Small talk with coworkers: Talking about lunch plans in the break room
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Key Phrases
Vado al bar qui sotto, vieni con me?
I'm going to the café downstairs, are you coming with me?
Cosa fanno di buono? Panini, insalate, un primo del giorno.
What do they have that's good? Sandwiches, salads, a pasta dish of the day.
A che ora andiamo? All'una va bene?
What time are we going? Is one o'clock okay?
Skills You'll Learn
Making suggestions and inviting someone to lunch
Fare proposte e invitare qualcuno a pranzo
Talking about food and asking what's available at a place
Parlare di cibo e chiedere cosa è disponibile in un locale
Agreeing on a time for an appointment
Concordare un orario per un appuntamento
Lesson Roleplay
Imagine you're at work in Italy chatting with a colleague. You want to make plans to have lunch together.
Ciao! Come va?
Hi! How's it going?
Bene, grazie! Tu cosa fai per pranzo?
Good, thanks! What are you doing for lunch?
Non lo so ancora. E tu?
I don't know yet. And you?
Vado al bar qui sotto. Vieni con me?
I'm going to the café downstairs. Want to come with me?
Volentieri! Cosa fanno di buono?
Gladly! What do they have that's good?
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
Come va?
KOH-meh VAH
How's it going?
Cosa fai?
KO-sa fahy
What are you doing?
Per pranzo
pehr PRAHN-dzoh
For lunch
Tu cosa fai per pranzo?
too KO-sa fahy pehr PRAHN-dzoh
What are you doing for lunch?
💬 fai already means "you do," so tu isn't needed. Putting it first adds a light "and you?" feel, handy when turning the question back to someone.
🇮🇹 Colleagues in Italy usually use tu with each other, especially in casual break-room chat.
See breakdown →Non lo so
nohn lo soh
I don't know
💬 Italian needs the little lo "it" here: literally "I don't know it." Saying just non so is fine too, but non lo so is the everyday reply.
See breakdown →Non lo so ancora.
nohn lo soh ahn-KOH-rah
I don't know yet.
E tu?
eh too
And you?
Vado al bar
VAH-doh ahl bahr
I'm going to the café
💬 a "to" + il "the" merge into al. Same with other places: al ristorante "to the restaurant."
🇮🇹 An Italian bar is a café, not a pub. Office workers go there for an espresso or a quick lunch.
See breakdown →Qui sotto
kwee SOHT-toh
Downstairs
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