acquistare generi alimentari

/ak.kwiˈsta.re ˈdʒɛ.ni a.li.menˈta.ri/

buy groceries

Vado a acquistare generi alimentari al supermercato.

I'm going to buy groceries at the supermarket.

neutral

To purchase food items and household necessities typically sold in supermarkets or grocery stores.

Dopo il lavoro acquistiamo sempre generi alimentari per la settimana.

After work, we always buy groceries for the week.

Non ho tempo di acquistare generi alimentari oggi.

I don't have time to buy groceries today.

The phrase refers specifically to food and basic household items (e.g., pasta, milk, cleaning products) rather than luxury or non-essential goods.

Collocations

acquistare generi di prima necessitàbuy essential goodsacquistare generi alimentari onlinebuy groceries onlinelista dei generi alimentarigrocery list

Synonyms

fare la spesa comprare generi alimentari

Antonyms

vendere generi alimentari buttare via generi alimentari

Related Phrases

fare la spesaphrase

to do grocery shopping (colloquial)

lista della spesaphrase

shopping list

mercato rionalephrase

local market

Pro Tip

Common Mistake to Avoid

Do not confuse 'acquistare generi alimentari' with 'acquistare cibo' (to buy food). The former implies purchasing a variety of food items and basic household necessities, while the latter is more general and could refer to buying a single food item.

Gold Rule

When to Use This Phrase

Use 'acquistare generi alimentari' when referring to routine shopping for food and basic household items, especially in formal or written contexts (e.g., meal planning, budgeting, or discussing grocery habits). For casual conversation, 'fare la spesa' is more common.

Word Origin

The phrase combines 'acquistare' (from Latin 'acquistare', meaning 'to acquire') and 'generi alimentari' (from Latin 'alimentum', meaning 'food'). 'Generi' is the plural of 'genere' (type/kind), and 'alimentari' is an adjective derived from 'alimento' (food). The phrase has been used in Italian since at least the mid-20th century to describe routine food shopping.

Usage Notes

The phrase is commonly used in everyday Italian to describe the act of shopping for food and basic household items. It is more formal than 'fare la spesa' (which is the most common colloquial term) but less formal than 'approvvigionarsi' (to stock up). The phrase is often used in contexts like meal planning, budgeting, or discussing grocery shopping habits.

Word Breakdown

acquistare

to buy/acquire

verb

generi

kinds/types

noun

alimentari

food-related

adjective

Dizionario Italiano-Inglese

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