SpeeekDownload on the App Store
Back to Job Interview

Italian Phrase

Ho dato un'occhiata agli stipendi del settore.

/o ˈda.to un.oˈkjɑ.ta aʎ ˈstiːˈpen.di del setˈto.re/
Meaning"I took a look at the sector's salaries."
💡

Meaning

The speaker is saying that they have taken a look at the salaries typical for a given industry or sector. It implies a brief review of salary data rather than an in‑depth analysis.

🎯

When to use

Use this sentence when you have just consulted salary reports, job ads, or statistical tables and want to mention that you have checked the pay levels in a particular field. It works in both informal conversations with colleagues and more formal discussions about compensation.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Hodatoun'occhiataaglistipendidelsettore

1

Present perfect with avere

‘Ho dato’ is the passato prossimo of ‘dare’ formed with the auxiliary ‘avere’; it expresses a completed action in the recent past.

2

Un'occhiata

The noun ‘occhiata’ (a look) is preceded by the indefinite article ‘una’, which elides to ‘un’ before the vowel‑initial word.

3

Preposition + article contraction (agli)

‘a’ + ‘gli’ contracts to ‘agli’, used before masculine plural nouns such as ‘stipendi’.

4

Preposition + article contraction (del)

‘di’ + ‘il’ contracts to ‘del’, meaning ‘of the’, and introduces the noun ‘settore’.

5

Plural noun ‘stipendi’

‘Stipendi’ is the plural of ‘stipendio’, meaning ‘salary’ or ‘wage’.

🗨In Conversation

A

Hai già controllato i salari del tuo campo?

Have you already checked the salaries in your field?

Sì, ho dato un'occhiata agli stipendi del settore.

Yes, I took a look at the sector's salaries.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Ho dato un'occhiata a gli stipendi del settore.

    The preposition ‘a’ and article ‘gli’ must be contracted to ‘agli’.

  • Ho dato un'occhiata sugli stipendi del settore.

    ‘Sugli’ (su + gli) changes the meaning to ‘on the salaries’; the correct preposition for ‘to look at’ is ‘a’.

  • Ho dato un'occhiata gli stipendi del settore.

    You need the indirect object ‘agli stipendi del settore’; omitting ‘agli’ makes the sentence ungrammatical.

↔Alternatives

  • Ho controllato i salari del settore.

    I checked the sector's salaries.

  • Mi sono informato sugli stipendi del settore.

    I informed myself about the sector's salaries.

  • Ho esaminato le retribuzioni del settore.

    I examined the sector's remuneration.

it

Cultural Tip

In Italy, talking about money can be sensitive, so speakers often use softer expressions like ‘dare un'occhiata’ instead of directly saying ‘ho controllato i salari’. Also, ‘stipendi’ is more common in formal or business contexts, while ‘salari’ is used colloquially, especially in the north.