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A1 ItalianBilingual ReaderDaily Life

La Gita al Mercato

It's Saturday morning and Sofia goes to the market with her mom and her brother Luca. Sofia has a shopping list a meter long, full of colorful drawings.

Illustration for the A1 story "La Gita al Mercato": A child's shopping list turns a routine errand into a negotiation with every vendor at the Roman market.

What you'll learn

  • 1-minute story
  • Native narration
  • 6 useful words
  • 5 comprehension questions

Then shadow

Borrow the narrator’s rhythm

Pause after this line and repeat it aloud without translating. Aim for three clean repetitions.

1Listen first

Hear the whole story

Native Italian narration of this exact text. Keep the transcript visible on the first pass.

0:00–:––
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2Then shadow

È sabato mattina e Sofia va al mercato con la sua mamma e il fratello Luca.

Warm-up vocabulary

Preview 1 optional words before reading
l'anguria
watermelon
“L'anguria è fresca.”

Your Italian story

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1 min read

È sabato mattina e Sofia va al con la sua mamma e il fratello Luca. Sofia ha una lista della spesa lunga un metro, piena di disegni colorati. Davanti alla c'è una signora che grida: "Pesce fresco, oggi!" Luca tira la mamma per la maglia. "Mamma, io voglio vedere i pesci!" Sofia controlla e dice: "Prima e le zucchine, poi i pesci." Al della frutta, Luca sorride e chiede: "Quanto costa un chilo di mele?" Il venditore risponde: "Due euro, piccolo. Per te, un euro e cinquanta!" Sofia guarda la mamma. "Mamma, costano poco. Possiamo comprarle?" La mamma ride e dice di sì. Luca sceglie anche un' enorme per dopo pranzo. Tornano a casa con le borse piene. "Che bella al mercato!" dice Sofia. "E domani si ricomincia!"

Show full English translation

It's Saturday morning and Sofia goes to the market with her mom and her brother Luca. Sofia has a shopping list a meter long, full of colorful drawings. In front of the fish shop there is a woman who shouts: "Fresh fish today!" Luca pulls mom by the shirt. "Mom, I want to see the fish!" Sofia checks the list and says: "First the carrots and zucchinis, then the fish." At the fruit stall, Luca smiles and asks: "How much is a kilo of apples?" The seller answers: "Two euros, little one. For you, one euro and fifty!" Sofia looks at mom. "Mom, strawberries cost little. Can we buy them?" Mom laughs and says yes. Luca also picks an enormous watermelon for after lunch. They return home with full bags. "What a nice trip to the market!" says Sofia. "And tomorrow we start again!"

Reading Comprehension Exercise

A1 Italian Reading Comprehension Exercises

1. Where do Sofia and her family go on Saturday morning?

2. What does Sofia have in her hand?

3. What does Luca want to see first?

4. How much does a kilo of apples cost for Luca?

5. What does Luca choose for after lunch?

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