Italian Phrase
Quanti ospiti aspettiamo?
Meaning
The sentence asks how many guests are expected, typically in the context of planning an event, a dinner, or a stay. It combines the interrogative adjective ‘quanti’ with the noun ‘ospiti’ and the verb ‘aspettiamo’ (we expect).
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to confirm the number of people who will attend a gathering, such as a party, a wedding, a business meeting, or a family dinner. It works both in informal chats with friends and in more formal planning meetings.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quantiospitiaspettiamo?
Quanti (interrogative adjective)
Quanti agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies; here it is masculine plural to match ospiti.
Ospiti (noun, plural)
Ospiti means ‘guests’; it is a masculine plural noun, so the adjective before it must be masculine plural.
aspettiamo (verb)
aspettiamo is the first‑person plural present indicative of aspettare ‘to wait/expect’. In questions the subject pronoun ‘noi’ is usually omitted.
Question word order
Italian questions often start with the interrogative word, followed by the noun and then the verb, without needing inversion.
🗨In Conversation
Quanti ospiti aspettiamo per la cena di domani?
How many guests are we expecting for tomorrow’s dinner?
Credo che siano dieci, più i bambini.
I think it will be ten, plus the kids.
✕Common Mistakes
Quante ospiti aspettiamo?
‘Quante’ is feminine; ‘ospiti’ is masculine, so the adjective must be ‘quanti’.
Aspettiamo quanti ospiti?
The interrogative adjective should precede the noun, not follow the verb.
Quanti ospiti aspettiate?
The verb should be ‘aspettiamo’ (we expect), not ‘aspettiate’ (you all expect).
↔Alternatives
Quanti invitati attendiamo?
How many invitees are we expecting?
Quante persone arriveranno?
How many people will arrive?
Quanti ospiti verranno?
How many guests will come?
Cultural Tip
In Italy, hospitality is a point of pride and the word ‘ospite’ can refer to both a guest staying overnight and a visitor to a meal. When asking about numbers, Italians often add a friendly ‘per favore’ or a smile to keep the tone light. In formal settings (e.g., business events) you might use ‘invitati’ instead of ‘ospiti’ to sound more professional.