Contrattiamo per comprare antiquariato.

Contrattiamo comes from the verb contrattare.

In this sentence, it means something like:

• we negotiate
• we bargain
• we haggle

The exact English choice depends on context:

• negotiate is more general and neutral
• bargain / haggle often suggest discussing the price

So if the context is buying antiques, contrattiamo often gives the idea of negotiating the price before buying.

The ending -iamo tells you this is first person plural in the present tense:

• io contratt-o = I negotiate
• tu contratt-i = you negotiate
• noi contratt-iamo = we negotiate

So contrattiamo means we negotiate.

Because contrattare is an -are verb, -iamo is the normal noi ending in the present tense.

Yes. In Italian, the noi form can sometimes be used as a first-person plural imperative:

• Contrattiamo! = Let’s negotiate!

However, in your sentence, Contrattiamo per comprare antiquariato, it is most naturally understood as a statement: we negotiate in order to buy antiques.

The punctuation and context help decide:

• Contrattiamo. = We negotiate.
• Contrattiamo! = Let’s negotiate!

Here per means to / in order to.

So:

• Contrattiamo per comprare antiquariato = We negotiate in order to buy antiques

This is a very common Italian structure:

• per + infinitive

Examples:

• Studio per imparare. = I study to learn
• Lavoriamo per vivere. = We work to live
• Contrattiamo per comprare antiquariato. = We negotiate to buy antiques

Because after per expressing purpose, Italian normally uses the infinitive.

So:

• per comprare = to buy
• not per compriamo

This is similar to English:

• We negotiate to buy antiques
• not We negotiate to we buy antiques

If the subject changes or the structure becomes more complex, Italian may use a different construction, but here per + infinitive is the standard pattern.

Antiquariato usually refers to:

• antiques
• antique goods
• the antiques trade / antique dealing in some contexts

In this sentence, it most likely means antiques as a general category of things.

So comprare antiquariato means something like:

• to buy antiques
• to buy antique items

A closely related phrase is:

• oggetti d’antiquariato = antique objects / antiques

That version is often a little more explicit for learners.

Italian often leaves out the article when speaking about something in a general, uncountable, or category-like way.

So:

• comprare antiquariato = to buy antiques / antique goods in general

This is similar to how English often says:

• buy furniture
• buy jewelry
• buy art

rather than always using an article.

You could sometimes find an article in other contexts, but here the zero article sounds natural because antiquariato is being used as a general category.

Usually, no—not in this use.

It behaves more like a collective or category noun than like a noun referring to one individual item.

So you would normally not use it the same way you use a countable noun like:

• un libro = a book
• due libri = two books

Instead, antiquariato refers to the field or category of antique goods.

If you want to refer to individual items, Italian often uses expressions like:

• un oggetto d’antiquariato = an antique item
• dei mobili d’antiquariato = antique furniture pieces
• dei pezzi d’antiquariato = antique pieces

Yes, it is understandable and grammatically correct.

That said, depending on the situation, a native speaker might also say something slightly more specific, such as:

• Contrattiamo per comprare oggetti d’antiquariato.
• Contrattiamo per acquistare pezzi d’antiquariato.

Why? Because antiquariato by itself can sound a bit broad or category-based. Adding oggetti or pezzi makes it more concrete.

Still, comprare antiquariato is perfectly possible and understandable.

Both can mean to buy.

• comprare is the more common, everyday word
• acquistare is slightly more formal or elevated

So:

• comprare antiquariato = everyday, natural
• acquistare antiquariato = a bit more formal

In many contexts, either works.

The sentence breaks down like this:

• Contrattiamo = we negotiate / we bargain
• per = to / in order to
• comprare = buy
• antiquariato = antiques / antique goods

So the structure is:

• main verb + per + infinitive + object

A very literal breakdown would be:

• We negotiate in order to buy antiques

Not always exactly.

Depending on context, contrattare can suggest:

• negotiating terms
• bargaining over a price
• haggling in a market-like situation

So in a sentence about buying antiques, it may sound a bit closer to:

• we bargain
• we haggle

than to a very formal business-style we negotiate.

English uses different verbs for slightly different situations, while Italian contrattare can cover several of them.

Yes. The phrase per comprare antiquariato clearly expresses purpose.

It answers the question:

• Why are we negotiating?

Answer:

• To buy antiques

So the sentence naturally communicates that the negotiation is a step toward the purchase.