Food & Drinks

1. La carta da menu, per plaschair.

   The menu, please

   Usage

   The first thing to ask for in a restaurant. Carta da tratgas also means menu

   Grammar Note

   Carta is feminine, so the article is la. Per plaschair closes a request

2. In café, per plaschair.

   A coffee, please

   Usage

   Café is a loanword and keeps the acute é. Add details such as milk afterwards

   Grammar Note

   Café is masculine, so the indefinite article is in (ina for feminine). The plural is cafés

3. Il quint, per plaschair.

   The bill, please

   Usage

   Used at the end of a meal to ask for the bill. The currency in Switzerland is the franc (CHF)

   Grammar Note

   Quint is masculine (il quint) and means a calculation or bill

4. Quai è squisit!

   It's exquisite!

   Usage

   A compliment to the cook or the restaurant

   Grammar Note

   Quai means this or that, and è (is) links it to squisit (delicious)

5. Avais Vus ina maisa per dus?

   Do you have a table for two?

   Usage

   A polite way to ask for a table. The capital Vus is the polite "you"

   Grammar Note

   The vus form of avair is avais. The subject Vus follows the verb to form a question. Maisa is feminine. Composed sentence; native review recommended

6. Jau vuless spaghettis cun sosa da tomatas.

   I would like spaghetti with tomato sauce

   Usage

   A polite way to order. Vuless is the softer "would like" form

   Grammar Note

   Conditional of vulair: jau vuless (I would like). Spaghettis is masculine plural. Composed sentence; native review recommended

7. Jau sun vegetarian / vegetariana.

   I am vegetarian

   Usage

   Tells the restaurant about your diet. Men say vegetarian, women vegetariana

   Grammar Note

   Sun is the first person of esser. The adjective agrees with the speaker: vegetarian / vegetariana

8. Avais Vus in plat dal di?

   Do you have a dish of the day?

   Usage

   A polite way to ask for the daily special

   Grammar Note

   Plat is masculine (plate, dish). Dal is da + il contracted, so dal di means "of the day". Composed sentence; native review recommended

9. Poss jau survegnir anc in pau paun?

   Could I have some more bread?

   Usage

   Used at the table to ask for a refill

   Grammar Note

   Pudair + infinitive asks permission (poss jau ...?). The subject follows the verb. Composed sentence; native review recommended

10. Nua è la tualetta?

    Where is the toilet?

    Usage

    A basic question that works in restaurants as well

    Grammar Note

    The question word comes first. Tualetta is feminine

11. picant

    Spicy hot

    Usage

    Describes a spicy or piquant taste. Say betg picant (not spicy) if you want to avoid heat

    Grammar Note

    Agrees as picant / picanta / picants / picantas. The negation puts betg after it

12. dultsch

    Sweet

    Usage

    Describes a sweet taste. It also means gentle

    Grammar Note

    Inflects as dultsch / dultscha / dultschs / dultschas

13. betg cotg

    Raw (not cooked)

    Usage

    Means not cooked, for example of meat or fish. Cotg means cooked

    Grammar Note

    Cotg inflects as cotg / cotga / cotgs / cotgas, and betg in front negates it

14. il ris

    Rice

    Usage

    Refers to rice and can be ordered as a side

    Grammar Note

    Ris is masculine and the plural is also ris

15. il paun

    Bread

    Usage

    The basic word for bread, for example the bread basket

    Grammar Note

    Paun is masculine. The plural is pauns

16. las pastas

    Pasta / noodles

    Usage

    The plural for pasta and noodles. The singular pasta means dough or paste, so use the plural for noodles

    Grammar Note

    Pastas is feminine plural, with the article las

17. il chaschiel

    Cheese

    Usage

    Cheese in general. Mountain cheese is chaschiel da muntogna

    Grammar Note

    Chaschiel is masculine. The plural is chaschiels

18. il mel d'avieuls

    Honey

    Usage

    Means honey, often asked for at the breakfast table

    Grammar Note

    Mel (nectar) is masculine; adding d'avieuls (of bees) gives honey. The dictionary headword is mel d'avieuls

19. la schuppa

    Soup

    Usage

    Means soup. Barley soup is schuppa da giutta

    Grammar Note

    Schuppa is feminine. The plural is schuppas

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