Italian Phrase
Per quante persone?
Meaning
Literally “For how many people?”, this question is used to find out the number of individuals involved in a reservation, a booking, or any situation where a group size matters.
When to use
Use it when you call a restaurant to book a table, when you ask a hotel about room capacity, or when a waiter asks you how many guests will be eating. It’s a polite, neutral‑register way to get the needed information.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Perquantepersone?
Per (preposition)
The preposition *per* means “for” and is used to indicate purpose, benefit, or a target group.
quante (interrogative adjective)
Quante is the feminine plural form of the interrogative adjective *quanto*, agreeing with the noun *persone*.
persone (noun, plural)
*Persone* is the plural of *persona* (person). In questions about quantity it always stays plural, even if the answer is “one”.
🗨In Conversation
Per quante persone?
For how many people?
Per quattro persone, per favore.
For four people, please.
✕Common Mistakes
Per quanti persone?
Quanti is masculine; the noun *persone* is feminine, so the correct form is *quante*.
Per quante persona?
Italian never uses the singular *persona* in this question; the phrase always stays plural.
Per quante persone
Missing the question mark or intonation can make it sound like a statement rather than a question.
↔Alternatives
Quante persone saranno?
How many people will there be?
Per quante persone è la prenotazione?
For how many people is the reservation?
Quante persone ci sono?
How many people are there?
Cultural Tip
In Italy it’s customary to specify the exact number of guests when making a reservation, even if the group is small. Restaurants often allocate tables based on the number you give, so be as precise as possible. Note that *persone* is always plural; you would still ask *Per quante persone?* even if the answer is “una persona”.