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Voglio prenotare un tavolo per alcuni amici al ristorante.

Voglio prenotare un tavolo per alcuni amici al ristorante.
I want to reserve a table for some friends at the restaurant.
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Questions & Answers about Voglio prenotare un tavolo per alcuni amici al ristorante.

Why is voglio used here instead of vorrei?
  • Voglio is the present indicative (“I want…”), a direct statement of desire.
  • Vorrei is the conditional (“I would like…”), which sounds more polite or tentative.
  • In a casual context you can safely say Voglio prenotare. In a more polite request, especially on the phone, you might prefer Vorrei prenotare un tavolo….
What exactly does prenotare mean and how is it used?
  • Prenotare = “to reserve” or “to book.”
  • It’s a transitive verb, so it takes a direct object without a preposition:
    • prenotare un tavolo (“to reserve a table”)
    • prenotare un biglietto (“to book a ticket”)
    • prenotare una stanza (“to book a room”)
Why say per alcuni amici? Could I use per degli amici or per dei amici?
  • Alcuni is an indefinite adjective meaning “some,” placed before the noun.
  • Dei (contraction of di + i) is a partitive article and also means “some.”
    • per alcuni amici
    • per dei amici (or per degli amici)
  • Both are grammatically correct. Choosing one is mostly a matter of style: alcuni feels a bit more formal/neutral, dei/degli a bit more colloquial.
Why is it al ristorante instead of in ristorante or a ristorante?
  • In Italian you usually say “andare/prenotare al ristorante” using the preposition a with the definite article:
    • al = a + il (masculine singular)
  • In ristorante is not used here; in
    • definite article is only for some fixed expressions (in ufficio, in banca), but not in ristorante.
  • A ristorante without an article sounds incomplete in this context.
Why is there un tavolo (indefinite article) and not il tavolo (definite article)?
  • Un means “a” – you’re asking for any table, not a specific one.
  • Il tavolo would mean “the table,” implying you have a particular table in mind.
  • Since you’re just making a new reservation, un tavolo is the natural choice.
Can I move al ristorante to the beginning or middle of the sentence?
  • Italian word order is flexible for emphasis. Default is Subject–Verb–Object + adverbial:
    • Voglio prenotare un tavolo per alcuni amici al ristorante.
  • You could say:
    • Al ristorante, voglio prenotare un tavolo per alcuni amici. (emphasizes the place)
    • Per alcuni amici, voglio prenotare un tavolo al ristorante. (emphasizes for whom)
  • However, the original order is the most neutral and common.
Why is amici masculine? What if I mean only female friends?
  • Amici is masculine plural. In Italian, a group of mixed genders or all-male is amici.
  • If you mean only female friends, use the feminine form:
    • alcune amiche (some female friends)
Why isn’t there a preposition before un tavolo after voglio?
  • Voglio is followed by an infinitive verb (prenotare), not directly by un tavolo.
  • The structure is: voglio
    • prenotare
      • direct object (un tavolo).
  • Prepositions aren’t needed before direct objects in Italian.