Italian Phrase
Tieni le ricevute e le fatture.
Meaning
This is an informal singular command telling someone to keep (or retain) both the receipts and the invoices. It is often used in a workplace or personal finance context where documentation is required for accounting or tax purposes.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need a colleague, employee, or a friend to hold onto financial documents—e.g., before a tax audit, when filing expense reports, or simply to keep records organized.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Tienilericevuteelefatture
Imperativo di 'tenere'
‘Tieni’ è la forma imperativa (tu) del verbo ‘tenere’, usata per dare un ordine o un consiglio diretto.
Articolo determinativo femminile plurale
‘le’ è l’articolo determinativo femminile plurale, concorda con ‘ricevute’ e ‘fatture’.
Congiunzione ‘e’
‘e’ collega due sostantivi, equivalente a ‘and’ in inglese.
Nomi femminili plurali
‘ricevute’ e ‘fatture’ sono sostantivi femminili plurali; la desinenza -e indica il plurale.
🗨In Conversation
Tieni le ricevute e le fatture.
Keep the receipts and the invoices.
Certo, le metto in ordine subito.
Sure, I’ll file them right away.
✕Common Mistakes
Tieniti le ricevute e le fatture.
‘Tieniti’ is reflexive and means ‘hold yourself’, not ‘keep the documents’. Use ‘Tieni’ for the direct command.
Tieni i ricevuti e i fatturi.
‘i’ is the masculine plural article; receipts and invoices are feminine, so the correct article is ‘le’.
Tieni le ricevuti e le fatture.
The noun is ‘ricevute’ (feminine plural). ‘Ricevuti’ is the masculine form and does not match the article.
↔Alternatives
Conserva le ricevute e le fatture.
Preserve the receipts and the invoices.
Salva le ricevute e le fatture.
Save the receipts and the invoices.
Metti da parte le ricevute e le fatture.
Set aside the receipts and the invoices.
Cultural Tip
In Italy, keeping receipts (ricevute) and invoices (fatture) is crucial for tax deductions and for proving expenses to the Agenzia delle Entrate. Many businesses request these documents before reimbursing employees. Note that ‘tenere’ is informal; in a formal setting you would say ‘Tenga le ricevute e le fatture.’