Learn Italian: C'è ancora torta? Ne voglio due fette, per favore. - Is there still cake? I want two slices of it, please.

C'è ancora torta? Ne voglio due fette, per favore.

Is there still cake? I want two slices of it, please.

Breakdown of C'è ancora torta? Ne voglio due fette, per favore.

Questions & Answers about C'è ancora torta? Ne voglio due fette, per favore.

How exactly does ne work in this sentence?

The word ne is a pronoun that replaces phrases like 'of it' or 'of them' so you do not have to repeat the noun. Here, instead of saying 'I want two slices of cake', you say Ne voglio due fette (I want two slices of it). Just like most other pronouns, ne goes directly before the conjugated verb voglio.

Why isn't there an article before torta?

When you are talking about an unspecified amount of food or a general category, you can often drop the article in Italian, just like in English. Asking C'è ancora torta? naturally means 'Is there still cake?' rather than asking about a specific whole cake.

I learned that ancora means 'again'. Why does it mean 'still' here?

The word ancora is very flexible and can mean 'still', 'yet', or 'again' depending on the context. When combined with c'è to ask if something is available or ongoing, it translates perfectly to 'still'.

How do you form the singular of fette?

The singular word for slice is fetta. Because it is a feminine noun ending in -a, it follows the regular plural rule and changes its ending to -e, giving us due fette (two slices).