Prices and money
Prezzi e denaro
- Talk about money, currencies and payment methods.
- Ask for and say the price in a shop.
- Indefinites: 'molto', 'tanto', 'poco', etc...
Learn how to ask for prices and talk about money in Italian with useful vocabulary like "il prezzo" (price), "pagare" (to pay), "i contanti" (cash), and expressions such as "quanto costa?" (how much does it cost?). This lesson covers essential indefinite adjectives like "molto" and "poco" to describe quantities when shopping.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (11) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Reorder sentences
Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.
Exercise 2: Match a word
Instruction: Match the translations
Exercise 3: Cluster the words
Instruction: Classify the words into two different groups: one relates to money and payment methods, the other relates to prices and their cost.
Denaro e metodi di pagamento
Prezzi e costi
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Gratis
Free
2
Comprare
To buy
3
Pagare
To pay
4
Il prezzo
The price
5
Il negozio
The shop
Esercizio 5: Conversation exercise
Istruzione:
- Imagine you are on the market. What would you like to buy? How do you pay? (Imagine you are on the market. What would you like to buy? How do you pay?)
- Name and discuss the prices. Is it cheap or expensive? Ask for a discount. (Name and discuss the prices. Is it cheap or expensive? Ask for a discount.)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
Voglio comprare del pane e delle mele. I want to buy some bread and apples. |
|
Non voglio comprare niente. I don't want to buy anything. |
|
Le arance sono piuttosto costose. The oranges are quite expensive. |
|
Le cipolle sono economiche. The onions are cheap. |
|
Posso pagare in contanti o con carta? Can I pay cash or by card? |
|
C'è uno sconto per le verdure? Is there a discount for the vegetables? |
|
Quanto costano le arance? How much do the oranges cost? |
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Le mele costano tre euro e cinquanta. The apples cost three euros fifty. |
| ... |
Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 7: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Io _____ il pane al negozio e pago sempre in contanti.
(I _____ bread at the store and I always pay in cash.)2. Il prezzo di questo libro _____ cinque euro.
(The price of this book _____ five euros.)3. Io _____ con la carta perché non ho molti contanti.
(I _____ with the card because I don't have much cash.)4. A volte io _____ tante cose quando vado al mercato.
(Sometimes I _____ many things when I go to the market.)Exercise 8: Shopping at the Market: Paying and Buying
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Andare - To go
Presente
- io vado
- tu vai
- lui/lei va
- noi andiamo
- voi andate
- loro vanno
Costare - To cost
Presente
- io costo
- tu costi
- lui/lei costa
- noi costiamo
- voi costate
- loro costano
Comprare - To buy
Presente
- io compro
- tu compri
- lui/lei compra
- noi compriamo
- voi comprate
- loro comprano
Pagare - To pay
Presente
- io pago
- tu paghi
- lui/lei paga
- noi paghiamo
- voi pagate
- loro pagano
Usare - To use
Presente
- io uso
- tu usi
- lui/lei usa
- noi usiamo
- voi usate
- loro usano
Exercise 9: Gli indefiniti: 'molto', 'tanto', 'poco', etc...
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Indefinites: 'molto', 'tanto', 'poco', etc...
Show translation Show answersmolte, tutta, pochi, tante, poco, molto, tanto
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
A1.19.2 Grammatica
Gli indefiniti: 'molto', 'tanto', 'poco', etc...
Indefinites: 'molto', 'tanto', 'poco', etc...
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Pagare to pay Share Copied!
Presente
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) pago | I pay |
| (tu) paghi | You pay |
| (lui/lei) paga | he/she pays |
| (noi) paghiamo | we pay |
| (voi) pagate | you pay |
| (loro) pagano | they pay |
Comprare to buy Share Copied!
Presente
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) compro | I buy |
| (tu) compri | You buy |
| (lui/lei) compra | he/she buys |
| (noi) compriamo | we buy |
| (voi) comprate | You buy |
| (loro) comprano | they buy |
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Prices and Money in Italian
This lesson introduces basic Italian vocabulary and expressions related to shopping, prices, and payment methods—a crucial topic for everyday conversations, especially when visiting markets or stores like "Al mercato di Porta Romana." You will learn how to ask and understand the cost of items, discuss payment options, and express quantities with common indefinite words.
Key Vocabulary and Expressions
- Denaro e metodi di pagamento (Money and Payment Methods): i contanti (cash), la carta (card), i soldi (money), pagare (to pay)
- Prezzi e costi (Prices and Costs): il prezzo (price), costoso (expensive), economico (economical), costa 5 euro (it costs 5 euros)
- Indefinite words for quantities: molto (a lot), tanto (so much/many), poco (a little/few)
Useful Phrases for Shopping
Practice key phrases like:
- Quanto costa questo pane? — How much does this bread cost?
- Posso pagare con la carta o con i contanti? — Can I pay with card or cash?
- Ho pochi soldi, quindi compro poco cibo. — I have little money, so I buy little food.
- Questo negozio è molto economico e ha tanti prodotti freschi. — This shop is very economical and has many fresh products.
- Tutti i prezzi sono scritti sugli scaffali. — All prices are written on the shelves.
Dialogues and Scenarios
You will encounter practical dialogues at supermarkets, bars, and clothing stores that help you ask prices, discuss how to pay, and talk about quantities using indefinite words. Examples include asking about the price of bread or clothes and deciding between paying by cash or card.
Verb Focus: Present Tense Conjugation
Several common verbs are practiced in the present tense to describe actions related to shopping and paying, such as comprare (to buy), pagare (to pay), andare (to go), costare (to cost), and usare (to use). Learning their conjugations helps you form correct everyday sentences.
Comparison Between English and Italian
Italian distinguishes between cash (i contanti) and card (la carta) clearly, similar to English. However, when talking about prices, Italians often use the verb costare (to cost), which is not always directly used in English sentences (e.g., "It costs 5 euros" vs. "It is 5 euros"). Also, indefinite words like molto, tanto, and poco express quantity and amount in Italian and are essential to modify both countable and uncountable nouns.
Useful phrases:
Quanto costa...? - How much does ... cost?
Posso pagare con... - Can I pay with...?
Ho pochi soldi. - I have little money.
Questo negozio è molto economico. - This shop is very economical.
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