Even if you're just on vacation in Italy, you may need to go grocery shopping at the supermarket - andare a fare la spesa. So here's a helpful vocabulary guide of terms you may see once inside the supermarket - supermercato.
Food products can be found along the corsie (aisles), on the scaffali (shelves). You will put them inside the carrello (shopping cart), or, if you're not buying a lot, the cestino (shopping basket).
Food products are divided according to type:
Prodotti per la casa - household items
Prodotti da forno (merendine, biscotti, pane, crackers, ecc.) - baked goods (snacks, cookies, bread, crackers, etc.)
Pasta e riso – Pasta and rice
Prodotti in scatola (fagioli, passata di pomodoro, tonno, ecc.) - canned goods (beans, tomato sauce, tuna, etc.)
Condimenti (olio di oliva, aceto, origano, peperoncino, ecc.) – dressings and spices (olive oil, vinegar, oregano, red pepper, etc.)
Latte e latticini (yogurt, formaggi) – Milk and dairy products
Prodotti surgelati – frozen foods
Frutta e verdura – fruit and vegetables
Carne – meat
Pesce - seafood
Salumi e formaggi freschi – deli counter
Bevande (vino, birra, bibite gassate) – beverages (wine, beer, sodas)
Acqua – water
Once you’re done with la spesa, you proceed to la cassa (checkout counter), where la cassiera or il cassiere (cashier) will scan your items and ask you, vuole una sportina/le sportine (do you want a bag/bags)? Remember that in Italy bags are not free to encourage reusable shopping bags.
Then you pay, either in contanti, cash, or con la carta (by credit card), the cashier will give you your scontrino (receipt) and you say goodbye.
Grazie, arrivederci.
Need more food shopping language tips? Click here.
