The woman approaching the Agrodolce trattoria in Mira, on the mainland of Italy opposite Venice, has a basket in each hand.
I stand aside and hold the door open for her. (Call me old fashioned.)
“Prego,” she says, and smiles.
When my turn to order comes, I ask for “American coffee” (generally an espresso that comes with a little pot or jar of hot water to make a long black) and wave my Westpac Worldwide Wallet card.
In this largely non-touristy place, with 16th to 18th century villas lining the Brenta Canal, the coffee, with a gorgonzola wrap and a sweet little filled croissant, has cost less than $10 (less than Euro 6). I only ever see locals in Agrodolce.
“Prego,” says the person serving, with a smile.
And in these few moments, we have seen two uses of what surely is the most useful word in Italian.
I can easily identify eight uses of the word prego.
Its origins are, apparently, in the first person of the verb pregare, to pray. Io prego. I pray.
Today, its use is constant, comprehensive and versatile. In changing moments and circumstances, it means…
+ After you.
+ Please.
+ Thank you.
+ You’re welcome.
+ Come in.
+ How can I help you?
+ I beg your pardon.
+ Certainly.
HOW TO SAY IT
First we need to work out how to say it like a local.
Yes, it’s just one word, but for Italians, intonation, tone and, dare I say, the performance of every word is important.
The most difficult part for some of us will be the rolling Italian R. It’s short , but still slightly rolled, in the word prego.
Let me put it like this… if each other letter is pronounced with a timespan of one, the R is a two. Just put a very slight extension into that part of the pronunciation.
Next, pay attention to the O at the end. It is short and sharp. A sort of exclamation (NOT like the way we pronounce the O in go, for example, which is actually longer and softer.
HOW TO USE IT
After you Before we get to the actual word. I should say a few things about queuing in Italy. There are slightly different rules — a slightly different queuing culture to that we’re used to. A local with just a coffee to pay for is quite likely to step in front of you as you wait to pay for your lunch order. Someone with just a few items in a supermarket line might be called forward past people who have more. And an Italian might simply encourage you to go before them.
As an example, in that shopping line, you might hear…
Prego, non ha molte cose. You go first, you don’t have many things.
If someone were holding the door open for me…
Prego, buona giornata. After you and have a nice day.
You’re welcome This is perhaps the most usual use of prego.
Prego! You’re welcome.
How may I help? I hear a lot, particularly in Italian shops and hotels, with the word pronounced with a “questioning “ pronunciation.
Prego? How may I help?
Come this way When someone asks you to follow them (perhaps showing you to your room or table), they will often use the word prego.
Prego, la camera è qui. Please come this way; the room is here.
Prego, questo è il suo tavolo. Please come this way. This is your table.
(And, as a cultural aside, even on beautiful, warm, sunny spring days at the end of May in Italy, I often find myself eating inside, despite the thumping pop music, because there are so many people smoking in the outside seating area.)
Here you are Italians also use prego when they are handing something over — tickets or change, for example. Sometimes it might sound like they are saying “you’re welcome” before you’ve said grazie — but they are actually using prego differently, as means “here you go”.
Prego, i biglietti. Here you go — the tickets.
Go ahead, help yourself I like this warm use of the word. Italians use it naturally when inviting you to take something. At an information office it might be…
Prego, la guida è gratuita. Help yourself, the guide is free.
But Italians also use prego for “go ahead” in other situations — for example, if someone moves aside so that you can take that photo of one of the many sights of Venice…
Prego, non ho fretta. Go ahead; I’m not in a hurry.
Certainly, of course There is a nice use of prego when someone is seeking permission. It offers your polite agreement. For example, in a wine bar, someone might ask if they can take a chair, and you reply with gusto, prego! Of course.
Pardon? Last but certainly not least in this little list is the use of prego to mean “pardon”, or “I didn’t quite catch or understand that” might be particularly useful. You can simply ask for something to be repeated by using the word prego questioningly? (Perhaps also try a slight shrug of the shoulders.)
HOW TO START
It’s pretty easy to jump in and use the word prego in Italy, as everyone uses it all the time.
The nervy might take my advice to start small. Start with a meaning you are sure of… “my pleasure” to open the door for you… “thank you” for the coffee.
TWO-WORD COMBO
Combining grazie (thank you) and prego is a must in the Italian language.
Most Italians would surely say the best response to grazie is, prego — the equivalent of “you’re welcome”.
You walk into an osteria (restaurant ) and the waiter shows you to a table. You say grazie, they reply prego.
(It’s a pity Italians don’t have their own word for pizza.)
