I am terrible at foreign languages. Despite travelling to Europe four months a year, I can barely put a sentence together anywhere east or south of England. But with some creative communication, I manage just fine to write guidebooks, produce TV shows and simply enjoy Europe on vacation. But nowhere do I have more fun communicating than in Italy.
Because they鈥檙e so outgoing and their language is fun, Italians are a pleasure to interact with. Italians want to connect and try harder than any other Europeans. Play with them. Even in non-touristy towns, where English is rare and Italian is the norm, showing a little warmth lets you hop right over the language barrier. Italians have an endearing habit of speaking Italian to foreigners, even if they know you don鈥檛 speak their language. If a local starts chattering at you in Italian, don鈥檛 resist. Go with it. You may find you understand more than you鈥檇 expect.
I find Italian beautiful and almost melodic. It鈥檚 fun to listen to and even more fun to speak. It has a lovely rhythm and flow to it, from 鈥渃iao鈥� and 鈥減er favore,鈥� to 鈥渂uon giorno鈥� and 鈥渂uona sera鈥� (good day and good evening), to 鈥渂ellissima鈥� and 鈥淟a Serenissima鈥� (Venice). Two of my favourite phrases 鈥� and sentiments 鈥� in any language are 鈥渓a dolce vita鈥� (the sweet life) and 鈥渋l dolce far niente鈥� (the sweetness of doing nothing).
Italians are animated and dramatic, communicating just as much with their bodies as they do with their mouths. You may think two people are arguing when in reality they鈥檙e agreeing enthusiastically. When I鈥檓 in Italy, I make it a point to be equally as melodramatic and exuberant. I don鈥檛 just say 鈥淢amma mia,鈥� I say 鈥淢AMMA MIA!鈥� while tossing my hands and head into the air. It feels liberating to be so uninhibited. Self-consciousness kills communication.
In Italy, hand gestures can say just as much as words. For instance, the cheek screw (pressing a forefinger into the cheek and rotating it) is used to mean good, lovely, or beautiful. A chin flick with the fingers means 鈥淚鈥檓 not interested; you bore me.鈥� The hand purse (fingers and thumb bunched together and pointed upward) is a very Italian gesture for a question, such as 鈥淲hat do you want?鈥� or 鈥淲hat are you doing?鈥� It can also be used as an insult to say, 鈥淵ou fool.鈥�
Italians鈥� version of giving the finger is to clench the right fist and jerk the forearm up as they slap their bicep with the other hand. This jumbo version of 鈥渇lipping the bird鈥� says 鈥淚鈥檓 superior.鈥� If Italians get frustrated, they might say, 鈥淢i sono cadute le braccia!鈥� (I throw my arms down) 鈥� sometimes literally thrusting their arms toward the floor in an 鈥淚 give up鈥� gesture.
Italians have always seemed to me very into sensuality, and that translates to their language. Rather than differentiate among the five senses and describing what they鈥檙e hearing, smelling, or tasting, Italians talk about sensing (鈥渟entire鈥�): 鈥淒id you sense the ambience as you walked by?鈥� 鈥淲ow, sense this wine.鈥� 鈥淥oh, sense these flowers.鈥� Instead of asking, 鈥淎re you listening?鈥� an Italian will ask, 鈥淒o you sense me?鈥�
One of the best ways to observe Italians interacting is to participate in the passeggiata. This ritual promenade takes place in the early evenings, when shoppers, families, and young flirts on the prowl all join the scene to stroll arm in arm and spread their wings like peacocks. In a more genteel small town, the passeggiata comes with sweet whispers of 鈥渂ella鈥� (pretty) and 鈥渂ello鈥� (handsome). In Rome, the passeggiata is a cruder, big-city version called the 鈥渟truscio鈥� (meaning 鈥渢o rub鈥�). Younger participants utter the words 鈥渂uona鈥� and 鈥渂uono鈥� 鈥� meaning, roughly, 鈥渢asty.鈥� As my Italian friends explained, 鈥淏ella is a woman you admire -鈥� without touching. Buona is something that is good 鈥� something 鈥� consumable. Bella is too kind for this struscio.鈥�
To really immerse yourself in the culture, it鈥檚 important to take risks and communicate. Italians appreciate your attempts. Even when I鈥檓 wrong, I usually never know it, so it doesn鈥檛 really matter. Miscommunication can happen on either side -鈥� and it鈥檚 part of the fun.
Once I was eating at a restaurant in Assisi with a guide named Giuseppe and his wife, Anna. We let the chef shower us with his best work. Anna greeted each plate with unbridled enthusiasm. Suddenly, Giuseppe looked at me and said in English, 鈥淢y wife鈥檚 a good fork.鈥�
Shocked, I thought I must have misheard him. Giuseppe went on to say: 鈥淯na buona forchetta 鈥� a good fork. That鈥檚 what we call someone who loves to eat.鈥�
听
(Rick Steves (ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at [email protected] and follow his blog on Facebook.)
