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How to Say ‘I'm sorry, Thursday is full.’ in Italian

Mi dispiace, giovedì è pieno.

mee dee-SPYAH-cheh joh-veh-DEE eh PYEH-noh

[mee dee-SPYAH-cheh joh-veh-DEE eh PYEH-noh]

🇮🇹 In Italy: Italian receptionists routinely soften a refusal with Mi dispiace. It's also the polite way for you to decline a slot they offer.

Phrase Breakdown

Mi dispiace,

mee dee-SPYAH-cheh

I'm sorry,

A polite apology. Say dis-PYA-che, with a soft 'ce' like 'cheh'.

Example

Mi dispiace, non posso.

I'm sorry, I can't.

Words in this phrase

[mee]

to me

Indirect object pronoun meaning to me; used to express personal reaction.

Example

Nella frase Mi fa piacere, Mi indica la persona che prova la sensazione.

In the phrase 'Mi fa piacere,' 'Mi' indicates the person feeling the emotion.

dispiace

[dee-SPYAH-cheh]

displeases

Verb meaning something causes regret; with 'mi' it means 'I'm sorry'.

Example

Ci dispiace per il ritardo.

We're sorry for the delay.

giovedì è pieno.

joh-veh-DEE eh PYEH-noh

Thursday is full.

Stress the final 'ì' of giovedì, then link it smoothly to 'è pieno'.

Example

Lunedì è pieno.

Monday is full.

Words in this phrase

giovedì

[joh-veh-DEE]

Thursday

The day of the week after Wednesday.

Example

Giovedì lavoro fino a tardi.

On Thursday I work late.

[eh]

Third-person singular of 'essere'; used to describe a person, company, or situation.

Example

Quando dici È in È molto umana, stai descrivendo l'azienda.

When you say 'È' in 'È molto umana,' you are describing the company.

pieno

[PYEH-noh]

full

Completely occupied; fully booked.

Example

Sabato è tutto pieno.

Saturday is fully booked.

Guides for Italian learners

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