Italian—the language of Dante, Da Vinci, opera, and pizza. It's melodic, expressive, and surprisingly accessible for English speakers.

But how long until you can order that espresso without a tourist accent?

The Quick Answer

The FSI estimates 600-750 hours to reach professional proficiency in Italian, making it one of the easiest languages for English speakers.

Timeline by Daily Study Time

Daily Study Conversational (B1) Fluent (B2) Advanced (C1)
15 min/day 4-5 years 6-7 years 8+ years
30 min/day 2-2.5 years 3-3.5 years 4-5 years
1 hour/day 1-1.5 years 1.5-2 years 2-2.5 years
2 hours/day 6-9 months 9-12 months 12-15 months

Why Italian is Perfect for English Speakers

Romance Language Advantages

Italian, French, Spanish, and Portuguese are cousins. If you know any Romance language, Italian becomes easier.

Phonetic Spelling

Italian is pronounced almost exactly as it's written. No silent letters, no surprises. Learn the rules once, read anything aloud correctly.

Vocabulary Overlap

Thousands of English words come from Italian (or Latin roots):

  • Important → Importante
  • Student → Studente
  • University → Università
  • Piano → Piano (yes, the instrument)
  • Finale → Finale

Consistent Rules

Italian is remarkably regular. Verb conjugations follow patterns with few exceptions.

The Challenges

Verb Conjugations

Like all Romance languages, Italian verbs change for every person:

  • Io parlo (I speak)
  • Tu parli (You speak)
  • Lui/Lei parla (He/She speaks)
  • Noi parliamo (We speak)
  • Voi parlate (You all speak)
  • Loro parlano (They speak)

Plus tenses: present, past, future, conditional, subjunctive...

Gendered Nouns

Every noun is masculine or feminine:

  • Il libro (the book) - masculine
  • La casa (the house) - feminine

And adjectives must agree: "una macchina rossa" (a red car), "un libro rosso" (a red book)

Subjunctive Mood

The subjunctive (congiuntivo) expresses doubt, wishes, and opinions. English barely uses it, but Italian uses it constantly:

  • "Penso che sia importante" (I think it's important)
  • "Voglio che tu venga" (I want you to come)

Regional Dialects

Standard Italian is understood everywhere, but many Italians also speak regional dialects that can sound like different languages entirely. Don't panic—learn standard Italian first.

What Each Level Feels Like

A1 (80-100 hours)

  • Order food and coffee
  • Introduce yourself
  • Handle basic tourist situations
  • Understand very slow, clear speech

A2 (180-200 hours)

  • Have simple conversations about daily life
  • Describe your family, job, and hobbies
  • Read menus and simple signs
  • Follow slow TV with subtitles

B1 (350-400 hours) — "Conversational"

  • Travel independently through Italy
  • Discuss opinions on familiar topics
  • Understand main points of clear speech
  • Write personal emails and messages

B2 (500-600 hours) — "Fluent"

  • Converse naturally with Italians
  • Understand movies without subtitles (mostly)
  • Read newspapers and contemporary novels
  • Express yourself on a wide range of topics

C1 (700-800 hours) — "Advanced"

  • Use Italian professionally
  • Understand subtle humor and cultural references
  • Express yourself spontaneously and precisely
  • Appreciate Italian literature and poetry

Your Italian Learning Roadmap

Month 1-2: Foundation

  • Learn pronunciation (especially double consonants: "nonno" vs "nono")
  • Basic phrases and survival vocabulary
  • Present tense verbs
  • App-based learning (Duolingo, Babbel) to build routine

Month 3-6: Structure

  • Work through a textbook (Assimil, Italian Made Simple)
  • Past tenses (passato prossimo, imperfetto)
  • Build vocabulary with Anki
  • Start listening to Italian podcasts

Month 7-12: Immersion

  • Switch to Italian media with Italian subtitles
  • Weekly conversation practice with tutors
  • Read first Italian book (start simple: children's books, graded readers)
  • Listen to Italian music (Måneskin, Jovanotti, Mina)

Year 2+: Fluency

  • Watch content without subtitles
  • Regular conversation practice
  • Visit Italy (nothing beats immersion)
  • Read Italian authors: Ferrante, Eco, Calvino

Best Italian Learning Resources

Courses

  • Pimsleur Italian: Best for pronunciation and speaking
  • Assimil Italian: Excellent self-study course
  • Michel Thomas Italian: Unique audio method

Apps

  • Duolingo: Good for beginners
  • Babbel: More thorough grammar
  • Anki: Essential for vocabulary

Immersion

  • Netflix: Baby, Suburra, Inspector Montalbano
  • YouTube: Learn Italian with Lucrezia, Italy Made Easy
  • Podcasts: Coffee Break Italian, News in Slow Italian
  • Music: Learn lyrics to Italian songs

Conversation

  • iTalki: Affordable Italian tutors
  • Tandem/HelloTalk: Language exchange partners
  • Italki Community Tutors: Often under $15/hour

Italian vs. Spanish: Which First?

Many people debate Spanish vs. Italian. Here's the quick comparison:

Factor Italian Spanish
Number of speakers ~65 million ~500 million
Job usefulness (globally) Lower Higher
Pronunciation Easier Easier
Grammar Similar Similar
Resources Good Excellent
Cultural appeal Art, food, music Wide variety

Verdict: Spanish is more "practical," but if you love Italian culture, follow your heart. Motivation beats utility.

Plus, knowing one helps learn the other!

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  1. Ignoring pronunciation early: Italian pronunciation is easy—but you must learn the rules
  2. Skipping the subjunctive: It's essential for natural Italian
  3. Relying on Spanish similarities: They can mislead ("burro" means butter in Italian, donkey in Spanish)
  4. Only learning "textbook" Italian: Real Italians use informal speech

Why Learn Italian?

Even if it's "just" 60 million speakers, Italian offers:

  • Cultural access: Opera, Renaissance art, world-class cuisine
  • Travel: Italy is a top destination
  • Romance language gateway: Learn Italian, and Spanish/French become easier
  • Pure enjoyment: Italian is beautiful to speak and hear

You don't need a practical reason. Sometimes the heart wants what it wants.

Track your Italian learning journey with Jacta. From "ciao" to fluent conversation, log your hours and watch la dolce vita unfold.