Phrases › At the Shoe Shop › Ha qualcosa per il mare?

Ha qualcosa per il mare?

Do you have anything for the beach/sea?

Pronunciation

'Mare' — 'MA-re'. Two syllables, stress on first. Open 'a'. Unmistakably Italian.

When to use it

Shopping for beach footwear — flip-flops, water shoes or sandals. Italy's long coastline makes beach footwear a major seasonal category.

What it means

'Per il mare' = for the sea/beach. 'Avete qualcosa' = do you have something. Summer beach vocabulary: 'infradito' (flip-flops), 'sandali' (sandals), 'scarpette da mare' (water shoes).

Variations

Ha infradito?

Do you have flip-flops?

'Infradito' = flip-flops — also 'ciabatte da mare'

Cerco scarpe da scoglio.

I'm looking for water shoes for rocks.

'Scoglio' = rock — sea rock shoes for rocky beaches

Ha ciabatte da spiaggia?

Do you have beach sandals/mules?

'Ciabatte' = slippers or flip-flops — context specifies beach

Mini Dialogue

Cliente: Ha qualcosa per il mare? Andiamo in Sardegna. Commessa: Certo. Infradito, sandali da spiaggia e scarpette da scoglio. Cliente: Le scarpette da scoglio per mio figlio di otto anni? Commessa: Sì, le abbiamo dai numeri ventisei al quarantadue.

Customer: Do you have anything for the beach? We're going to Sardinia. Assistant: Of course. Flip-flops, beach sandals and water shoes. Customer: Water shoes for my eight-year-old son? Assistant: Yes, we have them from size twenty-six to forty-two.

Cultural Note

Sardinia and Sicily have rocky coastlines where water shoes ('scarpette da scoglio') are essential. Italian beach culture values the right equipment — arriving at a beach without proper footwear marks you as a tourist.

← Previous

Sono impermeabili?

Ha stivali al ginocchio?

← All phrases: At the Shoe Shop