Fare la spesa e comprare
Chapter Overview and Objectives
Chapter 9 closes Unit II by moving from ordering food to a related everyday task: shopping. You will learn common shop and market items, clothing, colors, sizes, and prices, and you will ask about and compare simple choices. By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Name common shops, market items, clothing, and accessories.
- Describe an item's color, size, and quality using correctly agreeing adjectives.
- Ask and understand prices with quanto costa? and quanto costano?.
- Point out a specific item with questo, questa, questi, and queste.
- Compare two simple choices with più... di and meno... di.
- State a preference with preferire and accept, decline, or purchase an item politely.
Communication Scenario
After their café visit in Chapter 8, Aisha and Marco decide to stop by a small clothing shop and then the market on their way home. Aisha needs a new scarf before the weather turns cold, and Marco wants to pick up some fruit for the week. The shopkeeper helps them compare colors, sizes, and prices.
- This chapter teaches you to shop for clothing and market items, ask about prices, and compare simple choices.
- You will practice this through Aisha and Marco's shopping trip, then apply it to a purchase of your own.
Where This Chapter Fits
Chapter 9 completes Unit II. It builds on the food, quantity, and preference language from Chapter 8 and introduces shopping, description, price, and simple comparison.
Coming Into This Chapter
You can order food and drink, express likes with mi piace/mi piacciono, and ask for quantities with del/della/dei/delle (Chapter 8).
New in This Chapter
Adjective agreement for color, size, and quality; price questions with quanto costa/costano; the full demonstrative set questo/questa/questi/queste; simple comparison with più/meno... di; and preferire.
Looking Forward
Chapter 10, Ripasso 2: Una giornata pratica, brings together the home, routine, food, and shopping language from Unit II into one integrated practical day.
Core Vocabulary
Learn these shop, clothing, and price expressions in the phrases where you will actually use them.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| il negozio | the shop |
| il mercato | the market |
| il negozio di abbigliamento | the clothing shop |
| la commessa / il commesso | the shop assistant (f./m.) |
| la mela | the apple |
| il pomodoro | the tomato |
| la borsa | the bag |
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| la maglietta | the T-shirt |
| la sciarpa | the scarf |
| i pantaloni | the pants |
| le scarpe | the shoes |
| la giacca | the jacket |
| il cappello | the hat |
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| rosso / rossa | red |
| blu | blue (invariable) |
| verde | green |
| nero / nera | black |
| bianco / bianca | white |
| giallo / gialla | yellow |
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| piccolo / piccola | small |
| grande | large |
| bello / bella | beautiful, nice |
| caro / cara | expensive |
| economico / economica | inexpensive |
| il prezzo | the price |
| l'euro | the euro |
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| settanta | seventy |
| ottanta | eighty |
| novanta | ninety |
| cento | one hundred |
| duecento | two hundred |
| mille | one thousand |
| Italian | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Quanto costa? | How much does it cost? (singular) | one item |
| Quanto costano? | How much do they cost? (plural) | more than one item |
| Posso provarlo/provarla? | Can I try it on? | formulaic — object pronoun not analyzed yet |
| Lo prendo. | I'll take it. | formulaic purchase expression |
| Va bene, grazie. | That's fine, thank you. | acceptance |
| No, grazie, solo guardo. | No, thank you, I'm just looking. | polite refusal |
Receptive only at this stage: regional shop terms, sale and promotion language, and online or mobile-payment vocabulary. You are not expected to produce these independently yet.
Pronunciation Focus
Numbers like settanta, ottanta, and novanta contain doubled consonants that need real length: seTTANta, oTTANta. Keep the stress on the second-to-last syllable and hold the double consonant slightly longer than a single one.
9.1 Contrastive intonation in comparisons
When comparing two items, Italian speakers often place slight extra stress on the two things being compared: La ROSSA è più CARA della VERDE. Practice raising your pitch slightly on the contrasted words rather than on più or di themselves.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
Form: adjectives ending in -o have four forms (rosso, rossa, rossi, rosse); adjectives ending in -e have two forms (verde, verdi); a few color words such as blu never change.
Meaning: the adjective must match the gender and number of the noun it describes, not the gender of the speaker.
Use: La sciarpa è rossa. (The scarf is red.) I pantaloni sono neri. (The pants are black.) Le scarpe sono blu. (The shoes are blue.) Descriptive adjectives of this kind normally follow the noun.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Una borsa piccola. | A small bag. |
| Un cappello grande. | A large hat. |
| Delle scarpe belle. | Some nice shoes. |
Form: use quanto costa? for one item and quanto costano? for more than one item.
Meaning and use: Quanto costa la sciarpa? (How much does the scarf cost?) Quanto costano le mele? (How much do the apples cost?) Answers commonly use costa or costano followed by a price: Costa dodici euro.
Form: questo (m. sing.), questa (f. sing.), questi (m. pl.), queste (f. pl.). All four forms agree with the noun they point to.
Meaning and use: Questo cappello è bello. (This hat is nice.) Queste scarpe sono comode. (These shoes are comfortable.) Use these forms to point out a specific item while shopping.
Form: più + adjective + di for "more... than"; meno + adjective + di for "less... than."
Meaning and use: La giacca nera è più cara della giacca blu. (The black jacket is more expensive than the blue jacket.) Questa maglietta è meno cara di quella. (This T-shirt is less expensive than that one.) This chapter limits comparison to two clearly named or pointed-out items.
Form: preferire is a regular -ire verb with the -isc- pattern in most present-tense forms: preferisco, preferisci, preferisce.
Meaning and use: Preferisco la sciarpa rossa. (I prefer the red scarf.) Cosa preferisci, il piccolo o il grande? (What do you prefer, the small one or the large one?) Productive control is expected for io, tu, and lui/lei/Lei.
Model Dialogue
Setting: Aisha and Marco stop at a clothing shop and then the market, as described in the Communication Scenario above.
Domande di comprensione — Comprehension questions:
- Why does Aisha choose the green scarf instead of the red one?
- What does the shop assistant say about the green scarf's material?
- What does Marco buy at the market, and how much does it cost?
Guided Practice
Esercizio 1 — Complete the adjective with the correct ending:
- La giacca è ross______.
- I pantaloni sono ner______.
- Le scarpe sono bell______.
- Il cappello è grand______.
Esercizio 2 — Complete with questo, questa, questi, or queste:
- ______ sciarpa è bella.
- ______ scarpe sono comode.
- ______ cappello è piccolo.
- ______ pantaloni sono cari.
Esercizio 3 — Complete the comparison with più or meno... di:
- La giacca nera è ______ cara ______ la giacca blu. (more)
- Questa maglietta è ______ cara ______ quella. (less)
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a study partner, or a fluent Italian speaker to read the passage below aloud, at a natural pace, twice.
If no speaker is available, this is a Listening Script for Independent Use. Read the passage aloud yourself, slowly at first, then at a more natural pace. Any spoken model should be verified by a fluent Italian speaker before being treated as a pronunciation standard.
Al mercato con Marco — At the market with Marco:
"Al mercato, Marco compra sempre della frutta e delle verdure. Oggi preferisce le mele rosse, più dolci di quelle verdi. Costano due euro. Compra anche dei pomodori: non sono cari, solo un euro e cinquanta. Marco dice che il mercato è più economico del supermercato vicino a casa sua."
Compito di ascolto — Listening task:
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Le mele rosse | ______ |
| I pomodori | ______ |
Speaking Practice
Pratica controllata — Controlled practice: describing an item
Point to (or imagine) three items and describe each one's color and size, using correct adjective agreement.
Compito comunicativo — Communicative task: shop and compare
With a partner, role-play a shopping exchange. One person is the shop assistant and asks Posso aiutarla?; the other asks about two items, compares them with più/meno... di, asks the price, and states a preference with preferisco.
Pratica da solo — Solo alternative
Record yourself describing and comparing two clothing items or market items, including at least one price question and one preference statement.
Reading Practice
Read the shop listing below aloud, sounding out each Italian word slowly.
Domande di comprensione — Comprehension questions:
- Which scarf costs more, the red one or the green one?
- How much do the blue shoes cost?
- According to the listing, are T-shirts more or less expensive than jackets?
Writing Workshop
Write a short comparison and simple recommendation, combining what you learned this chapter with earlier material from Unit II.
Compito di scrittura — Writing task: Write six to eight sentences that include: a description of two items using color, size, or quality adjectives with correct agreement; a price question and answer; one comparison with più/meno... di; and one preference statement with preferisco.
- Describe two items. Use adjectives for color, size, or quality with correct agreement.
- Ask the price. Use quanto costa? or quanto costano? and answer with a price.
- Compare the items. Use più... di or meno... di.
- State your preference. Use preferisco and explain briefly why.
Lista di controllo — Editing checklist:
- Adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they describe.
- questo/questa/questi/queste agrees with the noun it points to.
- più and meno comparisons are followed by di, not another word.
- preferisco is spelled with -isc-.
- Prices and numbers are written or spelled correctly.
Culture and Communication
Fixed prices, return policies, and service expectations vary by place, shop type, and setting across Italy and other Italian-speaking regions. Open-air markets and small independent shops may work differently from large stores. Avoid assuming that bargaining is expected everywhere.
Saying No, grazie, solo guardo is a normal and polite way to browse without committing to a purchase. Shop assistants in many settings will greet you and offer help; responding politely, even to decline, is expected.
Common Mistakes
Error: Saying la maglietta rosso instead of the correct form.
Correction: maglietta is feminine singular, so the adjective must also be feminine singular: la maglietta rossa.
Error: Saying Quanto costa le scarpe? instead of the correct form.
Correction: Use the plural form for a plural noun: Quanto costano le scarpe?
Error: Saying più cara che la giacca blu in this type of comparison.
Correction: When comparing two nouns directly, use di: più cara della giacca blu.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter you learned shop and market vocabulary, clothing and accessories, colors, sizes, and prices. You described items with correctly agreeing adjectives, asked about prices with quanto costa/costano, pointed out specific items with the full demonstrative set, compared two choices with più/meno... di, and stated preferences with preferire. You applied this new language to a shopping scenario, continuing to use the food, quantity, and preference vocabulary from Chapter 8.
Chapter Review
Parte A — Comprensione (Comprehension)
1. Return to the model dialogue and answer in English:
- Which scarf does Aisha choose, and why?
- How much do the apples and tomatoes cost at the market?
Parte B — Grammatica (Grammar)
1. Complete with the correct adjective ending: Le scarpe sono ner______.
2. Translate: "How much does this jacket cost?"
3. Complete: La sciarpa verde è ______ cara ______ la sciarpa rossa. (more... than)
Parte C — Lettura (Reading)
1. Return to the Negozio Bella Vista listing above and answer:
- How much do the black hats cost?
- Which costs more, a small T-shirt or a large T-shirt?
Parte D — Scrittura (Writing)
1. Write a short comparison and recommendation, following the writing workshop steps above.
Parte E — Parlato (Speaking)
1. With a partner or recorded solo, complete a shopping exchange that includes a price question and a comparison.
Practical Performance Task
Chapter 9 Performance Task
Select and Purchase an Item
Complete the following four connected tasks in order.
- Listen to the model dialogue or listening passage above and complete the listening table.
- Read the Negozio Bella Vista listing above and answer the comprehension questions.
- Write a short comparison and simple recommendation between two items.
- Speak by role-playing a shopping exchange with a partner or recording a solo purchase, including a price question, a comparison, and a stated preference.
| Criterion | What is assessed |
|---|---|
| Description | The learner correctly describes items using color, size, or quality adjectives with agreement. |
| Price questions | The learner correctly uses quanto costa/costano and understands price answers. |
| Comparison | The learner forms a simple comparison with più/meno... di between two named items. |
| Preference | The learner states a preference using preferisco appropriately. |
| Task completion | All four tasks are completed and connect clearly across listening, reading, writing, and speaking. |
This task assesses only what Chapter 9 has taught. It does not require full comparative/superlative systems, direct object pronouns, advanced measure terms, or extended negotiation strategy.
Answer Key
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- Aisha chooses the green scarf because she prefers green, even though it costs more than the red one.
- The shop assistant says the green scarf is wool.
- Marco buys four apples and tomatoes; the apples cost two euros.
Guided Practice
Esercizio 1: (1) rossa (2) neri (3) belle (4) grande
Esercizio 2: (1) Questa (2) Queste (3) Questo (4) Questi
Esercizio 3: (1) più... di (2) meno... di
Listening
- Le mele rosse: due euro.
- I pomodori: un euro e cinquanta.
Reading — Comprehension
- The green scarf costs more than the red one.
- The blue shoes cost 60 euros.
- T-shirts are less expensive than jackets.
Chapter Review — Parte B
- nere
- Quanto costa questa giacca?
- più... di
Looking Ahead
Cosa sai fare ora — What you can do now
You can describe clothing and market items using correctly agreeing adjectives, ask about and understand prices, point out specific items, compare two choices, and state a preference.