Learn Hardcore Italian: Devo passare in farmacia per comprare del sapone e un termometro. - I have to stop by the pharmacy to buy some soap and a thermometer.

devo passare literally means “I have to stop by” or “drop by.” The verb passare emphasizes making a quick stop somewhere. You could say devo andare in farmacia (“I have to go to the pharmacy”), but devo passare in farmacia stresses that it’s just a brief stop on your way.

Why is it in farmacia? Could I say a farmacia or alla farmacia?

With passare, the idiomatic construction is passare in + place. You cannot say a farmacia (you’d need alla farmacia), but even with andare, in farmacia is by far the most common. So stick with in farmacia for both “to go” and “to stop by.”

Could I say passare dalla farmacia? What’s the difference between in farmacia and dalla farmacia?

Yes, passare dalla farmacia (da + la = dalla) is grammatically correct. However, passare in farmacia highlights entering the pharmacy itself. Passare dalla farmacia has a more general “stop by the vicinity of the pharmacy” nuance. In everyday speech, passare in farmacia is more direct when your goal is to go inside.

Why do we use per comprare? Can I omit per and say passare in farmacia comprare?

We use per + infinitive to express purpose: per comprare = “in order to buy.” Omitting per (…farmacia comprare) is ungrammatical. If you want two coordinated actions, you could say devo passare in farmacia e comprare…, but you still need e to connect the verbs.

Why is it del sapone? What is that del?

del is the partitive article (di + il) meaning “some.” It’s used with uncountable or mass nouns like sapone. So del sapone = “some soap.” It’s the equivalent of English’s “some.”

Why is sapone masculine? Could it be feminine?

sapone is simply a masculine noun (il sapone). Gender in Italian is lexical and must be memorized; there’s no rule that makes it feminine. You just learn that it takes masculine articles and adjectives.

Why do we say un termometro instead of del termometro?

un is the indefinite article for singular countable nouns: un termometro = “a thermometer.” del termometro would be the partitive (“some of the thermometer”), which doesn’t make sense when you need one whole device.

If I needed more than one, could I say dei termometri?

Absolutely. For “some thermometers” or “a few thermometers,” use the plural partitive/indefinite article dei (di + i): dei termometri.

Can I drop all articles and say comprare sapone e termometro?

In Italian, you almost always need an article with nouns. Dropping them (comprare sapone e termometro) sounds awkward. Use comprare del sapone e un termometro (or dei termometri if plural).

Could I rearrange the sentence to start with per comprare?

Yes: Per comprare del sapone e un termometro, devo passare in farmacia. It’s correct, though slightly more formal or emphatic. The original order (main clause first) is more neutral.