Translate English to Italian with the polite Lei form
Planning a wedding in Tuscany, booking an agriturismo or writing to a supplier in Milan? Italians answer faster when the email is in good Italian, with the right greeting and the formal Lei. Your todo.is agent translates your message, keeps the warmth and shows you what each sentence says.
The prompt
- Translate this [PASTE THE TEXT OR ATTACH THE FILE] from English into Italian. I am writing to [WHO THEY ARE]. Use [LEI (FORMAL) OR TU (INFORMAL)] and a [TONE] tone. Use proper Italian greetings and sign-offs, Italian date and number formats (13 settembre, 1.500,00 €), and keep names and [DETAILS TO KEEP EXACT] unchanged. Give me the Italian text ready to send, an English back-translation, and three useful phrases I may need for the reply. If I attach their answer later, translate it and draft my response.
What to change
- [PASTE THE TEXT OR ATTACH THE FILE]: Your email, letter or a Word file.
- [WHO THEY ARE]: E.g. "a wedding venue in Tuscany", "a hotel in Sicily", "a supplier in Milan" or "my partner's grandparents".
- [LEI (FORMAL) OR TU (INFORMAL)]: Lei for businesses and people you do not know; tu for friends and family.
- [TONE]: E.g. "warm and polite", "short and professional".
- [DETAILS TO KEEP EXACT]: E.g. dates, guest numbers, booking reference, prices.
Example result
- Translation: inquiry to Agriturismo Il Poggio
- English → Italian · formal · warm and polite
- English
- Hello, we are planning our wedding for about 80 guests and love your venue. Is it available on Saturday, September 13, 2025? Could you send us your wedding packages and tell us if outside caterers are allowed? We'd also like to visit in May. Thank you! Anna and James
- Italian
- Gentile staff dell'Agriturismo Il Poggio,
- stiamo organizzando il nostro matrimonio per circa 80 invitati e la vostra struttura ci piace moltissimo. Sarebbe disponibile sabato 13 settembre 2025?
- Potreste inviarci i vostri pacchetti per matrimoni e indicarci se è possibile avvalersi di un catering esterno? Ci piacerebbe anche venire a visitare la struttura a maggio.
- Grazie mille e cordiali saluti,
- Anna e James
- Back-translation
- Dear staff of Agriturismo Il Poggio, we are organizing our wedding for about 80 guests and we like your venue very much. Would it be available on Saturday, September 13, 2025? Could you send us your wedding packages and let us know whether an outside caterer can be used? We would also like to come and see the venue in May. Many thanks and kind regards, Anna and James.
- Notes
- • Writing to a business, the plural voi / vostra is natural. To one named person, switch to Lei: "Potrebbe inviarci...".
- • Gentile is the standard polite opening, like "Dear".
- • Months and weekdays are lowercase in Italian: settembre, sabato.
- • "Love your venue" became "ci piace moltissimo", warm without sounding over the top.
- Phrases for the reply
- • Potremmo fissare un sopralluogo? Could we arrange a site visit?
- • Il prezzo è IVA inclusa? Does the price include VAT?
- • Quale acconto è richiesto per confermare la data? What deposit is needed to confirm the date?
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and add who you are writing to and the tone you want.
- Paste your English text on the Today screen in todo.is, or send it to your agent on WhatsApp.
- Read the back-translation, then copy the Italian into your email.
- When they reply in Italian, send it to your agent to translate and draft your answer.
Tips for a better result
- Use Lei with anyone you do not know, and voi when writing to a company or team. Tu is for friends, family and young brands.
- Italian business emails start with Gentile or Buongiorno and end with Cordiali saluti. Ciao is only for people you know.
- Write dates as 13 settembre 2025 or 13/09/2025. Italians read 09/13 as an impossible date.
- Tell your agent to remember the venue or supplier, so later messages in the same thread stay consistent.
translate English to Italian: FAQ
- How do I write a formal email in Italian? Open with Gentile plus the name (Gentile Sig.ra Rossi), use Lei, keep sentences polite and close with Cordiali saluti. Your agent applies these rules for you.
- What is the difference between Lei and tu? Lei is the formal "you", used with strangers, clients and older people. Tu is informal, for friends, family and casual brands.
- Is AI good at translating into Italian? It is very good for emails, menus and product text. For legal contracts or certificates, use a certified Italian translator.
- Can I translate an Italian document into English too? Yes. Attach the PDF, Word file or photo and ask your agent for an English version.
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