cosa mi consiglia?
In Italian, "what do you recommend?" is expressed as cosa mi consiglia?
This phrase is used to ask for a suggestion or advice regarding a choice, such as asking a waiter for a dish recommendation or a shopkeeper for a product suggestion.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase cosa mi consiglia? literally translates to "what do you recommend to me?", where mi means "to me".
Which one should you use?
The default form cosa mi consiglia? uses the third-person singular formal conjugation. In contrast, if you are speaking to a friend or someone you know well, you should use the informal form cosa mi consigli?
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are speaking to a friend or someone you know well, you should use the informal form cosa mi consigli? instead of the formal cosa mi consiglia?
Did you know?
- While cosa means 'thing' in a general sense, it evolved from the Latin word causa, which actually meant 'cause' or 'lawsuit'.
- Using the formal consiglia is crucial when speaking to a waiter or shopkeeper in Italy, as using the informal consigli can be perceived as overly familiar or rude.
- The word consiglia is a derivative of 'consilium', the same root as the English word 'council', implying that a recommendation is a form of counsel.
Examples in context
- Scusi, signora Rossi, cosa mi consiglia per una buona cena italiana?Excuse me, Mrs. Rossi, what do you recommend for a good Italian dinner?
- Mi scusi, professore, cosa mi suggerisce per migliorare il mio italiano?Excuse me, professor, what do you suggest to me to improve my Italian?
- Ciao Luca, cosa mi consigli per un bel film da guardare?Hey Luca, what do you recommend for a good movie to watch?
- Hey Martina, cosa mi suggerisci per rilassarmi dopo una lunga giornata di lavoro?Hey Martina, what do you suggest to me to relax after a long day at work?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cosa, mi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
