Io ceno presto in cucina.

I have dinner early in the kitchen.

Breakdown of Io ceno presto in cucina.

• io: I
• in: in
• la cucina: the kitchen
• presto: early
• cenare: to dine

Questions & Answers about Io ceno presto in cucina.

What does io mean here? Is it necessary?

Io is the subject pronoun “I.” In Italian you can often omit it because the verb ending (-o in ceno) already tells you the subject. It’s included here for emphasis or clarity (e.g. to contrast with someone else). You could simply say Ceno presto in cucina and it would still mean “I have dinner early in the kitchen.”

Why is the pronoun placed before the verb? Can it go after?

Subject pronouns in Italian normally precede the verb, just like in English. You cannot attach io after ceno except for special emphasis, for instance: “Ceno io” (meaning “I’m the one who dines”).

What is the verb ceno? How is it conjugated?

Ceno is the first-person singular present indicative of cenare (to have dinner). The full present-tense conjugation is:
• Io ceno
• Tu ceni
• Lui/lei cena
• Noi ceniamo
• Voi cenate
• Loro cenano

What’s the difference between cenare and mangiare?

• Mangiare means “to eat” in general.
• Cenare specifically means “to have dinner.”
  Although you could say mangio la cena, Italians usually prefer cenare for the act of dining in the evening.

What does presto mean here? Could we use prima instead?

Presto is an adverb meaning “early” (i.e. at an early hour).

• Prima means “before” or “earlier” relative to something else (e.g. prima di cena = “before dinner”).
  You could say Ceno più presto (“I dine earlier”), but ceno presto is the standard way to say “I dine early.”

Why is it in cucina and not alla cucina or nella cucina?

When referring to rooms or general locations inside a house, Italian typically uses in + room name without an article: in cucina, in salotto, a tavola.

• Nella cucina (“in the kitchen”) is grammatically correct but less idiomatic unless you’re specifying a particular kitchen among others.
• Alla cucina would mean “to the kitchen” (movement toward).

Can we change the word order? For example, Ceno presto in cucina or In cucina ceno presto?

Yes—Italian word order is flexible.
• Ceno presto in cucina (Subject–adverb–place) is straightforward.
• In cucina ceno presto (Place–subject–adverb) puts emphasis on the location.
• Presto ceno in cucina is possible but unusual; it highlights presto.

How would I ask a question about this sentence? For instance, “Does she have dinner early in the kitchen?”

You can either keep the subject pronoun or drop it:
• Lei cene presto in cucina?
• Cene presto in cucina?
Raising the intonation at the end or adding question marks completes the interrogative form.