Breakdown of Prendo della mortadella e un etto di pecorino.
e
and
uno
a / an (masculine special)
di
of, from
prendere
to take
Questions & Answers about Prendo della mortadella e un etto di pecorino.
Why do we use the partitive della for the mortadella, but just a simple di for the pecorino?
Della acts as the partitive article here, meaning 'some'. You use it because you are asking for an unspecified amount of mortadella. However, for the pecorino, you specify the exact quantity (un etto). When you state a specific measurement, you drop the partitive and just use the preposition di (of), exactly like in English: 'a hundred grams of pecorino'.
Could I leave out della and just say prendo mortadella?
While you would be understood, it sounds much less natural. In English, we frequently drop the word 'some' (saying 'I am taking mortadella'), but Italian strongly prefers using the partitive article (del, della, etc.) whenever you are referring to an indefinite quantity of an uncountable noun.
I am not familiar with the word etto. Is this common to use in Italy?
Is prendo the standard verb to use when ordering at a deli counter?