At the market: a kilo, half a kilo and two etti

The sentences you need

• Cosa le do?

  What can I get you?

• Vorrei un chilo di mele.

  I'd like a kilo of apples.

• Mezzo chilo di pomodori.

  Half a kilo of tomatoes.

• Due etti di olive.

  Two hundred grams of olives.

• Posso scegliere?

  Can I choose?

• Basta così, grazie.

  That's all, thanks.

• Quant'è in tutto?

  How much is it altogether?

Chapters

1. 0:00The conversation
2. 0:52Welcome
3. 1:30Line by line
4. 3:43Your turn
5. 4:32Italy, decoded
6. 5:10The conversation, again
7. 6:02See you next time

Full transcript

Italian lines are highlighted. Tap a time to listen from there.

1. 0:00Host

   Can you follow this? Don't worry if you can't. By the end of this episode, you will.

2. 0:05Voice 2

   Buongiorno, signora! Cosa le do oggi?

3. 0:08Voice 1

   Buongiorno. Vorrei un chilo di mele e mezzo chilo di pomodori.

4. 0:13Voice 2

   Quali mele? Queste sono dolci, quelle sono più aspre.

5. 0:18Voice 1

   Quelle dolci. Posso scegliere i pomodori?

6. 0:21Voice 2

   Faccio io, signora. Sono per il sugo o per l'insalata?

7. 0:26Voice 1

   Per l'insalata. Maturi, ma non troppo.

8. 0:30Voice 2

   Ecco qua. Altro?

9. 0:32Voice 1

   Sì, due etti di olive e un mazzo di basilico.

10. 0:36Voice 2

    Il basilico glielo regalo. Altro?

11. 0:39Voice 1

    No, basta così, grazie. Quant'è in tutto?

12. 0:43Voice 2

    Sono sette euro e cinquanta.

13. 0:45Voice 1

    Ecco a lei. Grazie, e buona giornata!

14. 0:49Voice 2

    Grazie a lei. Arrivederci!

15. 0:52Host

    "Ciao!" And welcome to Living in Italian, by Adesso Italian. One real situation from life in Italy, in under ten minutes.

16. 1:01Host

    Today: the market, "il mercato". Almost every Italian town has one, often in the morning, with stalls of fruit, vegetables, cheese and much more.

17. 1:12Host

    By the end, you'll be able to ask for any quantity, choose what you want, and pay without stress.

18. 1:18Host

    Quick note: the voices you hear are AI-generated. Every script is written for real life in Italy and checked by a native Italian speaker.

19. 1:27Host

    Let's go, line by line.

20. 1:30Host

    The seller starts: "Buongiorno, signora! Cosa le do oggi?" Good morning! What can I get you today? Literally: what do I give you? And you say:

21. 1:40Voice 1

    Vorrei un chilo di mele e mezzo chilo di pomodori.

22. 1:44Host

    "Un chilo", a kilo. "Mezzo chilo", half a kilo. And after a quantity, always "di": "un chilo di mele", a kilo of apples.

23. 1:56Host

    He asks: "Quali mele? Queste sono dolci, quelle sono più aspre." Which apples? These are sweet, those are more sour. "Queste", these, close to him. "Quelle", those, further away. You answer: "Quelle dolci", the sweet ones.

24. 2:16Host

    Then you ask:

25. 2:18Voice 1

    Posso scegliere i pomodori?

26. 2:20Host

    Can I choose the tomatoes? And the answer is very Italian: "Faccio io, signora." I'll do it. At a market stall, the seller picks for you. Then: "Sono per il sugo o per l'insalata?" Are they for a sauce or a salad? And you say:

27. 2:37Voice 1

    Per l'insalata. Maturi, ma non troppo.

28. 2:41Host

    "Maturi": ripe. "Ma non troppo": but not too much. A perfect little phrase for almost anything. Then the seller's favourite word: "Altro?" Anything else? And you ask for more:

29. 2:56Voice 1

    Sì, due etti di olive e un mazzo di basilico.

30. 3:00Host

    "Un etto" is one hundred grams. "Due etti", two hundred. Italians use it for cheese, ham, olives, anything you buy in small amounts. "Un mazzo" is a bunch: of basil, of parsley, of flowers.

31. 3:17Host

    And a nice surprise: "Il basilico glielo regalo." The basil is a gift, it's on me. When you're done, you say:

32. 3:26Voice 1

    No, basta così, grazie. Quant'è in tutto?

33. 3:30Host

    "Basta così": that's enough, that's all. "Quant'è in tutto?": how much is it altogether? The answer: "Sono sette euro e cinquanta." Seven euros fifty.

34. 3:43Host

    Your turn. I'll say a sentence in English. In the pause, say it in Italian, out loud. Then listen to the answer.

35. 3:51Host

    I'd like a kilo of apples.

36. 3:57Voice 1

    Vorrei un chilo di mele.

37. 4:00Host

    Half a kilo of tomatoes.

38. 4:05Voice 1

    Mezzo chilo di pomodori.

39. 4:08Host

    Two hundred grams of olives.

40. 4:14Voice 1

    Due etti di olive.

41. 4:16Host

    That's all, thanks.

42. 4:21Voice 1

    Basta così, grazie.

43. 4:24Host

    How much is it altogether?

44. 4:29Voice 1

    Quant'è in tutto?

45. 4:32Host

    Italy, decoded. Hands off the tomatoes.

46. 4:36Host

    At a market stall, don't touch the fruit and vegetables: the seller chooses for you. If you really want to choose, ask first: "Posso scegliere?"

47. 4:46Host

    In most supermarkets it's the opposite. You put on the thin plastic gloves, weigh the fruit yourself on the scale, and stick the price label on the bag. Forget the label, and the cashier will send you back.

48. 4:57Host

    And buy what's in season, "di stagione": it's cheaper and it tastes better. In autumn, look for chestnuts, "le castagne", and persimmons, "i cachi".

49. 5:10Host

    Now, the full conversation again. This time, you'll understand all of it.

50. 5:15Voice 2

    Buongiorno, signora! Cosa le do oggi?

51. 5:18Voice 1

    Buongiorno. Vorrei un chilo di mele e mezzo chilo di pomodori.

52. 5:23Voice 2

    Quali mele? Queste sono dolci, quelle sono più aspre.

53. 5:28Voice 1

    Quelle dolci. Posso scegliere i pomodori?

54. 5:31Voice 2

    Faccio io, signora. Sono per il sugo o per l'insalata?

55. 5:36Voice 1

    Per l'insalata. Maturi, ma non troppo.

56. 5:40Voice 2

    Ecco qua. Altro?

57. 5:42Voice 1

    Sì, due etti di olive e un mazzo di basilico.

58. 5:46Voice 2

    Il basilico glielo regalo. Altro?

59. 5:48Voice 1

    No, basta così, grazie. Quant'è in tutto?

60. 5:53Voice 2

    Sono sette euro e cinquanta.

61. 5:55Voice 1

    Ecco a lei. Grazie, e buona giornata!

62. 5:59Voice 2

    Grazie a lei. Arrivederci!

63. 6:02Host

    That's it for today. Studio has a unit at the market, with exercises and instant correction, and Unit 1 is free. The link is in the show notes.

64. 6:12Host

    Next episode: the deli counter. Take a number, and order your ham by the "etto".

65. 6:18Host

    This was Living in Italian, by Adesso Italian. See you next time.