4. How To Ask For A Discount (HTI) Learn Italian with Podcasts at LearnItalianPod

4. How To Ask For A Discount (HTI)

December 2nd, 2007

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How To Ask For A Discount

Learn Italian with “How To Italian” episode nr. 4! Bargaining to get a “sconto” (discount) is something not quite common in a store, but it becomes common reality if you ever happen to shop “al mercato” (at a market). Today we’ll see how to spot something you love while shopping at the market, ask for a discount, and get a good deal! Happy bargaining, everyone!

How To Italian - Episode Nr.4

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This entry was posted on Sunday, December 2nd, 2007 at 11:35 am and is filed under How To Italian. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

9 Responses to "4. How To Ask For A Discount (HTI)"

Maria Says:

December 2nd, 2007 at 12:29 pm

Great episode! I wish I had known those useful sentences last year when I went to the Porta Portese market in Rome. Keep up the good work! Mille grazie. Maria

Angela Says:

December 5th, 2007 at 6:59 am

This series is really helpful because so many everyday Italian phrases are very colloquial; it can be frustrating to try to translate them exactly. “Mi faccia bene” is a good example (”make me well?”). I would love it if you could tell me how you would translate these phrases I hear every day:
“Altre tanto” (said in reply to “buona giornata”)
“Ci penso io”
“Ci mancherebbe”

LearnItalianPod.com Says:

December 5th, 2007 at 9:06 am

Angela, my advice would be not to try to translate them exactly - but to associate them with their English counterpart.

About “mi faccia bene” - you are rigth, that’s exactly “make me well”, even if it makes no sense in English.

“Altrettanto” means “as much” (literally) but the meaning is “same to you”.

“Ci penso io” means “I think of it” (literally) but the meaning is “I’m taking care of this”.

“Ci mancherebbe” means “it would miss it” (literally) but the meaning is similar to the expressions “no way!”, or “would not let it happen”.

Angela Says:

December 6th, 2007 at 3:19 am

Thanks! I’m still having trouble understanding when to use “ci mancherebbe”; could you give me an example? And one more common phrase I forgot earlier: “Meno male.” I realize it translates as “less bad,” but in what sort of situation would you use this?

LearnItalianPod.com Says:

December 6th, 2007 at 8:11 pm

Example with “ci mancherebbe altro”:

A: “Mamma, posso andare fuori a giocare?”
B: “Ci mancherebbe altro! Devi fare i compiti!”

A: Mom, can I go play outside?
B: No way! You have to do your homework!

“Meno male” is the equivalent of the English “thank heaven” or “thank God”.

Robert Says:

April 5th, 2008 at 12:16 am

Hi,
Thanks for the explanation; however, the last one confused me. I thought “meno male” means” “not bad”???

LearnItalianPod.com Says:

April 5th, 2008 at 9:29 am

The expression “not bad” can be translated as “non male”, or “niente male”.

The expression “meno male” literally means “less bad” - it is used with the same meaning as the English “thank heaven” or “thank God”.

Paul F Posoli Says:

July 11th, 2008 at 4:34 pm

You use “caro arrabbiato’ as too expensive.

How does angry translate as troppo?

LearnItalianPod.com Says:

July 13th, 2008 at 4:10 pm

Paul, it’s an idiomatic expression - literally “expensive hungry”, it actually means “too expensive”.

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