How to Say "How" in Italian - How To Say Guide

come

/ˈko.me/

The Italian word for "how" is come.

The word come is used to ask or describe the manner in which something is done.

Meaning: in what manner (adv)

Which one should you use?

While come primarily means "how" (in what manner), it can also mean "as" (in the role of or like).

The word is pronounced /ˈko.me/. It has two syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable.

Be careful not to confuse the Italian come with the English verb "come". They are false friends and have different meanings.

Using come? by itself is a very common, informal way to say 'What?' or 'Pardon?' when you did not hear someone.
While come means 'how', the phrase come mai is used specifically to ask 'why' or 'how so' when the speaker is surprised by a result.
The phrase come se creates a hypothetical scenario, often triggering the subjunctive mood in the following verb to indicate that the situation is not real.

Lo so come sto.
I know how I am.
This example shows how to use come to describe a state of being.
Tatoeba #2557253 by Guybrush88, translation #2375908 by CK
Lui come lo sa?
How does he know that?
This example shows how to use come to ask about the manner of knowing.
Tatoeba #2975152 by Guybrush88, translation #1897862 by Spamster
Lei come lo fa?
How does she do it?
This example shows how to use come to ask about the manner of doing something.
Tatoeba #3550308 by Guybrush88, translation #1652341 by Spamster
4703 more sentences on Tatoeba

Chiara and Lorenzo are in a kitchen trying to cook a new recipe.

Chiara

Come si prepara questo piatto?
How do you prepare this dish?
Lorenzo

Prima devi tagliare le verdure.
First you have to cut the vegetables.
Chiara

E come devo cucinarle?
And how should I cook them?
Lorenzo

Puoi metterle in padella con l'olio.
You can put them in a pan with oil.

Sources

Wiktionary, “how” translations and entries come, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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