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PhrasesAt the TobacconistUn francobollo per una lettera in Italia, per favore.
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Un francobollo per una lettera in Italia, per favore.

A stamp for a letter within Italy, please.

Pronunciation

fran-co-BOL-lo — stress on the third syllable; double 'l' in Italian is held slightly longer than a single 'l'.

When to use it

Use this at the tabaccheria counter when you need a domestic postage stamp. The tobacconist is often faster than queuing at the post office.

What it means

'Un francobollo' is masculine singular. 'Per' here means 'for'. Specifying 'in Italia' clarifies you want domestic postage, which costs less than international. Tabaccherie sell official Poste Italiane stamps at the same price as the post office.

Variations

Un francobollo per una cartolina all'estero.

A stamp for a postcard abroad.

'All'estero' = abroad; postcard rate is lower than letter rate

Due francobolli per lettere in Europa.

Two stamps for letters to Europe.

Plural: 'due francobolli'

Quanto costa spedire una lettera negli Stati Uniti?

How much does it cost to send a letter to the USA?

Asking for the price before buying

Mini Dialogue

— Un francobollo per una lettera in Italia, per favore. — Eccolo, sono uno e venti. — Posso pagare con il bancomat? — Certo.

— A stamp for a letter within Italy, please. — Here it is, that's one euro twenty. — Can I pay by debit card? — Of course.

Cultural Note

Italians often prefer the tabaccheria for stamps because post offices (poste italiane) can have very long queues. The tobacconist sells the exact same official stamps at the same regulated price.