Italian Phrase
Dai, ti ascolto.
Meaning
Literally ‘Come on, I’m listening to you.’ The speaker is urging the listener to speak and reassuring them that they have the speaker’s full attention.
When to use
Used in informal, friendly conversations when you want to encourage someone to share something, a feeling, or a story. Avoid in formal or professional settings where a more polite tone is required.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Daitiascolto
Dai (interjection)
Colloquial interjection derived from the imperative of *dare*; used like ‘come on’ or ‘go ahead’ to encourage someone to speak.
ti (clitic pronoun)
Second‑person singular direct‑object pronoun placed before the verb in standard Italian; means ‘you’ (as the object of listening).
ascolto (verb)
First‑person singular present indicative of *ascoltare* ‘to listen’; ‘io ascolto’ → ‘I listen’.
🗨In Conversation
Non so se devo dirti quello che penso...
I don’t know if I should tell you what I think...
Dai, ti ascolto.
Come on, I’m listening.
✕Common Mistakes
Dai, ascolto te.
In Italian the object pronoun precedes the verb, so ‘ti ascolto’ is correct, not ‘ascolto te’.
Dai, ascolto voi.
‘Dai’ is informal; pairing it with the formal ‘voi’ or ‘Lei’ creates a register clash.
↔Alternatives
Vai, parlami.
Go ahead, talk to me.
Dai, dimmi tutto.
Come on, tell me everything.
Sono qui per ascoltarti.
I’m here to listen to you.
Cultural Tip
‘Dai’ is extremely common in everyday Italian, especially among younger speakers. It can sound pushy if overused or spoken in a harsh tone, so match the intonation to the level of familiarity. In the north of Italy you’ll hear it even more often than in the south.