How to Ask 'Is This Fresh?' and 'When Was This Picked?' in Italian
Learn to ask about freshness and picking dates in Italian using è fresco, appena raccolto, quando è stato raccolto and related questions for markets and shops.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you buy fruit, vegetables, fish or cheese in Italy, freshness questions get you better food and friendlier service. This lesson teaches two core questions: 'Is this fresh?' and 'When was this picked?' You will learn the key adjective fresco, the verb raccogliere (to pick or harvest), and the passato prossimo structure è stato raccolto. You will also practise polite openers such as scusi and per favore, so your questions sound natural rather than blunt. All examples use standard contemporary Italian, with regional notes where usage differs.
By the end, you can…
- ask whether a fruit, vegetable or other product is fresh.
- ask when a product was picked or harvested.
- understand and use the answer forms è fresco, è stata raccolta and appena raccolto.
- ask these questions politely in a market, greengrocer's or shop.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
È fresco?
Is it fresh?
eh FREH-skoh
Use for a masculine singular item, such as un pesce (a fish) or un formaggio (a cheese). The question mark does not change pronunciation; let your voice rise at the end. In speech, the noun often comes after the adjective: È fresco, il pesce?
È fresca?
Is it fresh?
eh FREH-skah
Use for a feminine singular item, such as una mela (an apple) or l'insalata (the salad). Italian adjectives agree with the noun, so fresco becomes fresca here.
Sono freschi?
Are they fresh?
SOH-noh FREH-skee
Use for a masculine plural group, such as i pomodori (the tomatoes) or i funghi (the mushrooms). For an all-feminine plural group, say Sono fresche? (SOH-noh FREH-skeh).
Quando è stato raccolto?
When was it picked?
KWAHN-doh eh STAH-toh rahk-KOHL-toh
Use for a masculine singular item, such as un limone (a lemon). This is the passive form with the passato prossimo of raccogliere; raccolto agrees with the item.
Quando è stata raccolta?
When was it picked?
KWAHN-doh eh STAH-tah rahk-KOHL-tah
Use for a feminine singular item, such as l'uva (the grapes) or una pesca (a peach). The ending changes to stata raccolta to agree with the feminine noun.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is È + adjective or participle? For freshness, use è fresco for masculine singular and è fresca for feminine singular. For picking, use è stato raccolto for masculine singular and è stata raccolta for feminine singular. Examples: È fresco questo pesce? (Is this fish fresh?), È fresca questa mela? (Is this apple fresh?), Quando è stata raccolta l'uva? (When were the grapes picked?). In speech, Italians often put the noun at the end for emphasis: È fresco, il pesce?
When to use it
Use È fresco? or È fresca? in markets, greengrocer's shops, fishmongers and small food shops. Use Quando è stato raccolto? or Quando è stata raccolta? mainly for produce that has a harvest date, such as fruit, vegetables, olives or grapes. For fish, a more natural question is È fresco o surgelato? (Is it fresh or frozen?). For cheese, ask È fresco o stagionato? (Is it fresh or aged?). Add per favore or scusi to soften the question: Scusi, è fresco? (Excuse me, is it fresh?).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Buongiorno, scusi. Queste pesche sono fresche?
Good morning, excuse me. Are these peaches fresh?bwohn-JOHR-noh, SKOO-zee. KWEH-steh PEH-skeh SOH-noh FREH-skehSì, sono freschissime. Sono arrivate stamattina.
Yes, they are very fresh. They arrived this morning.see, SOH-noh freh-SKEES-see-meh. SOH-noh ahr-ree-VAH-teh stah-maht-TEE-nahBenissimo. E quando sono state raccolte?
Great. And when were they picked?beh-NEES-see-moh. eh KWAHN-doh SOH-noh STAH-teh rahk-KOHL-tehSono state raccolte ieri, qui in campagna.
They were picked yesterday, here in the countryside.SOH-noh STAH-teh rahk-KOHL-teh YEH-ree, kwee een kahm-PAH-nyahA little context goes a long way
In Italy, freshness questions are normal and usually welcome in markets and small shops, especially at greengrocers, fishmongers and local producers. A direct È fresco? is not rude when said with a polite scusi or per favore. In large supermarkets, staff may not know the harvest date and may point to a label instead. Regional food culture matters: in southern markets, vendors often invite you to taste before buying, while in northern cities, packaged produce may carry a date. Always match the adjective ending to the noun you are asking about.
One thing to watch for
Using È fresco? for every item, including feminine nouns such as una mela or l'insalata.
Try this instead: Italian adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun. Say È fresca? for una mela (an apple) or l'insalata (the salad), and Sono fresche? for le mele (the apples). For picking, say Quando è stata raccolta? for a feminine singular item such as l'uva, not Quando è stato raccolto?
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask 'Is this apple fresh?' using the correct adjective form?
Show a sample answer
È fresca questa mela?
Mela is feminine singular, so fresco becomes fresca. You could also say Questa mela è fresca? with the same meaning.
2How do you ask 'When were the grapes picked?'
Show a sample answer
Quando è stata raccolta l'uva?
Uva is feminine singular, so the passive form is è stata raccolta. Quando sono state raccolte le uve? is also possible if you treat uve as plural.
3A shopkeeper says Sono freschissime. What does that mean?
Show a sample answer
They are very fresh.
Freschissime is the absolute superlative of fresche, meaning 'very fresh'. The ending -issime shows feminine plural agreement.
Ask È fresco? or È fresca? for freshness, and Quando è stato raccolto? or Quando è stata raccolta? for picking. Match the ending to the noun's gender and number, and add scusi or per favore to stay polite.
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s Italian into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr