Italian Phrase
Prendi i tuoi contanti e la tua carta.
Meaning
A direct instruction meaning ‘Take your cash and your card.’ It is often used when someone is about to leave a place, after a transaction, or when reminding a traveler to keep both items together.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to tell someone to pick up or keep both their money and their card, for example at an ATM, a checkout counter, or when handing over belongings before a trip.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Prendiituoicontantielatuacarta
Imperative (prendere)
‘Prendi’ is the second‑person singular imperative of the verb *prendere* (to take). It is used for direct commands or instructions.
Possessive adjectives
‘i tuoi’ and ‘la tua’ agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify (masculine plural *contanti* and feminine singular *carta*).
Contanti
*Contanti* is the standard Italian word for cash (coins and banknotes).
Carta
*Carta* can refer to a credit/debit card, a ticket, or any flat card; context usually makes it clear.
Coordinating conjunction ‘e’
‘e’ simply links two noun phrases, equivalent to English ‘and’.
🗨In Conversation
Ecco il tuo scontrino. Prendi i tuoi contanti e la tua carta.
Here’s your receipt. Take your cash and your card.
Grazie! Li metto subito nella borsa.
Thanks! I’ll put them in my bag right away.
✕Common Mistakes
Prendi i tuoi soldi e le tue carte.
‘Soldi’ is acceptable, but ‘carte’ is plural; the original phrase refers to a single card.
Prendi i tuo contanti e la tua carta.
Possessive adjectives must agree in gender and number: ‘i tuoi contanti’, not ‘i tuo contanti’.
↔Alternatives
Ritira i tuoi soldi e la tua carta.
Withdraw your money and your card.
Prendi i contanti e la carta che hai.
Take the cash and the card you have.
Porta con te i contanti e la carta.
Bring your cash and your card with you.
Cultural Tip
In Italy, ‘contanti’ is the everyday term for cash, while ‘carta’ usually implies a credit or debit card unless the context specifies otherwise (e.g., ‘carta del treno’). When speaking to strangers or in formal settings, you might prefer the more neutral ‘ritiri’ instead of the informal ‘prendi’. Also, Italians often keep cash and cards together in a small wallet called a *portafoglio*.