Hi yes this is just dialect and will vary with the area. Personally i understand really well when Italians speak formal Italian but when speaking informally especially with "young" guys my age i really struggle as they drop letters everywhere! I just shout to myself (inner voice) "please just speak proper Italian" he he

I agree Ilaria - I think it's really that last syllable or letter that can be difficult for foreigners like me to understand but I am slowly getting there.

As for the Salut - in Canada for example it is mostly used to say hi, except when used in neighborhoods with a lot of French students. In France it's mostly like the ciao in italian. But these differences does not bother me too much as you have to learn them. It's really the pronunciation or articulation as you said. I guess I am guilty of that too especially in French

Thank you for your comments! I think I understand what you mean Georges. In my opinion the problem is how much people articulate while speaking fast. In particular I am referring to the last syllable. That's when some syllables might not be heard clearly. Sometimes, this tendency can come from the regional dialect too. But, as you said, with time and practice it will become easier.

I'm happy to articulate a bit more if I know that otherwise I might not be understood. And if I do want to use a specific regional term, I will explain it so everyone in the conversation can understand. But I guess it's a personal choice. In other words, I don't mind adapting the way I speak.

When I learn other languages, I find these differences between informal and formal use of the language interesting. I tend to "follow the rule" but also be aware of informal/regional variations of the language while listening.

I remember that, in school, I was taught that "Salut" in French could only be used when greeting someone and not when saying goodbye. I do recall my teacher insisting on this point. Well, when I moved to France I realised that it wasn't the case. I was quite surprised! This example is not really to the point, but I hope you understand what I mean.

My experience with learning italien has mixed feelings. When I started learning Italian I noticed that every letter and syllable must be pronounced. When I hear Italians speak it's like they speak syllables .. could be because of the infinitives like the example you gave but they definitely have a way of of speaking that makes it ultra fast that I didn't feel with other languages. Maybe it's because I was under the impression that everything is pronounced which is clearly not the case orally.

But it's all good I think it comes with experience and everyday I'm one step closer to reaching fluency so I'll get used to it eventually

It’s just a dialect ... I think that this is a case where you can understand the meaning of the sentence just because is similar to the correct form but

every italian should speak CORRENCT ITALIAN not a regional dialect so you might not be forced to undestand phrases like that.

Mi dispiace molto per coloro che sono sostenitori dei dialetti locali ( anche io parlo il mio dialetto ) ma lo si parla a casa o in situazioni dove tutti possono capire.

Se io dicessi nel mio dialetto “no podo star chi “ ( non posso stare qui) come farebbe un povero straniero a capirmi?