Learn Hardcore Italian: Ieri ho disdetto la prenotazione al ristorante, perché ero malata. - Yesterday I canceled the restaurant reservation because I was ill.

For reservations, subscriptions, and bookings, Italian prefers the verb disdire: ho disdetto la prenotazione. You can also say ho annullato la prenotazione (neutral/formal). Cancellare tends to mean “erase/delete” (text, files) and, while many now use it for bookings too (influenced by English), disdire is the most idiomatic.

Is disdire irregular? What key forms should I know?

Yes. Essentials:

Infinitive: disdire
Present: disdico, disdici, disdice, disdiciamo, disdite, disdicono
Past participle: disdetto (with auxiliary avere: ho disdetto)
Imperfect: disdicevo, disdicevi, disdiceva, …
Futures/compound tenses: avrò disdetto, avevo disdetto, etc.

Why is the past composed tense (ho disdetto) used for the cancellation, but the imperfect (ero malata) used for being ill?

Ho disdetto (passato prossimo) marks a completed action at a specific time (ieri).
Ero malata (imperfetto) describes an ongoing/background state that explains the action. It sets the scene rather than delimiting a finished event.

Could I say sono stata malata instead of ero malata?

You could, but it changes nuance. Sono stata malata frames “being ill” as a bounded event (I was ill for a period and that period is viewed as completed). Ero malata simply describes your condition at that time, which fits better as a reason for canceling. In everyday speech, many would also say stavo male (“I wasn’t feeling well”).

Why does it say malata (with -a)? What if the speaker is male?

Adjectives agree with the subject. A female speaker says malata; a male speaker says malato:

F: ero malata
M: ero malato

Is ammalata okay instead of malata?

Yes. Ammalata is also correct and slightly more clinical/literal (“ill”). Everyday Italian commonly uses malata or the expression stavo male for not feeling well.

Why is there a comma before perché? Is it required?

It’s optional. Many writers omit it in short sentences. The comma here simply marks a natural pause: both

Ieri ho disdetto la prenotazione al ristorante perché ero malata.
and
Ieri ho disdetto la prenotazione al ristorante, perché ero malata.
are acceptable.

Does perché ever take the subjunctive?

With the meaning “because,” it takes the indicative: perché ero malata.
With the meaning “so that/in order that,” it takes the subjunctive: L’ho chiamato perché venisse (“so that he would come”). For purpose, many prefer affinché to avoid ambiguity.

Why al ristorante and not nel/dal/per?

al ristorante = “at the restaurant” (place of the reservation), from a + il.
nel ristorante = “in/inside the restaurant” (physical interior).
dal ristorante = “from the restaurant.”
per il ristorante can mean “for the restaurant” (purpose/benefit) and isn’t the normal way to tag where a booking is held.

Why not allo ristorante?

Because ristorante takes the article il, not lo. The contraction is a + il = al. You use allo only with nouns that take lo (e.g., allo stadio, allo zoo).

Why la prenotazione and not il prenotazione? Can I omit the article?

Prenotazione is feminine: la prenotazione.
In standard Italian you generally need the article with singular countable nouns: ho disdetto la prenotazione.
You may specify: ho disdetto la mia prenotazione (article still present). Omitting the article sounds telegraphic.

Is prenotazione del ristorante correct?

It changes the meaning: la prenotazione del ristorante suggests “the restaurant’s reservation” (i.e., belonging to the restaurant). To express “my reservation at the restaurant,” use la prenotazione al ristorante.

Where can I put ieri?

It’s flexible. Common options:

Ieri ho disdetto la prenotazione…
Ho disdetto la prenotazione ieri…
Ho disdetto ieri la prenotazione… All are fine; putting ieri up front is very common.

Why is there no subject pronoun (io)?

Italian is a “pro‑drop” language: the verb ending shows the subject. Ho disdetto already implies io. You add io only for emphasis or contrast: Io ho disdetto… (not someone else).

Can I replace la prenotazione with a pronoun?

Yes: L’ho disdetta (I canceled it). Because prenotazione is feminine and the direct object la comes before the verb, the past participle agrees: disdetta (not disdetto).

Does the past participle always agree like that?

Only when a preceding direct object pronoun is used:

Ho disdetto la prenotazione. (no agreement)
L’ho disdetta. (agreement with preceding feminine la)
Plural: Le ho disdette.

Can I say ho annullato la prenotazione or ho cancellato la prenotazione?

Yes. Naturalness/nuance:

disdire = most idiomatic for bookings/subscriptions.
annullare = neutral/formal, very common too.
cancellare = widely understood; slightly more “computer/app” or influenced by English, but acceptable in many contexts.

Is appuntamento a valid alternative to prenotazione here?

Not for a restaurant table. Use prenotazione (booking/reservation). Appuntamento is for appointments/meetings (doctor, hairdresser, a date).

How is perché spelled and pronounced?

It always has the acute accent on the final é: perché, pronounced pehr-KEH. No accent = wrong spelling. Other common causal connectors: poiché, siccome.