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How to Say ‘Good morning, what can I get you?’ in Italian

Buongiorno, mi dica.

bwohn-JOR-noh mee DEE-kah

[bwohn-JOR-noh mee DEE-kah]

🇮🇹 In Italy: This is the barista's standard opener. Just state your order straight away, like un caffè, per favore "an espresso, please". No small talk is expected.

Phrase Breakdown

Buongiorno,

bwohn-JOR-noh

Good morning,

A greeting used until early afternoon. Say bwon-JOR-no.

Example

Buongiorno, signora!

Good morning, madam!

Words in this phrase

Buongiorno

[bwohn-JOR-noh]

good morning / good day

A common polite greeting used when entering a shop, market, or speaking to someone during the day.

Example

Buongiorno, avete dei funghi oggi?

Good morning, do you have any mushrooms today?

mi dica.

mee DEE-kah

how can I help you? (lit. tell me)

This is the formal way to say 'tell me'. Staff use it to take your order. Stress DEE-ka.

Example

Prego, mi dica.

Please, go ahead.

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.

dica

[DEE-kah]

tell / say

Formal imperative of “dire,” used politely to invite someone to continue.

Example

Se posso parlare, sento: «Mi dica pure».

If I may speak, I hear: “Please go ahead.”

Guides for Italian learners

Duolingo vs Busuu: Which Is Better for Actually Improving?Duolingo vs Busuu compared: a free gamified habit versus structured levels with corrections from native speakers. Which to choose, and when to use both.

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