Sicily has two languages. The standard Italian taught in schools and used in official contexts is the language you need for practical travel giving directions, ordering in restaurants, asking for the bill. But the Sicilian language (sicilianu) officially classified as a Romance language distinct from Italian rather than a dialect, with its own grammar, its own vocabulary and its own literary tradition stretching back to the 13th-century Sicilian School of Poetry is the language you will hear at the Ballarò market in Palermo, in the conversations between neighbours on any Sicilian street and in the vendors’ traditional chants (the abbanniata) that have been called in the same rhythm at the same stalls for centuries.
This guide gives you both: the essential Italian phrases for practical travel in Sicily, organised by situation, and the most important Sicilian words and expressions that will help you understand what you are hearing and show the Sicilians you encounter that you have taken the trouble to learn something about where you are.
In this guide
- Essential Italian basics
- Food and restaurant phrases
- Market phrases
- Asking for directions
- Shopping
- Emergencies and health
- The Sicilian language words you will hear
- Sicilian food vocabulary
- Sicilian gestures
- Practical language tips
Essential Italian Basics
The following phrases cover the social interactions that most travel requires. Sicilians are generally patient with foreign visitors making an effort with Italian even a few words produce a warm response, and the effort to try in the local language is appreciated more than the perfect pronunciation.
Greetings and courtesy
- Buongiorno Good morning / Good day (use until about 1pm)
- Buonasera Good evening (use from early afternoon onward)
- Buonanotte Good night (when leaving for the evening)
- Ciao Hello / Goodbye (informal, use with people you know)
- Salve Hello (neutral, suitable for strangers)
- Arrivederci Goodbye (formal)
- Per favore Please
- Grazie Thank you
- Prego You’re welcome / Here you are
- Mi scusi Excuse me (formal, to get attention)
- Permesso Excuse me (to pass through a crowd)
- Mi dispiace I’m sorry
- Non capisco I don’t understand
- Può ripetere? Can you repeat that?
- Parla inglese? Do you speak English?
- Parla più lentamente, per favore Please speak more slowly
- Come si chiama questo? What is this called?
Essential questions and answers
- Dov’è…? Where is…?
- Quanto costa? How much does it cost?
- A che ora? At what time?
- Quando? When?
- Sì / No Yes / No
- Non lo so I don’t know
- Va bene That’s fine / OK
- Molto bene Very good / Very well
Food and Restaurant Phrases
Food is the primary practical language context for most Sicily visitors ordering, asking about dishes, requesting the bill and navigating the specific conventions of the Italian restaurant are the situations where a few phrases make the difference between a comfortable and an uncomfortable experience.
At the restaurant
- Un tavolo per due, per favore A table for two, please
- Avete un tavolo libero? Do you have a free table?
- Posso vedere il menù? May I see the menu?
- Cosa consiglia? What do you recommend?
- Qual è il piatto del giorno? What is the dish of the day?
- Prendo questo I’ll have this (pointing at the menu)
- Per me… For me… (use before ordering your dish)
- Sono allergico/a a… I am allergic to…
- Senza glutine Gluten-free
- Sono vegetariano/a I am vegetarian
- Il conto, per favore The bill, please
- È incluso il servizio? Is service included?
- Posso pagare con carta? Can I pay by card?
- Era buonissimo It was delicious
At the bar and pasticceria
- Un caffè, per favore An espresso, please
- Un caffè macchiato Espresso with a dash of milk
- Un cappuccino Cappuccino (morning only never order after lunch)
- Una granita al limone / al caffè / alle mandorle Lemon / coffee / almond granita
- Con la brioche, per favore With a brioche, please
- Un’arancina / un arancino One arancina (western Sicily) / arancino (eastern Sicily)
- Al burro o al ragù? Butter (cheese and ham) or meat ragù? (they will ask you this)
- Un cannolo, per favore A cannolo, please
Read our complete Sicilian food guide and granita guide for the full food vocabulary context.
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Market Phrases
The Sicilian markets Ballarò, Capo and Vucciria in Palermo, the Pescheria in Catania are conducted primarily in Sicilian rather than Italian, and the vendors’ chants (the abbanniata) are in the most traditional Sicilian dialect. You do not need to understand the chants to enjoy the markets, but a few functional phrases help enormously with the purchasing interaction.
At the market
- Quanto costa questo? How much is this?
- Mezzo chilo di… Half a kilo of…
- Un chilo di… A kilo of…
- Ne prendo due I’ll take two
- È fresco? Is it fresh?
- Di dov’è? Where is it from?
- È locale? Is it local?
- Posso assaggiare? Can I taste it?
- Basta così, grazie That’s enough, thank you
- Posso avere un sacchetto? Can I have a bag?
Read our complete Palermo markets guide.
Asking for Directions
Directions vocabulary
- Dov’è…? Where is…?
- Come arrivo a…? How do I get to…?
- È lontano? Is it far?
- A piedi o in macchina? On foot or by car?
- Giri a destra Turn right
- Giri a sinistra Turn left
- Vada dritto Go straight ahead
- Al semaforo At the traffic lights
- Al incrocio At the crossroads
- Di fronte a… Opposite…
- Accanto a… Next to…
- Sono perso/a I am lost
- Dov’è il parcheggio? Where is the car park?
- È una zona ZTL? Is this a restricted traffic zone?
Shopping and Accommodation
Shopping
- Quanto costa? How much does it cost?
- È fatto a mano? Is it handmade?
- Avete la taglia…? Do you have size…?
- Posso provarlo? Can I try it on?
- È troppo caro It’s too expensive
- Ha qualcosa di meno caro? Do you have something less expensive?
- Lo prendo I’ll take it
- Posso avere la ricevuta? Can I have a receipt?
- Spedite all’estero? Do you ship internationally?
Emergencies and Health
Emergencies
- Aiuto! Help!
- Chiami un’ambulanza! Call an ambulance!
- Chiami la polizia! Call the police!
- Ho bisogno di un medico I need a doctor
- Dov’è l’ospedale? Where is the hospital?
- Dov’è la farmacia? Where is the pharmacy?
- Ho mal di testa I have a headache
- Ho mal di stomaco I have a stomachache
- Sono allergico/a a… I am allergic to…
- Ho perso il passaporto I have lost my passport
- Mi hanno rubato il portafoglio My wallet has been stolen
- Emergency number: 112 (EU emergency, police and ambulance)
The Sicilian Language Words You Will Hear
The Sicilian language (sicilianu) is classified by linguists as a Romance language descended from Latin with significant Arab, Norman French, Spanish and Greek contributions the layered history of the island’s successive civilisations is audible in the vocabulary. It is spoken as the primary home language by much of the older population across the island and as a second language alongside standard Italian by most Sicilians. The following are the Sicilian words and expressions most commonly encountered by visitors.
Common Sicilian words and expressions
- Picciriddu / picciridda Small boy / small girl (from the Arabic fakir, via the Sicilian derivation)
- Figghiu / figghia Son / daughter (from the Latin filius)
- Mizzica! Wow! / Good grief! (mild exclamation, used constantly)
- Minchia! Strong exclamation (extremely common in Sicily, not suitable for polite company but you will hear it constantly it is far less offensive in Sicilian usage than the direct translation suggests)
- Ca’ minchia! Emphatic version of the above
- Stai bbuonu / Stai bbona Take care (farewell expression)
- U’ me’ amicu My friend (you will hear this in commercial contexts)
- Vastasu Rude / vulgar person (a useful word to recognise)
- Fuitivinni! Run! / Get out of here! (market expression)
- A bedda Sicilia Beautiful Sicily (expression of local pride)
- Sugnu I am (Sicilian for “sono”)
- Vinni I came (Sicilian for “venni”)
- Cca Here (Sicilian for “qui”)
- Ddà There (Sicilian for “là”)
Sicilian Food Vocabulary
The Sicilian food vocabulary is specific enough that even Italian speakers from the north sometimes need a glossary. The following are the food terms most commonly encountered on Sicilian menus and at Sicilian market stalls.
Essential Sicilian food words
- Arancina (Palermo) / Arancino (Catania) Fried rice ball (note: the debate between the western and eastern Sicilian usage is genuine and passionate)
- Panelle Chickpea fritters, Palermo street food
- Sfincione Thick-crust Palermitan pizza with anchovy and onion
- Pane ca meusa Spleen sandwich (Palermo street food)
- Stigghiola Grilled intestines on a skewer (Palermo street food)
- Caponata Sweet and sour aubergine
- Pasta alla Norma Pasta with aubergine and ricotta salata (Catanian)
- Pasta con le sarde Pasta with sardines and wild fennel (Palermitan)
- Involtini di pesce spada Swordfish rolls (Messina tradition)
- Cannolo Fried pastry tube with ricotta (singular: cannolo, plural: cannoli)
- Cassata Ricotta and marzipan cake
- Granita Flavoured ice (always with a brioche for breakfast)
- Brioscia Sicilian brioche (the brioche bun for granita)
- Ricci Sea urchin (eaten raw at the market)
- Fritto misto Mixed fried fish
- Vino della casa House wine
- Acqua frizzante / naturale Sparkling / still water
Read our complete guides to Sicilian food, Sicilian street food and arancini.
Sicilian Gestures
Italian and Sicilian communication involves the hands as much as the voice, and several gestures are so commonly used that understanding them saves confusion. The most important for visitors:
The chin flick (back of hand brushed under the chin from inward to outward): means “I don’t care” or “I don’t know” not an insult, simply a dismissal. You will see market vendors using this to indicate they are not interested in negotiating.
Fingers bunched and raised (all five fingertips touching, hand moved upward): means “What do you want?” or “What are you talking about?” an interrogative gesture used constantly in conversation.
Index finger tapping the cheek: means “This is delicious” you will see Sicilians do this when discussing food, and using it yourself after a good meal is understood and appreciated.
Hand waved downward, palm facing down: means “calm down” or “lower your voice” useful to know when a market vendor appears to be escalating.
Practical Language Tips for Sicily
The effort matters more than the accuracy. A phrase delivered with incorrect grammar but genuine attempt produces a warmer response from Sicilians than a perfectly constructed sentence delivered with the air of someone who expects to be understood. The Sicilian social culture rewards engagement and is patient with foreigners making an honest attempt at the language.
Use buongiorno and buonasera always. Entering any shop, bar, restaurant or establishment in Sicily without the greeting is considered rude not aggressively so, but the absence of the greeting is noticed and creates a slight social friction that the greeting itself eliminates. This single habit produces a measurable improvement in the quality of service and interaction throughout the day.
The Sicilian accent. Standard Italian spoken with a Sicilian accent is different enough from the standard Italian of films and language courses that visitors who have learned textbook Italian sometimes find comprehension difficult initially. The specific features: double consonants are pronounced with great emphasis, the final vowels of words are often shortened or dropped, and the intonation is more rhythmic and more melodic than northern Italian. Persistence and a willingness to ask for repetition produce rapid adaptation.
Downloading an offline Italian dictionary app before departure (Google Translate offline pack, or WordReference) provides a practical backup for the situations where the phrase list is insufficient. Read our complete Sicily travel tips and packing list for the full planning context.
The Language of the Island
Knowing even a few words of Sicilian mizzica!, stai bbuonu, a bedda Sicilia signals to the Sicilian you are speaking with that you have paid attention to where you are. Sicily is not simply a province of Italy with regional peculiarities; it is a place with its own language, its own literary tradition, its own 1,000-year history of cultural synthesis. The effort to engage with that specificity, even at the level of a few market phrases and a correctly deployed mizzica at the appropriate moment, is repaid with a quality of human contact that the purely English-speaking tourist experience cannot provide. The island is worth the effort. The effort is very small.
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