Italian C2: Regional Italian · Words

Italian sounds different from Milan to Palermo, and so do some words. In the north, the passato prossimo replaces the passato remoto, and a name can take an article: la Giulia. In Rome, annamo (andiamo), daje (come on!). In Tuscany, the c is aspirated (la hasa) and noi si va means “we go”. The south keeps the passato remoto in speech (ieri andai). Some everyday words change too: anguria or cocomero (watermelon).

• l' anguria — watermelon (north)
• il cocomero — watermelon (centre)
• daje — come on! (Rome)
• boh — dunno (everywhere)
• mica — not at all (emphatic)
• figo — cool (informal)
• magari — if only, maybe
• uè — hey! (Naples, Milan)

• Boh, non lo so. — Dunno, I don’t know.
• Annamo, che è tardi! — Let’s go, it’s late! (Rome)
• Non è mica facile. — It’s not easy at all.
• Che figata! — How cool!