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How Long to Take to Learn Italian? Real Timelines by CEFR Level

Last updated: February 5, 2026

How long it takes to learn Italian at each level - Banner

So you want to learn Italian and you're wondering how long this whole thing is going to take.🕠 Smart question. After all, who likes to travel without knowing how long it would take to get to their destination? Whether you're planning a move to Rome, preparing for a trip through Tuscany, or just love the sound of the language, having realistic timelines helps you actually commit to the process instead of giving up after a few weeks.

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Understanding the CEFR levels for Italian

Before we dive into specific timelines, let's talk about the CEFR framework. The Common European Framework of Reference breaks language proficiency into six levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2. These levels give us a standardized way to measure progress when you study Italian.

  1. A1 is absolute beginner stuff. You can introduce yourself, order coffee, ask basic questions.
  2. A2 means you can handle simple conversations about familiar topics.
  3. B1 is where things get interesting because you can actually navigate most everyday situations.
  4. B2 is solid intermediate territory where you're comfortable discussing abstract topics.
  5. C1 means you're operating at an advanced level with nuanced expression.
  6. C2 is basically native-like proficiency.

Most people aiming to learn Italian are really shooting for somewhere between B1 and B2. That's the sweet spot where you can live in Italy, work in Italian, watch movies without subtitles, and feel genuinely comfortable with the language.

the level of italian learning in cefr
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How long does it take to reach each level of Italian

Here's where we get into the actual numbers. The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) classifies Italian as a Category I language for English speakers, meaning it's one of the easiest languages for native English speakers to pick up. They estimate around 600 to 750 hours of study to reach professional working proficiency.

Let's break down realistic hour estimates for each CEFR level:

  1. A1 takes about 60 to 100 hours of study. If you're putting in an hour every day, that's roughly two to three months. You'll be able to handle basic greetings, introduce yourself, order food, and ask simple questions about directions or prices.
  2. A2 requires around 180 to 200 total hours. That's about four to six months with consistent daily practice. At this stage, you can have simple conversations about your job, family, hobbies, and daily routines. The grammar starts getting more complex here with past tenses and more verb conjugations.
  3. B1 needs approximately 400 to 450 hours. We're looking at eight months to a year of regular study. This is conversational Italian territory where you can discuss plans, explain opinions, handle travel situations independently, and follow the main points of TV shows or podcasts.
  4. B2 takes around 600 to 650 hours total. That's roughly 12 to 18 months depending on your intensity. At B2, you're genuinely fluent in most practical senses. You can work in Italian, debate complex topics, understand most movies and books, and express yourself with decent nuance.
  5. C1 requires about 800 to 900 hours. We're talking two to three years of serious study. You're operating at an advanced level where you can handle professional presentations, write formal documents, and catch subtle cultural references.
  6. C2 is the final boss, needing 1,000+ hours and often years of immersion. This is near native speaker territory where you understand regional dialects, literary texts, and can express yourself with complete precision.
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Study intensity makes a huge difference

Here's the thing: those hour estimates mean nothing without context about how you're actually spending that time. One hour of focused conversation practice hits differently than one hour of passively reviewing flashcards.

  1. If you're doing 30 minutes per day of casual app-based learning, you're looking at about 180 hours per year. That gets you to A2 level in your first year, maybe scraping into B1 by year two. Totally fine if you're learning for fun without a deadline.
  2. Bump it up to one hour daily of mixed practice (Apps, grammar exercises, some listening), and you're at 365 hours per year. You could realistically hit B1 within a year and push toward B2 in your second year. This is probably the most common scenario for self-learners.
  3. Two hours daily of intensive study gets you 730 hours annually. You could reach B2 fluency within a single year if you're strategic about it. This requires serious commitment though. Are you willing to dedicate some time every day to learning Italian, or can you only study on weekends? Be honest with yourself here.

Immersion obviously accelerates everything. Living in Italy while actively studying can compress timelines by 40 to 50 percent compared to learning at home. You're getting passive exposure all day plus intentional study time.

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Factors that speed up or slow down your progress in learning Italian

Your background makes a massive difference in how long to take to learn Italian. If you already speak another Romance language like Spanish, French, or Portuguese, you're starting with a huge advantage. Italian shares tons of vocabulary and grammatical structures with these languages. You might cut your timeline by 30 to 40 percent compared to someone learning their first foreign language.

English speakers still have it pretty good though. Italian uses the Latin alphabet, has fairly consistent pronunciation rules, and shares enough cognates with English that you can often guess meanings. Plus, Italian grammar, while detailed, follows logical patterns once you get the hang of it.

Your study methods matter more than you'd think. Passive learning (Just using apps, reading textbooks takes way longer than active practice. If you're actually speaking from day one, writing in Italian, and consuming real content made for native speakers, you'll progress much faster.

Motivation and consistency beat talent every time. Someone who studies 30 minutes every single day will outpace someone doing three-hour cram sessions once a week. Language learning rewards regularity.

Age plays a role but not as much as people think. Adults actually have advantages to learn a language in understanding grammar and staying motivated. Kids pick up pronunciation more easily, but adults can absolutely reach fluency at any age.

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How many words are needed to become fluent in Italian

Vocabulary size is another way to measure progress.

  1. For basic A1 level communication, you need around 500 to 800 words. That's enough to handle simple tourist situations and basic small talk.
  2. A2 level requires about 1,500 to 2,000 words. You can discuss familiar topics and handle most everyday situations with this vocabulary.
  3. B1 needs roughly 3,000 to 4,000 words. This is where you can really start to speak Italian in a functional way, expressing opinions and following conversations on various topics.
  4. B2 demands around 5,000 to 6,000 words. At this vocabulary level, you're genuinely fluent for most practical purposes. You can read newspapers, watch movies, and participate in professional discussions.
  5. C1 and C2 levels require 8,000 to 10,000+ words, including specialized vocabulary and idiomatic expressions.

Here's something cool though: you don't need to know every word to understand content. Native speakers use about 20,000 to 30,000 words in their daily lives, but the most common 3,000 words cover about 90 percent of everyday conversation.

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Is Italian considered easy to learn

For English speakers, Italian is one of the easier options compared to Category V languages like Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Korean, which take 2,200+ hours.

The Italian language has some genuinely learner-friendly features.

  1. Pronunciation is mostly phonetic, meaning words are pronounced how they're written. Once you learn the basic rules, you can read Italian aloud pretty accurately even if you don't know what the words mean.
  2. Grammar has its challenges, sure. Verb conjugations are extensive with different endings for each person and tense. Subjunctive mood trips people up. Gendered nouns require memorization. But compared to languages with completely different writing systems or tonal pronunciation, these obstacles are manageable to practice Italian.
  3. The hardest parts are usually the speed of native speakers (They talk fast), regional variations in vocabulary and pronunciation, and mastering the subjunctive mood for expressing doubt or emotion.
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Tips to learn and keep motivated while learning Italian

Knowing how long it takes to learn Italian is one thing. Actually doing it is another. Here's what actually works based on successful learners.

  1. Start speaking immediately. Don't wait until you "know enough grammar." Book conversation sessions with tutors on platforms like italki from week one. You'll make embarrassing mistakes and that's exactly the point.
  2. Consume content you actually enjoy. If you hate the news, don't force yourself to read Italian newspapers. Find Italian YouTubers, podcasts, or books about topics you genuinely care about. I've seen people make crazy progress just by watching cooking shows or soccer commentary in Italian.
  3. Focus on high-frequency vocabulary first. Learn the most common 1,000 words before worrying about obscure terms you'll rarely use. This gives you the biggest bang for your buck.
  4. Practice grammar in context, not isolation. Doing endless conjugation drills is mind-numbing. Instead, learn grammar patterns as they come up in real content and conversations.
  5. Track your hours of study honestly. Use a simple spreadsheet or app to log your actual study time. This keeps you accountable and helps you predict when you'll hit your goals.
  6. Find accountability through language partners, tutors, or online communities. Learning alone is tough. Having someone to practice with makes it way more sustainable.

If you're serious about learning through immersion with real Italian content, Migaku's browser extension and app let you look up words instantly while watching shows or reading articles. Makes the whole process way more practical than constantly pausing to check dictionaries. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out.

learn the language with migaku
Learn Italian with Migaku
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FAQs

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There is no fixed answer on how long a time it takes to learn Italian

Most people underestimate how much time they'll put in and overestimate how quickly they'll progress. Be realistic! The timeline fluctuates, and your schedule, no matter if it is daily, weekly, or monthly, is subject to change, depending on your enthusiasm for the language and your current workload. But remember. Even during your busy days, take 2 minutes to learn one section in Duolingo, or watch a 3-minute Italian video on YouTube. That helps you maintain consistency, avoiding giving up or burning out.

If you consume media in Italian, and you understand at least some of the messages and sentences within that media, you will make progress. Period.

Don't force yourself, but find ways to make learning easier!