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Breakdown of Portateci due bicchieri d’acqua mentre aspettiamo.
il bicchiere
the glass
di
of
l'acqua
the water
portare
to bring
noi
we
mentre
while
aspettare
to wait
due
two
ci
us
Questions & Answers about Portateci due bicchieri d’acqua mentre aspettiamo.
What does portateci mean, and how is it built?
portateci is the second-person plural affirmative imperative of portare with the enclitic pronoun ci meaning to us. So it literally means bring us.
Why is the pronoun ci attached at the end, instead of before the verb?
In affirmative imperatives (except the formal Lei), Italian attaches object pronouns to the verb: porta + lo = portalo, portate + ci = portateci. In negative imperatives pronouns precede the verb (e.g. Non ci portate...).
What is the function of d’ in d’acqua?
d’ is a contraction of di before a vowel. Here di indicates the substance inside the glass, so d’acqua = di acqua = of water (as in glass of water).
Why do we say due bicchieri d’acqua and not due bicchieri dell’acqua?
When expressing a specific quantity of an uncountable noun, Italian uses di + noun without a definite article. So two glasses of water is due bicchieri d’acqua, not dei or delle.
What role does mentre play in this sentence?
mentre is a conjunction meaning while, used to introduce a simultaneous action: while we wait.
Why is aspettiamo used without a subject pronoun like noi?
Italian typically omits subject pronouns because verb endings indicate the subject. The -iamo ending tells you it’s first-person plural, so aspettiamo = we wait. Adding noi is grammatically correct but redundant.
Is the imperative portateci polite enough in a restaurant?
Yes. The voi-form imperative is standard when addressing waiters. To soften the request you can add per favore or use a question form: per favore portateci… or scusate, potete portarci…?.
Could I say Ci portate due bicchieri d’acqua mentre aspettiamo? instead? How does that differ from the imperative?
Ci portate due bicchieri d’acqua mentre aspettiamo? is the present indicative with rising intonation, so it means could you bring us two glasses of water while we wait. The imperative portateci is a direct command or request. Both are used in restaurants; the interrogative form is often perceived as more polite.
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