Italian Expressions To Start Using

Every language has certain expressions that they just don’t teach you in classrooms or in textbooks. And although I was stumbling with the Italian language when I moved to Italy, one of the things I really focused on was listening for those words and expressions that would help me sound more natural when speaking.

So, here are three words/expressions that I immediately fell in love with and began using in my day to day conversations.

Magari (mah-gah-ree)

This is one of the Italian expressions I had heard during my Italian classes back in Toronto. But, after moving to Calabria, I heard it more often and in different situations than I was used to. That’s because magari can be used in a couple of ways.

The first, which I was already familiar with, is to mean “maybe” or “perhaps“. Here’s an example:

Non avevo tempo di passare dal supermercato stamattina, magari posso andare dopo lavoro.
I didn’t have time to go to the supermarket this morning, maybe I can go after work.

But, magari is also used when you want to say “I wish” or “if only“.

-Ti piacerebbe venire con noi a Napoli?
Would you like to come to Naples with us?
-Magari! Ma non posso, devo lavorare. 🙁
I wish! But, I have to work. 🙁

Caspita (ka-spe-tah)

This is one of those Italian expressions that is a fun one to use and say. When you use it, it sounds exactly the same as what it means – which is “whoa!” or “oh my gosh!“. I’ve mostly heard it used in positive take my breath away experiences.

I can think of many occasions when I’ve used this expression. For example, the most recent would have to be when I walked into St. Peter’s Basilicata and said….

Caspita! É bellissima!
Whoa! It’s beautiful!

As you can imagine, in Italy, there are many moments when you can use caspita which will most certainly be accompanied by wide-eyed wonder and a jaw-dropping expression on your face!

Boh (bo)

There is not a day that goes by when I don’t hear someone utter this three letter word. This simple expression, which seems more like a sound effect or sound-byte, means “I don’t know!” It’s short and to the point and usually includes a shoulder shrug, raised eyebrows and hands up in the air. 🤷

Pensi che nevicherà domani?
Do you think it will snow tomorrow?
Boh!
I don’t know!

And there you have it, three Italian expressions that will get you one step closer to being a native Italian speaker.

Have you used any of these when speaking with Italians? Share your experiences and examples in the comments below!

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LuLu

Originally from Toronto but currently living in Calabria, blogging about my life and love for all things Italian!

Lucy and Kelly
February 9, 2019 at 10:05 am

We love that you mentioned BOH! Our Grandad said it all the time and it makes us smile just thinking about it! 🙂 We still say it sometimes! 🙂
Lucy and Kelly xx
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1. LuLu
  February 9, 2019 at 3:29 pm
  
  Haha I think BOH is the one I hear the most and across all age groups!
Jasmine
February 5, 2019 at 8:30 pm

LuLu, ahahahaha, I use all three of these consistently. Especially BOH and I think what’s funniest is that you get so used to saying it, and essentially it’s just a sound, so when I’m in Canada I find myself saying it as answers to my friends’ questions!! Thanks for joining us and for a great blog post!
1. LuLu
  February 5, 2019 at 8:57 pm
  
  My Canadian friends and family have gotten used to me saying boh… And uffa!! 🤣🤣🤣
Lorelle
February 4, 2019 at 10:28 am

Great expressions. I must admit I do use Boh, quite frequently…. 😉
1. LuLu
  February 4, 2019 at 12:13 pm
  
  hahaha me too! 🙂
Kristie Prada
January 31, 2019 at 9:16 pm

I love these! I didn’t know Caspita! Thank you another one for the notebook! Boh my Milanese Hubby says all.the.time. Lol! Hope you’re well sweetie x
1. LuLu
  February 2, 2019 at 9:25 am
  
  Hey Kristie! Thanks for the comment! I think Boh is pretty much used by ALL Italians!! 😛
Kelly
January 28, 2019 at 1:18 am

These are great expressions LuLu! I’ve heard caspita when watching Netflix, but I wasn’t 100% sure of the meaning. Your examples are great! 🙂
1. LuLu
  January 28, 2019 at 9:50 am
  
  Thanks, Kelly! It seems like the Italian language have lots of expressions like the ones I mentioned. I swear I hear new ones every day! haha
Giovanna
January 23, 2019 at 6:06 pm

When I was little and would stay in Italy for the summer, I’d smile and try not to laugh everytime I heard someone say ‘Boh’ in Napoli (like 500 times a day). I loved their faces and how their faces would go slack and their jaws would drop – ‘Boh’ with that lovely lilt upwards at the end. Now that I live here, I use it all the time and don’t even think about it. But sometimes when I talk to my sisters back home on Facetime, I’ll throw it in and they’ll laugh so hard.
1. LuLu
  January 25, 2019 at 8:59 am
  
  Thanks so much for the comment Giovanna! It’s entertaining (even after all these years) to see how the expressions and the words just blend so naturally together! It’s like you can’t have one without the other. I was thinking just the other day that I use boh with my friends back home in Canada and they’ve grown accustomed to me using it and get a good laugh out of it too, but seriously there is no other way to express myself at times then by using what is used here in Italy – boh being one of those words!
Cristina
January 23, 2019 at 5:01 pm

I love these words. I use caspita a lot as i like how it always sounds like there is an exclamation mark at the end. I rarely use boh and I think it is because in the ,90’s it was soooo overused, at least among people I knew that I didn’t want to hear it anymore. I’ve slowly accepted it again😎. Wow-I think I just made myself sound old. Mannaggia! Ciao, Cristina
1. LuLu
  January 25, 2019 at 8:56 am
  
  You are SO right about caspita! The funny thing is that after writing this post, it seems like all I hear are the words I mentioned, with boh taking the win of course. I giggle every time I hear it now!
Greg Speck
January 19, 2019 at 12:56 pm

Great post. Thank you. Is Boh similar to Beh as in short form of bene?
1. LuLu
  January 23, 2019 at 12:15 pm
  
  Thanks for your comment, Greg! In my experiences, I’ve found that “Boh” is used to say “I don’t know” whereas “Beh” is used to say “well?” and is said like a question. There is also “vabbè” which is like a short and quick form of “va bene”.
Lisa Fantino
January 18, 2019 at 8:24 pm

Boh is prevalent all over Napoli but I’ve never heard caspita 😊
1. LuLu
  January 23, 2019 at 12:25 pm
  
  Keep your ears open for “caspita”. I don’t hear it A LOT but when I do it makes me smile inside and out! 🙂
Carmela
January 15, 2019 at 5:50 am

It’s my first time to hear “Caspita”. I hope to be able to use it very soon! I learned “Magari” from my Italian tutor (“wishful thinking”). And yes when I first heard “Boh” it sounded rude… but I want to use it more often because it’s slang.
1. LuLu
  January 23, 2019 at 12:22 pm
  
  I love using “caspita” it’s fun to say! 🙂 I also use “boh” a lot, maybe more than I should! hahaha
  1. Carmela
    January 27, 2019 at 1:29 pm
    
    I think if I say “caspita” or “boh”, the Italians will be very very surprised! #dolcevitabloggers
    1. LuLu
      January 27, 2019 at 3:43 pm
      
      All the more reason to use them! hahahaha
Ron
January 13, 2019 at 8:53 pm

I needed “Caspita! É bellissima!” for my September visit last year!
1. LuLu
  January 14, 2019 at 8:39 am
  
  It’s the perfect word! I’m SO happy you enjoyed your trip to Italy. It’s hard not to fall in love with this place! 🙂
Image Earth Travel
January 13, 2019 at 1:06 pm

I love ‘Boh’ – it’s so expressive and delivered with passion!
‘Magari’ is also used in the north as I know my relatives there use it all the time. Funnily enough, my northern ITtalian mother and her family used it all the time when I was growing up in Australia, but my father and his family from Calabria seldom used it…go figure!
1. LuLu
  January 14, 2019 at 8:39 am
  
  I remember the first few times I heard boh I was undecided if it came off as being rude haha…but everyone used it so I figured I guess it’s just everyday slang and it’s ok! haha
2. KareninCalabria
  January 18, 2019 at 9:36 am
  
  I’m also partial to “boh” and I particularly like to hear it out of the mouths of older, educated women as it seems so out of character, but there they are, enjoying the reverberation the word makes in their mouth, making that face, shrugging their shoulders. It’s a hoot!
  1. LuLu
    January 23, 2019 at 12:24 pm
    
    That’s so true! I’ve never thought about that but you are right, it’s very out of character! I have a feeling the next time that happens I’m going to burst out in laughter! hahahaha