Phrases › At the Bookshop › Avete la versione tascabile?

Avete la versione tascabile?

Do you have the paperback version?

Pronunciation

'Tascabile' — tas-CA-bi-le. Four syllables.

When to use it

Use when you want the cheaper or lighter pocket edition rather than the hardback. Italian publishing has clear distinctions between editions — asking for the right format saves money and weight.

What it means

'Tascabile' = paperback/pocket-sized (from 'tasca' = pocket). Italian publishing formats: 'cartonato/copertina rigida' (hardback), 'brossura' (trade paperback), 'tascabile' (mass-market paperback), 'economica' (budget edition). 'Economica' and 'tascabile' are often used interchangeably.

Variations

C'è un'edizione economica?

Is there a budget edition?

'Economica' = cheaper paperback edition.

Quanto costa la copertina rigida?

How much does the hardback cost?

Asks about the more expensive edition.

Esiste in formato Oscar Mondadori?

Does it exist in the Oscar Mondadori format?

'Oscar Mondadori' is Italy's iconic cheap paperback series.

Mini Dialogue

Cliente: Avete la versione tascabile? La cartonata costa troppo. Libraia: Sì, la tascabile Einaudi è qui — undici euro invece di ventidue. Cliente: Perfetta. Stessa traduzione? Libraia: Sì, identica — solo il formato è diverso.

Customer: Do you have the paperback version? The hardback costs too much. Bookseller: Yes, the Einaudi paperback is here — eleven euros instead of twenty-two. Customer: Perfect. Same translation? Bookseller: Yes, identical — only the format is different.

Cultural Note

The 'Oscar Mondadori' series (launched 1965) revolutionised Italian reading by making literature affordable. Other iconic pocket series: 'Feltrinelli Universale Economica', 'Einaudi Tascabili', 'BUR Rizzoli'. Italian publishers have a strong tradition of making literature accessible at all price points.

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Avete libri in inglese?

Posso ordinare un libro che non avete in negozio?

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