Common Italian collocation
| Pronunciation | |
| Literal translation | To “appliance” the table |
| English translation | To set the table |
| Meaning |
The verb apparecchiare comes from apparecchio, which means apparatus or device. Apparecchiare is very specific: you can actually use this verb alone to translate to set the table in Italian.
You can also translate it as preparare la tavola, literally “to prepare the table”.
| Preparare la tavola | To set the table |
For this purpose, preparare is a more generic verb and cannot be used alone, so you have to say preparare la tavola.
Examples
| La mamma mi ha chiesto di apparecchiare la tavola. | Mom asked me to set the table. | |
| Alan prepara la tavola mentre Sarah cucina. | Alan sets the table for lunch while Sarah cooks. | |
| Apparecchiò la tavola con piatti, bicchieri e posate. | He set the table with plates, glasses and cutlery. |
Related lessons
- preparare (to prepare)
- tavolo (table)
- definite articles
More free Italian resources
You might want to keep learning Italian online with these free Italian resources:
Aiuta Lingookies con un 👍!
❤️ If you liked this Lingookie on how to say to set the table in Italian, share it with your friends!