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PhrasesAt the SupermarketQuanto pesano questi?
A2

Quanto pesano questi?

How much do these weigh?

Pronunciation

'Pesano' — 'PE-za-no'. Three syllables, stress on first. The 's' is voiced ('z').

When to use it

At the deli or butcher counter when you're not sure about quantities, or when a product doesn't have a clear weight label.

What it means

'Pesano' = they weigh (third-person plural of 'pesare'). 'Questi' = these. Weight is central to Italian food shopping — knowing weight vocabulary helps with quantities.

Variations

Quanti grammi è?

How many grams is it?

Singular product — asking for grams

Ne voglio due etti.

I want two hundred grams of it.

'Etto' = 100 grams — very common Italian food unit

Faccia circa mezzo chilo.

Make it about half a kilo.

Asking for approximately 500g — standard Italian quantity instruction

Mini Dialogue

Cliente: Quanto pesano questi pomodori insieme? Commessa: Li pesiamo adesso — fanno ottocento grammi. Cliente: Perfetto. Ne aggiunga un altro — voglio arrivare al chilo. Commessa: Ecco — un chilo e dieci grammi. Va bene così?

Customer: How much do these tomatoes weigh together? Assistant: Let's weigh them now — they come to eight hundred grams. Customer: Perfect. Add another one — I want to get to a kilo. Assistant: Here — one kilo and ten grams. Is that fine?

Cultural Note

The 'etto' (hectogram, 100 grams) is Italy's standard food measurement unit, especially at deli counters. 'Due etti' (200g) is a typical single-serving quantity. This unit confuses non-Italian shoppers but becomes second nature quickly.