Whether you are browsing boutiques, buying groceries, or looking for a souvenir, knowing how to talk about shopping in Italian is helpful. Italian uses different expressions for general shopping, making purchases, and buying food for the household.
Quick answer:
“Shopping” in Italian is often fare shopping or fare acquisti. “To go shopping” is andare a fare shopping; for grocery shopping, say fare la spesa.
How to Say Shopping in Italian
A common way to say “shopping” is fare shopping, using the English loanword shopping with the verb fare (“to do” or “to make”). Another natural option is fare acquisti, meaning “to make purchases.” To say “to go shopping,” use andare a fare shopping or andare a fare acquisti.
You may also hear fare compere for general shopping. For groceries and household essentials, say fare la spesa. The last expression is specifically about grocery shopping, rather than shopping for clothes or gifts.
Common Shopping Expressions
- fare shopping — to go shopping / do some shopping
- fare acquisti — to make purchases
- fare compere — to go shopping
- fare la spesa — to do the grocery shopping
- un centro commerciale — a shopping mall
- un negozio — a shop or store
- un negozio di abbigliamento — a clothing store
The verb fare changes with the subject: faccio shopping means “I go shopping,” while facciamo shopping means “we go shopping.” To say “I’m going shopping,” use Vado a fare shopping.
Useful Phrases in a Shop
These polite phrases help when browsing or buying something. For questions about an amount, see price in Italian:
- Sto solo guardando, grazie. — I’m just looking, thank you.
- Quanto costa? — How much does it cost?
- Posso provarlo? — Can I try it on? (masculine item)
- Posso provarla? — Can I try it on? (feminine item)
- Avete una taglia più grande? — Do you have a larger size?
- Posso pagare con la carta? — Can I pay by card?
- Vorrei uno scontrino, per favore. — I’d like a receipt, please.
In a clothing store, provare means “to try.” Match the pronoun to the item: lo for a masculine noun and la for a feminine noun. For example, a shirt is una camicia, so you can ask Posso provarla?
Example Sentences
- Sabato andiamo a fare shopping in centro. — On Saturday we’re going shopping downtown.
- Mi piace fare acquisti nei piccoli negozi. — I like shopping in small shops.
- Devo fare la spesa prima di cena. — I need to do the grocery shopping before dinner.
- Il centro commerciale è vicino alla stazione. — The shopping mall is near the station.
- Oggi non voglio comprare niente. — I don’t want to buy anything today.
- Questo negozio è aperto fino alle otto. — This shop is open until eight.
In centro means “in the town or city center.” If you need a particular place, ask Dov’è il negozio più vicino? (“Where is the nearest shop?”). Smaller independent shops can close for a midday break, while businesses in busy shopping areas may stay open longer.
Pronunciation
Fare shopping is pronounced approximately FAH-reh SHOP-ping. The “sh” sound comes from the English loanword, while fare has two clear syllables. Fare acquisti sounds like FAH-reh ah-KWEE-stee, with stress on qui. Listen to the audio and keep the Italian vowels clear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tap a question below to see the answer.
What is “to go shopping” in Italian?
You can say andare a fare shopping or andare a fare acquisti.
How do you say “grocery shopping” in Italian?
Use fare la spesa. It refers to buying food and household necessities.
Is the English word “shopping” used in Italian?
Yes. Shopping is a common loanword, especially in fare shopping. Fare acquisti is another natural option.
How do you say “I’m just looking” in a shop?
Say Sto solo guardando, grazie (“I’m just looking, thank you”).
How do you ask to try something on?
Ask Posso provarlo? for a masculine item or Posso provarla? for a feminine item.
Summary
Use fare shopping or fare acquisti for general shopping, and fare la spesa for groceries. To say “I’m going shopping,” use Vado a fare shopping. In a shop, polite phrases such as Quanto costa? and Posso provarlo? are useful.
