Italian · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 8 of 12
Plans and invitations
Facciamo qualcosa?
Make, accept and change plans in Italian: suggest things with che ne dici di…?, talk about the future, and use ci (there) and ne (of them).
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Suggest doing something together
- Accept, decline or change a plan
- Talk about plans with the present and the future
- Use ci for places and ne for quantities
Listen
Federica and Salvatore are friends in Catania. Federica calls him to make plans for Saturday evening. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Federica
Salvatore, cosa fai sabato sera?
Salvatore, what are you doing on Saturday evening?
Salvatore
Non lo so. Perché?
I don't know. Why?
Federica
C'è un concerto jazz in piazza Duomo. Ci vieni?
There's a jazz concert in Piazza Duomo. Are you coming?
Salvatore
Volentieri. Quanto costano i biglietti?
I'd love to. How much are the tickets?
Federica
Quindici euro. Li compro io online. Quanti ne compro?
Fifteen euros. I'll buy them online. How many shall I buy?
Salvatore
Tre: viene anche mio fratello.
Three: my brother's coming too.
Federica
Perfetto. E dopo il concerto, che ne dici di mangiare una pizza insieme?
Perfect. And after the concert, how about having a pizza together?
Salvatore
Buona idea. Sabato sera ci sarà molta gente, allora prenoto io un tavolo.
Good idea. There'll be lots of people on Saturday evening, so I'll book a table.
Federica
Il concerto è alle nove. Ci vediamo alle otto e mezza davanti al Duomo?
The concert is at nine. Shall we meet at half past eight in front of the cathedral?
Salvatore
Alle otto e mezza non posso: finisco di lavorare alle otto e un quarto. Facciamo alle nove meno un quarto?
I can't at half past eight: I finish work at quarter past eight. Shall we say quarter to nine?
Federica
Va bene. Allora ci vediamo sabato alle nove meno un quarto.
OK. See you on Saturday at quarter to nine, then.
Salvatore
Perfetto. A sabato!
Perfect. See you on Saturday.
Understand
Plans and suggestions
For plans that are already fixed, Italians usually use the present with a time word: . The future is common for things you expect: (There'll be lots of people).
To suggest something, use + infinitive (How about…?), + the form (Why don't we…?) or simply the form: (Let's go to the cinema). To change a time, say (Shall we say nine?).
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| How about having a pizza? | |
| Why don't we go to the seaside? | |
| Let's go to the cinema. | |
| Shall we say nine o'clock? | |
| / | Good idea. / I'd love to. |
| I'm sorry, I can't on Saturday. |
Ci: there
can replace a place you've already mentioned, like “there” in English. It goes before the verb: (Are you coming to the concert? – Yes, I'm coming). You already know it from and .
In Italian you often need where English says nothing at all: simply means “Are you coming?”
- Vai spesso in piazza? – Sì, ci vado ogni sabato.Do you often go to the square? – Yes, I go there every Saturday.
- Catania? Sì, ci sono stato l'anno scorso.Catania? Yes, I was there last year.
- Al mare? Non ci vado mai d'inverno.To the seaside? I never go there in winter.
Ne: of it, of them
replaces a noun after a number or a quantity. It means “of it” or “of them”, but English usually leaves this out: (How many tickets are you buying? – I'm buying three). In Italian, you can't leave it out.
Like other small pronouns, goes before the verb. With , it means “any”: (I don't have any).
- Quante mele vuole? – Ne vorrei un chilo.How many apples would you like? – I'd like a kilo.
- Hai dei biglietti? – Sì, ne ho due.Have you got any tickets? – Yes, I've got two.
- Pane? Non ne abbiamo più.Bread? We haven't got any left.
More in the grammar: Present tense: regular verbs · Ci and ne · The futuro semplice: will
New words
- Non lo so.I don't know. · = it
- Ci vieni?Are you coming? · = there, to it
- il bigliettoticket · masculine
- neof it, of them · = How many (of them) shall I buy?
- Che ne dici di…?How about…? / What do you think about…? · with an infinitive
- insiemetogether
- Buona idea.Good idea.
- ci saràthere will be · future of ; plural:
- la gentepeople · feminine singular: …
- il Duomocathedral · masculine; the main church of a town
- finire di lavorareto finish work · …
- Facciamo…?Shall we say…? / Shall we make it…? · = Shall we say nine?
- Ci vediamo.See you. / We'll meet. · = see you at eight
Practise
1.A friend asks Say “Yes, I'm coming.”
2.Someone asks how many tickets you're buying. Say “I'm buying three.”
I'm buying three (of them).
3.Complete with a verb: “How about having a pizza together?”
How about having a pizza together?
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.See you on Saturday in front of the cathedral.
5.Your friend suggests eight o'clock, but you finish work at eight. What do you say?
6.Match the Italian with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Che ne dici di andare al cinema sabato?
How about going to the cinema on Saturday?
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.