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PhrasesTravel ProblemsHo dimenticato il PIN.
A2

Ho dimenticato il PIN.

I have forgotten my PIN.

Pronunciation

'Dimenticato' — di-men-ti-CA-to. Five syllables; stress on the fourth.

When to use it

Say this at a shop or ATM when you cannot recall your PIN and need to abort a payment. You may need to contact your bank to unblock or reset the PIN.

What it means

'Ho dimenticato' is the passato prossimo of 'dimenticare' (to forget). Unlike English, Italian uses the past tense for actions that have just occurred: 'ho dimenticato' covers 'I have forgotten' (current state). 'Il PIN' is used as an acronym in Italian, always masculine ('il PIN').

Variations

La mia carta è bloccata.

My card is blocked.

Result of too many wrong PIN attempts.

Come sblocco la carta?

How do I unblock the card?

Ask the bank about the unlocking procedure.

Posso pagare contactless?

Can I pay contactless?

Contactless does not require PIN for small amounts.

Mini Dialogue

— Ho dimenticato il PIN, posso pagare diversamente? — Con contactless non serve il PIN, proviamo. — Se supera i cinquanta euro? — In quel caso serve il PIN o un altro metodo.

— I have forgotten my PIN, can I pay differently? — With contactless you don't need a PIN, let's try. — If it's over fifty euros? — In that case you need the PIN or another method.

Cultural Note

Since 2021, contactless payments in Italy do not require a PIN for transactions under €50. Above that threshold, PIN entry is required by EU regulation. Most Italian merchants now accept contactless payments widely. Apple Pay and Google Pay are increasingly common alternatives.