Learn Hardcore Italian: Domattina ci vorranno soltanto dieci minuti per preparare la colazione. - Tomorrow morning it will take only ten minutes to prepare breakfast.

Domattina literally means “tomorrow morning.” It’s just a single-word contraction of domani mattina. You can use them interchangeably—domattina feels a bit more formal or concise, while domani mattina is neutral and very common in speech.

Why is there ci before vorranno? What role does it play?

The ci is part of the impersonal verb volerci (“to take” in terms of time or resources). In ci vorranno dieci minuti, ci doesn’t point to a place or object; it’s required by the structure. Literally it means “there will be needed ten minutes,” which we translate as “it will take ten minutes.”

Why is vorranno in the third person plural?

Because volerci agrees with whatever is needed. Here dieci minuti is plural, so the verb is vorranno. If you needed a singular time unit—say, un minuto—you’d say ci vorrà un minuto (singular).

Can you explain the verb volerci in more detail?

Volerci is always impersonal and used only in the third person:

It expresses the time or amount required: Ci vuole un’ora (“It takes one hour”) or Ci vogliono due euro (“It costs two euros”).
You never use a subject like io or tu with it; you always say ci vuole/vogliono.

What’s the difference between soltanto, solo, and appena here? Could I say solo instead?

All three can mean “only” or “just,” but with slight nuances:

soltanto is slightly more formal and focuses on exclusivity.
solo is more colloquial and interchangeable with soltanto: ci vorranno solo dieci minuti.
appena stresses brevity or minimal amount, like “hardly more than ten minutes”: ci vorranno appena dieci minuti.

Choose based on the shade of meaning you want.

Why do we use per preparare la colazione? Is per + infinitive always required here?

The preposition per before an infinitive indicates purpose or the activity for which you measure time: “ten minutes for preparing breakfast.” In time expressions with volerci, per + infinitive is idiomatic. You might occasionally see a preparare, but per is standard in this construction.

Why is colazione preceded by la? Can I drop the article?

In Italian, meals typically take a definite article: la colazione, il pranzo, la cena. With verbs like preparare or fare, you generally include the article: preparare la colazione. Omitting it would sound less natural in most contexts.

Are there alternative ways to express the same idea?

Yes, you can rephrase for style or emphasis:

Preparare la colazione domattina richiederà soltanto dieci minuti.
Domattina basteranno dieci minuti per fare colazione.
Domani mattina ci vorranno solo dieci minuti per preparare la colazione.