How to Order at a Restaurant

Learn how to order at a restaurant

Dialogue

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Vocabulary

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Lesson Transcript

Welcome to Can-Do Italian by ItalianPod101.com.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to order at a restaurant in Italian.

For example, "Excuse me, a menu, please." is

Scusi, un menù, per favore.

Riccardo Russo , is at a restaurant with his wife.

He orders a water.

Before you hear the conversation, let's preview some of its key components.

menù

"menu"

menù

subito

"right away"

subito

Scusi, un menù, per favore.

Sì, subito.

Once more with the English translation.

Scusi, un menù, per favore.

"Excuse me, a menu, please."

Sì, subito.

"Yes, right away."

Let's break down the conversation.

Do you remember how Riccardo asks for a menu?

"Excuse me, a menu, please."

Scusi, un menù, per favore.

First is scusi, meaning, "Excuse me." Scusi. Scusi.

Here, Riccardo 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 Riccardo 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 Riccardo 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.

To use this pattern, simply replace the ITEM placeholder with the object you are requesting.

Note: This pattern requires a noun phrase in which either a definite or indefinite article is followed by a noun. The gender and number of the article will depend on the noun that follows it.

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.

The pattern is

Scusi, ITEM, per favore.

"Excuse me, ITEM, please."

Scusi, ITEM, per favore.

Let’s look at some more examples.

Listen and repeat or speak along with the native speakers.

Scusi, un menù, per favore.

"Excuse me, a menu, please."

Scusi, un menù, per favore.

Scusi, un caffè, per favore.

"Excuse me, a coffee, please."

Scusi, un caffè, per favore.

Scusi, una bottiglia d'acqua, per favore.

"Excuse me, a bottle of water, please."

Scusi, una bottiglia d'acqua, per favore.

Scusi, una pizza margherita, per favore.

"Excuse me, a margherita pizza, please."

Scusi, una pizza margherita, per favore.

Scusi, il conto, per favore.

"Excuse me, the check, please."

Scusi, il conto, per favore.

Did you notice how the last speaker replaced the indefinite article with a definite article?

Scusi, il conto, per favore.

"Excuse me, the check, please."

Let’s start with the word conto "check." conto. conto.

Conto is masculine and singular, so the article will agree with conto.

il, "the." Il. Il.

When the speaker is referring to something specific, in this case the check, the definite article is used instead of the indefinite article.

Together, it’s il conto, "the check". il conto.

All together, Scusi, il conto, per favore. "Excuse me, the check, please." Scusi, il conto, per favore.

When referring to something specific, the sentence pattern is

Scusi, ITEM, per favore.

"Excuse me, ITEM, please."

Let's review the new words.

Caffè. "coffee."

Caffè.

Bottiglia d'acqua. "Bottle of water."

Bottiglia d'acqua.

Note: at restaurants in Italy, water is ordered by the bottle.

Pizza margherita. "Margherita pizza."

Pizza margherita.

Let's review.

Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud. Then repeat after the native speaker, focusing on pronunciation.

Ready?

Do you remember how to say "please?"

Per favore.

And how to say "menu?"

Menù.

Do you remember how to say "a menu?"

Un menù.

Do you remember how Riccardo says,

"Excuse me, a menu, please."

Scusi, un menù, per favore.

Do you remember how to say "right away?"

Subito.

And how to say "yes?"

Sì.

Do you remember how the waiter says,

"Yes, right away."

Sì, subito.

Do you remember how to say "coffee?"

Caffè.

Caffè,

And how to say "a coffee?"

Un caffè.

Do you remember how to say "bottle of water?"

Bottiglia d’acqua.

And how to say "a bottle of water?"

Una bottiglia d’acqua.

Do you remember how to say "margherita pizza?"

Pizza margherita.

And how to say "a margherita pizza?"

Una pizza margherita.

Let's practice.

Imagine you're Emily Erba , and you’re at a restaurant. Get the waiter’s attention, and ask for a coffee, un caffè.

Ready?

Scusi, un caffè, per favore.

Sì, subito.

Listen again and repeat.

Scusi, un caffè, per favore.

Let's try another.

Imagine you're thirsty. Ask for a bottle of water, or una bottiglia d'acqua.

Ready?

Scusi, una bottiglia d'acqua, per favore.

Sì, subito.

Listen again and repeat.

Scusi, una bottiglia d'acqua, per favore.

Let's try one more.

Imagine you're Riccardo Russo , and you’d like to order a margherita pizza, or una pizza margherita.

Ready?

Scusi, una pizza margherita, per favore.

Sì, subito.

Listen again and repeat.

Scusi, una pizza margherita, per favore.

Well done! This is the end of this lesson.

In this lesson, you learned how to order at a restaurant in Italian, an essential skill for dining at a restaurant.

Remember, these Can Do lessons are about learning practical language skills.

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