How to make plans with a friend in Italian
Prendiamo un caffè?
“Shall we get a coffee?”
When: Inviting a friend or friendly colleague out
The moment
You are saying goodbye to an Italian friend outside a bar in Rome and you want a coffee together this week. Leave with a day, a time and a place.
A1 · Unit 4 · People
The lines
Proposing something together
Italian proposes a plan with the plain 'we' form: 'Prendiamo un caffè?' means shall we get a coffee? The same trick gives you 'Ceniamo insieme?' or 'Andiamo a mangiare una pizza?'.
Prendiamo un caffè?
“Shall we get a coffee?”
When to use it: Inviting a friend or friendly colleague out
What you’ll hear back: Volentieri! Quando? (Gladly! When?)
Pinning the day and time
To check a day and an hour, ask 'Ti va bene giovedì alle sette?' — does Thursday at seven work for you? Drop in any day and hour you like.
Ti va bene giovedì alle sette?
“Does Thursday at seven work for you?”
When to use it: Fixing the day and time of the plan
What you’ll hear back: Sì, per me va benissimo. (Yes, that works great for me.)
Words for this scene
| Italian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| Dove ci vediamo? | DOH-veh chee veh-DYAH-moh | Where shall we meet? |
Va bene, e dove ci vediamo? Okay, and where shall we meet? Tip: Italians fix the place last, often 'in piazza' or 'al solito bar'. | ||
| Volentieri! | voh-len-TYEH-ree | Gladly, I'd love to! |
Un aperitivo venerdì sera? Volentieri! An aperitivo on Friday evening? I'd love to! Tip: Warmer than 'va bene'; it shows you actually want to come. | ||
| Allora, giovedì alle sette | ahl-LOH-rah joh-veh-DEE AHL-leh SEHT-teh | Thursday at seven, then |
Allora, giovedì alle sette in piazza. Thursday at seven in the square, then. Tip: Repeating the plan back is how Italians seal it before ciao. | ||
Your objective
Invite them for a coffee and agree on a day and a time to meet.
- an invitation
- a day
- a time
Lines that get it done
- Prendiamo un caffè?
- Allora, giovedì alle sette in piazza. · Thursday at seven in the square, then.
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. You want to invite a colleague out for a coffee. What do you say?
- Prendiamo un caffè?
- Prendo un caffè?
- Un caffè, per favore.
- Prendiamo tu un caffè?
Show the answer
Prendiamo un caffè?
The 'we' form as a question is how you propose doing something together.
2. You want to check that Thursday at seven works for your friend. What do you ask?
- Ti va bene giovedì alle sette?
- Vai bene giovedì alle sette?
- Hai giovedì alle sette?
- È buono giovedì alle sette?
Show the answer
Ti va bene giovedì alle sette?
'Ti va bene...?' is the normal way to ask if a day and time suit someone.
3. The day and time are agreed. How do you ask about the place?
- Dove ci vediamo?
- Quando ci vediamo?
- Quanto costa?
- Com'è andata oggi?
Show the answer
Dove ci vediamo?
'Dove ci vediamo?' asks where the two of you will meet.