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Il prezzo di questo cappotto è da trattare.

Il prezzo di questo cappotto è da trattare.
The price of this coat is negotiable.
From Lesson 162:Preposition da with infinitives (da fare, da bere)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Il prezzo di questo cappotto è da trattare.

Why is da trattare translated as negotiable when trattare usually means to treat?
While trattare often means to treat, it is also commonly used in business and shopping to mean to deal or to negotiate. The expression trattare il prezzo means to negotiate the price. So, da trattare literally means to be negotiated, which gives us the English translation negotiable.
Why do we use da before the infinitive trattare here?
Using the preposition da followed by an infinitive verb expresses necessity, purpose, or function. When paired with the verb essere (in this sentence, è), the structure essere da + infinitive means that something needs to be or is to be done. Therefore, è da trattare means it is to be negotiated.
Does da trattare always have a passive meaning like to be negotiated?
Yes! When you use da + an infinitive to describe a noun or pronoun, it almost always translates with a passive meaning in English. Even though trattare is an active verb, in the phrase è da trattare, the price is receiving the action (it needs to be negotiated by the buyer and seller), rather than doing the action itself.
Could I just say Il prezzo è negoziabile instead?
You can! Negoziabile is a valid Italian adjective. However, using da trattare (or the adjective trattabile) is much more common in everyday spoken Italian, classified ads, and on price tags when talking about bargaining.

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