Different words for bags in Italian

By Sigrid Lee

When you buy something in a shop in Italy, one question you might get is whether you would like a bag. But if you think the only word for bag is un sacchetto (the diminutive of un sacco), you're mistaken. Of course, people will understand you if you ask for un sacchetto, but you might hear other words, as well. These can vary according to region or personal preference. So let's take a look.

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First of all, let's look at sacco and sacchetto.

Ma che stai comprando un sacco di patate?

But what, are you buying a sack of potatoes?

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It's good to know that while un sacco can mean a literal sack — containing something like potatoes, potting soil, animal feed, charcoal, kindling, etc., the noun un sacco is commonly used in a figurative sense to mean "a whole lot." It's used for things as well as situations or feelings.

Ti ho appena fatto riparare e ho anche speso un sacco di soldi.

I just had you repaired and I even spent a bunch of money.

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Io mi sto divertendo un sacco.

I'm having a lot of fun.

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Ciao, scusami, io ho visto un sacco di gente.

Hi, excuse me, I've seen a whole lot of people.

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And now we come to sacchetto.

Ho pulito la pistola dalle impronte, l'ho messa in un sacchetto di plastica insieme al proiettile

I cleaned the handgun of fingerprints, I put it in a plastic bag together with the bullet,

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In certain parts of Italy, such as Emilia-Romagna, un sacchetto is a paper bag, but una sportina is a plastic bag. And nowadays, bags are not free in supermarkets and many shops.

Here is another word for "bag," the kind of bag you will get in a shop or supermarket. It generally refers to a rather small bag.

Vuole una busta?

Do you want a bag?

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Busta is an interesting word because busta is also "envelope." But it also refers to a bag, either plastic or paper. If the bag is small, it might be referred to as una bustina. But bustina can also refer to a packet, such as for dried yeast, or tea bags: una bustina di tè.

Duecentocinquanta grammi di farina, io vi consiglio di usare lo zero, una bustina di lievito per dolci,

Two hundred and fifty grams of flour, I advise you to use "zero," one packet of baking powder for desserts,

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The noun borsa has various meanings, including handbag, bag, stock exchange (with a capital B), and scholarship (borsa di studio).

Dammi la mia borsa, subito. Non è tua, è di mamma.

Give me my bag, right now. It's not yours, it's Mom's.

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Instead of saying either valigia or bagaglio, it's common to use le borse, similarly to English.

Datemi le borse così me le porto in albergo. -Ah, sì, sì e il casco.

Give me your bags, that way I will take them to the hotel. -Ah, yes, yes, and the helmet.

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Le borse can also mean, generally, all the shopping bags you bring home from the supermarket.

A man, instead of carrying a handbag, might carry un borsello. It's usually a tracolla (with a shoulder strap).

Se hai smarrito un borsello, l'abbiamo trovato noi, ma è vuoto. Se lo vuoi, te lo vieni a riprendere, sennò lo buttiamo.

If you lost a shoulder bag, we found it, but it's empty. If you want it, come and get it, otherwise, we'll throw it out.

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When you do sports or go to the gym, you might have un borsone for your change of clothes.

Solo Massimo, l'autore del gol, se ne sta davanti alla sua macchina nel parcheggio a cercare nel borsone il caricabatterie.

Only Massimo, the author of the goal, is standing in front of his car in the parking lot, looking in his duffel bag for his battery charger.

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The closest cognate to "baggage" is bagaglio, so it's easy to remember.

Ma tutto qui il tuo bagaglio? No, no, no, il resto arriverà.

But is this all your luggage? No, no, no, the rest will come.

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Some English speakers use the French word "valise" for "suitcase." "Valise" is a cognate of valigia.

Aiutami a chiudere 'sta [questa] valigia, va'.

Help me shut this suitcase, come on.

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Una valigetta could be a small suitcase, but it commonly refers to a briefcase.

Sei riuscita a vedere che c'è nella valigetta? Un mucchio di soldi. Dobbiamo agire al più presto, OK?

Did you manage to see what's in the briefcase? A bunch of money. We have to act as soon as possible, OK?

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Thanks for reading. Perhaps we've given you more than you wanted or needed to know about bags, but you can pick the words you think you might need. If you search a word on the videos page and look at the list of instances of it, you'll get a feel for how these words are used in Italian. Write to us at [email protected].