[{"role": "user", "content": "I've been meaning to learn some basic Italian phrases for an upcoming trip, and I was wondering how to say \"Were you busy?\" in Italian."}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "That's a great phrase to know. In Italian, you would say \"Lei era impegnato?\" (formal) or \"Tu eri occupato?\" (informal, male) or \"Tu eri occupata?\" (informal, female). But \"Lei era impegnato?\" is the most common and polite way to ask someone if they were busy."}, {"role": "user", "content": "That's very helpful, thank you! I'll definitely use that. What's the difference between formal and informal in Italian?"}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "In Italian, we use formal language when speaking to someone we don't know well, or to show respect, especially to older people or people in positions of authority. Informal language is used with friends, family, or people we know well. When in doubt, it's always better to use formal language, especially when interacting with locals during your trip."}]