Phone Number, Email and Address in Italian: Chiocciola, Punto, Via
A0 · Lesson 22 · Number, email, address
The snail, the dot and the street that comes before the number. Contact details, the Italian way.
Quick answer
To ask for a phone number in Italian, say Qual è il tuo numero? (friend) or Qual è il Suo numero? (polite). Say phone numbers digit by digit, in pairs or any mix you like, and 0 is always zero. In an email, @ is chiocciola and . is punto. In an address the street comes first: Abito in via Roma 12.
How to ask for a phone number in Italian
Qual è il tuo numero?
kwahl EH eel TOO-oh NOO-meh-roh
What’s your number? (friend)
FriendQual è il Suo numero?
kwahl EH eel SOO-oh NOO-meh-roh
What’s your number? (polite, with a capital S)
PoliteIl mio numero è…
eel MEE-oh NOO-meh-roh EH
My number is…
il cellulare
eel chehl-loo-LAH-reh
the cell phone. Italians also say il cell for short. Il numero di cellulare = cell number.
Qual è has no apostrophe. Many Italians get this wrong too, but it’s Qual è, never Qual’è.
Saying the number: any way you like
Italian cell numbers usually start with 3 and have 10 digits. Italians read them in many ways: digit by digit, in pairs, even in hundreds. All are fine, and you can mix them.
📌 One number, three ways: 347 128 0956
Digit by digit (easiest for you):
tre quattro sette · uno due otto · zero nove cinque sei
Some in pairs (347 · 12 · 80 · 95 · 6):
tre quattro sette · dodici · ottanta · novantacinque · sei
Some in hundreds (347 · 128 · 0 · 956), you will hear it too:
trecentoquarantasette · centoventotto · zero · novecentocinquantasei
No rule here: every Italian does it a bit differently, and mixing is normal. Pick the way that is easiest for you.
💡 In simple words
0 is zero (DZEH-roh). Always. Never “oh”.
Use the numbers you know. If someone says a number you don’t catch, ask: Più piano, per favore!
📞 Calling an Italian number from abroad?
Add +39 before the number: +39 347 128 0956.
Cell numbers start with 3. Landlines start with 0 plus the city code (Rome 06, Milan 02), and the 0 stays: +39 06…
On the phone: Pronto? Con chi parlo?
Pronto?
PROHN-toh
Hello? Only on the phone. Literally “ready?”
AnsweringCon chi parlo?
kohn KEE PAHR-loh
Who am I speaking with?
Who is it?
Sig.ra Bianchi
landlady
Pronto?
Hello?
you
Buongiorno! Sono Kate Smith.
Good morning! This is Kate Smith.
Sig.ra Bianchi
Scusi, con chi parlo?
Sorry, who am I speaking with?
you
Kate Smith, l’americana. Per l’appartamento!
Kate Smith, the American. About the apartment!
Sig.ra Bianchi
Ah, sì! Qual è la Sua email?
Ah, yes! What’s your email?
On the phone, Sono Kate = “This is Kate”. Same words as in your introduction.
Your email in Italian: the snail and the dot
Six little words and you can say any email address.
@ chiocciola
KYOHCH-choh-lah
“at”. Literally: the snail. Look at the shape!
Symbol. punto
POON-toh
dot
Symbol– trattino
traht-TEE-noh
dash, hyphen
Symbol_ trattino basso
traht-TEE-noh BAHS-soh
underscore (“low dash”)
Symboltutto attaccato
TOOT-toh aht-tahk-KAH-toh
all one word, no spaces
Spelling tiptutto minuscolo
TOOT-toh mee-NOOS-koh-loh
all lowercase
Spelling tipkate.smith@gmail.com
kate PUNTO smith CHIOCCIOLA gmail PUNTO com
Say it slowly, piece by piece. Then add: tutto minuscolo!
tom_lee-88@yahoo.com
tom TRATTINO BASSO lee TRATTINO ottantotto CHIOCCIOLA yahoo PUNTO com
Hard name? Spell it with the Italian alphabet: Come si scrive?
The Italian address: street first, number after
This is the opposite of an American address. Look at the order.
🇺🇸 USA
12 Main Street
Boston, MA 02108
number → street · city → ZIP
🇮🇹 Italy
via Roma 12
00184 Roma
street → number · CAP → city
📌 Three rules
1. Street first, number after: via Roma 12.
2. The CAP (kahp, the ZIP code: 5 digits) comes before the city: 00184 Roma.
3. via (street), piazza (square), viale (avenue) are written lowercase.
via
VEE-ah
street
Addresspiazza
PYAHT-tsah
square
Addressviale
VYAH-leh
avenue, boulevard
Address
Dove abiti? Abito in via Roma 12
Qual è il tuo indirizzo?
… een-dee-REET-tsoh
What’s your address? (friend) · Polite: il Suo indirizzo
AddressAbito in via Roma 12.
AH-bee-toh een VEE-ah ROH-mah DOH-dee-chee
I live at 12 Via Roma. Street or square → in: in via, in piazza, in viale.
Abito a Roma, in centro.
een CHEHN-troh
I live in Rome, downtown. (City → a, remember?)
Abito in periferia.
een peh-ree-feh-REE-ah
I live on the outskirts / in the suburbs.
🏛️ Abito in centro!
“I live downtown!” In Italy the centro storico (old town) is often the most beautiful part of the city, and the most expensive.
🛤️ A very old address
The Via Appia in Rome was built in 312 BC. You can still walk on parts of the original stones today.
Common mistakes
Common mistakes English speakers make
kate at gmail → kate chiocciola gmail
@ is the snail, always.
tre-quattro-oh → tre-quattro-zero
0 is zero. Italians won’t understand “oh”.
12 via Roma → via Roma 12
Street first, number after.
Roma 00184 → 00184 Roma
The CAP goes before the city.
Abito in Boston. → Abito a Boston.
City → a. Street → in.
To a stranger: Qual è il tuo numero? → Qual è il Suo numero?
Polite: Suo, with a capital S.
My email? asino punto bello chiocciola fattoria punto it. (asino = donkey, fattoria = farm.) Tutto minuscolo, per favore.
Step 8 · Practice
🍕 Your turn
Start with a quick warm-up, then press Check. Want more? Open the extra exercises below. Mistakes are part of it. No pressure.
Warm-up · 5 questions
Choose the right answer.
1. @ in Italian is…
2. 0 in a phone number is…
3. The correct Italian address:
4. Your phone rings. You answer:
5. CAP and city:
See more exercises · 30 questions ▾Hide the extra exercises ▴
1 · Read the email
Which symbol is it?
1. anna.rossi
2. mary–jones
3. bob_miller
4. luca@libero.it
5. No spaces in the address. You say…
6. No capital letters. You say…
2 · Address order
Which one is written the Italian way?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
3 · Right or wrong?
Is it correct?
1. Qual’è il tuo numero?
2. To a stranger: Qual è il Suo numero?
3. Answering the phone: “Piacere?”
4. Abito in centro.
5. 06 is said “zero sei”.
6. Abito in via Roma, numero 12, Roma 00184.
4 · Listen in your head: which number?
Read the Italian and choose the digits.
1. tre quattro zero
2. quindici · ventisette
3. zero due
4. ottantotto · sessantuno
5 · Write it in Italian
Type it. Capital letters and punctuation don’t matter.
1. What’s your number? (friend)
2. What’s your email? (polite)
3. Who am I speaking with?
4. I live at 12 Via Roma.
5. I live downtown.
6. Say this email in words: anna.bianchi@gmail.com
7. “All one word, no spaces”
8. Rome’s area code, 06, in words
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Ci vediamo la prossima settimana! – Sì, alla prossima lezione! Ciao!
See you next week! – Yes, see you at the next lesson! Bye!
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Written by Luciana
Native Italian teacher, CEDILS certified, 10,000+ lessons since 2020.
