Practice Italian or Chinese in Milan with Native Speakers
Skip the M1 delays and cancelled aperitivo dates. Practice Italian or Chinese by video with native speakers who actually live in Milan.
Create your free accountNo card needed. Exchanges between members are always free.
Milan has one of the oldest Chinese communities in Italy, built around Via Paolo Sarpi since the early 1900s, so Mandarin is genuinely part of the city's soundscape, not something you have to import. At the same time Bocconi, Politecnico and the business district around Porta Nuova pull in people who need working Italian fast, often alongside colleagues who already speak Chinese at home. The demand to practice both languages here is real and constant.
What's hard is putting two schedules in the same room. Milan runs on smart-working days, long commutes on the M1, M2, M3 and M5, and an aperitivo culture that starts around 7pm and eats the only free hour some people have. Someone in Bicocca finishes at 6, someone in Città Studi has class until 8, and by the time either gets to Navigli or Isola for a meetup, one of you has already texted 'sorry, running late, let's reschedule.'
Doing it by video removes the commute from the equation entirely. You get your half hour of Italian and half hour of Chinese from wherever you are, at a time that survives contact with an actual Milanese calendar, without losing what makes practicing with a nativo worth it in the first place.
Words you will actually hear
| Here | Elsewhere | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Sciura | Signora | Milanese dialect for a refined, often older woman; still used affectionately or ironically in everyday speech. |
| Cadrega | Sedia | Milanese dialect word for chair, one of the dialect terms that survives in casual conversation. |
| Pirla | Sciocco | Milanese dialect for someone acting foolishly; used jokingly among friends, not as a real insult. |
| MM | Metropolitana Milanese | How locals refer to the subway system, as in 'prendo la MM' instead of the full name. |
| Apericena | Aperitivo che sostituisce la cena | An aperitivo generous enough to replace dinner, a very Milanese way of eating after work. |
| Milano da bere | Milano frenetica e mondana | 1980s expression still used to describe Milan's fast-paced, business-and-aperitivo lifestyle. |
| Andare al Sarpi | Andare nella zona cinese di Via Paolo Sarpi | Going to Via Paolo Sarpi, Milan's historic Chinatown, for food or errands. |
| Fuorisalone | Eventi collaterali del Salone del Mobile | The citywide design week events every April that take over entire neighborhoods. |
| Runner dei Navigli | Persona che corre lungo i canali | Someone jogging along the Navigli canals, a common evening sight in that part of the city. |
Classes coming up
Times in your own time zone. This list changes every day.
Exchanges looking for a partner
How it works here
-
Sign up and say your level
Two minutes. If you do not know your level, we place you in the first class.
-
Pick a class or an exchange
Classes are led by a native teacher. An exchange is with another member: half the time in their language, half in yours.
-
Join by video, nothing to install
From your phone or your computer. If you cannot make it, cancel and get your place back.
Questions about this
I work near Porta Nuova until 7, is there anyone free after that?
Yes, most sessions cluster around 8-9pm because that's when Milan actually finishes its workday and its aperitivo. There are also earlier slots around lunch, from 1 to 2pm, for people with flexible smart-working schedules.
Do I need to meet in person somewhere in the city?
No. The one-to-one exchanges happen by video, so it doesn't matter if you're in Bicocca, Città Studi or Navigli. That's the part that actually works in a city this spread out.
What level of Italian or Chinese do I need to start?
Any level works for the one-to-one exchanges since your partner adjusts to you and you do the same for them. For the group classes with teachers, you're placed with people at a similar level so nobody's lost or bored.
How much does it cost?
The one-to-one exchanges between members are free, you just trade half an hour of your language for half an hour of theirs. The small group classes with native teachers have a separate price, check the classes page for current rates.
Keep looking around
Start this week
A free account, a free first group class, and exchanges that never cost anything.
