Quando compriamo i pomodori al mercato, ne prendiamo almeno due chili.

(When we buy tomatoes at the market, we take at least two kilos of them.)

Breakdown of Quando compriamo i pomodori al mercato, ne prendiamo almeno due chili.

• prendere: to take
• comprare: to buy
• il mercato: the market
• quando: when
• noi: we
• il pomodoro: the tomato
• ne: of them
• due: two
• al: at
• almeno: at least

Questions & Answers about Quando compriamo i pomodori al mercato, ne prendiamo almeno due chili.

What does the pronoun ne refer to in this sentence, and why is it used?

In this sentence, ne replaces i pomodori (the tomatoes) to avoid repetition. It effectively means “of them” or “some of them” and shows that the quantity (at least two kilos) refers back to the tomatoes mentioned earlier.

What is the difference between the verbs compriamo and prendiamo, and why are they both used?

Both verbs are in the first-person plural present tense. Compriamo means “we buy” and indicates the act of purchasing the tomatoes at the market. Prendiamo means “we take” (or “we grab”) and, together with ne, specifies that we take at least two kilos from what we buy. Using both helps describe the overall routine of buying and then selecting a specific amount.

What does almeno mean in this context?

Almeno translates to “at least.” It emphasizes that no matter how many tomatoes are bought, the minimum amount taken is two kilos.

How is the phrase al mercato constructed, and what does it indicate?

Al mercato is a contraction of a + il mercato, meaning “at the market.” It indicates the location where the tomatoes are bought.

Why is the definite article i used in i pomodori when referring to tomatoes in general?

In Italian, using the definite article with a plural noun is common when speaking about a whole category in general. Thus, i pomodori refers to “the tomatoes” in a general sense, even though in English we might simply say “tomatoes.”