Italian has many false friends: words which sound similar to an English one yet mean something different

If you ask for una camera you may be sent to the nearest hotel! It means room. The word for a camera is a macchina fotografica

If you’d like pepperoni on your pizza, don’t be too surprised if you end up with peppers instead. The Italian word peperoni is the plural of peperone, which is a pepper, so to make sure that you get the spicy sausage that you’re after, ask for salame piccante

If you like something, make sure you say mi piace, I like it, and not mi piaci, which means I like you as it’s likely to invite some very unpredictable reactions!

Beware of breaking one of the golden rules of Italian food etiquette: a cappuccino with your pasta dish will get you odd looks from the waiter - do as the Italians do and order a shot of strong espresso and only after your meal!