Episode 4 · Real Italian Conversations
Vorrei ordinare un caffè? How Italians really order
Vorrei ordinare un caffè, per cortesia, se possibile... Correct, but no Italian at the bar talks like that.
Emma orders from the textbook. Laura shows her the short way.
Laura ·
In this lesson
| Italian | Word for word | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Un caffè, grazie | a coffee, thanks | all you need at the counter |
| Vorrei ordinare un caffè | I would like to order a coffee | correct, but it sounds like a textbook |
| Troppo lungo | too long | |
| Visto? | see? | you will hear it all the time |
In Italy un caffè is an espresso. Order it at the counter, drink it standing, pay at the till.
The dialogue
Every line from the video, with the English meaning under the Italian.
Emma
Buongiorno. Vorrei ordinare un caffè, per cortesia, se possibile.
Good morning. I would like to order a coffee, please, if possible.
Laura
Corretto... ma troppo lungo!
Correct... but way too long!
Emma
So what do Italians actually say?
Laura
Al bar basta così: un caffè, grazie!
At the bar, this is enough: a coffee, thanks!
Emma✓ Correct
Un caffè, grazie!
A coffee, thanks!
Laura
Visto? Più facile!
See? Much easier!
Laura
Seguimi, per la prossima parola!
Follow me, for the next word!
The voices in this video are synthetic and the on-screen host is generated. The Italian itself is written and checked by a native speaker.
Ready to speak, not just watch?
Practise these phrases out loud with Laura in a small group or a private lesson.
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