Tag: Italian Grammar

The mysterious combination of the pronoun ci and the verb avere

Everybody agrees that the pronoun ci is, probably, one of the most mysterious word in Italian, and thus, I thought it would be great to discuss in the post, the use of ci when occurring with the forms of the verb avere.

1.Ce l’hai? Ce l’ho! Non ce l’ho!

I am sure you might already heard the phrase ce l’ho and wondered what does it mean. Or better, what does the ce mean in that sentence. Well, you will be relieved to know that..it means nothing!

When someone asks you, if you have something, you can either answer by saying you have it or not. In the same way, in Italian, when indicating the possession of an object previously mentioned (in a question, for instance), the combination of the verb avere (to have) and the direct object pronoun (it), is required.

Hence, the sentences ce l’ho and non ce l’ho indicates that you have something or not.

Hai un cane? – Do you have a dog?
Ce l’ho – I have it
Non ce l’ho – I don’t have it

What is the function of the ce in the examples? Well, it has not a specific grammar function, nevertheless, it is obligatory to have it there when combining a form of avere with a direct prounoun.

ce le abbiamo – we have them
ce li avete – do you (all) have them?
non ce l’ho avuto mai – I haven’t ever had it

This use, probably, stems from a desire to avoid the cacophony of using simply l’ho/le ho/li ho or its extreme brevity.

The only rule to apply is, to transform ci in ce, as it always happens when ci is followed by a direct pronoun.

2. Avercela con con qualcuno

There is another colloquial and common construction of the pronoun ci with avere and occurs, precisely, with the pronominal verb avercela, which means, to be angry with someone.

Con chi ce l’hai? – With whom are you angry?
Ce l’ho con il mio collega Marco? – I am angry with my colleague Marco

Avercela is not to be confused with the form of avere indicating possession, as it is always followed by the preposition con con.

Avercela has quite the same meaning of the verb arrabbiarsi, a verb you might already be familiar with. What’s the difference between the two? Well, I’d just say avercela is far more colloquial than arrabbiarsi. Thus, it’s up to you which one to use.

Don’t forget that ci has many different other meanings, as follows:

reflexive pronoun → ci svegliamo alle 6 – we wake up at 6
direct object pronoun→ ci conosci? – do you know us?
indirect object pronoun → ci ha regalato un biglietto gratis per il concerto – she gave us a free ticket for the concert
adverb of place → Ci vado il prossimo mese – I am going there next month
There is, there are → c’e’, ci sono

Fermare and smettere: what’s the difference?

Misusing or swapping the verbs fermare and smettere is one of the most frequent errors students of Italian as a second language di and I understand why. The confusion is drove by the fact that both verbs, in English, have only one translation: stopping.

Instead, Italians have two different verbs to indicate the action of stopping. One verb is fermare and the other one is smettere. How different are they? Well, they are used with a different meaning and this depends on the nature of the action they are describing.

Let’s have a look at their usage:

fermare is the action of stopping something or someone.

We can also say that the verb fermare simplydescribes a movement that is physically stopped by an intervention from outside.

EXAMPLE

Ho fermato quella ragazza che mi piaceva tanto per chiederle il numero (I stopped that girl that I liked so much to ask for her phone number)

Ho fermato la macchina (I stopped the car)

As you might have noticed, when the action described by the verb is transitive (meaning the verb is followed by a direct or indirect object like la macchina or la ragazza,the verb is normal. However, if the action is intransitive (meaning that the verb does not have a direct object ) the verb takes the reflexive form.

EXAMPLE

L’autobus si è fermato (The bus stopped)
Mi sono fermato al bar perché c’erano i miei amici (I stopped by the bar because some friends of mine were there)

Smettere means stopping doing something and does not involve an idea of movement.
In short, it has the meaning of ceasing or quitting and is always followed by the preposition di and an infinitive verb.

Smettere can never be followed by a noun (~~ho smesso di lavoro~~)

EXAMPLE

Vorrei smettere di fumare (I’d like to quit smoking)
Ho smesso di lavorare per dedicarmi alla mia famiglia (I stopped working to spend more time with my family)

Attenzione! Smettere has an irregular past tense: ho smesso, hai smesso, etc

How to use correctly the adverbs già and ancora?

Let’s start from già, which has two different meanings.

GIÀ= ALREADY

The most common use of già is when is used with the sense of already.

In the vast majority of times, già comes together with a passato prossimo, just like in English and is always placed between the auxiliary verb and the past participle

Hai già fatto colazione? (Have you already had breakfast?)
Sono già stato in Italia (I have already been to Italy)

GIÀ= WELL, YES

Già has a second meaning, which expresses the idea adding a feeling of resignation to the expression ‘of course..’

Dovresti smettere di fumare! (You should quit smoking)
Già… ! (Well, yes)

What about ancora?

ANCORA = STILL

The meaning of ancora that many of you certainly already know is still, implying the idea that the action described by the verb has been carried out until now.

Stai ancora dormendo? (Are you still sleeping?)

ANCORA = AGAIN

However, ancora is widely used with meaning of doing something again

In this case, the adverb can be replaced by the synonyms di nuovo, nuovamente

Fallo ancora! (Do it again!)

Prova ancora! (Try it again!)

NON ANCORA = NOT YET

When ancora is coming together with the negative adverb non it means not yet. Notice the position of the adverbs with the passato prossimo

Non ho ancora mangiato oggi (I haven’t eaten yet today)
Non sono ancora stato in Italia (I haven’t been to Italy yet)

ANCORA = MORE

When Italians mean to add a quantity of something to something else, (e.g. more coffee, more sugar, more salt, more days off, etc…they would use ancora (and not più)

Voglio rimanere qui ancora due giorni (I want to stay here two more days)
Vuoi ancora zucchero? (Do you want more sugar?)

ANCORA = EVEN

Lastly, Italians use ancora followed by the adverbs più or meno when they want to say even more (or less)

Oggi fa ancora più freddo di ieri (Today is even colder than yesterday)

What does QUELLO and BELLO have in common?

Everybody knows that quello means that and bello means nice , however you might have noticed that, from time to time, quello and bello are in used in a different shape, like bel e quel or begli and quegli

How come?

Well, let’s start from quello

First thing first, you should be able to distinguish when quello is used as a pronoun (replacing a noun) and when used as adjective (accompanying a name).

In the first case, quello has four different possible endings, -o/-a/-i/e, according to the noun to which it refers

Quello è il mio gatto – That one is my cat
Quelle sono le mie amiche – those are my girlfriends

In the second case, when quello is an adjective, it changes its endings, by merging its root with the definite articles {il, lo, la, i, gli, le) that would normally precede a noun, as in the following examples:

Quei ragazzi
Quegli amici
Quell’uomo
Quel ragazzo
Quella donna
Quelle ragazze

The adjective bello follows exactly the same pattern of quello

Bei ragazzi
Begli amici
Bell’uomo
Bel ragazzo
Bella donna
Belle donne

The rule I have just mentioned, it to be applied just when quello and bello are positioned before a noun, that is to say that they must be adjectives to the noun.

Fare bene & fare male: how to use them

In this article, I will explain how to use two expressions with the verb fare which are often used in spoken Italian to show approval or disapproval towards something: fare bene and fare male

FARE BENE

Fare bene expresses approval or satisfaction towards somebody. For example, a friend tells you that he quit his job because could not put up with his boss anymore

Sai, ho deciso di lasciare il mio lavoro in ditta..non ce la facevo più! –
You know, I decided to quit my job at the company…I couldn’t stand it anymore!

Hai fatto bene, si vedeva che non stai più bene
you did well, one could see you were not well anymore

Another example:

hai fatto così bene a cambiare casa, quel quartiere è diventato così pericoloso! – you did so well to change home, that area became so dangerous!

Also, depending on how much you want to emphasize your approval you can use

Hai fatto benissimo – you did incredibly well
Hai fatto molto bene – you did very well

Remember that fare bene is always followed by the preposition a and an infinitive verb

Fare bene (accordingly conjugated) + a + infinitive

FARE MALE

In the same way, when you want express disapproval or dissatisfaction you can use the contrary expression fare male. Let’s see an example…

Sono andato a Cuba in bassa stagione e ha piovuto tutto il tempo…
hai fatto male a scegliere un periodo di bassa stagione, è vero che costa meno, ma è molto più probabile che piova

I went to Cuba and it rained all time long..
you made a mistake by choosing low season time to go there, it is true that cheaper, but there is better chance to find a poor weather

Also,

ho fatto così male a comprare quel vestito così costoso…non ne valeva la pena! – I made a big mistake by buying that very expensive dress…it was not worth it!

Fare male (accordingly conjucated) + a + infinitive

Depending on the level of your disapproval, you can use

Hai fatto malissimo – you made a huge mistake
Hai fatto molto male – you made a big mistake

FARE BENE e FARE MALE in different contexts

You might have heard the combinations fare bene and fare male in a different context and with a different meaning.

It’s the case when we want to say that something is good or bad for our physical and mental health. In this case, they are used in the third person singular e plural. Let’s see some examples

fumare fa male – smoking is not good for you health
fare attività fisica fa molto bene – working out is good for your health
mangiare almeno cinque frutti al giorno fa benissimo alla salute – eating at least five fruits a day it’s very good for your health

Finally, if you want to say that something is hurting you, just use the expression

mi fa male + singular body part
mi fa male la schiena – my back is hurting

mi fanno male + plural body parts
mi fanno male le gambe – my legs are hurting

How to express positive emotions in Italian

Italians have a reputation to be emotional and sentimental, and this is entirely right. No need to say, we like to express positive and (negative) emotions with friends and family and we do it often.

Have you ever wondered what the most common ways to say in Italian ‘Well Done‘ or ‘I was happy about..‘ or ‘Cool’ is? Read this to find it out.

By using the present perfect of rimanere followed by an adjective you will mean you were happy/excited/ satisfied with something

Sono rimasto soddisfatto della lezione di ieri
Lucia è rimasta molto contenta del regalo che hai ricevuto
L’insegnante rimane contento del mio livello di italiano durante ogni lezione

Don’t forget, most adjectives expressing feelings are followed by the preposition di and the verb infinitive

Essere /rimanere felice di + infinito
Essere /rimanere contento di+ infinito
Essere /rimanere soddisfatto di + infinito
Essere /rimanere scioccato di + infinito
Essere /rimanere sorpreso di + infinito
Avere paura di + infinito

Exclamations are the most colloquial way to express positive emotions

Many positive Italian exclamations are the result of the combination of CHE with adjectives

Che bello! How beautiful!
Che buono! How good!
Che dolce! How sweet!
Che piacere! How nice!
Che bel film ! What a nice movie!
Che bella donna! What a beautiful woman!
Che giornata fantastica! What a fantastic day!

There are also many other exclamations used in day to day Italian which take the shape of simple adjectives

Bravissimo! Well done!
Ottimo! Excellent!
Bello! Beautiful!
Figo! Cool! (very informal)
Eccezionale! Outstanding!

Another way to express satisfaction or happiness in Italian is using the expression fare piacere a qualcuno (literally: making pleasure for someone) with the subjunctive. Fare piacere is an impersonal expression; thus it has to be conjugated in the same way you would conjugate the verb piacere:

A me fa piacere – mi fa piacere – mi ha fatto piacere
A te fa piacere – ti fa piacere – ti ha fatto piacere
A Marco fa piacere  – gli fa piacere – gli ha fatto piacere
A noi fa piacere  – ci fa piacere – ci ha fatto piacere
A voi fa piacere  – vi fa piacere – vi ha fatto piacere
A Marco e Maria fa piacere – gli fa piacere – gli ha fatto piacere

Gli fa molto piacere che tu sia arrivato
Mi fa piacere che Luca si stato promosso

Expressing positive emotions can take the shape of showing approval. The most common way to show support or approval in Italian are:

(Va) bene! All right
D’accordo! Agreed!
Giusto! Correct!
Certo! Of course!
Esatto! Precisely!

Last but not least, let’s see how to express relief in Italian:

Meno male! Thank goodness!
Per fortuna! Luckily!
Grazie a Dio! Thank God1

Meno male is Italy’s most common verbal sigh of relief. This phrase is used when you want to explain that you have prevented a possible situation, like in the following examples:

Meno male che ho preso l’autobus delle 11, sennò avrei perso l’aereo
Meno male che Lucia è arrivata in orario per l’appuntamento con il capo.

Both grazie a Dio and per fortuna are used with the same meaning. However, meno male is the expression you are most likely to hear in your Italian conversations.

How to find the perfect online Italian tutor

I love learning languages solo, or at least I used to be. These days with my busy schedule I find it harder and harder finding the time and the focus to concentrate on language learning on my own. This is why, I have been hiring Portuguese and German online tutors to ease my

The main reasons why I hire only online tutors is connected to cost and time efficiency.
You won’t need to commute to a different place, and that entails a more efficient use of your time and money. Studying with an online Italian teacher will allow you to take your class from anywhere at nearly any time and most importantly will give you the chance to work with a native teacher based in the country where your target language is spoken.

No need to say that finding the right teacher has been quite an endeavor for me. Being an online teacher myself I am quite picky, and I do expect the same standards that I deliver. Choosing an instructor is a matter of good match. An excellent tutor for me is somebody I can work together with to push myself out of my speaking comfort zone, for example.

Thankfully, there is plenty of online tutors ready to help out there, so the question is, how do I choose the best online teacher for me?

As for myself, when I decided to use online tutors I have always asked myself a few questions:

How much time am I ready to spend working with my online teacher and how much time on my own?

If you have little time to spare on Italian language learning and you need your tutor to do (most) of the job you might opt for an experienced professional online tutor, willing to tailor your classes to your needs, learning pace and style.

If you have more time and are an experienced language learner and you have already designed your learning strategies, you will probably need just conversational Italian classes. However, when looking for conversational classes, make sure your classes are not limiting to a casual conversation: this won’t help you to take your Italian to text level. Make sure your online tutor is using different topics and authentic learning material.

Am I an experienced language student or is it the first time I am tackling language learning?

If you are an experienced student

If you are already multilingual and mastering a foreign language is a piece of cake for you, then probably you will do with an online informal tutor (somebody that provides just conversational practices) or an Italian language exchange partner. When looking for a language partner, make sure you exchange languages at the same level. Assuming Italian were your target language and you are a native English speaker with an intermediate Italian, you should look for somebody with an intermediate English level.

If you are not an experienced student

If you haven’t learned a foreign language since school you might probably need an Italian language coach or again a professional online teacher. A language coach is somebody that, not only teaches you the language but teaches how to learn the language.

What skills do I want to improve?

If you are a master

If you want to bring your Italian to the next level, you should probably look for a professional Italian online teacher. Based on my experience as a language learner I found out that casual conversation does not pave the way to progress. One thing I know for sure is that you become more fluent and comfortable with your target language when stepping out of your comfort zone. Speaking ten times about your last vacations won’t make you a better Italian speaker. However, if you try to talk about politics, environmental issues and the likes, you won’t only earn new vocabulary, but you will train your brain to use language in different contexts.

If you are halfway through

If you want just brush up your Italian or tune up your accent, then an Italian language partner or informal tutor would probably do the job. A language partner will help you to maintain your languages, however, if you want to reach native fluency you should again opt for a professional Italian instructor. Again, no pain – no gain.

If you are a beginner

You should be considering to try out a few tutors before you commit to one. You need somebody that will understand you and with put you at ease. And definitely, someone who will keep you motivated along the process.

What’s my motivation?

I am studying Italian for traveling or for business

If you are going on vacations to Italy in three months, you might probably need a full immersion course. Many teachers offer Italian for traveling online courses and that’s where you should go and select your course. If you don’t want limit yourself to learn in Italian greetings and asking the price for something you should probably commit to a regular online Italian language course.

I am studying Italian for school

If you are studying or pursuing Ph.D. in Italy or Switzerland, you probably need to focus on writing skills and terminology. You need also, to look for an instructor with specialized training in that area. Many teachers have specializations micro languages (e.g. medicine, law, etc.)

I am studying Italian for life

Studies show that learning a new language transform the way we think, opens our mind and enhance us to embrace many new opportunities from work, travels and making new friends. Speaking a language doesn’t involve just learning conversational skills, but also listening and understanding native speakers of the language you are studying. If your goal is becoming a pro, you need to commit seriously. If you can afford it, you should couple online classes with offline classes or use different tutors to get used to different accents and cultures.

That being said, what are the best place to find an online Italian tutor?

Italki

This is my hands-down favorite. Italki is a teacher marketplace where you can find and use experienced professional online teachers and informal tutors in nearly every possible language. The teachers can set their rates which usually ranks from 10 $ to 40 $ per hour. What I like about Italki is the rating system: teachers, as well students, receive rates in the shapes of ‘stars’ together with written feedback. Reading the feedback from previous students will help you to figure out what to expect from the teacher. There is also a search function for finding completely free language exchanges with other learners (“language partners,” which is tucked under the menu “Community”), so you could use this site just for that and never spend a dime.

Verbling

Verbling works pretty much like Italki, expect that the teacher is not allowed to leave a feedback to the students. The platform has its video conference platform so that you won’t need to log into Skype. You access the class through the Verbling website.

Don’t forget that the teacher you choose does not have still any idea about what kind of student you are. To make the most out of you, you should be ready to speak out about your motivation, learning approach and your goals. During a consultation meeting or trial class, prepare a set questions to help the instructor to better understand your motivation, learning approach and goals!

Lì or là? Qui or qua? Is there any difference between them?

If you have even felt confused whether using lì or là and qui or qua, when speaking in Italian, this post is for you!

Let’s get straight to the point…

is there really any difference between lì and là or qui and qua? The answer is, yes and no.

When during my Italian online lessons, the students ask me if there is any difference between the two of them, I answer yes, there is a difference, but is a small one.

Lì / Là

First and foremost, both là and lì means there and are indicating something that is far from the person that is speaking.

However, whereas là indicates something that is far from the person who is speaking and more approximate, lì indicates something that is far from the individual who is speaking BUT with less approximation. In short, lì is more accurate than là.

In addition to this, lì and là often appear in spoken Italian together with the pronoun quello meaning ‘that one over there’.

Chi è quello là ? – Who is that one there?

popular expressions with LA’ and LI’

mettilo là/lì (put it there)
là dentro, là fuori , là sotto (in, out)
là dentro, là fuori, là sopra (in, out, up)
più in là: further on (space), later on (time)
essere di là (to be somewhere else)

Qui / Qua

Both qui and qua means here (in this place), and follow the same rule that applies for lì and là.

Qui indicates something close to the person that is speaking and is more accurate than qua.

For instance, if I say:

Qui si mangia bene, I am probably referring to my place, my house (thus a smaller or more specific place)
Qua si mangia bene , I am probably referring to my city or country (thus a wider or more general place)

Qui and qua often appears in spoken Italian with the pronoun questo.

Chi è questa qua ? – Who is this one?

Popular expressions with QUI and QUA

vieni qui/qua (come here)
mettilo qui/qua (put it here
qua/qui dentro (in here)
qua/qui sotto (under here)

5 ways to use the Italian word PROPRIO

1. As an adverb (invariable form)

As ad adverb, proprio, meaning really

Quello studente è proprio bravo!
Mi piace proprio il nuovo film di Sorrentino

Sometimes proprio means ‘just’, especially when combined with the adverbs of time (adesso, ora ) or a numeral adjective

Ho finito di cenare proprio adesso – (just now)
Maria mi ha chiamato proprio due minuti fa – (just a few minutes ago)

2.As a possessive adjective

As a possessive adjective proprio has to change its ending and thus becomes proprio, propria, proprie, propri, depending on the noun that it is referring to. Proprio used in the third person is considered just like suo/sua/suoi/sue and loro.

Marco lava la propria macchina – his car

Lucia Accompagna a scuola i propri figli – his kids

Most importantly, its usage is required when the sentence is impersonal, meaning that the subject of the sentence is not specified.

Ognuno deve pensare alla propria saluto e al proprio benessere

Bisogna pensare ai propri interessi

3. As an intensifier

When proprio comes together with other possessive adjectives has an intensifying function and describe one’s ownership of something

Vivo nella mia propria casa – my own house

E’ il suo proprio lavoro – his own job

4. As a negative intensifier meaning “at all”

Non mi piace proprio! – I don’t like it at all

Oggi non mi sento proprio bene! – I don’t feel well at all

Non voglio proprio vederlo! – I don’t reale want to see him

5. In many colloquial expressions

Lavorare in proprio – to be self-employed
Mettersi in proprio – to start one’s own business
Non proprio – not really
Proprio così! – exactly

GIORNO and GIORNATA: how to use them

Today I thought about writing about of the most frequent doubts students of Italian have when it comes to using the word giorno, that is to say, the difference between the word giorno and the word giornata, how and why they differ and how to use.

Giorno and giornata are essentially synonyms, with slight differences in usage.

GIORNATA

Giornata is used when referring to the approximate duration of the day from morning to evening or when speaking about the weather or characteristics of day

Che bella giornata oggi! ~~Ho passato un bel giorno!~~

Una giornata soleggiata ~~Un giorno soleggiato~~

Ho passato una bella giornata ~~Ho passato un bel giorno.~~

Ho avuto una giornata pienissima ~~Ho avuto un giorno pienissimo~~

The word giornata is often accompanied by a specification or an adjective

Giornata is also used when referring to a special celebration or commemoration, often with a social or political aim such as

Giornata della musica. ~~Giorno della musica.~~
Giornata delle lingue moderne nel mondo. G~~iorno delle lingue moderne nel mondo.~~
Giornata della donna. ~~Giorno della donna.~~

Giornata is also the amount of hours worked in a day, thus it is used to say something about the working day.

Che giornata faticosa a lavoro!
Questa giornata non finisce più!

And, of course, there are several idiomatic expressions including giornata

idiomatic expressions with GIORNATA

Fare le cose in giornata, doing something by the end of the day
È a una giornata di macchina, it’s a day by car
Giornata lavorativa, working day
Vivere alla giornata, to live one day to the next

GIORNO

Giorno is used when referring to the astronomical days, indicating the 24 h period.

Giorno is more generic and is used when referring to several days or a duration of time

Vado in vacanza per 10 giorni.
Ho preso 3 giorni di ferie.

and it is used in several idiomatic expressions also

idiomatic expressions with GIORNO

Ogni giorno/settimana/mese/anno, every day/week/month/year
Da un giorno all’altro, from one day to the next
Tutto il giorno, all day long
Uno di questi giorni, one of these days

HOW TO USE THE ITALIAN VERB METTERSI

Mettersi is an Italian verb that a non-native speaker might find difficult to use. However, it is widely used in spoken Italian and you might want to know how to use it.

First things first, the verb mettersi is a reflexive verb and when it appears in a compound verb, e.g. passato prossimo the helper verb is essere.

mi sono messo/a
ti sei messo/a
si è messo/a
ci siamo messi/e
vi siete messi/e
si sono messi/e

how many different meanings it has?

Mettersi has at least four different meanings which can be summed up in the below categories of examples.

METTERSI = PUTTING ON

TO PUT ON a piece of clothing or accessories

Mi metto sciarpa e cappello per uscire oggi, fa proprio freddo – I ‘m putting on a scarf and a hat to go out today, it’s really cold
Ti metti una gonna o i pantaloni per la cerimonia? – Are you putting on a skirt or a pair of trausers for the cerimony?
Luca si mette gli occhi da sole anche in inverno – Luca is putting on shades even in the winter

TURNING OUT WELL (or BADLY)

Le cose si mettono bene per Franco, ha appena ricevuto una bella promozione a lavoro – Things are turning out well for Franco, he’s just got a promotion at work
Le cose si mettono male per Federica, ha perso il lavoro e ha finito i soldi – Things are turning out badly for Federica, she lost her job and finished the money

STARTING

Mettersi means to start doing something, when is used with the preposition “a“ followed by an infinite verb.

Domani mi metto a dieta – Tomorrow I am starting a diet
Patrizia si è messa a studiare russo – Patrizia started to learn Russian
Matteo si mette a fare i compiti – Matteo starts to do his HW

STAYING

Mettersi means to stay mainly I the Italian slang

Mettersi seduto – stay sit
Mettersi qui – stay here
Mettersi in piedi – stay still

IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS

Also, mettersi is a popular verb in Italian idiomatic expressions, such as

Mettersi in proprio: to set up one’s own business

Mettersi a letto: to go to bed

Mettersi in agitazione : to get worked up

Mettersi all’opera : to get down to

Mettersi da parte: to back away, to set oneself aside

Mettersi d’accordo su/con: to agree on/with

Mettersi in cattiva luce : to appear in a bad light

Mettersi in guardia: to take one’s guard

Mettersi insieme: to start having a love affair

Mettersi in malattia: to go on a sick leave

Mettersi l’anima in pace: to send one’s mind at rest

Mettersi nei panni di qualcuno: to put oneself in somebody else’s shoes

Mettersi nei guai: to get into troubles

Mettersi in contatto con qualcuno: to contact

Mettersi in fila: to start to queue

Italian phrases to use at restaurant when in Italy

In this page you will find a complete list of sentences that will make your life easier when at a restaurant in Italy.

Before going through the list, you might also want to know that..

It is customary to be seated or to make a reservation, especially at weekends.
On paying, unlikely from many other countries a tip is not expected because included in the bill under the voice coperto. However, if the service was excellent you can leave a tip to show your satisfaction for the service.
We have mostly four different types of restaurants:

the proper ristorante: a place where you can expect a full-service, a touch of gourmet, a professional staff and a higher price. It’s the place to have a more sophisticated food. The atmosphere should me more sophisticated too.

la trattoria: less pricey and less formal than a restaurant, it is usually a family owned business. It’s the place to have the traditional and comfort Italian food. The atmosphere is usually rustic.

la pizzeria: a pizzeria in Italy works just like any other restaurants. You make a reservation for a table and then you order from the menu. Often antipasti are also served.

la rosticceria (mainly in the South of Italy): it’s an informal take away place with none or few tables where Italians lie to buy ready to eat comfort fried food (arancini, calzoni, mozzarelle in carrozza and the likes)

PRENOTARE UN TAVOLO – BOOKING A TABLE

Vorrei / Vorremmo prenotare un tavolo per domani sera alle 19 – I/ We would like to book at table for tomorrow night at 7 pm

Domani a mezzogiorno – tomorrow at midday

Domani alle 13 – tomorrow at 1 pm

Un tavolo per due – a table for two

Un tavolo per tre – a table for three

Un tavolo per quattro – a table for four

ORDINARE – ORDERING

Potrei avere il menù? – Could I have the menu?

Posso vedere il menù? – Can I see the menu?

Potrei avere la carta dei vini? – Could I have the wine list?

Potrei avere il menù dei dolci? – Could I have the dessert menu?

Avete un menù per bambini? – Do you have a children’s menu?

Avete un menù del giorno? – Do you have a daily menu?

Qual è il piatto del giorno? – What is the dish of the day?

Sul menù c’è ‘un antipasto della casa’, che cos’è? – On the menu I read ‘Antipasto della casa’, what is it?

Lei cosa mi consiglia? – What would you recommend me?

Sono allergico/a a.. – I am allergic to…

Latticini – dairy products

Glutine- gluten

Sono vegetariano – I am a vegetarian

Sono vegano – I am a vegan

Non mangio carne di maiale – I don’t eat pork

Per me / Prendo / Vorrei – I’ll have…

Un antipasto di mare

Spaghetti alle vongole

Una macedonia

Una porzione di patatine fritte – a portion of..

– Una cotoletta

– Pasta

– Carne al sangue – rare meat

– Carne poco cotta – medium rare

– Carne ben cotta – well-done meat

Scusa, mi (ci) può portare… del pane? Una bottiglia d’acqua? Dell’olio? – Excuse-me, could I have some..bread? A bottle of water? Some oil?

CAMERIERE – WAITER

Siete pronti per ordinare? – Are you ready to order?

Posso portarvi da bere? – Can I get you something to drink?

L’acqua gasata o naturale? – The water sparkling or still?

PROBLEMI – PROBLEMS

La pizza è bruciata – the pizza is burned

L’insalata è scondita – the salad is undressed

La zuppa è fredda – the salad is cold

La pasta è fredda – the pasta is cold

C’è ancora molto da aspettare? – is our food long?

Stiamo aspettando da troppo tempo – we are waiting too long

PAGARE – PAYING

Il conto, per favore – The bill, please

Paga in contanti o con carta? – Do you pay cash or by card?

Pagate insieme o separatamente? – Do you pay all together or separately?

Posso pagare con carta di credito? – Can I pay by credit card?

Dividiamo il conto – Les’s split it

COSE CHE POTRESTI SENTIRE – THINGS YOU MIGHT HEAR

Posso offrirle un caffè o un amaro? – Can I buy you an espresso or a liquor?

Il pranzo /la cena è di vostro gradimento? – Did you like the meal?

Tutto apposto? – Was everything alright?

Vuole qualcos’altro? No grazie – Do you want anything else?

Finalmente vs alla fine

Durante i miei corsi ho notato che spesso gli studenti fanno confusione tra l’uso di finalmente e alla fine. Infatti, quelli che sembrano a prima vista due avverbi intercambiabili, data la loro somiglianza, in realtà hanno un significato diverso e di perciò si usano diversamente.

E allora, vediamo cosa significato e come usarli.

Finalmente

Finalmente esprime soddisfazione per la realizzazione di un evento lungamente atteso.

In inglese di può tradurre con at last or finally

Dal punto di vista morfologico, non ha bisogno di nessuna preposizione, vediamo qualche esempio:

Finalmente sei arrivato!
Finalmente il treno è partito!
Finalmente ho trovato la casa dei miei sogni!

Alla fine

Alla fine esprime conclusione, qualcosa che avviene al termine di qualcos’altro e può essere accompagnato da un complemento di specificazione. In genere, si traduce in inglese come in the end or finally.

Alla fine degli esami ho deciso di fare una lunga vacanza per rilassarmi.
Alla fine del corso ho deciso di iscrivermi ad un altro corso più impegnativo.
Alla fine ho deciso di cambiare casa, quel quartiere non mi piaceva affatto.

Infine

Infine si usa quando descriviamo una sequenza di eventi e ne vogliamo indicare la conclusione. Non è mai accompagnato da un complemento di specificazione come di.

che mattinata infernale! Sono dovuta passare prima dalla banca, poi dalla posta, e poi ancora dal macellaio e infine al comune per pagare una multa!

Valentine’s day post:14 names Italian use between lovers

As Valentine’s day is approaching I thought about listing the most popular names that Italians use between lovers (and in same cases between close friends). The listing is accompained with the literal English translation, however all of the followings might sound in English like darling, sweetheart, honey and the likes.

Tesoro (and the abbreviation tesò) : treasure