A café exchange in Italy has a shape. A greeting, an order, a small choice, a thank-you. Learn the shape once and you can run it anywhere from Milan to Palermo. Let's walk it line by line.
1
The words you'll reach for
Tap a card to flip it for the meaning.
Buongiorno
/bwonˈdʒorno/
tap to flip
good morning
Vorrei…
/vorˈrɛi/
tap to flip
I'd like…
Quant'è?
/kwanˈtɛ/
tap to flip
how much is it?
Tenga pure
/ˈtɛŋɡa ˈpure/
tap to flip
keep the change
2
The whole conversation
Buongiorno!
Good morning!
▶Buongiorno, dimmi.
Morning — what'll it be?
▶Vorrei un cappuccino e un cornetto.
I'd like a cappuccino and a croissant.
▶Subito. Al banco?
Right away. At the counter?
▶Sì, grazie. Quant'è?
Yes, thanks. How much is it?
▶Due e cinquanta.
Two fifty.
▶Ecco a lei. Tenga pure.
Here you go. Keep the change.
▶
Culture note
The cornetto-and-cappuccino ritual
The Italian breakfast is small and sweet: a milky coffee and a pastry, taken standing, often before nine. Order it any later and you'll get a knowing smile — but never a refusal.
Practice it for real
Now try it yourself — out loud.
Step into the scene and speak every line — Sentiero listens and replies.
Play this scene in Sentiero →