Italian Phrase
Ho chiesto di non mettere noci.
Meaning
The speaker is saying that they have already asked someone not to add nuts, usually to a dish or pastry. It conveys a past request that is still relevant to the current situation.
When to use
Use this sentence after you have made a request (to a chef, baker, or friend) to omit nuts, especially when you need to remind the listener of that request or explain why you cannot eat something that contains nuts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Hochiestodinonmetterenoci
Ho (auxiliary)
‘Ho’ is the present indicative of ‘avere’, used as the auxiliary verb to form the passato prossimo.
chiesto (past participle)
‘Chiesto’ is the past participle of ‘chiedere’; with ‘avere’ it does not agree in gender or number.
di + infinitive
After verbs of asking, ordering, or intending, Italian uses the preposition ‘di’ before an infinitive.
non (negation)
‘Non’ precedes the infinitive to negate the action.
mettere (infinitive)
The infinitive ‘mettere’ means ‘to put/insert’. Here it refers to adding an ingredient.
noci (plural noun)
‘Noci’ is the plural of ‘noce’, meaning ‘nuts’. It follows the verb directly as its object.
🗨In Conversation
Vuoi la torta con le noci?
Do you want the cake with nuts?
No, ho chiesto di non mettere noci.
No, I asked not to put nuts.
✕Common Mistakes
Non ho chiesto di mettere noci.
The negation is placed before the auxiliary, which changes the meaning to ‘I didn’t ask to put nuts.’
Ho chiesto non di mettere noci.
‘Non’ must precede the infinitive, not the preposition ‘di’. The correct order is ‘di non mettere…’.
Ho chiesto di non metti noci.
After ‘di’ you need the infinitive ‘mettere’, not the conjugated form ‘metti’.
↔Alternatives
Ho chiesto di non aggiungere noci.
I asked not to add nuts.
Ho chiesto di non includere noci.
I asked not to include nuts.
Ho chiesto di non mettere le noci.
I asked not to put the nuts.
Cultural Tip
Many Italian desserts and sauces contain nuts (e.g., pistachio gelato, walnut pesto). If you have an allergy, it’s common to explicitly state ‘Ho chiesto di non mettere noci’ to avoid any risk. Using the polite past tense shows respect and makes the request sound firm yet courteous.