At the pharmacy: what to say at the counter

The sentences you need

• Mi dica.

  How can I help? (literally: tell me)

• Vorrei una medicina per il mal di testa.

  I'd like a medicine for a headache.

• Mi dà qualcosa per il mal di gola?

  Can you give me something for a sore throat?

• Ce l'ho da stamattina.

  I've had it since this morning.

• È allergica a qualcosa?

  Are you allergic to anything?

• Serve la ricetta?

  Do I need a prescription?

• Posso pagare con la carta?

  Can I pay by card?

• Vuole lo scontrino con il codice fiscale?

  Do you want the receipt with your tax code?

• Grazie, altrettanto!

  Thanks, you too!

Chapters

1. 0:00The conversation
2. 0:50Welcome
3. 1:32Line by line
4. 4:30Your turn
5. 5:33Italy, decoded
6. 6:07The conversation, again
7. 6:57See 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, mi dica.

3. 0:07Voice 1

   Buongiorno. Vorrei una medicina per il mal di testa.

4. 0:11Voice 2

   Certo. È un mal di testa forte?

5. 0:14Voice 1

   Abbastanza. Ce l'ho da stamattina.

6. 0:17Voice 2

   Prende altri farmaci? È allergica a qualcosa?

7. 0:21Voice 1

   No, a niente.

8. 0:23Voice 2

   Allora le do questo. Segua le indicazioni del foglietto illustrativo.

9. 0:28Voice 1

   Serve la ricetta?

10. 0:30Voice 2

    No, per questo no. Sono sei euro e cinquanta.

11. 0:34Voice 1

    Posso pagare con la carta?

12. 0:36Voice 2

    Certo. Vuole lo scontrino con il codice fiscale?

13. 0:40Voice 1

    Sì, grazie. Ecco la tessera sanitaria.

14. 0:43Voice 2

    Perfetto. Ecco a lei. Buona giornata!

15. 0:47Voice 1

    Grazie, altrettanto!

16. 0:50Host

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

17. 0:59Host

    Today: the pharmacy. In Italy, the "farmacia" is where you go for most things health-related, and the pharmacist is often your first stop before the doctor. So it's worth knowing exactly what to say.

18. 1:13Host

    By the end, you'll be able to ask for what you need, answer the pharmacist's questions, and pay without panicking about the receipt.

19. 1:21Host

    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.

20. 1:29Host

    Let's go, line by line.

21. 1:32Host

    The pharmacist starts with: "Buongiorno, mi dica."

22. 1:36Host

    "Mi dica" literally means tell me. It's the polite way to say: how can I help? You'll hear it at the bakery, at the post office, at the bank.

23. 1:46Host

    Then you say:

24. 1:47Voice 1

    Vorrei una medicina per il mal di testa.

25. 1:51Host

    "Vorrei" means I would like. It's polite, it's safe, and it works in every shop in Italy. "Il mal di testa" is a headache. Literally: the pain of head.

26. 2:03Host

    You can change the last part. "Mal di gola": a sore throat. "Mal di pancia": a stomach ache.

27. 2:11Host

    You'll also hear Italians say: "Mi dà qualcosa per il mal di gola?" Can you give me something for a sore throat? Same result.

28. 2:20Host

    The pharmacist asks: "È un mal di testa forte?" Is it a bad headache? And you answer:

29. 2:27Voice 1

    Abbastanza. Ce l'ho da stamattina.

30. 2:30Host

    "Abbastanza" means quite. "Ce l'ho da stamattina": I've had it since this morning.

31. 2:37Host

    Notice the tense. In English you say I've had it. In Italian you say, literally, I have it since this morning: present tense, plus "da". This one trips up almost everyone.

32. 2:50Host

    Next, two questions you should always expect: "Prende altri farmaci?" Are you taking any other medicines? And: "È allergica a qualcosa?" Are you allergic to anything?

33. 3:02Host

    If you're a man, you'll hear "allergico", with an O at the end.

34. 3:08Host

    The simple answer: "No, a niente." No, nothing. Or, if you are: "Sì, sono allergica alla penicillina."

35. 3:17Host

    Then the pharmacist says: "Allora le do questo. Segua le indicazioni del foglietto illustrativo." So, I'll give you this. Follow the instructions in the leaflet.

36. 3:28Host

    "Il foglietto illustrativo" is the leaflet inside the box. A very useful word.

37. 3:35Host

    Now the key question:

38. 3:37Voice 1

    Serve la ricetta?

39. 3:39Host

    Do I need a prescription? "La ricetta" is a prescription, and yes, it's the same word as a recipe for pasta. Context does the rest.

40. 3:49Host

    Here the answer is: "No, per questo no. Sono sei euro e cinquanta." Not for this one. That's six fifty.

41. 3:58Host

    And you ask:

42. 4:00Voice 1

    Posso pagare con la carta?

43. 4:02Host

    Can I pay by card? Then comes the question that confuses every newcomer: "Vuole lo scontrino con il codice fiscale?" Do you want the receipt with your tax code?

44. 4:13Host

    Say yes, and hand over your "tessera sanitaria", your health card: "Sì, grazie. Ecco la tessera sanitaria." We'll explain why in a minute.

45. 4:24Host

    And you close with: "Grazie, altrettanto!" Thanks, you too.

46. 4:30Host

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

47. 4:38Host

    I'd like a medicine for a headache.

48. 4:44Voice 1

    Vorrei una medicina per il mal di testa.

49. 4:48Host

    I've had it since this morning.

50. 4:54Voice 1

    Ce l'ho da stamattina.

51. 4:57Host

    Do I need a prescription?

52. 5:01Voice 1

    Serve la ricetta?

53. 5:04Host

    Can I pay by card?

54. 5:09Voice 1

    Posso pagare con la carta?

55. 5:12Host

    Thanks, you too!

56. 5:16Voice 1

    Grazie, altrettanto!

57. 5:20Host

    One more, a little harder. Can you give me something for a sore throat?

58. 5:29Voice 1

    Mi dà qualcosa per il mal di gola?

59. 5:32Host

    Italy, decoded. Why does the pharmacist want your tax code?

60. 5:37Host

    In Italy, part of what you spend on medicines can be deducted in your tax return. For that, the receipt has to show your "codice fiscale", and your health card has it printed on it. So you just hand it over. Even if you don't file taxes in Italy yet, saying yes costs nothing.

61. 5:55Host

    And one more tip: at night and on Sundays, there's always a "farmacia di turno", a pharmacy on duty. The list is posted on the door of every pharmacy.

62. 6:07Host

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

63. 6:12Voice 2

    Buongiorno, mi dica.

64. 6:14Voice 1

    Buongiorno. Vorrei una medicina per il mal di testa.

65. 6:18Voice 2

    Certo. È un mal di testa forte?

66. 6:21Voice 1

    Abbastanza. Ce l'ho da stamattina.

67. 6:24Voice 2

    Prende altri farmaci? È allergica a qualcosa?

68. 6:28Voice 1

    No, a niente.

69. 6:30Voice 2

    Allora le do questo. Segua le indicazioni del foglietto illustrativo.

70. 6:35Voice 1

    Serve la ricetta?

71. 6:37Voice 2

    No, per questo no. Sono sei euro e cinquanta.

72. 6:41Voice 1

    Posso pagare con la carta?

73. 6:43Voice 2

    Certo. Vuole lo scontrino con il codice fiscale?

74. 6:47Voice 1

    Sì, grazie. Ecco la tessera sanitaria.

75. 6:50Voice 2

    Perfetto. Ecco a lei. Buona giornata!

76. 6:53Voice 1

    Grazie, altrettanto!

77. 6:57Host

    That's it for today. If you want to practise situations like this one, with exercises and instant correction, there's Studio, and Unit 1 is free. The link is in the show notes.

78. 7:08Host

    Next episode: the "codice fiscale", and the sentences you need to get it.

79. 7:14Host

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