How to buy clothes in Italian
Ce l'ha in taglia media?
“Do you have it in a medium?”
When: Holding an item, asking a shop assistant
The moment
You are in a clothes shop near the Duomo in Milan and you have found a jumper you like. You need to ask for your size, try it on, and say whether it fits.
A1 · Unit 5 · Shopping
The lines
Asking for a size or colour
Hold up the item and ask 'Ce l'ha in taglia media?' to see if they have it in a medium. Swap the ending for a colour and the same opening still works: 'Ce l'ha in nero?'
Ce l'ha in taglia media?
“Do you have it in a medium?”
When to use it: Holding an item, asking a shop assistant
What you’ll hear back: Sì, un attimo che controllo. (Yes, one moment, I'll check.)
Asking to try it on
'Posso provarlo?' is how you ask to try something on. Say it with the item in your hand and the assistant will send you to the fitting rooms.
Posso provarlo?
“Can I try it on?”
When to use it: Before heading to the fitting room
What you’ll hear back: Certo, i camerini sono in fondo a destra. (Of course, the fitting rooms are at the back on the right.)
Words for this scene
| Italian | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| Mi sta bene | mee stah BEH-neh | It fits me / it looks good on me |
Mi sta bene, grazie. It fits me, thanks. Tip: One phrase covers both it fits and it suits me. | ||
| È troppo stretto | eh TROHP-poh STRET-toh | It's too tight |
È troppo stretto, ce l'ha in una taglia più grande? It's too tight, do you have it in a bigger size? Tip: Say troppo largo instead when something is too loose. | ||
| Lo prendo | loh PREN-doh | I'll take it |
Perfetto, lo prendo. Perfect, I'll take it. Tip: Say it and the assistant carries the item to the till. | ||
Your objective
Ask for it in your size, ask to try it on, and say whether it fits.
- your size
- trying it on
- whether it fits
Lines that get it done
- Ce l'ha in taglia media?
- Posso provarlo?
- Mi sta bene, grazie. · It fits me, thanks.
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. You are holding a jumper and want to know if they have it in a medium. What do you say?
- Ce l'ha in taglia media?
- Che taglia porta?
- Questa taglia è media.
- Mi sta bene la taglia media.
Show the answer
Ce l'ha in taglia media?
Ce l'ha in...? is the everyday way to ask a shop if they have something in a size or colour.
2. You are in the fitting room and the jumper is too tight. What do you say?
- È troppo stretto.
- È troppo caro.
- Mi sta bene.
- È il colore sbagliato.
Show the answer
È troppo stretto.
Stretto means tight, so this tells the assistant exactly what to fix.
3. The jumper fits and you have decided to buy it. What do you say?
- Lo prendo.
- Lo provo.
- Lo cerco.
- Lo lascio.
Show the answer
Lo prendo.
Lo prendo is how Italians say I'll buy this one.