What does Prego mean in Italian?

Question

I've heard it meaning "thank you" Also heard it meaning like "what would you like" as in your in a restrautnut. And I've heard it mean I beg, and I pray, how many meanings are there, and can you tell me all of them?

Answer 1

Ok... so, its first meaning is:

you're welcome!

We say prego after someone has said "thankyou"

ex: Shall I open the window?

Yes, thankyou

Prego!

But it means also I pray.

You can use it only for the first person 'I', because the conjugation of the verb is:

I pray                io PREGO

You pray           tu preghi

He/she/it prays  egli prega

We pray            noi preghiamo

You pray           voi pregate

They pray          essi pregano

You can't say prego if you want to mean Thankyou.  

Answer 2

"great with child"

Answer 3

the main use is 'you're welcome.'  or it could mean please, i beg you as in:

Mamma, per favore, ti prego, fammi uscire fuori!  (mom, please, i beg you, let me go outside.)

NOooo!  E' troppo pericoloso!  (Nooo!  It's too dangerous!)  or...

Mamma, ti prego, posso mangiare tutta la torta?  (mom, i beg you, can i eat the whole cake?)

Nooo!  Diventerai grasso!  (Noo! you will become fat!)

or if it is a restaurant setting, the waiter might say 'prego' and there it means 'go ahead and order away!' or if he is offering you a seat it could mean like 'it would be my pleasure if you would sit here'.

EDIT: No it does not mean pregnant. pregnant in italian is 'incinta'.  and thank you is 'grazie'. and you ONLY say 'grazie' to thank someone. and THEY would say 'prego', you're welcome.  and i get thumbed down because i am too right?

Answer 4

Welcome.

Answer 5

It's got a few meanings. The main one is "you're welcome," but if a waiter offers you a chair and says "Prego!" he actually means "please," as in "Please, go ahead!" The third meaning is "I pray," because "pregare" is the full unconjugated form of "to pray."