Italian Phrase
Devo pagare il dazio su questo?
Meaning
The sentence asks whether the speaker is required to pay customs duty on a particular item. It is a polite, slightly formal way to confirm a possible extra charge when importing goods or when an officer is checking luggage.
When to use
Use this question at a customs desk, when a courier asks about fees, or when you’re unsure whether an imported product carries a tariff. It works both in spoken conversation and in written inquiries to customs agencies.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Devopagareildaziosuquesto?
Dovere (devo)
‘Devo’ is the first‑person singular present of the modal verb ‘dovere’, used to express obligation or necessity.
Infinitive after ‘dovere’
When ‘dovere’ is followed by another verb, that verb stays in the infinitive form (e.g., ‘pagare’).
Definite article ‘il’
‘Il’ is the masculine singular definite article used before a consonant‑starting noun like ‘dazio’.
Noun ‘dazio’
‘Dazio’ means ‘customs duty’ or ‘tariff’; it is a masculine singular noun.
Preposition ‘su’
‘Su’ can mean ‘on’, ‘about’, or ‘for’; here it links the duty to the specific item.
Demonstrative ‘questo’
‘Questo’ is a masculine singular demonstrative pronoun meaning ‘this’ and agrees with the implied noun (e.g., ‘oggetto’).
🗨In Conversation
Devo pagare il dazio su questo?
Do I have to pay the duty on this?
Sì, per questo articolo il dazio è del 12 %.
Yes, for this item the duty is 12 %.
✕Common Mistakes
Devo di pagare il dazio su questo?
‘Dovere’ does not need the preposition ‘di’ before an infinitive.
Devo pagare il dazio per questo?
The more common preposition with ‘dazio’ is ‘per’, not ‘su’, when referring to the item being taxed.
Devo pagare la dazio su questo?
In informal speech some speakers say ‘la tassa’, but ‘dazio’ is the correct term for customs duty.
↔Alternatives
Devo pagare la tassa su questo?
Do I have to pay the tax on this?
È necessario pagare il dazio per questo?
Is it necessary to pay the duty for this?
Devo versare il dazio su questo articolo?
Do I need to remit the duty on this article?
Cultural Tip
In Italy, customs duties are collected by the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli. The amount depends on the product’s classification and origin. When speaking to officials, keep a polite tone and use ‘per favore’ or ‘grazie’ – the phrase above is already courteous, but adding ‘per favore’ (e.g., ‘Devo pagare il dazio su questo, per favore?’) can make it sound even more respectful. Remember that in some southern regions people may use ‘tassa’ instead of ‘dazio’ in everyday speech.