Vocabulary
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Learn the key pattern to order at a restaurant
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Let's take a closer look at the conversation. |
Do you remember how Mark asks for a menu? |
"Excuse me, a menu, please." |
Scusi, un menù, per favore. |
First is scusi, meaning, ''Excuse me.'' Scusi. Scusi. |
Here, Mark is using the expression to get someone's attention. He uses the formal form since he's using it with someone he doesn't know. |
Note, this expression can also be used as a mild apology, but here Mark uses it to get the attention of the waiter who is nearby. |
Next is the phrase un menù meaning ''a menu.'' Un menù. |
Let's start with the word menù, ''menu.'' Menù. Menù. |
In Italian, all nouns have grammatical gender and are either singular or plural. Menù is masculine and singular — a fact which will determine the form of other words in the sentence. |
Before this is un, ''a,'' think of this like the English ''a,'' as in a menu. Un. Un. |
Un is also masculine and singular to agree with menù. |
Together, it's un menù, ''a menu''. Un menù. |
Last is per favore, "please." Per favore. Per favore. |
All together, it's Scusi, un menù, per favore. ''Excuse me, a menu, please.'' |
Scusi, un menù, per favore. |
Let's take a closer look at the response. |
Do you remember the waiter's response, |
"Yes, right away." |
Sì, subito. |
First is the expression Sì, "yes." Sì. Sì. |
The waiter acknowledges Mark by saying, Sì. "Yes." Sì. Sì. |
Next is subito, literally, ''immediately,'' but translates as "right away." Subito. Subito. |
All together, it's Sì, subito, literally, "Yes, immediately," but in more natural English, ''Yes, right away.'' |
Sì, subito. |
The pattern is |
Scusi, {ITEM}, per favore. |
"Excuse me, {ITEM}, please.'' |
Scusi, {ITEM}, per favore. |
Make sure to include the appropriate article before the noun. |
To use this pattern, simply replace the {ITEM} placeholder with the object you are requesting. |
Imagine you'd like to order a coffee. Un caffè. Un caffè. |
caffè. ''Coffee.'' caffè. caffè. |
Caffè is masculine and singular. |
Before this is un. ''A.'' Un. |
Un is masculine singular to agree with caffè. |
Together, Un caffè. |
Say |
''Excuse me, a coffee, please.'' |
Ready? |
Scusi, un caffè, per favore. |
"Excuse me, a coffee, please." |
Scusi, un caffè, per favore. |
For this lesson, let's review indefinite articles for singular nouns. |
Indefinite articles are short words that are used to introduce nouns. In English the indefinite article is ''a,'' as in ''a menu.'' |
The masculine indefinite articles are un, as in un menù, and uno, in certain cases. |
When the following word starts with st, sp, gn, ps, z, y, x or pn. |
The feminine indefinite article is una, as in una pizza margherita, a pizza margherita, and un', when the following word begins with a vowel, as in un'occasione, an occasion. |
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