Speak Italian Confidently Without Getting Lost in Translation

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of an Italian conversation, stumbling over your words because you’re mentally translating from English? You pause and think "I don’t know how to say this!" Does it sound familiar?

If you’re stuck in this cycle, you are not alone. Many Italian learners face this challenge. It feels like a safety net to translate every word, but here is the truth: translating is holding you back from becoming confident and fluent.

Problem: The Conversation Purpose

Whenever you say something, there is a specific purpose. As an example, if you say "Un bicchiere di vino bianco, grazie" you are ordering wine at a restaurant. Every context (e.g. Ordering, Asking for directions, Asking for advice...) follows typical structures.

So, the real question is "What Italian structure can you use to order?" and that doesn't have to do with English because it is a different language with a different culture and way of speaking.

Every word should be used with purpose. As an example, the word "Camminare" is an action verb used to describe somebody performing the action of walking. It is only confusing to learn it by matching it to its English equivalent because it's not used in the same way. So it is not a real equivalent.

The Italian language works differently and you need to fully focus on how it works in different contexts.

What Translation Really Is and Does

Real translation is done by professionals such ad interpreters whose goal is to make people speaking different languages understand each other (e.g. businessmen making a deal). Interpreters prepare and study hard the topic beforehand, they never translate literally!

When you translate from English to Italian in your conversations, you are translating literally and two big things happen:

1. You don't make much sense because you are translating words without taking into account the way Italian is spoken, the Italian structures, and the cultural traits intertwined with the language. You are basically speaking English in "Italian".

2. You are asking your brain to operate at a level it simply can't. You can't use super complex structures that you normally use in your first language (English) for a language you are learning (Italian). Plus, the goal is not to translate, it’s to communicate. 

Solution: Make your Italian Conversation Smart

Instead of trying to fit your Italian conversation into complex structures you can't use, make the concept you want to express fit into an Italian sructure you can confidently use. This is the real game changer!

Instead of asking yourself "How do I say this English thing in Italian?", ask yourself:

1. What's the purpose of this conversation? How can I get my message across lowering the chance of being misunderstood? Let's face it, if they understand what you need, everyone is happy (and your day won't be ruined).

2. What simple Italian structure can I use?

Depending on the purpose of the conversation, there are typical structures you can use. For example, if you want to order an espresso, the quickest way to do it is to say "Un caffè, grazie". And that's what many Italian natives say!

Remember to use a structure you already know and that you can remember on the spot!

What Effective Italian Speakers Do Differently

Effective speakers are confident that their message gets accross because they focus on what they've learnt so far in Italian. They talk in a way they can handle according to where they are in their learning journey. They train their brain to process thoughts in Italian matching them to real life experiences (rather than to the English language).

You can do it too by following the right strategies to break free from the translation trap.

How to Break Free from Translation

1. Match Words and Phrases You Learn to a Purpose.

How do you introduce yourself in Italian?

You can say your name followed by the word "Piacere" which is something we say while shaking hands. Just match the words with the gesture and the purpose. That's all your brain really needs to know!

2. Dive into Real, 100% Italian.

Watch Italian TV shows with no subtitles or Italian subtitles because you need to match Italian words to actions and scenes rather than matching Italian to English. The trick is to start watching for 5 minutes and gradually increase the time. Remember: You need to accept that you may not understand anything in the beginning. Understanding is not the purpose at this point (training your brain is!)

3. Talk to Yourself in Italian.

Practice what you have learned so far in Italian by saying it aloud while showering, cooking, driving... Rememer: You need to say what you can according to your current knowledge of Italian. You cannot practice what you haven't learnt yet!

4. Embrace Mistakes, Your Way to Success.

If you make a mistake - which you will if you practice - you can always correct yourself or simply continue like nothing happened. Remember: We all make mistakes and they must be made in order to progess. Nobody has ever become successful at something without making mistakes!

5. Practice Conversation As Much As You Can.

Take advantage of the Italian shops and talk to the people working there (e.g Greet an Italian waiter and order in Italian. Take a breath, smile, and keep it simple!).

Also, join conversation groups and events where you can meet Italian learners like you and practice in a safe space.

Ready to Speak Italian Confidently?

Start to Think in Italian and Expand your Beautiful Mind

Imagine thinking in Italian right before attempting to say anything to a native.

Imagine seeing in your head the Italian words and structures you've been learning, and all you have to do is to pick the ones that will get your message across. In other words, imagine being an independent speaker who can get through unexpected daily situations.

You might need to know where the train you're on is going to stop during your Italian holiday, or to ask for directions when your GPS can't seem to work properly and you are already nervous, tired, and late! So, you want to be able to put together a simple, clear, reasonably polite question that will give you the answer you actually need.

And how do you do that? Well, definitely not by translating your English thoughts word for word in Italian. Why not? Because that is not how any language is spoken. Every language has its own way of speaking and thinking intertwined with a whole complex culture. So you need to learn to think in Italian and leave other languages alone.

How to Practice Thinking in Italian

How do you make the Italian thinking happen? First of all, by replacing your "I need to translate my words" mindset with "I need to find the Italian words that can serve me" mindset! This requires a bit of an effort, as you will need to dismiss your old patterns and habits and replace them with new ones. It is the same thing you do when you decide to become fit and start working out. Keep in mind that you won't get instant results as it's a gradual change that requires practice. From now on, every time you catch yourself thinking in English while attempting to speak Italian, make a mental effort to ignore the English so that you can focus on your Italian.

Then you should immerse yourself in the Italian language! You can start by watching original Italian movies and TV series in Italian with either no subtitles or Italian ones. Why? Because your brain needs to experience the pure Italian language flow, sound, accents, and match the words it can grasp to the actions and objects you see. That is how you create a link between the Italian language and the everyday-life objects and actions without getting lost in translation. The purpose is to make your brain practice, not understanding the details. So do it constantly for a limited time (e.g. 5 minutes and gradually increase it) and see the "magic" happen!

How to Know if You Are Starting to Think in Italian

How do you know if your brain is starting to think in Italian and focusing less on English during your Italian practice? You will definitely catch yourself talking to your mind using Italian instead of English. You might experience thinking something simple such as "Bevo l'acqua" when you feel the need to hydrate on a hot summer day. You also may catch yourself using Italian exclamations such as "Dai!" when you are stuck in traffic and you need cars to move. When it happens, please keep it going ad start talking to yourself in Italian (while in the car on your own). Take advantage of the "Italian wave"!

An amazing thing you will start noticing if you keep watching Italian TV series (with no trace of English) is that you will start learning objects names and expressions that make perfect sense the very first time you hear them! This is because they make sense in that scene, in that context, an no further explanation is actually needed. As an example, if a scene is set in a restaurant and the waiter hands a dish to a customer while saying "Prego" and then they repeat it when handing a different dish to someone else, you can assume that "Prego" is used when politely giving something to somebody. And this might be a use of the word you didn't know before. You will start "connecting the dots" more and more, which expands your mind and opens it up to endless opportunities of learning new things. And this not limited to language learning!

Experience the Italian Language and Become Able to Speak for Real

Imagine experiencing being in Italy before you even go. Imagine engaging in everyday scenarios where you learn the simple, practical, spoken Italian.

Imagine giving yourself the opportunity to learn cultural traits and the way of speaking. So you can experience the "I don't understand anything" and the "I'm freaking out" state of mind with no real consequences. Get yourself into situations where all this is possible before you actually go to Italy!

One thing is learning about the Italian language, and a different thing is to experience it by having a go and actually speak. Do you dream about being able to ask for information to a native Italian? Start talking aloud, listen to the Italian radio, talk to Italians in your Country, give yourself permission to make mistakes and allow yourself to feel a bit hopeless at times. It's all part of a process that will lead you to succeed.

The Comfort Zone Damages Are Real

It is easy to stay in your comfort zone, do all the "fill in the banks" Italian exercises, quizzes, games, memorize a few phrases here and there and tell yourself "I'm learning Italian".

The correct statement would actually be "I'm learning about the Italian language" if you are not practicing speaking.

You should practice saying aloud every single thing you learn because you won't magically start speaking with natives once you get to Italy (some people actually believe this!) if you have never practiced talking on the spot. Your brain needs to learn the skill to "say what you can in Italian" as opposite to "say what you would say in English and try to translate it".

When you learn Italian without pushing yourself to practice effective communication, you end up collecting words and verb tenses (the Present, the Past, the Future...) without realizing that they are not used the same as in English. So you may wrongly assume that Italian is spoken like English, only with the Italian equivalent of every word. You end up speaking "Italian in English". This will make natives frown not because you make mistakes, but because you speak using structures that don't exist in Italian and create misunderstandings.

You can avoid all this by pushing yourself to talk aloud and say what you can according to your current Italian knowledge and by practicing as much as you can.

Work on Your Own Insecurities and Negative Self-Talk

Learning a new practical skill (e.g. swimming, playing tennis, talking in a different language) can reveal so many things about yourself. Any insecurities, fears, negative believes that you might have will come to light and become obstacles between you and your dream of speaking Italian confidently.

Pay attention to what goes on in your mind when you practice your Italian. Do you catch yourself thinking "I can't say this word"(or worse, you say it) before you even start talking in Italian? Or worse, do you beat yourself up when you forget a word?

Or, again, if you were advised to sing in Italian in order to become more fluent, would you instinctively say "I can't sing" or I'm not good at singing"?

Does all this sound familiar? Please know that by saying (or thinking) those things, you are questioning your own abilities and you are deciding to be unable to do things. Sadly, this is very common and it's about judging yourself according to what someone might have told you as a kid or due to a past negative experience. Please know that you are not your own experiences, and you can do anything -no matter your age and past- if you put your mind to it!

So start believing it and change your mind's language by telling yourself, for example, "I can sing!" (Always use affirmative statements). If you think about it, everybody can sing for the sake of doing it. This is exactly what you need to do in order to practice your Italian. You simply need to sing along trying to go at the same pace of the singer. I bet you sang many times before, or maybe you regularly do it in the shower or while cleaning up. This is proof you can do it!

Are you ready for a new, confident You?