In Italy, un etto means 100 grams, due etti means 200 grams, and mezzo chilo means 500 grams. These are ordinary quantities at supermarket deli counters, neighborhood alimentari, cheese shops, butchers, and market stalls. The key to ordering food by weight in Italy is knowing that Italians often speak in etti rather than saying every quantity in grams.
You do not need much Italian. Point to the product, say “Vorrei due etti di quello, per favore”, and the person behind the counter will weigh it, show or tell you the amount, and usually ask whether the quantity is acceptable if the cut runs slightly over.
What Un Etto Actually Means
Etto is the everyday abbreviation of ettogrammo, or hectogram. One hectogram equals 100 grams, as confirmed by the Treccani Italian dictionary. The plural changes from etto to etti.
- un etto = 100 g
- un etto e mezzo = 150 g
- due etti = 200 g
- due etti e mezzo = 250 g
- tre etti = 300 g
- mezzo chilo = 500 g
- un chilo = 1 kg
You can always use grams instead. “Duecento grammi di prosciutto” is perfectly understandable. It simply sounds a little more literal than “due etti di prosciutto”, which is extremely natural counter language.
The Safest Phrase to Use at the Counter
The easiest construction is:
Vorrei + quantity + di + food.
For example:
- Vorrei un etto di prosciutto crudo, per favore. = I would like 100 g of prosciutto crudo, please.
- Vorrei due etti di mortadella. = I would like 200 g of mortadella.
- Vorrei mezzo chilo di parmigiano. = I would like half a kilo of Parmesan.
- Vorrei due etti e mezzo di pecorino. = I would like 250 g of pecorino.
Vorrei is a useful traveler’s default because it is polite and works almost everywhere. You may also hear Italians say “Mi dà due etti di…” or “Mi fa un etto di…”. Both are normal ways of asking the person serving you for a quantity.
If you cannot identify the product by name, pointing is fine:
“Vorrei due etti di quello, per favore.”
“I’d like 200 grams of that, please.”
What Actually Happens at an Italian Deli Counter
At a staffed supermarket counter marked salumeria, gastronomia, formaggi, or sometimes simply banco servito, first look for a ticket dispenser. Signs may say “Prendi il numero” or “Ritira il numero”. Take a numbered ticket if other customers are holding them. An electronic display or member of staff will call the next number.
Once it is your turn, the exchange is normally very short:
- Say which product you want.
- Give the quantity.
- Specify how it should be sliced or cut if that matters.
- Confirm the final weight if the server asks.
- Say “Basta così, grazie” when you have finished ordering.
You may hear “Che cosa desidera?”, meaning “What would you like?”, followed later by “Altro?”, meaning “Anything else?”
“Basta così, grazie” means “That’s all, thank you.” It is one of the handiest phrases to know because it clearly tells the server your order is finished.
Do Not Expect the Scale to Land on Exactly 200 Grams
Sliced meat and chunks of cheese rarely hit the requested quantity perfectly. You might ask for 200 grams and end up with 208 or 215 grams.
The server may look at the scale and ask:
“Va bene così?”
“Is this okay?”
For most shoppers, a small difference is normal. Say “Sì, va bene” if you are happy with it.
If you genuinely need the amount not to exceed a limit, perhaps because you are preparing a recipe or buying only what you can eat before leaving your accommodation, be explicit:
“Non più di duecento grammi, per favore.”
“No more than 200 grams, please.”
If there is too much, “Un po’ meno, per favore” means “A little less, please.” If you want more, say “Un po’ di più.”
How to Read Prices Per Etto and Per Kilo
Price labels are where travelers sometimes make an expensive mistake. A number beside prosciutto or cheese may be the price for 100 grams, not the price for the entire piece.
Look for wording such as:
- €/etto or all’etto = price per 100 g
- €/kg or al kg = price per kilogram
- hg = hectogram, another way of representing 100 g
If a prosciutto is €3.20 per etto and you order two etti, 200 grams will cost roughly €6.40. The final amount changes slightly if the actual cut is a little heavier or lighter.
This is common at staffed fresh-food counters. Prepacked products elsewhere in the supermarket normally have their total package price and weight printed directly on the label.
For a broader explanation of grocery-store conventions, produce scales, bags, and Italian supermarket formats, see our guide to shopping in Italy.
Prosciutto and Salumi: Ask for the Slice You Want
With cured meats, quantity is only half the order. You can also indicate how you want the meat sliced.
- tagliato sottile = sliced thinly
- molto sottile = very thin
- non troppo sottile = not too thin
- a fette = in slices
A useful complete order is:
“Vorrei un etto e mezzo di prosciutto crudo, tagliato sottile, per favore.”
That gets you 150 grams of thinly sliced prosciutto crudo.
If the staff member holds up the first slice and asks “Così va bene?”, they are usually checking the thickness. You can answer “Sì, perfetto”, or ask for it “più sottile” or “più spesso”.
Cheese Is Often Ordered by Weight Too
At a cheese counter, saying mezzo chilo may be more convenient than counting five etti, particularly for a substantial wedge of Parmigiano Reggiano, pecorino, or another firm cheese.
If you want a chunk rather than slices, “un pezzo” means “a piece.” For example:
“Vorrei un pezzo di parmigiano, circa tre etti.”
“I’d like a piece of Parmesan, about 300 grams.”
The word circa, meaning “approximately,” is particularly useful with cheese because a natural wedge may not divide neatly at exactly the requested weight.
If you are assembling lunches or buying groceries during a Rome stay, the same counter vocabulary appears throughout supermarkets and neighborhood shops covered in our Rome grocery shopping guide.
Other Foods You May Buy This Way
The etto system is not limited to prosciutto. Depending on the shop or market stall, you may order by weight when buying:
- salami, mortadella, bresaola, speck, and other salumi
- cheese
- olives and prepared antipasti
- fresh pasta
- meat from a macelleria
- some bakery products and sweets
- bulk foods sold from a counter
The exact selling method depends on the business. Some products are priced by weight, others by piece, tray, portion, or package. Look at the price label before ordering rather than assuming everything behind a counter is sold by the etto.
Fruit and Vegetables Use a Different Routine
Do not confuse deli-counter ordering with supermarket produce. Fruit and vegetables are normally priced per kilogram, and the weighing procedure varies by store.
In some supermarkets you put the produce in a bag, note the product number, place the bag on a self-service scale, select the correct item, and attach the printed price sticker. In others, the weighing happens at checkout or is handled by staff.
If you see scales among the produce aisles and other shoppers are sticking labels onto bags, weigh yours before going to the checkout. Turning up at the till with an unlabelled bag is a common tourist mistake and can mean walking back to the produce section.
What to Say If You Have No Idea How Much You Need
You do not have to guess a number. If you are buying cheese or salumi for sandwiches, you can explain what you are doing and let the server suggest an amount.
“È per due persone.”
“It’s for two people.”
“Quanto mi consiglia?”
“How much do you recommend?”
You can also ask:
“Quanto sono due etti?”
“How much is 200 grams?”
The person serving you can place the product on the scale, and you can decide from there. This is particularly useful when buying something bulky such as mozzarella or a wedge of cheese, where 200 grams may look quite different from 200 grams of paper-thin prosciutto.
A Few Counter Words Worth Recognizing
- salumeria = deli counter or shop specializing in cured meats and related foods
- gastronomia = prepared-food/delicatessen counter
- formaggi = cheeses
- affettati = sliced cured meats
- macelleria = butcher or meat counter
- peso = weight
- al chilo / al kg = per kilogram
- all’etto = per 100 grams
- circa = approximately
- altro? = anything else?
- basta così = that’s all
If you are fitting market stops and grocery runs around trains, museums, and several cities, you can also organize the rest of your Italy trip while keeping practical errands close to the day’s route.
Common Mistakes That Are Easy to Avoid
Thinking one etto means one kilo: it does not. One etto is only 100 grams. If you accidentally ask for un chilo instead of un etto, you have ordered ten times as much.
Reading an all’etto price as the total price: check the unit beside the number. A premium cured meat that looks surprisingly cheap may simply be displaying its price per 100 grams.
Using etto for everything in the supermarket: it is everyday language at counters, but packaged foods, drinks, produce, and many other items follow their own pricing systems.
Waiting without taking a number: at busy supermarket counters, the queue may be controlled by numbered tickets even when nobody appears to be standing in a formal line.
Panicking when the scale goes slightly over: an approximate final weight is normal with sliced or hand-cut food. The server will often give you the chance to approve it before wrapping the item.
Forgetting the plural: it is un etto but due etti. Even if you say it incorrectly, you will almost certainly be understood, but this is an easy bit of Italian to get right.
The Four Quantities Most Travelers Actually Need
If you remember nothing else at the counter, remember these:
- un etto: 100 g
- due etti: 200 g
- tre etti: 300 g
- mezzo chilo: 500 g
Add “Vorrei…” before the quantity and “per favore” after the food, and you have a perfectly functional Italian deli order. When the server asks “Va bene così?”, check the scale, say “Sì, va bene”, and you are done.