Italian Phrase
Cosa ci sarà da mangiare?
Meaning
The sentence asks about the future food options: “What will there be to eat?” It is used when you want to know the menu or what food will be served later, such as at a dinner, a party, or a restaurant.
When to use
Use this question when you’re planning a meal, arriving at a gathering and want to know the menu, or simply curious about what will be served later in the day.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Cosacisaràdamangiare?
Cosa
Interrogative pronoun meaning “what”. It can appear at the beginning of a question.
ci (impersonal)
Impersonal pronoun used with “essere” to mean “there is/there will be”. In the future it becomes “ci sarà”.
sarà
Future tense of “essere” (to be) – third person singular, used in the impersonal construction “ci sarà”.
da + infinitive
The preposition “da” followed by an infinitive expresses purpose or “to” in English, e.g., “da mangiare” = “to eat”.
mangiare
Infinitive of the verb “to eat”. In this construction it follows “da” to indicate the thing that will be available.
🗨In Conversation
Cosa ci sarà da mangiare stasera?
What will there be to eat tonight?
Ci sarà pizza, insalata e una torta al cioccolato.
There will be pizza, salad, and a chocolate cake.
✕Common Mistakes
cosa sarà da mangiare?
Missing the impersonal pronoun “ci”. The correct impersonal construction is “ci sarà”.
cosa ci sarà mangiare?
The infinitive must be preceded by the preposition “da”.
cosa ci sarà da mangiato?
Use the infinitive “mangiare”, not the past participle “mangiato”.
↔Alternatives
Che cosa ci sarà da mangiare?
What will there be to eat?
Cosa mangeremo?
What will we eat?
Che cosa mangeremo?
What will we eat?
Cultural Tip
In Italy, meals are a social event, and asking about the menu shows interest and politeness. The impersonal “ci sarà” is very common in everyday speech. When speaking to strangers or in a formal setting, you might add “per favore” (please) or use a more formal tone: “Mi può dire cosa ci sarà da mangiare?”.