Italian Etiquette You NEED to Learn. 8 Examples.

If you’re planning on moving to Italy you need to learn a thing or two about Italian etiquette. In this video I cover Italian culture values and how you can avoid the same mistakes I made! Buona visione!

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🔎🔎 Jump to a specific part of the video:

00:00 Italian Etiquette you NEED to Learn!
00:26 Learn the language
02:15 Dress to Impress
03:48 Gift Giving
04:10 Cash as a gift
04:26 Who pays at the restaurant?
06:15 Favors for Friends
07:45 Criticizing Italy
09:49 Criticize Soccer
10:19 Frase Italiana Della Settimana

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[libbyd]

Coming from a large Italian family, (nonna from the north, nonno from the south) both were very generous with friends and family.
All part of “Bella Figura”, I suppose, but the ones from the south just seemed to go a little bit further with it. Trying to respectfully decline any of their generosity was almost impossible 😂.

My dad was born in the USA but carried that mindset strongly and would often do what you mentioned and pay sneakily when we thought he went to use the restaurant restroom. He would never let someone else pay the bill.

Several years ago, my family and I returned to the NY/NJ area, where my family settled after coming in through Ellis Island, for my dad’s funeral. As we were checking out of the hotel the receptionist asked how our stay was. I said that under different circumstances it would have been wonderful, and I mentioned the sad reason for our visit. He asked if I had received the invoice under our door and wanted to see it.
He tore it up in front of me and said the stay was not going to be billed.

As this sunk in I embarrassed myself and broke down right there at the front desk. Even in death that sneaky son of a gun managed to “pay the tab”. Miss him terribly.

Anyway, thanks for your excellent videos. I always watch as soon as I can.

[antoniotorcoli]

Excellent video. To explain how important is friendship in Italy: if a friend ask you to come to help him / her at 3 AM, you just go, you do not even ask why. He/she will do the same for you.

[davidtice]

I lived in Italy and eventually attended school there. I dressed like an Italian. Italian people always complemented me on my Italian language skills as opposed to the French who throw a fit if you can't speak French.

[simonezampa]

"don't worry" is not just an euphemistic way to say that i expect something in return. it's a way to say " i know that if i would need an help you'll help me like i helped you". it' more about troustness and it's the same in all italy

[karenward]

You get to the point and dont waste time being silly...thank you

[JerseyWorldTravels]

I come from a large Italian community in New Jersey. A lot of the people of Italian descent help each out a lot. There are also people arguing about the check too. My older Italian family members still see us as kids even though we are grown up with kids, and many insist on paying the check. My dad used to loan out my brother and I to the Italian neighbors for shoveling snow, yard work, etc. We made the mistake one time of taking a tip from one of the neighbors that insisted. He was furious at us for accepting the money. He made us return to apologize and give the money back. A lot of these neighbors would keep an eye on us, and the other kids in the neighborhood to make sure we were safe....and behaved. lol.

[richrogers]

When I first got to Italy, and began going to my son's soccer games, and our friends asked me how I liked soccer. Because I had to attend Marco's games I answered honestly but politely: I don't understand the game, and I often said, That's a lot of running and work for so few points. They always laughed and that was that. I got along great with all our soccer friends. When I left they threw me a surprise going away party.

[gliazzurri]

Grazie mille David. These are very useful for me since when I move I want to fit it in as much as possible, the only place I will be criticizing is probably the States. I am not coming with the intent of bringing my ideas there so much as integrating. I do love calcio so that will help.

[alexwtf]

When you accept a favor from an italian, you are also strengthing a bond. Between friends it's expected to help each other (friends aren't just people to hang out with). Denying a reasonable favor request can have serious social consequences.

[PyroGothNerd]

This is a lot more helpful than the other videos I watched. Most of them are more about touristy stuff.

[PhantomPhysics]

Love these videos. We are planning to move there from the US in the next couple years. And these videos are really helpful

[sasharama]

I think that once you lived in a country a significant amount of years you're more than "qualified" to criticize it... It's almost part of our culture. We Italians to complain about our country but at the same time, we just love it. It's a love - hate relationship.

[ninamss]

As an Italian American (Abbruzze grandparents) Growing up with the drama of who will pay the bill, I assumed this was normal and something expected at the end of a meal. My husband later asked me to stop going through these motions as it was a bit impolite in American culture because he felt if someone offers to treat you, it's a bit insulting to not to show gratitude for the offer.
You also give very good advice regarding the expectations that Italians definitely keep tabs on who owes them favors and on dressing to impress. As a young American woman, I realized I was being ignored in Rome by shop keepers etc. if I didn't wear make up and make an effort when I did errands. That certainly isn't the case in the States where you can basically wear your pajamas to a supermarket 😂

[corpsechild]

The dramatic sound with "worry about it!" at 6:29 / 6:30 startled me lol

[MikeS]

Good stuff, David. I'm a huge NHL fan myself, and a me no piace molto il calcio, but I get the sensitivity to it, and I heartily support the local calcio in my cousins' hometown.

[RavikantRai]

I am an Indian living in Canada since several years and I just discovered your channel and am actually surprised at the similarities with how it was in India, my goodness. Like how a good majority of this list applies the same even for India. I love how many similarities there are between people in the world. But we never even know because we never communicate with each other.

[SanSanAAO]

The "go to the bathroom and then pay for everyone" thing is so true ahahahahahah

[CarolA.PhinneyEsq.-vsfd]

I laughed at the bit about acknowledging favors. My dad’s family came from Southern Italy and while he grew up in US, he carried all those Italian traits. Oh yeah reciprocity is expected and those fights over paying, I know those well :)

[marthatrujillo]

Good things to know David. Thanks. 🥰🥰

[Swift_Kick_in_the]

Excellent video. Great information for those visiting/moving to Italy.