Learn Italian: Vuoi un aperitivo o un caffè? - Do you want an aperitif or a coffee?

Vuoi un aperitivo o un caffè?

Do you want an aperitif or a coffee?

Breakdown of Vuoi un aperitivo o un caffè?

Questions & Answers about Vuoi un aperitivo o un caffè?

Why isn't there a word for "do" or "you" in this question?

In Italian, you don't need a helper verb like "do" to ask a question. You just use the same word order as a statement and make your voice go up at the end. Also, the word for "you" (tu) is left out because the verb vuoi already tells us exactly who wants something!

Is vuoi a regular verb?

No, it comes from the verb volere, which means "to want". It is highly irregular. While vuoi is the "you" form, the "I" form is voglio. You will use this verb very often, so it is worth memorizing its forms early!

Both aperitivo and caffè use un. Shouldn't it be un' before a vowel like in aperitivo?

No, the apostrophe is only used when the noun is feminine and starts with a vowel (like un'amica). Because aperitivo is a masculine word, it takes the standard masculine article un with no apostrophe, just like un caffè.

Why does caffè have an accent mark on the last letter?

The accent mark tells you to stress the final syllable when you say it out loud. Without it, you would naturally stress the second-to-last syllable. In Italian, written accent marks are almost always found on the very last vowel of a word.