What does it mean word for word?
Literally, come si dice in italiano means "how does one say in Italian". The word si functions here as an impersonal pronoun, which is why the phrase translates to "how does one say" rather than "how do you say".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In northern Italy, if you wish to ask how to say something in a local dialect, you can adapt the phrase. For example, you might ask Come si dice questo in milanese? to ask how to say something in Milanese or Come si dice questo in veneto? to ask how to say something in Venetian.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make it clearer exactly what you are referring to, you can insert questo (this) or quello (that) immediately after the verb dice. Additionally, if you are asking how to say multiple words at once, you must change the verb to the plural form come si dicono.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Scusi, come si dice 'cappuccino' in italiano?Excuse me, how do you say 'cappuccino' in Italian?
- Qualcuno può dirmi come si dice questa frase in italiano?Can someone tell me how to say this phrase in Italian?
- Mi scusi, potrebbe dirmi come si dice il nome di questa ricetta in italiano?Excuse me, could you tell me how to say the name of this recipe in Italian?
- Come si dice 'apple' in italiano?How do you say 'apple' in Italian?
- Come si dice in italiano "apple"?How do you say "apple" in Italian?
- Come si dice in italiano la parola "thank you"?How do you say the word "thank you" in Italian?
Example conversation
Chiara is learning Italian and asks Matteo for help with a word.
- ChiaraMatteo, come si dice in italiano 'window'?Matteo, how do you say 'window' in Italian?
- MatteoSi dice 'finestra'.You say 'finestra'.
- ChiaraGrazie mille, Matteo!Thanks a lot, Matteo!
- MatteoPrego, Chiara!You're welcome, Chiara!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries come, in, italiano, si, CC BY-SA 4.0.
