Italian Phrase
Facciamo una cena.
Meaning
Literally, ‘We make a dinner.’ In everyday speech it is used as a friendly suggestion meaning ‘Let’s have dinner.’ It can also simply state that a group is preparing a dinner together.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to propose a dinner plan to friends, family, or colleagues, or when you’re describing that you and others are cooking a meal together.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Facciamounacena
Facciamo (fare)
‘Facciamo’ is the first‑person plural present of ‘fare’ (to do/make). In a suggestion it works like English ‘let’s…’.
una (indefinite article)
‘una’ is the feminine singular indefinite article, used before a noun that begins with a consonant.
cena (noun)
‘cena’ means ‘dinner’; it is a feminine noun, so it takes the article ‘una’.
🗨In Conversation
Che ne dici di fare qualcosa stasera?
What do you think about doing something tonight?
Facciamo una cena.
Let’s have dinner.
✕Common Mistakes
Faccio una cena.
‘Faccio’ is first‑person singular; it means ‘I make a dinner’, not a group suggestion.
Una cena facciamo.
Word order sounds unnatural; the verb should come before the object in this construction.
Facciamo cena.
The indefinite article ‘una’ is required because ‘cena’ is countable here.
↔Alternatives
Prepariamo una cena.
We’ll prepare a dinner.
Ceniamo insieme.
We’ll dine together.
Facciamo una cena insieme.
Let’s make a dinner together.
Cultural Tip
In Italy dinner (cena) is usually the main family meal and is served later than in many other countries, often around 8‑9 p.m. Inviting someone to ‘fare una cena’ is a warm, informal way to spend time together, and it’s common to serve several courses, starting with antipasti and ending with dolce.