First Phrases

Dinner with strangers · Italiano

Dinner with strangers in Italian: 10 phrases for tonight

A shared table where nobody knows anybody, which makes it easy to ask the obvious questions. Names, what you do, how you know the host: everyone is in the same boat.

Register: Informal (friendly). At a dinner with strangers in Italy, "tu" is normal. Dinner starts late (20:30 or later). Italians often insist on hosting or paying for guests.

How to read the sounds: Italian is spoken as written. Double consonants (tt, ll, zz) are held longer. c before e/i = ch, g before e/i = j, gn = ny, gli = ly, sc before e/i = sh. Stress is in CAPITALS.

10 phrases, door to goodbye

  1. 01 · Arriving
    Buonasera! Sono ___. Piacere!
    Say it like: bwoh-nah-SEH-rah! SOH-noh ___. pyah-CHEH-reh
    Good evening! I'm ___. Nice to meet you!
  2. 02 · Saying you're new
    Non conosco nessuno, quindi sono contento/contenta di essere qui!
    Say it like: nohn koh-NOS-koh nes-SOO-noh, KWEEN-dee SOH-noh kon-TEN-toh/kon-TEN-tah dee ES-seh-reh kwee
    I don't know anyone, so I'm glad to be here!
  3. 03 · Asking how it works
    Ci sediamo dove vogliamo? I piatti si condividono?
    Say it like: chee seh-DYAH-moh DOH-veh vol-YAH-moh? ee PYAHT-tee see kon-dee-VEE-doh-noh
    Do we sit wherever we like? Are the dishes shared?
  4. 04 · Small talk
    Di cosa ti occupi?
    Say it like: dee KOH-zah tee OK-koo-pee
    What do you do?
  5. 05 · Small talk
    Come conosci chi organizza?
    Say it like: KOH-meh koh-NOH-shee kee or-gah-NEED-dzah
    How do you know the host?
  6. 06 · Small talk
    Eri già stato/stata a una cena così?
    Say it like: EH-ree jah STAH-toh/STAH-tah ah OO-nah CHEH-nah koh-ZEE
    Have you been to a dinner like this before?
  7. 07 · Dietary needs
    Sono vegetariano/vegetariana. C'è qualcosa senza carne?
    Say it like: SOH-noh veh-jeh-tah-RYAH-noh/veh-jeh-tah-RYAH-nah. cheh kwal-KOH-zah SEN-tsah KAR-neh
    I'm vegetarian. Is there something without meat?
  8. 08 · At the table
    Mi passi l'acqua, per favore?
    Say it like: mee PAS-see LAK-kwah, pehr fah-VOH-reh
    Could you pass me the water, please?
  9. 09 · Paying
    Facciamo alla romana o come si paga?
    Say it like: fah-CHAH-moh AHL-lah roh-MAH-nah oh KOH-meh see PAH-gah
    Do we split it evenly, or how do we pay?
  10. 10 · Leaving & keeping in touch
    Grazie per la compagnia. Rifacciamolo presto!
    Say it like: GRAH-tsyeh pehr lah kom-pah-NYEE-ah. ree-fah-CHAH-moh-loh PRES-toh
    Thanks for the company. Let's do it again soon!

3 things you will probably hear

  1. H1 · You may hear
    Sedetevi dove volete.
    Say it like: seh-DEH-teh-vee DOH-veh voh-LEH-teh
    Sit wherever you like.
  2. H2 · You may hear
    Avete allergie o cose che non mangiate?
    Say it like: ah-VEH-teh al-lehr-JEE-eh oh KOH-zeh keh nohn man-JAH-teh
    Any allergies, or things you don't eat?
  3. H3 · You may hear
    Ordiniamo un'altra bottiglia di vino?
    Say it like: or-dee-NYAH-moh oon-AL-trah bot-TEEL-yah dee VEE-noh
    Shall we order another bottle of wine?

Go and try it

Find dinners with strangers on Come Alone

Quick answers

What do I say when I arrive alone at a dinner with strangers in Italian?

Start with: "Buonasera! Sono ___. Piacere!" (Good evening! I'm ___. Nice to meet you!). Then say you are new: "Non conosco nessuno, quindi sono contento/contenta di essere qui!" (I don't know anyone, so I'm glad to be here!)

Should I use informal or formal Italian at a dinner with strangers?

At a dinner with strangers in Italy, "tu" is normal. Dinner starts late (20:30 or later). Italians often insist on hosting or paying for guests.

How do I ask to meet again after a dinner with strangers in Italian?

Try: "Grazie per la compagnia. Rifacciamolo presto!" (Thanks for the company. Let's do it again soon!)

Same evening, another language

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Italian, another evening

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All 7 × 6 cards · Phrases for a specific event near you

How it works

  1. Pick the evening and the language people will speak.
  2. Read the ten phrases in order: they follow the evening from the door to goodbye. Tap the speaker to hear each one in your device's voice.
  3. Print the card or keep it open on your phone. Native-speaker review is still pending; a "check" mark flags a phrase we are least sure of.
  4. Find the event on Come Alone, open it in Meet & Mint to see who else is going, and say the first phrase for real.

firstphrases.app/tonight/dinner/it/ · Meet & Mint