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PhrasesAt the BakeryAvete il pane di ieri a prezzo ridotto?
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Avete il pane di ieri a prezzo ridotto?

Do you have yesterday's bread at a reduced price?

Pronunciation

'Ridotto' — stress on 'ri-DÒT-to'. Three syllables. Double 't'.

When to use it

Ask at closing time or early morning when bakeries sometimes sell the previous day's unsold bread at a discount. Perfectly normal and practical.

What it means

Day-old bread ('pane di ieri' or 'pane avanzato') is still perfectly usable — it is ideal for bruschetta, bread soups ('ribollita', 'panzanella'), or breadcrumbs ('pangrattato'). Many Italian recipes are specifically designed to use stale bread.

Variations

Avete del pane avanzato?

Do you have leftover bread?

'Avanzato' = leftover — the bread from previous baking

Il pane raffermo ha lo sconto?

Does stale bread have a discount?

'Raffermo' = stale/hardened — the technical term for day-old bread

Uso il pane vecchio per la ribollita.

I use old bread for ribollita.

Explain why you want old bread — shows culinary knowledge

Mini Dialogue

— Avete il pane di ieri a prezzo ridotto? — Sì, il pane di ieri lo vendiamo al 50% fino a esaurimento. — Ne prendo un chilo per fare la panzanella. — Ottima idea, è perfetto per quello.

— Do you have yesterday's bread at a reduced price? — Yes, we sell yesterday's bread at 50% off until it runs out. — I'll take a kilo to make panzanella. — Excellent idea, it's perfect for that.

Cultural Note

Italians waste almost no bread. Stale bread is the base for many classic dishes: 'ribollita' (Tuscan bread soup), 'panzanella' (Tuscan bread salad), 'acquacotta' (Maremma bread broth), 'pancotto' (bread porridge), and 'bruschetta'. 'Non si butta il pane' — you don't throw away bread.