Italian Phrase
Ok, ne prendo un po'
Meaning
Literally, “Okay, I’ll take a little of it.” It’s used when you accept a small portion of something that has just been offered – a sip of coffee, a bite of dessert, a piece of news, etc.
When to use
Use this phrase in casual, friendly settings – at a café, at a family table, or when a friend offers you a sample of something. It conveys both acceptance and modesty about the amount you want.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Okneprendounpo'
Ok
An informal interjection borrowed from English, used to signal agreement or acceptance.
ne
A clitic pronoun that replaces a phrase introduced by "di" (of it/of them). Here it stands for the thing being offered.
prendo
First‑person singular present of "prendere" (to take, to have).
un po'
A partitive expression meaning "a little"; the apostrophe marks the elision of the final vowel of "poco".
🗨In Conversation
Ti offro un caffè?
Would you like a coffee?
Ok, ne prendo un po'.
Okay, I’ll have a little.
✕Common Mistakes
Ok, lo prendo un po'.
"Lo" is a direct object pronoun; here you need the partitive "ne" because you’re referring to a portion of something.
Ok, ne prendo un poco.
In spoken Italian the elided form "po'" is preferred; "un poco" sounds overly formal and can sound like Spanish.
Ok, ne prendo un po
The apostrophe after "po" indicates the missing "co"; leaving it out is a spelling error.
↔Alternatives
Va bene, ne prendo un po'.
Alright, I’ll take a little.
D'accordo, ne prendo un po'.
Agreed, I’ll have a bit.
Sì, ne prendo un po'.
Yes, I’ll take a little.
Cultural Tip
The clitic "ne" is extremely common in Italian to avoid repeating nouns. Native speakers love it because it makes speech fluid. The English "Ok" is widely used in Italy, especially among younger people, but in more formal contexts you might replace it with "Va bene" or "D'accordo".