This list includes 100 Italian words that start with I, from “Internet” to “iter”. They cover common modern vocabulary, useful verbs and nouns, loanwords, and a few regional terms. Use them for study, lesson planning, translation, and content writing.
Italian words that start with I are vocabulary items whose standard spelling begins with the letter I. Many are loanwords like “Internet”, while others keep Latin roots, as in “iter”, meaning route.
Below you’ll find the table with the columns ‘Word’, ‘English translation’, and ‘Example usage’.
Word: The Italian lemma in standard spelling, shown so you can find, recognize, and practice each entry quickly.
English translation: A concise one-phrase meaning that helps you understand the word’s sense and choose suitable English equivalents.
Example usage: A short Italian sentence followed by an immediate English gloss so you see the word used naturally.
Italian words that start with I
| Word | Part of speech | English translation | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| il | art. | the (masc. sing.) | Il libro è nuovo — The book is new. |
| i | art. | the (masc. pl.) | I libri sono sul tavolo — The books are on the table. |
| in | prep. | in, into, at | Sono in casa — I’m at home. |
| io | pron. | I (first person) | Io parlo italiano — I speak Italian. |
| italiano | adj. | Italian; Italian language | Parlo italiano ogni giorno — I speak Italian daily. |
| immagine | n. | image, picture | Questa immagine è bella — This image is beautiful. |
| immaginare | v. | to imagine | Immagina una storia nuova — Imagine a new story. |
| immediato | adj. | immediate | La risposta è immediata — The reply is immediate. |
| immediatamente | adv. | immediately | Arrivo immediatamente — I’m coming immediately. |
| immenso | adj. | immense | Il mare è immenso — The sea is immense. |
| importante | adj. | important | Questo è importante — This is important. |
| importare | v. | to matter; to import | Non importa molto — It doesn’t matter much. |
| impossibile | adj. | impossible | È impossibile ora — It’s impossible now. |
| impiegare | v. | to employ; to use | Impiegare tempo è inevitabile — Using time is inevitable. |
| impiegato | n. | employee, clerk | Un impiegato lavora in banca — An employee works at the bank. |
| imparare | v. | to learn | Voglio imparare l’italiano — I want to learn Italian. |
| impegno | n. | commitment; appointment | Ho un impegno domani — I have an engagement tomorrow. |
| impegnare | v. | to engage, to occupy | Mi impegna molto — It keeps me busy. |
| impostare | v. | to set (up), to configure | Imposta la sveglia alle sei — Set the alarm for six. |
| impostore | n. | impostor | È un impostore — He is an impostor. |
| impronta | n. | imprint, footprint | Lascia un’impronta — It leaves a mark. |
| improvvisare | v. | to improvise | Ho improvvisato un discorso — I improvised a speech. |
| improvviso | adj. | sudden | È tutto improvviso — It’s all sudden. |
| inaspettato | adj. | unexpected | L’arrivo è inaspettato — The arrival is unexpected. |
| includere | v. | to include | Includi il documento nel file — Include the document in the file. |
| incluso | adj. | included | Il prezzo è incluso — The price is included. |
| industria | n. | industry | L’industria cresce — The industry grows. |
| industriale | adj. | industrial | Zona industriale chiusa — Industrial area closed. |
| influenzare | v. | to influence | Le opinioni influenzano molto — Opinions influence a lot. |
| influenza | n. | influence; influenza (flu) | Ha l’influenza stagionale — He has seasonal flu. |
| informare | v. | to inform | Devi informarmi domani — You must inform me tomorrow. |
| informazione | n. | information | Cerco informazioni pratiche — I’m looking for practical information. |
| informatico | adj. | IT-related; computer-related | Corso informatico interessante — Interesting IT course. |
| iniziare | v. | to begin, to start | Iniziamo la lezione — Let’s start the lesson. |
| iniziale | adj. | initial | La fase iniziale è breve — The initial phase is brief. |
| inizialmente | adv. | initially | Inizialmente ero timido — Initially I was shy. |
| innanzitutto | adv. | first of all | Innanzitutto, ascolta bene — First of all, listen well. |
| innamorarsi | v. | to fall in love | Si innamora facilmente — He falls in love easily. |
| innamorato | adj./n. | in love; lover | Sono innamorato di te — I’m in love with you. |
| innovare | v. | to innovate | L’azienda vuole innovare — The company wants to innovate. |
| innovazione | n. | innovation | L’innovazione è essenziale — Innovation is essential. |
| inondare | v. | to flood | La pioggia inonda la città — Rain floods the city. |
| interno | adj./n. | internal; interior | Lo spazio interno è ampio — The internal space is large. |
| internazionale | adj. | international | È un’azienda internazionale — It’s an international company. |
| Internet | n. | the Internet | Uso Internet ogni giorno — I use the Internet every day. |
| intervallo | n. | interval; break | Facciamo un intervallo — Let’s take a break. |
| intervista | n. | interview | Ha un’intervista domani — He has an interview tomorrow. |
| intervistare | v. | to interview | Voglio intervistare l’autore — I want to interview the author. |
| intervenire | v. | to intervene | Devi intervenire subito — You must intervene immediately. |
| interesse | n. | interest (curiosity/financial) | Ho interesse per la storia — I have an interest in history. |
| interessare | v. | to interest; to concern | Questo libro mi interessa — This book interests me. |
| interpretare | v. | to interpret; to perform | Interpreta il ruolo principale — He performs the main role. |
| interpretazione | n. | interpretation | La sua interpretazione è originale — His interpretation is original. |
| ipotesi | n. | hypothesis; assumption | È solo un’ipotesi — It’s only a hypothesis. |
| ipotizzare | v. | to hypothesize; to suppose | Ipotizzo una soluzione semplice — I hypothesize a simple solution. |
| ipermercato | n. | hypermarket, large supermarket | Vado all’ipermercato oggi — I go to the hypermarket today. |
| iperbole | n. | hyperbole, exaggeration | Quella frase è un’iperbole — That sentence is a hyperbole. |
| ipocrita | adj./n. | hypocritical; hypocrite | È un comportamento ipocrita — That’s a hypocritical behavior. |
| ipoteca | n. | mortgage | Hanno un’ipoteca sulla casa — They have a mortgage on the house. |
| iride | n. | iris (eye or flower) | L’iride è colorata — The iris is colored. |
| irlandese | adj./n. | Irish | Conosco un amico irlandese — I know an Irish friend. |
| ironia | n. | irony | Parla con ironia spesso — He often speaks with irony. |
| ironico | adj. | ironic | Il commento è ironico — The comment is ironic. |
| irrilevante | adj. | irrelevant | Questa cosa è irrilevante — This thing is irrelevant. |
| irregolare | adj. | irregular | È un verbo irregolare — It’s an irregular verb. |
| irreale | adj. | unreal | È una situazione irreale — It’s an unreal situation. |
| irrequieto | adj. | restless | Il bambino è irrequieto — The child is restless. |
| iscrivere | v. | to enroll, to register | Mi iscrivo al corso — I enroll in the course. |
| iscrizione | n. | registration, enrollment | L’iscrizione è aperta — Registration is open. |
| isola | n. | island | L’isola è vicina — The island is nearby. |
| isolare | v. | to isolate | Isola il problema principale — Isolate the main problem. |
| isolamento | n. | isolation | L’isolamento è difficile — Isolation is difficult. |
| ispirare | v. | to inspire | Questo libro mi ispira — This book inspires me. |
| ispirazione | n. | inspiration | Ha molta ispirazione — He has much inspiration. |
| istante | n. | instant, moment | Aspetta un istante — Wait a moment. |
| istituire | v. | to institute, to establish | Hanno istituito una regola — They established a rule. |
| istituzione | n. | institution | L’istituzione è statale — The institution is state-run. |
| istinto | n. | instinct | Segui il tuo istinto — Follow your instinct. |
| istruzione | n. | education; instruction | L’istruzione è importante — Education is important. |
| istruttore | n. | instructor, trainer | L’istruttore spiega l’esercizio — The instructor explains the exercise. |
| iter | n. | procedure, process (formal) | L’iter burocratico è lungo — The bureaucratic process is long. |
| idolo | n. | idol | È il mio idolo musicale — He’s my musical idol. |
| idea | n. | idea | Ho un’idea nuova — I have a new idea. |
| identità | n. | identity | Perdo la mia identità — I lose my identity. |
| identificare | v. | to identify | Identifica il problema subito — Identify the problem immediately. |
| identico | adj. | identical | I due sono identici — The two are identical. |
| ideologia | n. | ideology | Quella ideologia è diffusa — That ideology is widespread. |
| ideale | adj./n. | ideal; ideal (noun) | È la soluzione ideale — It’s the ideal solution. |
| idraulico | n./adj. | plumber; hydraulic | Chiamo l’idraulico domani — I’ll call the plumber tomorrow. |
| idoneo | adj. | suitable, eligible (formal) | Sei idoneo per il lavoro — You’re suitable for the job. |
| igiene | n. | hygiene | L’igiene è fondamentale — Hygiene is fundamental. |
| igienico | adj. | hygienic | È igienico usare le salviette — It’s hygienic to use wipes. |
| illustrare | v. | to illustrate; to explain | Illustra il concetto — Illustrate the concept. |
| illustrazione | n. | illustration | L’illustrazione è chiara — The illustration is clear. |
| illusione | n. | illusion | È solo un’illusione ottica — It’s only an optical illusion. |
| illusorio | adj. | illusory, deceptive | Il guadagno è illusorio — The gain is illusory. |
| imbarazzo | n. | embarrassment | Provo imbarazzo spesso — I feel embarrassed often. |
| imbarcare | v. | to embark; to load | Si imbarcano i passeggeri — Passengers are boarding. |
| imbrogliare | v. | to cheat, to trick | Non imbrogliare nei giochi — Don’t cheat in games. |
| imbrunire | v. | to get dark; to twilight | Il giorno comincia a imbrunire — The day begins to darken. |
Descriptions
il
Definite article for masculine singular nouns (A1, very common).
i
Plural definite article (A1, essential, very frequent).
in
Very common preposition of place or movement (A1, common).
io
Subject pronoun for first person singular (A1, frequent).
italiano
Adjective and noun for nationality/language (A1–A2, very common).
immagine
Common noun; used for photos and mental images (B1, common).
immaginare
Frequent verb for creativity or supposition (B1, common).
immediato
Describes something instant or urgent (B1, common).
immediatamente
Adverb of time/urgency (B1, common).
immenso
Descriptive adjective for very large size (B1, common).
importante
High-frequency adjective to signal significance (A2, common).
importare
Common verb used in “importare” = matter; also to import goods (B1).
impossibile
Widely used adjective indicating impossibility (A2/B1, common).
impiegare
Verb for employing people or using resources (B1).
impiegato
Common occupational noun (A2, common).
imparare
Essential verb for study and skill acquisition (A1, very common).
impegno
Useful noun for obligations or effort (B1, common).
impegnare
Reflexive and transitive uses; common in daily speech (B1).
impostare
Frequent verb in technology and arrangements (B1).
impostore
Noun for someone deceiving others (B2, common).
impronta
Used literally and figuratively (B2, common).
improvvisare
Verb for spontaneous actions (B2).
improvviso
Adjective describing unexpected events (B1).
inaspettato
Common adjective for surprises (B2).
includere
Frequent verb for inclusion or composition (B1).
incluso
Adjective used in commercial contexts (A2/B1).
industria
Common noun in economics and production contexts (B1).
industriale
Adjective relating to industry (B1).
influenzare
Verb for exerting influence (B2).
influenza
Double meaning: social influence and illness (B1).
informare
Verb for giving news or updates (B1).
informazione
Essential noun for facts and data (A2/B1).
informatico
Adjective for technology topics (B1).
iniziare
Very common verb for starting actions (A1).
iniziale
Used for beginnings or first letters (B2).
inizialmente
Adverb marking the first stage (B2).
innanzitutto
Common discourse marker (B1).
innamorarsi
Pronominal verb expressing falling in love (B1).
innamorato
Describes emotional state or person (A2/B1).
innovare
Verb used in business/technology contexts (B2).
innovazione
Noun common in business and science (B2).
inondare
Verb for literal or figurative floods (B2).
interno
Used for inside areas or internal matters (B1).
internazionale
Widely used in politics, business, culture (B1).
Internet
Common proper noun/term (B1, very frequent).
intervallo
Useful in schedules, music, and math (A2/B1).
intervista
Common noun in media and jobs (B1).
intervistare
Verbal action in journalism or research (B2).
intervenire
Used in conflict resolution and action (B2).
interesse
Polysemous: personal interest or financial interest (B1).
interessare
Verb for causing interest or concern (A2/B1).
interpretare
Used in arts and linguistic contexts (B2).
interpretazione
Noun for analysis or performance (B2).
ipotesi
Academic and everyday use for suppositions (B2).
ipotizzare
Verb for proposing an idea or theory (C1/B2).
ipermercato
Modern commercial term (B1).
iperbole
Literary/rhetorical noun (B2).
ipocrita
Common adjective for insincerity (B2).
ipoteca
Financial/legal term (B2).
iride
Noun used in anatomy and botany (B2).
irlandese
Adjective/nationality noun (B1).
ironia
Cultural/literary noun (B2).
ironico
Describes tone or intent (B2).
irrilevante
Used to dismiss importance (B2).
irregolare
Grammar and pattern description (A2/B1).
irreale
Descriptive adjective, common in narratives (B2).
irrequieto
Describes agitation or restlessness (B2).
iscrivere
Common verb for signing up (A2/B1).
iscrizione
Noun used for formal sign-ups (B1).
isola
Common geographic noun (A2).
isolare
Useful in technical and social contexts (B2).
isolamento
Noun for solitude or containment (B2).
ispirare
Verb used for creativity or motivation (B2).
ispirazione
Noun in creative contexts (B2).
istante
Common time expression (A1).
istituire
Formal verb for creating institutions or rules (B2).
istituzione
Common in social and political contexts (B2).
istinto
Useful in advice and psychology (B2).
istruzione
Key noun in social discourse (B1).
istruttore
Common job title (B1).
iter
Formal/technical term (rare/formal).
idolo
Popular culture noun (B1).
idea
Very frequent noun for thoughts and plans (A2).
identità
Social/legal/personal noun (B2).
identificare
Useful in research and diagnostics (B2).
identico
Descriptive adjective for likeness (B2).
ideologia
Political/social noun (C1).
ideale
Used for perfect options or ideals (B2).
idraulico
Common tradesperson term (B1).
idoneo
Formal adjective used in evaluations (B2).
igiene
Health-related common noun (B1).
igienico
Adjective in health/food contexts (B2).
illustrare
Common verb in teaching and publishing (B2).
illustrazione
Noun for images or explanations (B2).
illusione
Used in perception and metaphorical contexts (B2).
illusorio
Describes false appearances (C1).
imbarazzo
Emotional noun common in social contexts (B2).
imbarcare
Used for boarding or loading operations (B2).
imbrogliare
Verb for deception or fraud (B2).
imbrunire
Used for evening/dusk (B2).