Descrivere la routine quotidiana in italiano

What does “aperitivo” mean in Italian?

In Italian, an aperitivo is an early-evening drink that people have before dinner, usually with friends after work. It comes with snacks — often free — like olives, chips, or small bites set out at the bar. So the word means more than the glass in your hand: it names the whole social moment between finishing work and sitting down to eat. The drink itself is often something light and slightly bitter, like Aperol or Campari with soda.

The name comes from the Latin word aperire, “to open” — the idea being that the drink “opens” your stomach and wakes up your appetite before the meal. You hear it as a normal part of a daily timetable in the clip: “M’incontro con gli amici alle diciannove e trenta per un aperitivo” — “I meet my friends at 7:30 for an aperitivo.” Note how the speaker says per un aperitivo, “for an aperitivo,” treating it as a thing you go out and do, not just a drink you order. The custom is common all over Italy, but it’s biggest in northern cities, especially Milan, where bars lay out generous spreads of food. A related word is aperitivo’s cousin apericena (aperitivo + cena, “dinner”), when the snacks are so plentiful they replace the meal.