Indicates whether the coffee is for in-store or to be taken out – Ordering a coffee Part 2 (Advanced) in Italian

☕❓🙏

Mi fa un cappuccino?

mee fah oon kahp-poo-CHEE-noh

Could you make me a cappuccino?

💬 Mi fa is literally "do you make me", and it's the everyday way to order at an Italian bar. Just swap the drink: Mi fa un caffè? "Could I have an espresso?"

See breakdown →

🙏

Per cortesia

pehr kor-teh-ZEE-ah

Please

🇮🇹 Per cortesia is a touch more courteous than per favore "please", but both are perfectly normal with a barista.

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☕❓🙏

Mi fa un cappuccino, per cortesia?

mee fah oon kahp-poo-CHEE-noh pehr kor-teh-ZEE-ah

Could I have a cappuccino, please?

🇮🇹 Italians drink cappuccino mostly in the morning. Ordering one after lunch or dinner works, but marks you as a visitor.

See breakdown →

🍽️❓

Lo prende qui?

lo PREN-deh kwee

Will you have it here?

💬 lo "it" goes before the verb, not after: Lo prende is literally "it you take". Same with Lo bevo "I drink it".

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🥤🚶‍♂️

Da portare via

dah por-TAH-reh VEE-ah

To take away

💬 da followed by a verb means "for" or "to be" done. For example, qualcosa da bere means "something to drink".

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🥤🚶‍♂️❓

È da portare via?

eh dah por-TAH-reh VEE-ah

Is it to take away?

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🍽️❓🥤🚶‍♂️❓

Lo prende qui o è da portare via?

lo PREN-deh kwee o eh dah por-TAH-reh VEE-ah

Is it for here or to take away?

🇮🇹 Most Italians drink their coffee standing at the counter in a couple of minutes. Taking it away is far less common than in the UK or US.

See breakdown →

🤔🪑

Pensavo di sedermi

pen-SAH-voh dee seh-DEHR-mee

I was thinking of sitting down

💬 After di, mi "myself" attaches to the end of the verb: sedermi. Same pattern: di riposarmi "of resting".

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⏳

Un attimo

oon AH-tee-mo

For a moment

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🌳🚪

Fuori

FWOH-ree

Outside

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🤔🪑🌳⏳

Pensavo di sedermi un attimo fuori.

pen-SAH-voh dee seh-DEHR-mee oon AH-tee-mo FWOH-ree

I was thinking of sitting outside for a bit.

💬 Pensavo "I was thinking" softens a statement into a gentle suggestion, just like in English. It's a handy way to sound polite rather than demanding.

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🔄❓

Cambia qualcosa?

KAHM-byah kwal-KOH-zah

Does anything change?

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🪑🍽️

Mi siedo al tavolo

mee SYEH-doh ahl TAH-voh-loh

I sit at the table

💬 a + il merges into al. Likewise, a + la becomes alla: alla cassa "at the till".

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🪑🍽️🔄❓

Cambia qualcosa se mi siedo al tavolo?

KAHM-byah kwal-KOH-zah seh mee SYEH-doh ahl TAH-voh-loh

Does it make a difference if I sit at a table?

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🍽️🧑‍🍳

Al tavolo c'è il servizio

ahl TAH-voh-loh cheh eh eel sehr-VEET-syoh

There's table service

💬 c'è is a shortened ci è "there is", and the c' can't stand alone. For more than one thing, use ci sono "there are".

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💶➕

Un euro in più

oon Eh-ro een pyoo

One euro more

💬 Put in più after an amount to mean "extra": due euro in più "two euros more".

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💶➕

Costa un euro in più

KOH-stah oon Eh-ro een pyoo

It costs one euro more

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✅🍽️🧑‍🍳💶➕

Sì, al tavolo c'è il servizio, quindi costa un euro in più.

see ahl TAH-voh-loh cheh eh eel sehr-VEET-syoh KWEEN-dee KOH-stah oon Eh-ro een pyoo

Yes, at the table there's service, so it costs one euro more.

🇮🇹 Many bars charge more to sit down. Price lists often show two columns, banco "counter" and tavolo "table".

See breakdown →

😮🤷‍♂️

Ah, non lo sapevo.

ah nohn lo sah-PEH-voh

Oh, I didn't know that.

💬 Italian needs lo "it" here, where English can drop it. Saying non sapevo alone sounds unfinished.

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👍🤲

Lo prendo

lo PREHN-doh

I'll take it

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🤔👍🥤🚶‍♂️

Allora forse lo prendo da portare via.

ahl-LOH-rah FOR-seh lo PREHN-doh dah por-TAH-reh VEE-ah

Then maybe I'll take it to go.

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🌳🍽️

I tavolini fuori

ee tah-voh-LEE-nee FWOH-ree

The outdoor tables

💬 Adding -ino makes something small: tavolo "table" becomes tavolino "little table". Plural nouns ending in -o switch to -i.

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🙋‍♂️🍽️

Chi ordina al tavolo

kee OR-dee-nah ahl TAH-voh-loh

Those who order at the table

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☝️🙋‍♂️🍽️

Solo per chi ordina al tavolo

SOH-loh pehr kee OR-dee-nah ahl TAH-voh-loh

Only for people ordering at the table

🇮🇹 You'll see this sign on outdoor tables. Don't carry a counter-priced coffee over to sit there.

See breakdown →

👌

Nessun problema

ness-OON proh-BLEH-mah

No problem

💬 nessuno "no, none" drops its ending before most masculine nouns: nessun problema, nessun dubbio "no doubt".

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🥤🚶‍♂️

Lo bevo camminando

lo BEH-voh kahm-mee-NAHN-doh

I'll drink it while walking

💬 Change -are verbs to -ando to get "while ...ing": parlare "to talk" becomes parlando "while talking".

See breakdown →

👌🥤🚶‍♂️

Nessun problema, lo bevo camminando.

ness-OON proh-BLEH-mah lo BEH-voh kahm-mee-NAHN-doh

No problem, I'll drink it while walking.

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❓📦🙏

Me lo potrebbe mettere?

meh lo poh-TREB-beh met-te-reh

Could you put it for me?

💬 When mi "for me" meets lo "it", it changes to me lo. Same with te lo "it for you".

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🥤🔝

Un bicchiere con il coperchio

oon bee-KYEHR-eh kohn eel koh-PEHR-kyoh

A cup with a lid

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❓📦🥤🔝

Me lo potrebbe mettere in un bicchiere con il coperchio?

meh lo poh-TREB-beh met-te-reh een oon bee-KYEHR-eh kohn eel koh-PEHR-kyoh

Could you put it in a cup with a lid?

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👍

Certo

CHEHR-toh

Of course

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⚡👍

Glielo preparo subito

GLYEH-loh preh-PAH-roh SOO-bee-toh

I'll make it for you right away

💬 gli "to you" (polite) plus lo "it" fuse into one word, glielo. You'll hear it constantly from staff.

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👍🏃💨

Certo, glielo preparo subito.

CHEHR-toh GLYEH-loh preh-PAH-roh SOO-bee-toh

Of course, I'll make it for you right away.

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💶1️⃣6️⃣0️⃣

Sono un euro e sessanta.

SOH-noh oon Eh-ro eh sehs-SAHN-tah

That's one euro sixty.

💬 Prices take sono "they are" because the euros count as plural. Even Sono un euro e sessanta keeps the plural.

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💳❓

Posso pagare?

POHS-soh pah-GAH-reh

Can I pay?

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💳

Con la carta

kohn lah KAHR-tah

By card

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💳❓

Posso pagare con la carta?

POHS-soh pah-GAH-reh kohn lah KAHR-tah

Can I pay by card?

🇮🇹 Card payment is now widely accepted even for a single coffee. Some small bars still prefer cash, so asking is polite.

See breakdown →

✅👉

Sì, prego

see PREH-goh

Yes, go ahead

💬 prego does a lot of work: "go ahead", "you're welcome", or "what can I get you?" depending on the moment.

See breakdown →

💳👆

Avvicini pure la carta

ahv-vee-CHEE-nee POO-reh lah KAHR-tah

Go ahead and tap your card

💬 pure after a request softens it into a friendly "go ahead". Same with Si sieda pure "Do sit down".

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✅🙏💳👆

Sì, prego, avvicini pure la carta.

see PREH-goh ahv-vee-CHEE-nee POO-reh lah KAHR-tah

Yes, please, go ahead and tap your card.

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☕👉

Ecco il cappuccino

EH-koh eel kahp-poo-CHEE-noh

Here's the cappuccino

💬 ecco presents something you're handing over or pointing to. Tack on lo for eccolo "here it is".

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⚠️🔥

Attento che scotta

aht-TEN-toh keh SKOT-tah

Careful, it's hot

💬 Attento is the form for a man. To a woman the barista would say attenta che scotta.

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☕👉⚠️🔥

Ecco il cappuccino, attento che scotta.

EH-koh eel kahp-poo-CHEE-noh aht-TEN-toh keh SKOT-tah

Here's the cappuccino, careful, it's hot.

💬 Ecco plus a thing is the standard way to hand something over. Swap in Ecco il caffè or Ecco lo scontrino "here's the receipt".

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🙏

Grazie a lei

GRAHT-tsee-eh ah Lei

Thank you

💬 a lei means "to you" (polite), so it's "thank you" thrown back. With friends it becomes grazie a te.

🇮🇹 This is the natural reply when someone thanks you first, like the barista after you pay. It's warmer than a plain grazie.

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👋

Arrivederci!

ah-ree-veh-DEHR-chee

Goodbye!

🇮🇹 Even after a thirty-second espresso at the counter, Italians say arrivederci to the barista on the way out. Leaving without a word can come across as rude.

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🙏👋

Grazie a Lei, arrivederci!

GRAHT-tsee-eh ah Lei ah-ree-veh-DEHR-chee

Thank you, goodbye!

💬 Grazie a Lei means "thank *you*" and is the polite form you use with staff. With a friend it becomes grazie a te.

See breakdown →