Peso le mele sulla bilancia e poi leggo il prezzo sullo schermo.

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Breakdown of Peso le mele sulla bilancia e poi leggo il prezzo sullo schermo.

• su: on
• leggere: to read
• e: and
• la mela: the apple
• poi: then
• il prezzo: the price
• lo schermo: the screen
• pesare: to weigh
• la bilancia: the scale

Questions & Answers about Peso le mele sulla bilancia e poi leggo il prezzo sullo schermo.

Why does the sentence start with peso? Does it mean weight or I weigh?

Here peso is a verb, not a noun. It is the first-person singular present of pesare, so it means I weigh.

• pesare = to weigh
• peso = I weigh

Italian also has a noun peso meaning weight, so context matters. In this sentence, because it is followed by le mele, it clearly means I weigh the apples.

Why isn’t io included? Shouldn’t it be Io peso le mele?

Italian often drops subject pronouns when they are not needed, because the verb ending already shows who is doing the action.

• peso = I weigh
• leggo = I read

So io is optional here. You could say Io peso le mele..., but that would usually add emphasis, contrast, or clarity.

For example:

• Io peso le mele, tu paghi. = I weigh the apples, you pay.

Without that kind of emphasis, leaving out io is more natural.

Why is it le mele and not just mele?

Le mele means the apples. Italian uses articles very often, sometimes more often than English learners expect.

Here le mele most naturally refers to the apples involved in the situation, for example the apples you have selected in a shop.

• le = the (feminine plural)
• mele = apples

So:

• la mela = the apple
• le mele = the apples

If you said just mele, that would sound less complete in this sentence.

Why is it sulla bilancia?

Sulla is a contraction of:

• su = on
• la = the

So:

• su + la = sulla

Because bilancia is a feminine singular noun, it uses la.

• la bilancia = the scale
• sulla bilancia = on the scale

What exactly does bilancia mean here?

Here bilancia means a weighing scale or scale.

In different contexts, bilancia can also mean a balance. But in this sentence, since you are weighing apples and then reading the price, it clearly means the machine or device used to weigh produce.

Why is the second verb leggo? Is it irregular?

Yes. Leggo is the first-person singular present of leggere (to read), and it is irregular.

The infinitive is:

• leggere = to read

But in the present tense:

• io leggo = I read
• tu leggi = you read
• lui/lei legge = he/she reads

So leggo is just the correct present-tense form for I read.

Why is it il prezzo but lo schermo?

This is about Italian definite articles.

Prezzo takes il because it is a normal masculine singular noun beginning with a consonant:

• il prezzo = the price

Schermo takes lo because it begins with s + consonant (sch-):

• lo schermo = the screen

So Italian uses different masculine singular articles depending on the sound that follows:

• il prezzo
• lo schermo

Why is it sullo schermo and not su lo schermo?

Because Italian normally combines su with the article.

• su + lo = sullo

So:

• lo schermo = the screen
• sullo schermo = on the screen

This is the same pattern as:

• su + il = sul
• su + la = sulla
• su + i = sui
• su + gli = sugli
• su + le = sulle

What does e poi add here? Why not just use e?

E means and, while poi means then or afterward.

So:

• e connects the two actions
• poi shows the order of the actions

The sentence is not just listing two things; it is showing a sequence:

1. Peso le mele sulla bilancia
2. poi leggo il prezzo sullo schermo

So e poi gives the sense of and then.

What tense is this sentence in?

It is in the present indicative.

• peso = present tense
• leggo = present tense

In Italian, the present tense can describe:

• something happening right now
• a habitual action
• a step in a process

So this sentence could mean:

• I weigh the apples on the scale and then read the price on the screen or, depending on context,
• I’m weighing the apples on the scale and then I read/am reading the price on the screen

Italian uses the present tense very broadly.

Is the word order normal in this sentence?

Yes. The word order is very natural.

A basic pattern is:

• [verb] [object] [place]
• Peso le mele sulla bilancia
• leggo il prezzo sullo schermo

Because the subject io is omitted, the sentence starts directly with the verb. That is completely normal in Italian.

If you included the subject, it would be:

• Io peso le mele sulla bilancia e poi leggo il prezzo sullo schermo.

Both are correct, but the version without io is more natural in ordinary speech.

How is schermo pronounced?

Schermo is pronounced roughly like SKER-mo.

A useful rule:

• sch before e or i is pronounced like sk

So:

• schermo sounds like skermo, not like English sh

Also, leggo has a double gg, so the consonant is pronounced more strongly than in English. You do not need to exaggerate it, but in careful Italian pronunciation the double consonant matters.