Un tavolo per due
/un ˈta.vo.lo per ˈdu.e/word by word
In Italian, "table for two" is said as Un tavolo per due.
This phrase is used as a request when arriving at a restaurant to ask for a table that can accommodate two people. Adding per favore at the end is the standard way to make this request polite when arriving at a restaurant.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of un (a), tavolo (table), per (for) and due (two).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Southern Italy, one can say Un tavolino pe' due, per favore. to mean "A little table for two, please."
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /un ˈta.vo.lo per ˈdu.e/. The phrase has 6 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- If you are asking for a table for two in a very formal setting, you might hear the host use the word coperto, which refers to the 'cover' or place setting rather than the table itself.
- The Italian word tavola can also mean a 'board' or 'plank', stemming from the same Latin root as the English word 'tablet'.
- In Italy, the act of 'setting the table' is apparecchiare la tavola, a verb that describes the entire process of preparing the dining area, which has no single-word equivalent in English.
Examples in context
- Io vorrei prenotare un tavolo per due.I'd like to reserve a table for two.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire to reserve a table for two.Tatoeba #3711244 by Guybrush88, translation #72808 by CK
- Dammi un tavolo per due vicino alla finestra.Give me a table for two near the window.This sentence is useful for requesting a table for two in a specific location, such as near a window.Tatoeba #2825308 by Guybrush88, translation #434778 by lukaszpp
- Un tavolo per due, per favore.A table for two, please.This sentence is useful for a simple, polite request for a table for two.Tatoeba #13360567 by Adelpa, translation #13360549 by mraz
- Un tavolino per due, per piacere.A little table for two, please.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Giulia enter a busy restaurant.
- FrancescoBuonasera, vorremmo un tavolo per due.Good evening, we would like a table for two.
- GiuliaCertamente, seguitemi pure.Certainly, please follow me.
- FrancescoPossiamo avere un tavolo per due all'aperto?Can we have a table for two outside?
- GiuliaSì, c'è un posto libero in terrazza.Yes, there is a free spot on the terrace.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (un, tavolo, per, due) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
