I have to stay home, the workmen are coming.
'Operai' — o-pe-RA-i. Four syllables, stress on the third. The ending 'ai' is two separate vowel sounds.
Use when tradespeople (plumber, electrician, builder) are due and you must be home. Very credible in Italy where home maintenance is common and people can't leave workmen unsupervised.
'Vengono gli operai' literally means 'the workers are coming'. In Italy, waiting for tradespeople who may or may not arrive on time is a well-known frustration. This reason immediately elicits sympathy and usually dark humour about Italian punctuality.
Aspetto l'idraulico.
I'm waiting for the plumber.
Specific — plumbing emergencies are the most sympathised home issue
Vengono a riparare il riscaldamento.
They're coming to fix the heating.
Winter heating failures are dramatic events in Italian family life
Aspetto il tecnico del gas.
I'm waiting for the gas technician.
Gas issues are taken very seriously — no one will question this
Waiting for Italian tradespeople is a national pastime. They often give wide time windows ('tra le nove e le tredici') and may not show at all. Saying you're waiting for them immediately generates solidarity from any Italian.