How many ways are there to say you’re welcome in Italian?
Plenty. A dozen, in fact, if we consider that Italian courtesies also vary depending on the grade of intimacy between the speakers.
Italians are used to living a rich social life and love to show their gratitude to one another. They know more than 20 ways to express gratitude and say thank you! This means that there are as many ways you can reply after being thanked.
Grazie, sei molto gentile! – Prego!
Thank you, you are very kind! – You are welcome!
Knowing all these is essential because as you will see in this lesson not all of them translate well into English when translated word for word.
If you do anyone a favor and they reply si figuri, “imagine yourself”, you might be puzzled by this response if you don’t know that it’s actually a way to say you’re welcome in Italian!
In this lesson, we’ll take a look at all the common “you’re welcome” formulas in standard Italian so you can rest assured you’ll be able to use them throughout Italy in all your travels.
So, what are the different ways to say you are welcome in Italian? Let’s find out in this ultimate guide.
For each entry you’ll find:
- an audio recording from a native speaker (that would be me!)
- the context where it is used
- the translation into English and its meaning
Let’s start! Iniziamo!
How do you say you’re welcome in Italian?
Let’s start with the most common way in Italian to reply to a thank you. This is so internationally popular that there’s a good chance you already know what word I’m about to teach you. Besides, we’ve already taken a look at it in our introduction.
How to say you’re welcome in Italian – Prego
Prego is a versatile little word. Italians most commonly use it as a way to say you’re welcome in Italian after a grazie, but depending on the situation you may also use it to translate please.
Pronunciation: preh-goh
Prego
You’re welcome
It is a very common word and is used in both formal and informal settings, so you can say prego to a kid as well as to your boss at work or a complete stranger you encounter in your journey throughout Italy. It’s polite, simple and direct.
Grazie per avermi aiutato a pulire il prato. – Prego.
Thank you for helping me clean the lawn. – You are welcome.
Ti ringrazio per il tuo aiuto. – Prego.
I thank you for your help. – You are welcome.
Now, where would you use prego as a translation for please? In courtesies in formal situations.
- You’re inviting someone to sit down
Prego, si sieda pure. Please, have a seat.
- You’re welcoming someone in your home
Prego, entri pure. Please, get inside.
- You’re holding the door for someone
Prego, dopo di lei. Please, after you.
Other meanings of prego
Prego is not limited as a way to say you’re welcome in Italian. It can be used to translate you’re welcome in Italian, but it is also the translation of the English I pray, from the verb pregare which means, you guessed it, to pray or to beg.
You might hear prego as part of the expressions ti prego (informal) and la prego (formal), for example, meaning I’m begging you. Here’s the present tense conjugation for pregare:
| io | prego |
| tu | preghi |
| lui, lei | prega |
| noi | preghiamo |
| voi | pregate |
| loro | pregano |
Mamma, mi compri quel trenino? Ti prego!
Mom, will you buy me that toy train? Please!
La prego di non fare rumore, il paziente sta dormendo.
Please don’t make noise, the patient is sleeping.
When you don’t understand and want someone to repeat themselves, you can say Prego? with an upward intonation. This is the equivalent of the English sorry? or pardon?.
Prego?
Pardon?
Depending on intonation and body language, this is also used to express bewilderment, similar to the English come again? or I beg your pardon?.
Lei è un ignorante! – … prego?
You are ignorant! – … I beg your pardon?
Some other times, but not very often, someone might tell you prego? with an upward intonation, for example a particularly polite waiter at an Italian restaurant. This is no way to say you’re welcome in Italian, but an expression meaning are you ready to order?.
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Language: English / Italian
Publisher: For Dummies
Pages: 672
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How to say you’re welcome in Italian – Di nulla, di niente
Di nulla and di niente both translate to it was nothing, nulla and niente being translations for nothing.
They are common and neutral expressions, in that they can be used in both formal and informal situations, but di nulla is a bit less used than the other.
Pronunciation: dee nool-lah
Di nulla
It was nothing
Literally: Of nothing
Pronunciation: dee nee-en-teh
Di niente
It was nothing
Literally: Of nothing
You can use di niente and di nulla to stress that whatever you did was no inconvenience to you.
Grazie per avermi riparato la macchina! – Di nulla!
Thank you for fixing my car! – Don’t mention it!
How to say you’re welcome in Italian – E di che?
E di che? is more informal than prego and di nulla. It could be translated to English as “what for?”.
Ideally, you would use this to stress that doing something was no problem to you and that there’s nothing to be thankful for because your help was almost due.
Pronunciation: eh dee keh
E di che?
What [are you thankful] for?
Literally: And of what?
Grazie! – E di che?
Thank you! – What for?
How to say you’re welcome in Italian – Non c’è di che
This is similar to the one above, but you’ll hear it in formal situations. When you want to sound polite, use non c’è di che. It is more formal than prego and you’ll make a good impression (fare bella figura).
Literally, this would be there is nothing of what, so it has to be taken figuratively.
It is the contracted form of non c’è di che ringraziare, which literally means there is nothing to thank for. Since the sentence is missing a vital part, there is no literal translation to English.
Pronunciation: nohn cheh dee keh
Non c’è di che
Don’t mention it
La ringrazio per la cena. – Non c’è di che.
Thank you for the dinner. – You’re welcome.
How to say you’re welcome in Italian – Non c’è (nessun) problema
This is a neutral expression to say you’re welcome in Italian. It comes in two variants: non c’è problema and non c’è nessun problema, and translates to there is no problem.
Pronunciation: nohn cheh nes-soon pro-bleh-mah
Non c’è problema
No problem
Literally: There is no problem
Non c’è nessun problema
No problem
Literally: There is no problem
You may also hear the shortened version of this expression, nessun problema, meaning no problem.
Do not translate no problem with no problema or even no problemo. These are WRONG.
Grazie per non aver detto niente ai miei. – Non c’è problema.
Thank you for not saying anything to my parents. – No problem.
How to say you’re welcome in Italian – Ci mancherebbe (altro)
Ci mancherebbe and ci mancherebbe altro are neutral you’re welcome expressions. They are not used as often as prego or di nulla, but you will still hear them often enough.
They can be used in informal settings, but you will more commonly hear then in formal situations.
Pronunciation: cee mahn-keh-rebb-eh alt-roh
Ci mancherebbe
Don’t mention it, my pleasure
Literally: There would miss
Ci mancherebbe altro
Don’t even mention it, my pleasure
Literally: There would miss something else
These expressions derive from the verb mancare, meaning to miss and don’t really make sense when literally translated to English. We could translate them as my pleasure.
You’re stressing that there’s no other way things could have unfolded. You were basically obliged to help that person.
Grazie di avermi ascoltato. – Ci mancherebbe altro.
Thank you for listening to me. – Don’t even mention it.
How to say you’re welcome in Italian – Figurati, si figuri
Figurati is used in informal situations only. Si figuri is used in formal contexts only.
They are based off of the verb figurarsi, to imagine oneself. This is the puzzling way to say you’re welcome in Italian that we’ve seen at the beginning of our lesson. Taken literally, it makes no sense at all as it’s a figure of speech.
Pronunciation: fee-goo-rah-tee
Figurati
Don’t mention it, no problem
Literally: Figure/imagine yourself
Grazie per avermi dato un passaggio. – Figurati.
Thank you for giving me a ride. – Don’t mention it.
Figurati is very common between friends, almost as common as prego.
Pronunciation: see fee-goo-ree
You can use si figuri in any formal situation as it is very polite. Don’t use figurati when talking to strangers because it’s informal.
Si figuri
Don’t mention it
Literally: Figure/imagine yourself
These expressions aren’t only used to translate you’re welcome in Italian. When a friend thanks you for a gift, for example, replying with figurati is much more common than with prego.
Grazie del regalo! – Figurati!
Thanks for the gift! – Don’t mention it!
Figurati / si figuri are also used when you want to convey the message that you did something out of pleasure.
Grazie per avermi aiutato! – Figurati!
Thanks for helping me! – Don’t mention it!
Finally, you can also use them instead of thanks to politely refuse an offer by a friend.
Vuoi che ti accompagni fino a casa? – Ma no, figurati!
Do you want me to accompany you home? – No, don’t even mention it!
Ma figurati is no way to say you’re welcome in Italian. When you hear this expression, the speaker is actually conveying disbelief, similar to the English please! when accompanied by rolling eyes.
Pensi che Marco abbia pulito i piatti? – Ma figurati!
Do you think Marco washed the dishes? – Please!
Laura avrà finito i compiti? – Ma figurati!
Will Laura have finished her homework? – Please!
Per così poco
Per così poco literally translates to for so little and you use it when you want to convey the message that you did something out of kindness and it was only natural for you to do it.
Pronunciation: pehr koh-sea poh-koh
Per così poco
Don’t mention it
Literally: For so little
How to say you’re welcome in Italian – Ma ti pare!
This is an informal way to say you’re welcome in Italian. It comes from parere, to seem. Translated into English, this doesn’t make any sense at all: but do you figure!.
This expression has a hidden meaning: ma ti pare che ci sia da ringraziare? or ma ti pare che sia il caso di ringraziarmi?, translating to does it look like to you that there is anything to be thankful for?.
You’re basically stressing that there’s absolutely no need to say thank you for what you’ve done.
Pronunciation: mah tee pah-reh
Ma ti pare!
Don’t mention it!
Literally: But do you figure!
How to say you’re welcome in Italian – Ma scherzi!
Ma scherzi! is an exclamation that comes from the verb scherzare, meaning to joke. It is suitable to use only in informal situations.
If we wanted to use this in a formal setting, the polite version of it would be ma scherza!, but no such customary expression exists to say you’re welcome in Italian.
Pronunciation: mah skehr-tsee
Ma scherzi!
Don’t mention it!
Literally: But are you joking!
How to say you’re welcome in Italian – È stato un piacere
Finally, we have è stato un piacere, which literally means it has been a pleasure, from piacere meaning pleasure.
This one is more commonly used in formal situations, but sometimes you can hear it among friends as well. It is also common to hear it along with other ways to say you are welcome in Italian.
Pronunciation: eh stah-toh oon pee-ah-cheh-reh
È stato un piacere
It was a pleasure
Grazie per l’aiuto! – Figurati, è stato un piacere.
Thank you for your help! – You’re welcome, it was my pleasure.
That’s it! Now you’ve learned everything you need to know to start replying to people thanking you. Don’t be shy and try to come up with more creative words than prego! Keep practicing and sooner than you think you will master the language.
What next?
Now that you’ve seen how to say you’re welcome in Italian, you might want to keep learning Italian online with these free Italian resources:
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