How to talk about your weekend in Italian
Sabato sono andato al mare e poi ho cenato fuori.
“On Saturday I went to the beach and then had dinner out.”
When: Answering how your weekend went
The moment
It is Monday morning at the bar near the office and a colleague asks how your weekend went. You want to give a real story with a couple of events, then get theirs out of them.
A2 · Unit 4 · Small talk & stories
The lines
Two events, linked with e poi
Chain two past actions with "e poi": "Sabato sono andato al mare e poi ho cenato fuori." Andare takes sono, cenare takes ho, and a woman says andata.
Sabato sono andato al mare e poi ho cenato fuori.
“On Saturday I went to the beach and then had dinner out.”
When to use it: Answering how your weekend went
What you’ll hear back: Ah, che bello! Con chi sei andato? (Oh, nice! Who did you go with?)
Handing the question back
Never let your story end the conversation: "E tu, cosa hai fatto di bello?" The "di bello" is what makes it sound friendly instead of an interrogation.
E tu, cosa hai fatto di bello?
“And you, did you do anything nice?”
When to use it: Right after you finish your own story
What you’ll hear back: Niente di speciale, sono rimasto a casa. (Nothing special, I stayed home.)
Words for this scene
| Italian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| Niente di che. | NYEN-teh dee KEH | Nothing much. |
Niente di che, sono rimasto a casa e ho guardato un film. Nothing much, I stayed home and watched a film. Tip: The modest answer for a quiet weekend; always add one detail. | ||
| Che invidia! | keh een-VEE-dyah | I'm so jealous! |
Sei stata in Sicilia tre giorni? Che invidia! You were in Sicily for three days? I'm so jealous! Tip: A compliment, not a complaint: their weekend beat yours. | ||
| è stato bellissimo | eh STAH-toh bel-LEES-see-moh | it was fantastic |
Abbiamo fatto un giro in barca, è stato bellissimo. We went out on a boat, it was fantastic. Tip: The -issimo ending does the job English does with 'really'. | ||
Your objective
Tell them two things you did at the weekend; when they ask about one, give a detail, then ask about their weekend and react.
- two things you did
- a detail when they ask more
- a question about their weekend
Lines that get it done
- Sabato sono andato al mare e poi ho cenato fuori.
- Abbiamo fatto un giro in barca, è stato bellissimo. · We went out on a boat, it was fantastic.
- E tu, cosa hai fatto di bello?
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. How do you say you went to the seaside on Saturday and then had dinner out?
- Sabato sono andato al mare e poi ho cenato fuori.
- Sabato ho andato al mare e poi sono cenato fuori.
- Sabato sono andato al mare e poi ho cenare fuori.
- Sabato vado al mare e poi ceno fuori.
Show the answer
Sabato sono andato al mare e poi ho cenato fuori.
Andare takes essere and cenare takes avere, and e poi puts the two events in order.
2. You have finished your story. How do you hand the question back?
- E tu, cosa hai fatto di bello?
- E tu, cosa fai di bello?
- E tu, dove hai fatto di bello?
- E tu, cosa hai fatto di male?
Show the answer
E tu, cosa hai fatto di bello?
Hai fatto asks about the weekend already gone, and di bello keeps it warm.
3. Your colleague says she spent three days in Sicily. What is the natural reaction?
- Che invidia!
- Che peccato!
- Che noia!
- Che disastro!
Show the answer
Che invidia!
Che invidia celebrates their weekend, while che peccato is for bad news.