Learn Italian: Prendo tre etti di tacchino e del pane. - I'll take three hectograms of turkey and some bread.

Prendo tre etti di tacchino e del pane.

I'll take three hectograms of turkey and some bread.

Breakdown of Prendo tre etti di tacchino e del pane.

Questions & Answers about Prendo tre etti di tacchino e del pane.

Why do we use the partitive article del for the bread, but only di for the turkey?

Because the turkey has a specific quantity attached to it. Tre etti (three hectograms) is an exact measurement, so it is followed by the simple preposition di (of). The bread has an unspecified quantity, so we use the partitive article del (di + il) to mean 'some'.

What is an etto and is it common to order food this way?

An etto (plural etti) is 100 grams. It is the most common way to order sliced meats and cheeses at an Italian deli counter. While you could say trecento grammi (300 grams), asking for tre etti sounds much more natural and native.

Could I say un po' di pane instead of del pane?

Absolutely. Un po' di pane (a little bit of bread) and del pane (some bread) are virtually interchangeable here. The partitive article del is just the standard grammatical way of expressing that same unspecified amount.

The English translation says 'I'll take', so why is the verb in the present tense (prendo) instead of the future?

In Italian, the present tense is heavily used for actions happening in the immediate future or for decisions being made in the moment. When ordering food or drinks, using the present tense prendo is the standard and most natural way to say 'I'll take' or 'I'll have'.