" per la torta?

    Ok. And how do you say "slice" for the cake?

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"How do you say…?" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "How do you say…?" in Italian

Do I need the dots?

They mark the blank; say Come si dice plus your word.

Formal lei?

Same Come si dice…?; add scusi.

How do you write…?

Come si scrive…?

What does it mean?

Different phrase: Che cosa significa?

Learn a word, then use it out loud

  1. Step 1: See it in context
  2. Step 2: Say it out loud
  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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