Learn Italian: Non è un oggetto da buttare, ma un vero affare. - It is not an object to throw away, but a real bargain.

In Italian, when you connect a noun (like oggetto) to an infinitive verb to describe the noun's purpose or what should be done to it, you use the preposition da. Here, un oggetto da buttare means 'an object to be thrown away.' You use per to express 'in order to' when there's an action, but after a noun describing a characteristic, da is the rule.

Is this da + verb pattern used often?

Yes, it is a very common pattern! You will see it frequently after nouns or indefinite pronouns (like qualcosa or niente). For example, qualcosa da bere (something to drink) or molto da fare (a lot to do). It acts almost like an adjective telling you what the noun is for.

Does the word affare mean 'affair'?

It can mean 'matter' or 'business,' but in the context of buying and selling, un affare translates to 'a bargain' or 'a great deal.' So, buying a high-quality item for very little money makes it un vero affare.

Why is the adjective vero placed before the noun in vero affare?

While most descriptive adjectives in Italian go after the noun, a few common ones can go before it to add emphasis or change the meaning slightly. Placing vero (real/true) before the noun emphasizes the speaker's opinion that it is an absolute or genuine bargain.