Whether you’re joining a client call, leading a team meeting, or giving a status update, being able to participate confidently in business meetings in Italian is a valuable skill. It shows professionalism, builds trust, and helps you become a more effective communicator in the workplace.
In this post, we’ll explore key phrases, meeting etiquette, and practical tips to help you thrive in Italian business meetings.
1. Common Meeting Vocabulary
Start by mastering some core terms:
- Riunione – meeting
- Verbale – minutes
- Ordine del giorno – agenda
- Approvare – to approve
- Aggiornamento – update
- Scadenza – deadline
These terms are essential when following or leading a structured meeting.
2. Opening a Meeting
If you’re starting the meeting, you might say:
- Buongiorno a tutti, grazie per essere qui.
(Good morning everyone, thank you for being here.) - Oggi parleremo dei risultati del trimestre.
(Today we’ll talk about the quarterly results.) - Cominciamo con il primo punto all’ordine del giorno.
(Let’s start with the first item on the agenda.)
3. Participating Effectively
Engaging in the discussion is just as important:
- Vorrei aggiungere un commento.
(I’d like to add a comment.) - Possiamo rivedere questo punto?
(Can we go over this point again?) - Sono d’accordo con quanto detto da Marco.
(I agree with what Marco said.)
If you’re not confident, don’t worry—phrases like “Mi scuso per il mio italiano, ma vorrei dire…” (I apologize for my Italian, but I’d like to say…) are totally acceptable and show effort.
4. Closing the Meeting
Finish clearly and professionally:
- Grazie per il vostro tempo e contributo.
(Thank you for your time and input.) - Vi invierò il verbale entro domani.
(I’ll send the minutes by tomorrow.) - La prossima riunione è fissata per martedì.
(The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday.)
Final Tip
Always prepare in advance. Review the agenda, practice key phrases, and familiarize yourself with the meeting style of your Italian colleagues—some teams prefer a formal tone, while others are more casual.
If you’d like to improve your Business Italian for meetings, I offer private coaching and team training with real-life simulations.