Italian Phrase
Come vuoi la bistecca?
Meaning
Literally, “How do you want the steak?” It is used to ask a diner how they would like their steak cooked or seasoned, e.g., al sangue, media, ben cotta, etc.
When to use
Use this phrase in a restaurant, at a home dinner, or any situation where you’re preparing a steak for someone else and need to know their preferred doneness or seasoning.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Comevuoilabistecca?
Come (How)
Interrogative adverb used to ask about manner or preference.
vuoi (you want)
Second‑person singular present of volere; matches the informal ‘tu’ subject.
la bistecca (the steak)
Definite article + noun; the article agrees in gender and number with the noun.
Question mark
In spoken Italian the intonation rises at the end; in writing the question mark signals a direct question.
🗨In Conversation
Come vuoi la bistecca?
How would you like the steak?
Al sangue, per favore.
Rare, please.
✕Common Mistakes
Come vuole la bistecca?
‘Vuole’ is third‑person singular; use ‘vuoi’ when speaking directly to one person informally.
Come vuoi bistecca?
The definite article is required; dropping it sounds unnatural.
↔Alternatives
Come la preferisci?
How do you prefer it?
Come la vuoi cotta?
How do you want it cooked?
Qual è il tuo grado di cottura per la bistecca?
What is your preferred doneness for the steak?
Cultural Tip
In Italy the usual degrees of doneness are ‘al sangue’ (rare), ‘media’ (medium‑rare), ‘media‑cotta’ (medium) and ‘ben cotta’ (well‑done). In many traditional trattorie the chef will default to ‘media‑cotta’ unless you specify otherwise, so don’t be shy about stating your preference.