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When you go shopping at a market in Italy, you’re going to need a handful of phrases so you can actually get what you’re looking for and avoid looking incredibly lost.

So I’ve compiled a short (but valuable) list of 7 key phrases + 22 vocabulary words to help make your trip that much easier.

— Dove posso comprare (del formaggio)?

DOH-veh POHS-soh kohm-PRAH-reh dehl fohr-MADJ-djeeoh

Where can I buy (some cheese)?

— Vorrei comprare (del pane).

vohr-REH-ee kohm-PRAH-reh dehl PAH-neh

I would like to buy (some bread).

— Quelli come si chiamano?

KWEHL-lee KOH-meh see kee-yah-MAH-noh

What are those called?

— Mi dà un chilo di (patate), per favore?

mee DAH oon KEE-loh dee pah-TAH-teh pehr fah-VOH-reh

Can I have one kilo of potatoes, please?

— Quanto costa al chilo?

KWAN-toh KOHST-ah ahl KEE-loh

What is the cost per kilo?

TRAVEL TIP: When you go to small stores or supermarkets in Italy and want to buy fruit or vegetables, it’s necessary that you grab a plastic glove to choose your fruit. You also need to take what you’ve chosen and weigh it on a scale. Once you choose the item from a list of buttons, a sticker with the item, its weight and its price will print out for you to put onto the bag. If you do not have this sticker when you get to the checkout counter, the cashier will be extra annoyed because they can’t ring up your produce.

— Avete (la pasta)? 

ah-VEH-teh lah PAH-stah

Do you have (pasta)?

— Dove sono i (broccoli)?

DOH-veh SOH-noh ee BROHK-koh-lee

Where can I find the (broccoli)?

Basics

— il riso

eel REE-zoh

rice

— i fagioli

ee fah-DJOH-lee

beans

— le spezie

leh SPEH-tsee-eh

spices

— la frutta

lah FROOT-tah

fruit

 

— la carne

lah KAHR-neh

meat

— le verdure

leh vehr-DUR-eh

vegetables

— il pesce

eel PEH-sheh

fish

— i frutti di mare

ee FROOT-tee dee MAHR-eh

seafood

— le noci

leh NOH-tchee

nuts

— la frutta secca

lah FROO-tah SEHK-ka

dried fruit

— le erbe aromatiche

leh EHR-beh ah-roh-MAH-tee-keh

herbs

— il latte

eel LAHT-teh

milk

— il formaggio

eel fohr-MADJ-djeeoh

cheese

— il burro

eel BOOR-roh

butter

— lo yogurt

loh YOH-guhrt

yogurt

— le uova

leh WHOH-vah

eggs

— il pane

eel PAH-neh

bread

— la torta

lah TOHR-tah

cake

— le bevande

leh beh-VAHN-deh

drinks

— l’acqua

LAHK-wah

water

— il vino rosso

eel VEE-noh ROHS-soh

red wine

— il vino bianco

eel VEE-noh BEE-ahn-koh

white wine

Want to finally be conversational in Italian? Find Mango Languages at your library.

Mango’s online and mobile language-learning programs are available for free through thousands of libraries. That means free access to Italian courses online and on your phone or tablet.

Mango’s conversational approach will get you talking ASAP. That’s the most fun part, right?

It’s not just Italian though! You can learn over 60 languages (including English as a second language). You can even learn while watching foreign language films like the Italian films “Days and Clouds” and “Corpo Celeste.”

Visit mango and type in your zip code to see if your library offers Mango Languages.

If not, let your librarian know you’d love to learn with Mango Languages.

NOTE

These phrases are taken from the workbook and phrasebook package Not Your Typical Tourist. You can read more about how Not Your Typical Tourist will help you prepare for your trip to Italy here.

Curious about any other phrases/words related to shopping at a supermarket? Drop ’em in the comments below!