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How to Say ‘I had a coffee.’ in Italian

Ho preso un caffè.

oh PREH-zoh oon kahf-FEH

[oh PREH-zoh oon kahf-FEH]

💬 Usage Tip: "Had" a coffee is ho preso, literally "I took", from prendere. You'd also order this way: Prendo un caffè "I'll have a coffee".

🇮🇹 In Italy: Un caffè means an espresso, usually drunk standing at the bar in a minute or two. That makes it the natural way to fill a short wait.

Phrase Breakdown

Ho preso

oh PREH-zoh

I had / I got

The 'h' is silent: 'o PRE-so'. This is the past tense of 'prendere'.

Example

Ho preso il treno.

I took the train.

Words in this phrase

[oh]

I have

First person singular of avere, used with a past participle to form the present perfect.

Example

Ho parlato con tre aziende oggi.

I have spoken with three companies today.

preso

[PREH-zoh]

had / taken

Past participle of 'prendere'; with food or drink it means 'had'.

Example

Ho preso un gelato.

I had an ice cream.

un caffè.

oon kahf-FEH

a coffee.

Stress on the final è: caf-FÈ. Double the 'f'.

Example

Vuoi un caffè?

Do you want a coffee?

Words in this phrase

[oon]

a / an

An indefinite article meaning 'a' before a masculine singular noun.

Example

È stato un incontro molto utile.

It was a very useful meeting.

caffè

[kahf-FEH]

coffee

"Caffè" means "coffee" and often suggests an informal meeting, very common in Italian professional culture.

Example

Dopo la conferenza, ci incontriamo davanti a un caffè.

After the conference, we’ll meet over a coffee.

Guides for Italian learners

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