Italy is home to hundreds of top designer brands such as Gucci, Dolce e Gabbana and Prada, and hosts its famous Milan Fashion Week every year. For those who want to splash their cash (spendere e spandere in Italian), pick up some souvenirs or simply shop for groceries, this blog will give you all the important phrases and words to use for any shopping trip.
When shopping in Italy, you may be asked, È servito? (masculine form) or È servita? (feminine form), which means Are you being attended to? If you’re just browsing, you can say do solo un’occhiata (I’m just having a look), or, if somebody else is already serving you, say già servito, grazie, or già servita, grazie (I’m already being served, thanks).
Asking for something:
There are four key -“starter words”- that you can use if you’d like to ask for something when in a shop in Italy. These are vorrei… (I would like…), mi dà…? (could I have…?), cerco… (I’m looking for…), and prendo… (I’ll take…).
Vorrei provare il numero 38 di queste scarpe.
I’d like to try a 38 in these shoes.
Mi dà un chilo di arance, per favore?
Could I have a kilo of oranges, please?
Cerco un regalo per la mia amica.
I’m looking for a present for my friend.
Non prendo i jeans, sono piccoli.
I won’t take the jeans, they’re too small.
Talking about your plans:
If you’re planning a shopping trip with some Italian friends, you may want to talk about what you’re thinking of buying or where you’d like to go. You can use any of these three key phrases: penso di… (I’m thinking of…), spero di…(I hope to…), and ho intenzione di…(I intend to…). All of these phrases are followed by a verb in the infinitive.
Penso di andare al mercato domani.
I’m thinking of going to the market tomorrow.
Spero di trovare qualcosa per meno di venti euro.
I hope to find something for less than 20 euro.
Ho intenzione di comprarmi un nuovo vestito.
I intend to/I’m going to buy a new dress.
Expressing your opinion:
Whilst browsing, you may want to speak to your Italian-speaking friend or to the shop assistant about what you like and don’t like. Three handy opinion phrases are penso che…or trovo…. (I think that…) and secondo me… (in my opinion…).
Penso che questo negozio sia esageratamente caro.
I think this shop is too expensive.
Trovo questa calamita da frigo veramente bella.
I think this fridge magnet is really nice.
Secondo me questo rossetto e un po’ troppo scuro.
In my opinion, this lipstick is slightly too dark.
Don’t forget to come back for the next blog post to help you continue with the conversation!
