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Speak Italian Like A Local

Speak Italian Like A Local

Written by: Italian with Lucy
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Italian language tutor and travel storyteller behind italialikealocal.com. Native Italian speaker dedicated to making Italian fun and accessible through clear, plain-English online lessons and inspiring travel tales. Every lesson starts with real everyday Italian in context, a dialogue or a short text, with a free transcript and translation. Paid subscribers get my full explanation of the expressions, practice activities, and a private community. Levels follow the CEFR, from A1 up.

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Episodes
  • Le Tegole e la Valle d'Aosta

    Le Tegole e la Valle d'Aosta
    May 6 2026
    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit speakitalianlikealocal.substack.com

    Questa settimana in Story Club leggiamo un testo sulla Valle d’Aosta. Una regione piccola. Molto piccola. La più piccola d’Italia, in realtà, incastrata tra le Alpi al confine con Francia e Svizzera.

    Eppure appena ci entri, ti accorgi subito che ha qualcosa che le regioni più grandi non hanno: quella sensazione di essere arrivata in un posto che esiste d…
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    1 min
  • Weekly Italian Coffee Break #38: Copione - The Copycat

    Weekly Italian Coffee Break #38: Copione - The Copycat
    Dec 11 2025
    I’ll be honest with you, today I’m feeling a bit deflated. Actually, deflated and annoyed. The kind of annoyed that makes you want to vent to a friend over coffee, you know?So here’s what happened. A couple of days ago, I got a notification from Substack about a creator I follow who had just published a newsletter. I opened it and... well, let’s just say it felt familiar. Very familiar. Like looking-in-a-mirror familiar.It was my Weekly Italian Coffee Break format, down to the structure, the teaching style, the whole thing. And look, I get it, we both teach languages, we both teach Italian, I understand all that. But there wasn’t even a small mention, not even a “hey, this format inspired me” or a quick thank you. Nothing.And that’s when something clicked inside me. Or maybe snapped is a better word.Speak Italian Like A Local is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Not the first time, purtroppoThis isn’t my first rodeo with copycats. Back in 2018, I watched a couple of creators launch something that was, how do I put this... suspiciously similar to Italia Like A Local.Same concept, same angle. Nothing revolutionary, sure, I wasn’t inventing the wheel. I was just following my passion for sharing Italy through local eyes.Italia Like A Local was born in 2015, right after I came back from the States where everyone constantly asked me “where should I eat in Rome?” and “what should I really see in Florence?” I had just finished a course on sustainable and experiential tourism, and I thought, why not combine these two things?In 2017, I created the Italia Like A Local Instagram account. A social media marketer convinced me to join these like-and-comment exchange groups. They were all the rage among “influencers” back then, you’d share your post, everyone would like and comment to trick the algorithm into thinking it was engaging content.It was in one of these groups that I met the creator couple. They had an account similar to mine, also sharing Italy through Italian eyes. I was actually happy to meet them, to compare notes on our journey.A few weeks later, I left those groups. They felt dishonest to me, also kind of demoralizing and pathetic if I’m being totally honest.Then a creator who was still in those groups informed me that the couple had created a format on their page called... wait for it... Italia Like A Local.I was crushed. But I decided to let it go. They were young, “inexperienced” in tourism, and probably not very creative if they had to copy my name verbatim. I didn’t even own the domain yet, I bought that later.I had pretty much forgotten about the whole thing until the other day’s notification brought it all back.Ma basta con i copioni!Here’s the thing. I do my research, I take inspiration from other creators. We all do. But then I try to improve it, add my own spin, make it unique. Otherwise, it’s just another copy-paste job in the age of social media, right?Someone has an idea, shares it, it goes viral... and everyone copies the exact same thing.Fine. That works for social media, for fleeting content, the stuff that’s viral today and forgotten tomorrow.But when you apply this practice to more substantial content, the kind where a creator pours their soul and life’s passion, getting copied feels different. It stings. Especially when the copycat doesn’t even bother to give you a mention, not even just to say thanks.So today’s coffee break is about how we say “copycat” in Italian. Because if we’re going to deal with them, we might as well learn the vocabulary.Il Copione - The CopycatThe word copione (masculine noun, plural: copioni) literally comes from “copy” but in everyday Italian, it specifically means someone who copies others, a copycat.Il copione literally translates to “the script” when you’re talking about theater or film, but when you’re talking about people, it means copycat. It’s pronounced “co-PYO-neh” with the stress on the second syllable.You might hear Italians say:“Sei un copione!” - You’re a copycat!“Non fare il copione!” - Don’t be a copycat!“Che copione!” - What a copycat!There’s also the verb copiare (to copy), which works just like the English version but with more feeling when you’re complaining about someone stealing your ideas:“Mi ha copiato l’idea!” - He/she copied my idea!“Smettila di copiare!” - Stop copying!Thanks for reading Speak Italian Like A Local! This post is public so feel free to share it.Why it mattersIn Italian culture, being called a copione is quite the insult. Italy is a country that values creativity, originality, and individual style, from fashion to food to art. Being known as someone who just copies others? That’s not the reputation you want.There’s even a saying: “Copiare è rubare” - To copy is to steal. Pretty direct, no?A word on inspiration vs. ...
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    7 mins
  • Weekly Italian Coffee Break #37: Bressanone Christmas Markets - When reality doesn’t live up to the hype

    Weekly Italian Coffee Break #37: Bressanone Christmas Markets - When reality doesn’t live up to the hype
    Dec 4 2025
    Last weekend, I loaded the family into the car and drove to Bressanone to see what everyone calls “one of the most magical Christmas markets in Italy.”You know how it goes, right? You see the photos on the internet, read the glowing reviews, hear the locals and tourists talking about it with glistening eyes. And you think: “Okay, this is the place. This is going to be special.”Speak Italian Like A Local is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Spoiler: we were a bit disappointed when we came home.But here’s the interesting part for Italian learners: this whole experience taught me something about the gap between the fame and the reality - and about how we Italians talk about disappointment without sounding harsh.Let me explain.Bressanone or Brixen? Both, ActuallyFirst thing you notice in Alto Adige: every city has two names.Bressanone is the Italian name.Brixen is the German name.And when locals say “Brixen”, you immediately know they’re South Tyroleans who speak German - or that they’ve lived there long enough that they adopted the local way of speaking. It’s not about language; it’s about identity.This bilingualism is everywhere: on the street signs, on menus, on announcements. You’ll see:* Piazza Duomo / Domplatz - Duomo Square / Cathedral Square* Mercatino di Natale / Weihnachtsmarkt - Christmas MarketFor language geeks, it is fascinating. For visitors? A little confusing at first. Are you in Italy or Austria?Answer: technically in Italy, culturally somewhere in the middle.The popular Christmas MarketsSo back to the market itself.The Christmas Markets of Bressanone take place in Piazza Duomo, right in front of the stunning cathedral. The location? Absolutely beautiful. Historic buildings, Alpine architecture, mountains in the background. On paper, it’s perfect.Running from late November until January 6th (Epiphany), the market is supposed to be one of the most authentic markets in the region.But here’s what we found:* What we expected: Magical atmosphere, unique handcraft products, products from local artisans, traditional South Tyrolean food.* What we found: A lot of the same stalls you find at every other Christmas market. Mass-produced decorations. The usual mulled wine stands. Overpriced tourist souvenires.Don’t get me wrong - it wasn’t awful. The Duomo is gorgeous. The lights were cute. The kids loved their hot chocolate.But magical? Not quite.Thanks for reading Speak Italian Like A Local! This post is public so feel free to share it.How Italians show disappointment and don’t be rudeThis is where Italian is subtle.When you want to say you’re disappointed in Italian, there are some options depending on how diplomatic you want to be:* Siamo rimasti un po’ delusi. - We were a bit disappointed.Gentle. You’re not blaming anyone. Rimasti (from rimanere) implies something happened to you (passive).* Non era quello che ci aspettavamo. - It wasn’t what we expected.Neutral. Just stating a fact.* Troppo turistico. - Too touristy.Very common. In Italy turistico is almost an insult when a place feels commercial and inauthentic.* Ci aspettavamo di più. - We expected more.Honest, mild, not dramatic.In our case?* Troppo turistico - Too touristy sums it up perfectly.Despite all the fame, it smacked of genericism.Here is a phrase you need to know:Like the Latin saying “La fama non sempre corrisponde alla realtà” (Fame is not always the reality).Or more colloquially:Non è tutto oro quel che luccica. - All that glitters is not gold.Italians use this when something looks great on the surface but disappoints in real life. And honestly? It suited our experience in Bressanone/Brixen perfectly.Great reputation, average experience.Useful vocabulary related to a disappointing trip* Sopravvalutato/a - Overrated* Affollato/a - Crowded, full of people* Commerciale - Commercial (negative connotation)* Deludente - Disappointing* Non ne vale la pena - It is not worth it* Ci sono posti migliori - There are better placesIf someone asks you this question: “Com’era il mercatino?” - “How was the market?”You could say:* Carino, ma niente di speciale. - Cute, but nothing special.* Onestamente? Un po’ sopravvalutato. - Honestly? A bit overrated.* Bello da vedere, ma troppo commerciale. - Nice to look at but too commercial.Try this weekNext time you visit a famous place and feel disappointed, try to express your disappointment in Italian:* “Era bello, ma mi aspettavo di piu.”* “Troppa gente, troppo commerciale.”* “Preferisco i posti meno turistici.”The Final LessonThe Christmas Markets of Bressanone aren’t bad. They’re just... normal. And that’s okay.And I learned this: sometimes the most famous places (i posti più famosi) aren’t necessarily the best (i migliori).Next time? We’ll try the smaller ones - lesser known markets - maybe Vipiteno/Sterzing or Chiusa/...
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    9 mins
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