Phrases › At the Supermarket › Devo pesare la frutta qui?

Devo pesare la frutta qui?

Do I need to weigh the fruit here?

Pronunciation

'Pesare' — 'pe-ZA-re'. Three syllables, stress on second. The 's' between vowels is voiced ('z').

When to use it

Essential question in Italian supermarkets. Almost all supermarkets require self-service weighing of loose fruit and vegetables before the till.

What it means

'Devo' = I must (from 'dovere'). 'Pesare' = to weigh. 'Qui' = here. In Italian supermarkets, the weighing machine ('bilancia') is in the fruit section. If you don't weigh, the till staff will send you back.

Variations

Dov'è la bilancia?

Where is the scale/weighing machine?

'Bilancia' = scale/balance — you'll need this word

Come funziona la bilancia?

How does the scale work?

Asking for instructions on using the self-service scale

Ho dimenticato di pesare. Posso andare a farlo adesso?

I forgot to weigh. Can I go and do it now?

If you reach the till without a sticker — apologise and ask

Mini Dialogue

Cliente: Devo pesare la frutta qui? Commesso: Sì — alla bilancia lì in fondo. Selezioni il prodotto sul display, metta la frutta e stampi l'etichetta. Cliente: E la metto sulla busta? Commesso: Sì, sull'imballo o direttamente sulla frutta.

Customer: Do I need to weigh the fruit here? Assistant: Yes — at the scale there at the back. Select the product on the display, put the fruit on and print the label. Customer: And I stick it on the bag? Assistant: Yes, on the packaging or directly on the fruit.

Cultural Note

Self-service weighing ('pesatura self-service') is standard in Italian supermarkets. The machine shows product codes — you find your product, place it on the scale, confirm and a sticky price label prints. This is non-negotiable.

← Previous

Dove si trova il reparto frutta e verdura?

Dove sono i carrelli?

← All phrases: At the Supermarket