Italian Phrase
Facciamo una lista preliminare degli invitati.
Meaning
‘Let’s make a preliminary list of the guests.’ The sentence is a suggestion to start drafting who will be invited before finalising the guest list.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are planning an event, a party, a wedding, or any gathering and need to discuss the first version of the guest list with co‑organisers.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Facciamounalistapreliminaredegliinvitati
Facciamo (fare)
‘Facciamo’ is the first‑person plural present of ‘fare’ and is often used as a polite ‘let’s …’ in Italian.
Degli = di + gli
‘Degli’ is the contraction of the preposition ‘di’ + the plural article ‘gli’, meaning ‘of the’. It must agree in gender and number with the noun that follows.
Preliminare (adjective)
Placed after the noun it modifies, ‘preliminare’ means ‘preliminary’ or ‘initial’, indicating something provisional.
Invitati (noun)
‘Invitati’ is the plural form of ‘invitato’, meaning ‘guest’ or ‘invitee’. It follows the article ‘degli’.
🗨In Conversation
Facciamo una lista preliminare degli invitati?
Shall we make a preliminary list of the guests?
Sì, così possiamo decidere il numero di posti a sedere.
Yes, that way we can decide the number of seats.
✕Common Mistakes
Facciamo una lista di invitati.
Missing the article ‘gli’; ‘degli’ is required before a plural masculine noun.
Facciamo una lista preliminario degli invitati.
‘Preliminario’ is the masculine form; the noun ‘lista’ is feminine, so the adjective must be ‘preliminare’.
Facciamo una lista preliminare invitati.
The preposition ‘degli’ is needed to link the adjective to the noun ‘invitati’.
↔Alternatives
Prepariamo una lista iniziale degli invitati.
Let's prepare an initial list of the guests.
Stabiliamo una lista provvisoria degli invitati.
Let's set up a provisional list of the guests.
Facciamo una bozza di lista degli invitati.
Let's make a draft guest list.
Cultural Tip
In Italian event planning, it’s common to start with a ‘lista preliminare’ and then refine it as RSVPs arrive. For formal occasions you’ll hear ‘gli invitati’ (the guests) rather than the more casual ‘gli amici’. Writing the list on paper is still popular, but many Italians now use digital tools like Google Sheets or WhatsApp groups to keep everyone updated.