Making Plans to Go Out in Italian: Pizzeria Dialogue & Suggestions 🍕

In this lesson, you’ll learn essential Italian phrases for making plans with a friend. Follow along with Matteo and Giulia’s conversation as they decide to go out for pizza, and master key vocabulary for suggesting an activity, expressing what you want to eat, and agreeing on a time and place.

💬 Video Transcript

Matteo: Ciao Giulia! Come stai?
(Matteo: Hi Giulia! How are you?)

Giulia: Ciao Matteo! Sto bene, grazie. E tu?
(Giulia: Hi Matteo! I’m fine, thanks. And you?)

Matteo: Sto molto bene! Senti, ho un’idea per questa sera.
(Matteo: I’m very well! Listen, I have an idea for this evening.)

Giulia: Un’idea? Che bella sorpresa! Dimmi tutto.
(Giulia: An idea? What a nice surprise! Tell me everything.)

Matteo: Questa sera andiamo a cena fuori?
(Matteo: Shall we go out for dinner tonight?)

Giulia: A cena fuori? Sì! È una bellissima idea, Matteo!
(Giulia: Out for dinner? Yes! That’s a wonderful idea, Matteo!)

Matteo: Fantastico! E ho un’idea su cosa mangiare.
(Matteo: Fantastic! And I have an idea about what to eat.)

Giulia: Ah sì? Cosa vuoi mangiare?
(Giulia: Oh yes? What do you want to eat?)

Matteo: Ho voglia di pizza. Una buona pizza italiana.
(Matteo: I feel like pizza. A good Italian pizza.)

Giulia: La pizza! Perfetto! Anche io ho voglia di pizza. Mi piace tanto la pizza.
(Giulia: Pizza! Perfect! I feel like pizza too. I like pizza a lot.)

Matteo: Bene! Allora andiamo in pizzeria. Conosco un posto.
(Matteo: Good! Then let’s go to a pizzeria. I know a place.)

Giulia: Davvero? Com’è questo posto? È una pizzeria buona?
(Giulia: Really? What’s this place like? Is it a good pizzeria?)

Matteo: Sì, è una pizzeria molto buona. Si chiama “La Pizzeria Felice”.
(Matteo: Yes, it’s a very good pizzeria. It’s called “The Happy Pizzeria”.)

Giulia: “La Pizzeria Felice”. Che bel nome! E la pizza è buona lì?
(Giulia: “The Happy Pizzeria”. What a nice name! And is the pizza good there?)

Matteo: Sì, la pizza è buonissima. Veramente buona. Io prendo sempre la pizza margherita.
(Matteo: Yes, the pizza is delicious. Really good. I always get the pizza margherita.)

Giulia: La pizza margherita! È la mia preferita! Semplice e deliziosa.
(Giulia: Pizza margherita! It’s my favorite! Simple and delicious.)

Matteo: Allora è deciso. Due pizze margherita a “La Pizzeria Felice”.
(Matteo: Then it’s decided. Two margherita pizzas at “The Happy Pizzeria”.)

Giulia: Sì! Va benissimo! A che ora andiamo?
(Giulia: Yes! That’s perfect! What time are we going?)

Matteo: Andiamo alle otto? Per te va bene alle otto?
(Matteo: Shall we go at eight? Is eight okay for you?)

Giulia: Alle otto è un orario perfetto. Sì, va benissimo.
(Giulia: Eight o’clock is a perfect time. Yes, that’s perfect.)

Matteo: Ottimo. Allora ci vediamo più tardi. Alle otto.
(Matteo: Excellent. Then I’ll see you later. At eight.)

Giulia: Perfetto. A più tardi, Matteo! Sono molto contenta!
(Giulia: Perfect. See you later, Matteo! I’m very happy!)

Matteo: Anch’io sono molto contento. A dopo, Giulia!
(Matteo: I’m very happy too. See you later, Giulia!)

📝 Essential Vocabulary

Here are some key words and phrases from the video. Listen and repeat to practice your pronunciation.

🔍 Grammar Focus

Let’s break down two key expressions used in the dialogue to make suggestions and express desires.

1. Making Suggestions with Andiamo...?

In Italian, a very common and friendly way to make a suggestion is to use the verb andare (to go) in the first-person plural (noi - we). By phrasing it as a question, you’re essentially saying “Shall we go…?” or “Let’s go…?”

From the script:

• Questa sera **andiamo a cena fuori**? (Shall we go out for dinner tonight?)
• Allora **andiamo in pizzeria**. (Then let’s go to a pizzeria.)
• **Andiamo alle otto**? (Shall we go at eight?)

This structure is simple and versatile. Just use Andiamo a + [infinitive verb] or Andiamo in + [place].

2. Expressing Cravings with Avere voglia di...

When you want to say you “feel like” or are “craving” something, the Italian expression is avere voglia di. It’s a very common phrase that’s more natural than saying “I want” (voglio). The structure is [conjugated form of avere] + voglia di + [noun or infinitive verb].

From the script:

• Matteo: **Ho voglia di** pizza. (I feel like pizza.)
• Giulia: Anche io **ho voglia di** pizza. (I feel like pizza too.)

Remember to conjugate the verb avere (to have) for the correct person. For “I,” it’s ho. For “you,” it would be Hai voglia di...? (Do you feel like…?).

🌍 Cultural Tip

🃏 Flip & Learn

Use these flashcards to test your memory of key phrases from the conversation.

💡 Key Takeaways

Here are the most important points to remember from this lesson:

• Greetings and Small Talk: Start conversations with Ciao! and ask Come stai? (How are you?). Common replies are Sto bene (I’m fine) and Sto molto bene (I’m very well).
• Making Suggestions: Use Andiamo a...? (Shall we go to…?) to propose an activity in a friendly way.
• Expressing Desires: The phrase Ho voglia di... is the most natural way to say you “feel like” or are “craving” something.
• Making Plans: Key phrases for arranging a meetup include A che ora? (At what time?), Alle otto (At eight), and confirming with Va bene or Perfetto.
• Describing Things: To intensify an adjective, you can use molto (very) or add the -issimo/-issima ending. For example, buona (good) becomes buonissima (delicious/very good).

🎯 Practice Quiz

Test your understanding of the dialogue and vocabulary.

✍️ Fill in the Blanks

Let’s test your spelling and memory! Fill in the missing words below. Use correct spelling.