# comprare qualcosa da qualcuno



## macta123

Hi,

 I don't know Italian as such. I am learning French.

 There we use *acheter quelqu'chose à quelqu'un (to buy something from someone).*

So, I was wondering which preposition is used in Italian and why? (da or a) # Since both are of Latin origin!


----------



## raffaella

Hi, I am afraid "acheter quelquechose A quelqu'un" means FOR/TO someone and not FROM. 
So here are your aptions:

To buy something from someone (he sold something to you)> Comperare /comprare qualcosa *da *qualcuno

To buy something for someone (you are buying a present)> 
Comperare/comprare qualcosa *per/a* qualcuno.


I hope this helps,

Raffaella


----------



## macta123

But in French *à* is used for both to and from - when we say  *buy* _from someone_


----------



## raffaella

Can you please give a specific example? 
I don't think I am familiar with this use of à=from. Are you buying from a person, in a shop...

Raffaella


----------



## macta123

From a person

   In French it is quite like that

acheter qqch à qqn => Can be from (in on context) and to (in other)


----------



## raffaella

I got that, can you write two examples showing the different meaning so that I can give you the Italian equivalent?


----------



## robbie_SWE

*



acheter quelque chose à quelqu'un (to buy something from someone).

Click to expand...

* 
If you were to buy something from someone, I would rather say: 

_acheter qqch de qqn. (buy something from someone )_

_acheter qqch. à/pour qqn. (buy something for somebody)_

The same rule applies to all the Latin languages, the ones that I know anyway. 

Go check it out if you don't believe me or let a native take a look! 

 robbie


----------



## Outsider

robbie_SWE said:


> If you were to but something from someone, I would rather say:
> 
> _acheter qqch de qqn. (buy something from someone )_
> 
> _acheter qqch. à/pour qqn. (buy something for somebody)_
> 
> The same rule applies to all the Latin languages, the ones that I know anyway.


Not to all.


----------



## robbie_SWE

Outsider said:


> Not to all.


 
Ok, you intrigue me Outsider. How is it in Portuguese?? Obviously French and Italian have similar sentences. Here's Romanian: 

_*a cumpăra ceva de la cineva*_
 
_*a cumpăra ceva pentru cineva*_
 
 robbie


----------



## Outsider

In Portuguese, _"Comprar algo a alguém"_ is ambivalent. It can mean to buy something _for_ someone, or to buy something _from_ someone. 
We never say _comprar de_ in Portugal (I'm not sure about Brazil). We do say _comprar para_, which means "to buy for".


----------



## raffaella

Okay, the only way I can think of using the French "à" meaning "from" is if it is used to indicate possession not origin. 
For example:

J'ai acheté un des chapeaux à Paul > J'ai acheté un des chapeaux qui sont à Paul

That would be:

"Ho comprato uno dei cappelli di Paul" > I bought one of Paul's hats.

But it still sounds weird. I hope the original poster will come up with an enlightening example because I couldn't do better than this...

Raffaella


----------



## macta123

It is .... *à qqn ...  *in both the cases. It is ambivalent as in Portugese.

Now why is this ambivalance?


----------



## robbie_SWE

macta123 said:


> It is .... *à qqn ... *in both the cases. It is ambivalent as in Portugese.
> 
> Now why is this ambivalance?


 
Sorry, but it doesn't seem to add upp. I don't think that "*à*" can be used to mean "_from_", except in this situation; "_quant à moi_". 

 robbie


----------



## Outsider

Macta is right, though: acheter qqch à qqn.


----------



## jazyk

> In Portuguese, _"Comprar algo a alguém"_ is ambivalent. It can mean to buy something _for_ someone, or to buy something _from_ someone.
> We never say _comprar de_ in Portugal (I'm not sure about Brazil). We do say _comprar para_, which means "to buy for".


Only in literary texts can you find comprar algo a alguem meaning to buy something from someone.  In daily life, we say comprar algo de alguem = to buy something from someone and comprar algo para alguem = to buy something for someone.


----------

