come si dice
The Italian phrase for "how do I say" is come si dice.
You use come si dice to ask for the translation of a word or expression. To ask for a specific translation, you can place the word you want to translate after the phrase and add in italiano at the end (e.g., come si dice … in italiano?).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "how it is said" rather than "how do I say".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the impersonal si construction. This makes it a general way to ask "how is [something] said" without needing to specify a particular person like "I" or "you".
Did you know?
- If you want to be extremely polite when asking a stranger, you might avoid come si dice and instead use the conditional come si direbbe, meaning 'how would one say'.
- While come si dice is used for words, Italians use come si fa when asking how to perform a task or a process, literally meaning 'how it is done'.
- The si in this phrase is a 'cousin' to the Spanish se, meaning they share a linguistic DNA that governs how reflexive actions are described across the Mediterranean.
Examples in context
- Come si dice "hello" in italiano?How do you say "hello" in Italian?
- Come si fa a dire "thank you" in italiano?How do you say "thank you" in Italian?
- Potrebbe dirmi come si dice "I love you" in italiano?Could you tell me how to say "I love you" in Italian?
- Come si dice "awesome" in italiano?How do you say "awesome" in Italian?
- Come si dice questa parola in italiano?How do you say this word in Italian?
- Come si dice 'bread' in italiano?How do I say 'bread' in Italian?
- Come si dice questa parola in inglese?How do I say this word in English?
- Scusa, come si dice 'apple'?Excuse me, how do I say 'apple'?
Example conversation
A student is asking a friend for help with Italian vocabulary.
- MartinaAlessandro, come si dice 'window' in italiano?Alessandro, how do I say 'window' in Italian?
- AlessandroSi dice 'finestra'.You say 'finestra'.
- MartinaGrazie, sei molto gentile.Thanks, you are very kind.
- AlessandroDi nulla, Martina.You're welcome, Martina.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries come, si, CC BY-SA 4.0.
