Understanding cancellation policies and deadlines – Restaurant reservations Part 2 (Advanced) in Italian

❓🤝

Mi dica.

mee DEE-ka

How can I help you?

💬 Literally "tell me", in the polite form used with strangers. It's the standard way staff on the phone or at a counter invite you to say what you need.

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📛

A nome

ah NOH-meh

Under the name

🇮🇹 Staff will ask A che nome? "Under what name?". Giving your surname alone is normal, and spelling it out helps.

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🙋‍♂️❓

Volevo chiederLe una cosa

voh-LEH-voh KYEH-deh-reh-leh OO-nah KO-sa

I wanted to ask you something

💬 Le means a polite "you" and attaches to the end of chiedere, which drops its final e: chiederLe. The capital L is an optional written courtesy.

🇮🇹 Opening with Volevo ("I wanted") rather than Voglio ("I want") softens the request. It's the standard polite way to start on the phone with a restaurant.

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❌📅

Sulla disdetta

SOOL-lah dee-ZDET-tah

About the cancellation

💬 su + la merge into sulla. Same with il: sul tavolo "on the table".

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🙋‍♂️❓❌📅

Volevo chiederLe una cosa sulla disdetta.

voh-LEH-voh KYEH-deh-reh-leh OO-nah KO-sa SOOL-lah dee-ZDET-tah

I wanted to ask you something about cancelling.

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⏳

Un attimo

oon AHT-tee-moh

Just a moment

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🔍👀

Controllo

kohn-TROHL-loh

I'll check

💬 controllare means "to check", not "to control". You'll hear controllo whenever staff look something up.

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⏳🔍

Un attimo che controllo

oon AHT-tee-moh keh kohn-TROHL-loh

Just a moment while I check

💬 che here loosely links the wait to the reason, roughly "while" or "so that". It's very common in speech: Aspetta che chiamo "Hang on while I call".

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❓🧐

Cosa voleva sapere?

KO-sa voh-LEH-vah sah-PEH-reh

What did you want to know?

💬 The polite "you" uses the same verb form as "he/she": voleva, not volevi. So Cosa voleva sapere? could also mean "What did he want to know?".

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🤷‍♂️❓

Non siamo ancora sicuri

nohn see-AH-moh ahn-KOH-rah see-KOO-ree

We're not sure yet

💬 non … ancora together mean "not yet". Swap in: Non abbiamo ancora deciso "We haven't decided yet".

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👥✅

Esserci tutti

ES-sehr-chee TOOT-tee

All being there

💬 esserci is essere "to be" + ci "there". It means "to be there" or "to make it", as in Ci sei stasera? "Are you coming tonight?".

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🤷‍♂️👥❓

Non siamo ancora sicuri di esserci tutti.

nohn see-AH-moh ahn-KOH-rah see-KOO-ree dee ES-sehr-chee TOOT-tee

We're not sure yet whether everyone can make it.

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⏰❓

Fino a quando?

FEE-noh ah KWAHN-doh

Until when?

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❌✅

Si può disdire

see pwaw dee-ZDEE-reh

You can cancel

💬 si può + an action word means "can one / is it possible to". Swap in: Si può pagare con la carta? "Can you pay by card?".

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🚫💸

Senza penale

SEN-tsah peh-NAH-leh

Without a penalty

💬 penale looks like "penal", but here it's the word for a fee charged for breaking an agreement.

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⏰❌🚫💸❓

Fino a quando si può disdire senza penale?

FEE-noh ah KWAHN-doh see pwaw dee-ZDEE-reh SEN-tsah peh-NAH-leh

Until when can we cancel without a penalty?

🇮🇹 It's normal to ask this up front, especially for groups or busy dates. Many Italian restaurants set a firm cancellation cut-off.

See breakdown →

📢🗣️

Avvisare

ahv-vee-ZAH-reh

To let someone know

💬 avvisare looks like "advise" but means "to let know" or "to warn". Mi avvisi means "Let me know".

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⏳8️⃣⏰

Almeno quarantotto ore prima

ahl-MEH-noh kwah-rahn-TOHT-toh OH-reh PREE-mah

At least forty-eight hours before

💬 prima placed after a length of time means "beforehand". Swap in: due giorni prima "two days before".

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📢⏳8️⃣⏰

Avvisare almeno quarantotto ore prima

ahv-vee-ZAH-reh ahl-MEH-noh kwah-rahn-TOHT-toh OH-reh PREE-mah

To let us know at least forty-eight hours in advance

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📅4️⃣

Entro giovedì

EN-troh joh-veh-DEE

By Thursday

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📅4️⃣🌙

Entro giovedì sera

EN-troh joh-veh-DEE SEH-rah

By Thursday evening

💬 entro means "by" as in a deadline, while fino a means "until". Entro venerdì means "no later than Friday".

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❓❌⏰➡️

E se disdicessi dopo?

eh seh dee-zdee-CHES-see doh-po

And what if I cancelled after that?

💬 After se in an "if I were to…" sentence, the verb takes this special form: disdicessi, not disdico. Same pattern: se venissi "if I came".

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🤔

Mi pare

mee PAH-reh

I think

💬 Mi pare literally means "it seems to me". It's a softer, less certain "I think", interchangeable with mi sembra.

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💰✅

Aver lasciato una caparra

ah-VEHR lahsh-SHAH-toh OO-nah kah-PAHR-rah

Having left a deposit

💬 aver is a clipped avere, common before a past form: aver lasciato, aver pagato "having paid".

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💳

Con la carta

kohn lah KAHR-tah

With the card

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🤔💰💳

Mi pare di aver lasciato una caparra con la carta.

mee PAH-reh dee ah-VEHR lahsh-SHAH-toh OO-nah kah-PAHR-rah kohn lah KAHR-tah

I think I left a deposit on my card.

🇮🇹 A caparra held on a card is common for larger groups, set menus or holidays like New Year's Eve. Ordinary weeknight tables rarely need one.

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💰🤲

Tratterremmo la caparra

traht-tehr-REM-moh lah kah-PAHR-rah

We would keep the deposit

💬 The double mm in tratterremmo makes it "we would keep". With a single m, tratterremo means "we will keep", so listen for that held m.

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5️⃣0️⃣💶

Cinquanta euro

cheen-KWAHN-tah EH-oo-roh

Fifty euros

💬 euro never changes in the plural: un euro, cinquanta euro.

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💰5️⃣0️⃣💶🤲

Tratterremmo la caparra di cinquanta euro

traht-tehr-REM-moh lah kah-PAHR-rah dee cheen-KWAHN-tah EH-oo-roh

We'd keep the fifty-euro deposit

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👥🔄

Cambia solo il numero di persone

KAHM-byah SO-lo eel NOO-meh-roh dee pehr-SOH-neh

Only the number of people changes

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🔀

È diverso

eh dee-VER-soh

It's different

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👥🔄➡️🔀

Se invece cambia solo il numero di persone, è diverso.

seh een-VEH-cheh KAHM-byah SO-lo eel NOO-meh-roh dee pehr-SOH-neh eh dee-VER-soh

But if only the number of people changes, it's a different matter.

💬 invece means "instead" or "on the other hand". Placed after se, it signals a contrast with what was just said.

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6️⃣🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️

Se veniamo in sei

seh veh-NYAH-moh een say

If six of us come

💬 in + a number gives the size of a group. Swap in: Siamo in quattro "There are four of us".

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🔄8️⃣

Invece che in otto

een-VEH-cheh keh een OT-toh

Instead of eight

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6️⃣🔄8️⃣🚶‍♂️

Se veniamo in sei invece che in otto

seh veh-NYAH-moh een say een-VEH-cheh keh een OT-toh

If six of us come instead of eight

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📢✅

Basta che ce lo dica

BAHS-tah keh cheh lo DEE-kah

Just let us know

💬 basta che means "as long as" or "all it takes is". The verb after it shifts to a special form: dica, not dice. ce lo means "it to us".

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📅🕛

Entro venerdì a mezzogiorno

EHN-troh veh-nehr-DEE ah med-dzoh-JOR-noh

By Friday at noon

💬 Entro means "by" in the sense of "no later than": entro domani "by tomorrow".

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🗣️📅5️⃣🕛

Basta che ce lo dica entro venerdì a mezzogiorno

BAHS-tah keh cheh lo DEE-kah EN-troh veh-nehr-DEE ah med-dzoh-JOR-noh

You just need to tell us by Friday at noon

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🪑🔧

Sistemiamo il tavolo

sees-teh-MYAH-moh eel TAH-vo-lo

We'll arrange the table

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🔄🪑

Così sistemiamo il tavolo

koh-ZEE sees-teh-MYAH-moh eel TAH-vo-lo

So we can rearrange the table

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😊💖

Gentilissimo.

jehn-tee-LEES-see-moh

You're very kind.

💬 Adding -issimo to an adjective means "very." Say gentilissima to a woman, and bellissimo means "very beautiful."

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📞↩️

La richiamo

lah ree-KYAH-moh

I'll call you back

💬 ri- at the front means "again" or "back": chiamare "to call" becomes richiamare "to call back". La here is the polite "you".

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✅

Per confermare

pehr kohn-fehr-MAH-reh

To confirm

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📞↩️📅4️⃣✅

Allora La richiamo entro giovedì per confermare.

ah-LLOH-rah lah ree-KYAH-moh EN-troh joh-veh-DEE pehr kohn-fehr-MAH-reh

I'll call you back by Thursday to confirm, then.

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👋⏳

A presto

ah PREHS-toh

See you soon

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🌙✨

Buona serata!

BWOH-nah seh-RAH-tah

Have a good evening!

🇮🇹 Say buona serata when leaving or hanging up, wishing someone a good evening ahead. buonasera "good evening" is the greeting you use on arrival.

See breakdown →

🗣️⏳🌙

A presto e buona serata.

ah PREHS-toh eh BWOH-nah seh-RAH-tah

Talk soon, and have a good evening.

💬 buona serata wishes someone a good evening ahead, so it's for saying goodbye, while buonasera "good evening" is the hello. Same pattern: buongiorno "good morning" greets, buona giornata "have a good day" sends off.

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Restaurant reservations Part 2 (Advanced): Understanding cancellation policies and deadlines.

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