Italian Phrase
Sono 10 sterline.
Meaning
The sentence means ‘It costs ten pounds.’ It is the standard way to state a price in British pounds when speaking Italian.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are telling someone the price of an item, a service, or a ticket that is priced in British pounds – for example in a shop, a restaurant, or while traveling in the UK.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Sono10sterline
Essere (sono)
The verb ‘essere’ in the 3rd person singular present is used to state price, time, or identity (e.g., ‘Sono 10 sterline’ = ‘It is 10 pounds’).
Numeral agreement
When a numeral is followed by a plural noun, the verb stays singular (sono) because the subject is the amount, not the items.
Sterlina (feminine)
‘Sterlina’ is a feminine noun; its plural is ‘sterline’. Adjectives and articles must agree in gender and number.
🗨In Conversation
Quanto costa questo libro?
How much does this book cost?
Sono 10 sterline.
It’s ten pounds.
✕Common Mistakes
È 10 sterline.
‘È’ is singular and does not agree with the plural noun ‘sterline’; use ‘Sono’ instead.
Sono 10 sterlina.
‘Sterlina’ is singular; the correct plural form is ‘sterline’.
↔Alternatives
Costano dieci sterline.
They cost ten pounds.
Il prezzo è dieci sterline.
The price is ten pounds.
Sono dieci libbre.
It’s ten pounds.
Cultural Tip
In Italy, people often refer to the British currency as ‘sterline’ (feminine) rather than the literal translation ‘libbre’. When speaking about money, keep the verb ‘sono’ even though the noun is plural, because the subject is the amount, not the items themselves. In informal speech you may also hear ‘dieci libbre’, which is a direct borrowing from English.