Italian phrases for shopping and the market
Shopping in Italy splits in two. At the market and the deli counter you buy by weight, ask what is in season and wait your turn. In a shop you are greeted with buongiorno, asked what you need and helped to find it.
Both are here, with paying, gifts, and taking something back.
At the market
- Quanto costano le mele?How much are the apples?
- Quanto viene al chilo?How much is it per kilo?
- Un chilo di pomodori.A kilo of tomatoes
- Mezzo chilo di pane, per favore.Half a kilo of bread, please
- Un etto di prosciutto.A hundred grams of ham
- Due etti di parmigiano.Two hundred grams of parmesan
- Sono maturi?Are they ripe?
- Posso assaggiare?Can I taste it?
- Le pesche sono di stagione?Are peaches in season?
- Chi è l'ultimo?Who's last in the queue?
- Basta così, grazie.That's enough, thanks
Paying
- Quanto costa?How much does it cost?
- Posso pagare in contanti?Can I pay in cash?
- Accettate la carta?Do you take cards?
- Ha il resto da venti?Do you have change for twenty?
- Lo scontrino, per favore.The receipt, please
- Ho la borsa, grazie.I've got a bag, thanks
In a shop
- Sto solo guardando, grazie.Just looking, thanks
- Posso provarlo?Can I try it on?
- Dov'è il camerino?Where's the changing room?
- Che taglia porta?What size do you wear?
- Ce l'avete in un'altra taglia?Do you have it in another size?
- Ce l'avete in blu?Do you have it in blue?
- È troppo stretto.It's too tight
- Lo prendo.I'll take it
- Mi piace, ma ci penso.I like it, but I'll think about it
Prices and presents
- È in saldo?Is it on sale?
- Mi fa un prezzo?Can you give me a better price?
- È fatto a mano?Is it handmade?
- È pelle vera?Is it real leather?
- Cerco un regalo per mia sorella.I'm looking for a gift for my sister
- Me lo può incartare?Could you gift-wrap it for me?
- Qualcosa di tipico fiorentino.Something typically Florentine
Taking it back
- Vorrei restituire questo.I'd like to return this
- Posso cambiarlo?Can I exchange it?
- Ha lo scontrino?Do you have the receipt?
An etto is 100 grams
Cheese, ham and olives are sold by the etto, a hundred grams. Un etto di prosciutto is a few generous slices; due etti is enough for two. Fruit and vegetables go by the chilo, and mezzo chilo is half a kilo.
Let them pick the fruit
At a market stall, the seller usually chooses and bags the fruit for you. Touching it yourself can earn a look. Say what you want and how ripe, and they will do the rest. Chi è l’ultimo? asks who is last in the queue, so you know whose turn comes before yours.
Bargaining is for the stalls
In a shop the price is the price, except in the saldi, the sales, which come in January and July. At a leather stall in a Florentine market, mi fa un prezzo? (will you do me a price?) is expected, and asking whether it is pelle vera, real leather, is fair too.
Biglietto · Try it
What does it mean?
Question 1 of 5: Un etto di prosciutto.
Verba prints lessons like these as train tickets out of Florence, and Selene, its AI tutor, talks them through with you out loud.
