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PhrasesAt the Shoe ShopPosso provare questi?
A1

Posso provare questi?

Can I try these on?

Pronunciation

'Provare' — 'pro-VA-re'. Stress on the second syllable. 'Questi' = 'KWES-ti'.

When to use it

Pointing to shoes you'd like to try. The most common sentence in any shoe shop. Always try before buying — Italian shoes vary in fit between brands.

What it means

'Posso' (can I) + infinitive for permission. 'Questi' = these (masculine plural, referring to shoes — 'le scarpe' is feminine but you're pointing to the display pair, often treated as masculine objects).

Variations

Vorrei provare queste scarpe.

I'd like to try these shoes.

More polite conditional + explicitly naming 'shoes'

Posso provarle?

Can I try them on?

'Le' refers back to 'le scarpe' (feminine) — correct pronoun

Mi fa vedere queste nella mia misura?

Can you show me these in my size?

Asking staff to fetch the right size specifically

Mini Dialogue

Cliente: Posso provare questi mocassini? Commessa: Certo. Che numero porta? Cliente: Il quarantuno. Commessa: Li prendo subito in magazzino.

Customer: Can I try these loafers? Assistant: Of course. What size do you take? Customer: Forty-one. Assistant: I'll get them from the stockroom right away.

Cultural Note

Italian shoe shops ('calzolerie') often keep display shoes in the window or on open shelving. The stockroom ('magazzino') holds the full range. Staff fetching sizes from the back is standard — don't feel you're inconveniencing anyone.