Learn Italian with Movies & TV Shows
Italian sounds beautiful, but textbook Italian and real Italian are two different things. With Wordy, you learn from actual movie dialogue, the way Italians really talk. Hear the rhythm, the slang, the emotion.
Why Learn Italian?
Rich culture and cuisine
Italy shaped Western art, music, architecture, and food. Speaking Italian lets you experience all of it without a filter.
Easy for English speakers
Italian is one of the easiest languages for English speakers. The FSI estimates just 600 hours to reach proficiency, and the pronunciation is straightforward.
Travel across four countries
Italian is official in Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, and Vatican City. Knowing even basic Italian transforms your travel experience.
How to Learn Italian with Wordy
Three steps to start picking up Italian from real movies and shows.
Pick a Movie or Show
Browse Italian content from our library of 15,000+ clips or connect your streaming service.
Watch and Tap Words
Tap any word in the subtitles for instant translation. Save words you want to remember.
Review with Flashcards
Practice saved vocabulary with spaced repetition flashcards linked to the original scene.
Popular Italian Content for Learning
Great Italian movies and shows to get you started.
La Grande Bellezza
Slow, elegant dialogue about life in Rome, perfect for intermediate learners picking up conversational phrasing.
Gomorra
Gritty Neapolitan dialect mixed with standard Italian, great for hearing how regional speech really sounds.
Cinema Paradiso
A classic with clear, emotional dialogue that beginners can follow along with subtitles.
Suburra: Blood on Rome
Modern Roman slang and fast-paced conversations, ideal for training your ear to keep up with native speed.
Life Is Beautiful
Roberto Benigni speaks with animated, expressive Italian that helps you connect words to emotion and body language.
Tips for Learning Italian from Movies
Focus on hand gestures too
Italians communicate as much with their hands as with words. Watch how actors gesture in scenes. It will help you understand context even before you catch every word.
Listen for doubled consonants
The difference between "pena" (pity) and "penna" (pen) is the doubled N. Movie dialogue makes these distinctions obvious because you hear them in natural sentences.
Start with comedies
Italian comedies use everyday vocabulary and repeat common phrases. Shows like "Boris" give you colloquial Italian that textbooks skip entirely.
Italian Fun Facts
Italy has the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites of any country (59), and many Italian words for art and architecture have no direct translation in other languages. (Source: UNESCO World Heritage List)
The Italian alphabet only has 21 letters. The letters J, K, W, X, and Y are not part of the native alphabet and only appear in borrowed words. (Source: Accademia della Crusca)
Over 60% of English vocabulary related to music comes from Italian, including "piano," "forte," "soprano," and "tempo." (Source: Oxford English Dictionary)
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to learn Italian?
How long does it take to learn Italian?
About 600 hours of study to reach professional proficiency, according to the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. That puts Italian in Category I, the easiest group for English speakers. With daily movie watching on Wordy, you can build listening skills much faster than with textbooks alone.
Can I learn Italian just by watching movies?
Can I learn Italian just by watching movies?
Movies alone will not make you fluent, but they are one of the best tools for building listening skills and vocabulary. Wordy breaks scenes into short clips with translations, so you absorb real speech patterns. Pair it with speaking practice and you will progress quickly.
What is the best Italian movie for beginners?
What is the best Italian movie for beginners?
Cinema Paradiso is a great starting point. The dialogue is clear, the pace is gentle, and the story is universal enough that context helps you understand even unfamiliar words. Life Is Beautiful is another strong pick for beginners.
Is Italian harder than Spanish or French?
Is Italian harder than Spanish or French?
No, Italian is roughly the same difficulty as Spanish and French for English speakers. All three are Category I languages requiring about 600 hours. Italian pronunciation is actually more consistent than French, which makes listening practice easier.
Start Learning Italian Today
Download Wordy and learn Italian from your favorite movies and TV shows. Free to start.