Food & Drinks

1. Un caffè, pè piacè

   A coffee, please

   Usage

   Order a coffee at a café or bar

   Grammar Note

   Caffè is masculine and means both "coffee" and "café". Keep the final accent. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

2. U contu, pè piacè

   The bill, please

   Usage

   Ask for the bill at a restaurant or bar

   Grammar Note

   Contu is a masculine noun meaning count or account. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

3. Hè deliziosu!

   It's delicious!

   Usage

   Express that food is delicious

   Grammar Note

   Deliziosu is masculine; use deliziosa for a feminine dish. Gustosu and sapuritu also express "tasty"

4. Avete una tavula pè duie persone?

   Do you have a table for two?

   Usage

   Ask for a table at a restaurant (polite register)

   Grammar Note

   Avete is the 2pl of avè, used for a polite addressee. Dui becomes duie before a feminine noun. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

5. Vogliu a pasta cù a pumata

   I would like the pasta with tomato

   Usage

   Order a pasta dish with tomato at a restaurant

   Grammar Note

   Vogliu (I want) is a safe ordering pattern. Pasta can also mean dough, but at the table it means pasta; pumata is also spelled pomata. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

6. Sò vegetarianu

   I am vegetarian

   Usage

   Tell the waiter you are vegetarian

   Grammar Note

   A woman says Sò vegetariana. Sò is the 1sg of esse. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

7. Avete un piattu di u ghjornu?

   Do you have a dish of the day?

   Usage

   Ask the waiter about the daily special

   Grammar Note

   Piattu is a masculine noun for plate or dish; ghjornu is "day". Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

8. Mi purtate ancu pane, pè piacè?

   Could I have some more bread?

   Usage

   Ask for more bread at the table during a meal

   Grammar Note

   A polite request using the 2pl purtate of purtà. Pane is masculine and needs no article for "some bread". Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

9. Piccante

   Spicy hot

   Usage

   Chilli heat specifically; salty is a different word

   Grammar Note

   Same form for both genders; the plural is piccanti. Salty is a different word

10. Dolce

    Sweet

    Usage

    Sweet in taste; as a noun the same word also means cake or biscuit

    Grammar Note

    As an adjective it means sweet or mild; as a noun it means a cake or biscuit

11. Crudu

    Raw (not cooked)

    Usage

    Point at this to avoid uncooked meat or fish

    Grammar Note

    Feminine cruda; it means not cooked

12. U risu

    Rice

    Usage

    Rice as food; show it together with the dish you want

    Grammar Note

    Risu is a masculine noun; the same spelling is also a participle meaning "laughed"

13. U pane

    Bread

    Usage

    The bread served with a meal; also useful when checking for wheat

    Grammar Note

    Pane is a masculine noun and can be used without an article for "some bread"

14. A pasta

    Pasta / noodles

    Usage

    The word for pasta dishes; in a bakery the same word can mean dough

    Grammar Note

    Pasta is a feminine noun; it also has the senses "dough" and "paste"

15. U casgiu

    Cheese

    Usage

    Used both to order cheese and to check for dairy

    Grammar Note

    Casgiu is masculine, plural casgi. Italian formaggio is not used. The spelling casu also exists

16. U mele

    Honey

    Usage

    Refers to honey as a sweetener

    Grammar Note

    Mele is a masculine noun; it also appears in pane di mele (a gingerbread-type cake)

17. A suppa

    Soup

    Usage

    A thick soup, as opposed to a clear broth

    Grammar Note

    Suppa is a feminine noun; add the ingredient as in suppa d'erbiglie (herb soup)

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