Dopo cena facciamo due passi in giardino.

After dinner we go for a short walk in the garden.

Breakdown of Dopo cena facciamo due passi in giardino.

• in: in
• il giardino: the garden
• dopo: after
• noi: we

Questions & Answers about Dopo cena facciamo due passi in giardino.

Why is it Dopo cena and not Dopo la cena?

With meal names (colazione, pranzo, cena), Italian normally drops the article when speaking generally. So dopo cena, a pranzo, a cena are the default. You add the article when you specify a particular meal or event: dopo la cena di Natale, dopo la cena di ieri. Both are grammatically correct; the article just makes it specific.

Why is the subject pronoun noi missing before facciamo?

Italian usually omits subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the person: facciamo already means “we do/make.” You’d include noi for emphasis or contrast (Noi facciamo due passi, loro restano a casa).

What does facciamo due passi really mean? Is it idiomatic?

Yes. Literally “we make two steps,” but idiomatically it means “we take a short walk.” It’s a very common, casual way to suggest a brief stroll. A near-synonym is fare una passeggiata (often a bit longer or more neutral than due passi).

Can the present tense facciamo refer to the future here?

Yes. Italian often uses the present for near-future plans or scheduled actions, or for habits. So Dopo cena facciamo… can mean “after dinner we’ll (plan to) take a short walk” or “after dinner we (usually) take a short walk,” depending on context. You can clarify with adverbs like stasera (tonight) or di solito (usually).

Could I say Andiamo a fare due passi instead?