Benvenuti in Italia
The English phrase "welcome to Italy" is expressed in Italian as Benvenuti in Italia.
This phrase is a greeting used to welcome people arriving in Italy. While English uses "to" for direction, the Italian phrase uses in to express being welcomed into the country.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word Benvenuti changes its ending to match the gender and number of the person or group being welcomed. Use Benvenuto in Italia for a single male, Benvenuta in Italia for a single female and Benvenute in Italia for a group consisting only of females.
Did you know?
- The name Italia likely originates from the Oscan word víteliú, meaning 'land of bulls'. This originally referred only to the southwestern tip of the Italian peninsula.
- If you are welcoming a mixed group of men and women to Italy, you must use the masculine plural form Benvenuti. Even if there are a hundred women and only one man, the masculine form remains the standard.
- While Benvenuti in Italia welcomes visitors to the country, the preposition changes to a when welcoming someone to a specific building or home, as in Benvenuto a casa.
Examples in context
- Tutti quanti, benvenuti in Italia.Everyone, welcome to Italy.
- Siamo felici di dirvi: benvenuti in Italia.We are happy to say to you: welcome to Italy.
Example conversation
Alessandro meets Sofia at the airport.
- AlessandroCiao Sofia, benvenuti in Italia!Hi Sofia, welcome to Italy!
- SofiaGrazie mille, Alessandro!Thank you so much, Alessandro!
- AlessandroCom'è stato il volo?How was the flight?
- SofiaTutto bene, sono molto emozionata.Everything was fine, I am very excited.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Benvenuti, Italia, in, CC BY-SA 4.0.
