Learn Italian: Vorrei un accappatoio pulito, per favore. - I would like a clean bathrobe, please.

Vorrei un accappatoio pulito, per favore.

I would like a clean bathrobe, please.

Breakdown of Vorrei un accappatoio pulito, per favore.

please (asking for something)

Questions & Answers about Vorrei un accappatoio pulito, per favore.

Why do we use vorrei here instead of voglio?

Vorrei means 'I would like' and is the present conditional form of volere (to want). While you could grammatically say voglio (I want), using vorrei is much softer and more polite. It is the standard way to politely ask for something in Italian, especially in hotels or restaurants.

Since accappatoio starts with a vowel, why isn't it written as un'accappatoio with an apostrophe?

The word accappatoio is masculine. In Italian, you only use the apostrophe (un') before feminine nouns that start with a vowel, like un'amica. For masculine nouns starting with a vowel, the correct article is just un with no apostrophe.

Why does the word for 'clean' (pulito) come after the noun?

Unlike in English, most descriptive adjectives in Italian are placed right after the noun they describe. Also, notice that pulito ends in an -o so that it perfectly matches the masculine singular noun accappatoio.

How do I handle pronouncing a word with so many double letters like accappatoio?

For double consonants like the cc and pp in accappatoio, you need to hold the sound slightly longer than you would for a single letter. Imagine taking a tiny pause right on the letter before releasing the sound. Pronouncing these double letters clearly is a very important part of an Italian accent!