A guide to saying it like a local
How to Say "Could we have more napkins" in Italian
Ask for more napkins at an Italian restaurant with this polite and common phrase.
Potremmo avere più tovaglioli?
po-TRED-moh ah-VEH-reh pyoo toh-vah-LYOH-leeneutral
Italian TTS · 0:01
Use this when you've run out of napkins during a meal at a restaurant or trattoria. It's a direct but polite way to request more from your server.
Alternatives
- Ci porta altri tovaglioli?Slightly more direct, asking 'Will you bring us more napkins?'
- Vorrei altri tovaglioli.Uses 'I would like' and is also very common and polite.
Ways to get it wrong
Tovaglioli vs. Asciugamani
'Tovaglioli' are napkins; 'asciugamani' are towels, usually for hands or the beach.
Potremmo vs. Possiamo
'Potremmo' (could we) is more polite than 'Possiamo' (can we) in this context.
A small cultural note
While 'tovaglioli' are standard in most restaurants, some very casual places might offer paper napkins. Linen is more common in slightly more formal settings.
Frequently asked
how to ask for more napkins in italian
Use 'Potremmo avere più tovaglioli?'. This is a polite and standard way to ask for more napkins in an Italian restaurant.
napkin in italian
The word for napkin is 'tovagliolo' (singular) or 'tovaglioli' (plural). Make sure not to confuse it with 'asciugamano' which means towel.
polite way to ask for things in italian restaurant
Using the conditional tense, like 'Potremmo avere...?' (Could we have...?), is a good general strategy. Adding 'per favore' (please) at the end is always a nice touch.
