Learn Italian: Il cameriere porta i piatti e dice: buon appetito! - The waiter brings the plates and says: enjoy your meal!

Il cameriere porta i piatti e dice: buon appetito!

The waiter brings the plates and says: enjoy your meal!

Breakdown of Il cameriere porta i piatti e dice: buon appetito!

Questions & Answers about Il cameriere porta i piatti e dice: buon appetito!

Cameriere ends in "-e". How can I tell if it's masculine or feminine?

Nouns ending in -e can be masculine or feminine in Italian. In this sentence, you can tell cameriere is masculine because it uses the masculine singular word for "the", which is il.

What verb does dice come from?

It comes from dire (to say or to tell). Dire is a very common but irregular verb, which is why the spelling changes and a "c" appears in this "he/she says" form (dice).

Why does the sentence use i for "the plates" (i piatti) instead of gli?

Both i and gli are plural words for "the" used with masculine nouns. You use i before most consonants, like the "p" in piatti. You only use gli before vowels, "z", or an "s" followed by another consonant.

Why does the waiter say buon appetito instead of buono appetito?

The adjective buono (good) drops its final "o" and becomes buon when it is placed directly before a masculine singular noun. This makes the greeting flow much more smoothly when spoken.