Come si arriva? Chiedere indicazioni in italiano
Asking for directions · a free Italian immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Mi scusi, potrebbe dirmi dov'è la stazione?
Excuse me, could you tell me where the train station is?
Literal Me excuse-me, could tell-me where-is the station?
A polite way to stop a stranger and ask for help. 'Mi scusi' is the formal excuse me, and 'potrebbe' (conditional of potere) makes the request especially courteous.
- 'Mi scusi' uses the formal Lei imperative of 'scusare'
- 'Potrebbe' is the conditional of 'potere', used for polite requests
- 'Dov'è' = dove + è, asking about the location of something
Vada sempre dritto fino al semaforo.
Go straight ahead until the traffic light.
Literal Go always straight until to-the traffic-light.
'Vada' is the polite Lei imperative of 'andare'. 'Sempre dritto' means keep going straight without turning. 'Fino al' means 'up to/until the'.
- 'Vada' = Lei imperative of 'andare' (to go)
- 'Fino al' = fino a + il, a preposition meaning 'up to/until'
- 'Sempre dritto' is a fixed phrase meaning 'straight ahead'
Giri a sinistra dopo la farmacia.
Turn left after the pharmacy.
Literal Turn to left after the pharmacy.
'Giri' is the Lei imperative of 'girare' (to turn). 'A sinistra' = to the left. 'Dopo' = after. This is a very natural instruction you will hear on Italian streets.
- 'Giri' = Lei imperative of 'girare' (to turn)
- 'A sinistra/destra' are fixed directional phrases; always use 'a'
- 'Dopo' + noun = after [noun], marking a landmark as the turning point
La piazza è a circa duecento metri da qui.
The square is about two hundred meters from here.
Literal The square is at about two-hundred meters from here.
'A + distance' expresses how far something is. 'Circa' means approximately. 'Da qui' means 'from here'. This pattern helps gauge walking distance.
- 'A + distance' is the Italian way to say how far something is
- 'Circa' = approximately, about; used for rough distances and times
- 'Da qui' = from here; 'da lì' = from there
Come si arriva a Via Garibaldi?
How do you get to Via Garibaldi?
Literal How oneself arrives at Street Garibaldi?
'Come si arriva a...?' is the standard impersonal way to ask how to reach a place. The 'si' impersonal avoids specifying a subject and sounds natural and neutral.
- 'Come si arriva a...?' uses the impersonal 'si' — 'how does one get to...?'
- The impersonal 'si' + third person singular is very common in questions and instructions
- 'A' is used before street names in Italian: 'a Via Roma', 'a Piazza Navona'
Prenda la prima strada a destra.
Take the first street on the right.
Literal Take the first street to right.
'Prenda' is the Lei imperative of 'prendere' (to take). 'Prima' is the ordinal 'first', agreeing in gender with 'strada' (feminine). 'A destra' = to the right.
- 'Prenda' = Lei imperative of 'prendere'
- Ordinal numbers (prima, seconda, terza) must agree in gender with the noun they modify
- 'A destra/sinistra' are fixed — never say 'nel destra'
Il duomo è proprio dietro l'angolo.
The cathedral is right around the corner.
Literal The cathedral is exactly behind the corner.
'Proprio' adds emphasis meaning 'right/exactly'. 'Dietro l'angolo' literally means 'behind the corner', used exactly like 'around the corner' in English.
- 'Proprio' is an intensifier: 'right, exactly, just'
- 'Dietro l'angolo' = around the corner (fixed idiom)
- Elision: the article 'lo' becomes 'l'' before a vowel — 'l'angolo'
Quanto tempo ci vuole per arrivare a piedi?
How long does it take to get there on foot?
Literal How much time there wants to arrive on foot?
'Ci vuole' is an impersonal expression meaning 'it takes (time)'. 'A piedi' = on foot. Asking about walking time is essential when following directions in a city.
- 'Ci vuole' = it takes (time); use 'ci vogliono' with a plural noun: 'ci vogliono dieci minuti'
- 'A piedi' = on foot; 'in macchina' = by car; 'in autobus' = by bus
- 'Quanto tempo' opens a question about duration
Scusi, sa dov'è il museo più vicino?
Excuse me, do you know where the nearest museum is?
Literal Excuse-me, know where-is the museum more near?
'Sa' is the Lei form of 'sapere' (to know a fact). 'Più vicino' = nearest. This is a smooth way to ask about the closest point of interest.
- 'Sa' = Lei form of 'sapere' (to know facts, not to know people)
- 'Più + adjective' forms the comparative or superlative depending on context
- 'Vicino' = near; its opposite is 'lontano' = far
Continui dritto e poi giri a destra al secondo incrocio.
Keep going straight and then turn right at the second intersection.
Literal Continue straight and then turn to right at-the second intersection.
'Continui' is the Lei imperative of 'continuare'. 'Poi' sequences steps in directions. This sentence models a two-step instruction — very common in real city navigation.
- 'Continui' = Lei imperative of 'continuare'
- 'Poi' connects sequential steps: 'first... then...'
- 'Al secondo incrocio' = at the second intersection; 'al' = a + il
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
la stazione
the train station
La stazione è a due fermate di metro.
The train station is two metro stops away.
Also used for bus stations: 'stazione degli autobus'
sinistra
left
Giri a sinistra dopo il bar.
Turn left after the café.
Always used with 'a' in directions: 'a sinistra'
destra
right
Prenda la seconda strada a destra.
Take the second street on the right.
Pair with 'sinistra' — both always used with 'a' for direction
il semaforo
the traffic light
Al semaforo, giri a destra.
At the traffic light, turn right.
A key urban landmark used to anchor directional instructions
l'incrocio
the intersection
All'incrocio, vada sempre dritto.
At the intersection, keep going straight.
'All'incrocio' = a + l' + incrocio; the article elides before the vowel
dritto
straight ahead
Vada sempre dritto per cento metri.
Go straight ahead for a hundred meters.
Also spelled 'diritto'; both are standard in spoken Italian
la farmacia
the pharmacy
C'è una farmacia vicino alla piazza.
There is a pharmacy near the square.
Recognizable by the green cross sign — a common landmark in directions
la piazza
the square / plaza
Il bar è in piazza, davanti alla fontana.
The café is in the square, in front of the fountain.
Central piazzas are the main orientation points in Italian cities
circa
about / approximately
Ci vogliono circa dieci minuti a piedi.
It takes about ten minutes on foot.
Used with both distances and times to soften a rough estimate
vicino
near / close
La stazione è molto vicina da qui.
The station is very close from here.
Opposite: 'lontano' (far). Use 'vicino a' = near to [something]
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Marco si avvicina a una signora in piazza e le chiede indicazioni. «Mi scusi, potrebbe dirmi come si arriva alla stazione?» La signora sorride e risponde con calma: «Vada sempre dritto fino al semaforo, poi giri a sinistra. Dopo la farmacia, prenda la prima strada a destra. La stazione è a circa duecento metri da lì.» Marco la ringrazia e chiede: «Quanto tempo ci vuole a piedi?» La signora risponde: «Circa dieci minuti, non è lontano.» Marco annuisce, soddisfatto delle indicazioni chiare e gentili.
Sentence by sentence
si avvicina a una signora
approaches a woman
'Si avvicina' is the reflexive form of 'avvicinarsi' (to approach). The 'si' marks the reflexive, not the impersonal.
le chiede indicazioni
asks her for directions
'Le' is the 3rd-person feminine indirect object pronoun meaning 'to her', referring to the signora introduced in the same clause. 'Indicazioni' = directions, always plural.
Vada sempre dritto fino al semaforo
Go straight ahead until the traffic light
'Vada' is the formal Lei imperative of 'andare'. 'Fino al' = up to/until the (a + il contracted).
poi giri a sinistra
then turn left
'Poi' sequences the steps. 'Giri' is the formal Lei imperative of 'girare'. 'A sinistra' is the fixed phrase for left.
prenda la prima strada a destra
take the first street on the right
'Prenda' = Lei imperative of 'prendere'. 'Prima' is the ordinal 'first', feminine to match 'strada'.
a circa duecento metri da lì
about two hundred meters from there
'A + distance' expresses how far. 'Circa' = approximately. 'Da lì' = from there (contrast with 'da qui' = from here).
Quanto tempo ci vuole a piedi?
How long does it take on foot?
'Ci vuole' is an impersonal expression for time: 'it takes'. 'A piedi' = on foot. A natural follow-up question in any directions exchange.
non è lontano
it's not far
A reassuring closing phrase. 'Lontano' = far; negated with 'non' to mean 'not far'. Simple but very natural in conversation.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Polite Imperatives with Lei: Vada, Giri, Prenda, Continui
When giving directions to a stranger in Italian, use the formal Lei imperative rather than the informal tu imperative. These forms look identical to the present subjunctive: -ARE verbs take -i endings (giri, continui), while -ERE and -IRE verbs take -a endings (prenda, scenda). A handful of common verbs are irregular: andare forms vada, which ends in -a despite being an -ARE verb. Using Lei shows respect and is essential in public interactions with people you do not know.
Lei imperative: -ARE → root + -i (gir→giri, continu→continui) | -ERE/-IRE → root + -a (prend→prenda, scend→scenda) | irregular: and→vada
Vada dritto e poi giri a sinistra.
Go straight and then turn left.
Prenda la seconda strada a destra.
Take the second street on the right.
Continui fino alla fine della strada.
Continue to the end of the street.
Scenda al pianterreno e giri a destra.
Go down to the ground floor and turn right.
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to Italian: "Excuse me, could you tell me where the train station is?"
Hint Use the polite form 'Mi scusi' to get someone's attention.
Complete the directions: "___ sempre dritto fino al semaforo." (Keep going straight until the traffic light.)
Hint This is a polite imperative (Lei form) of the verb 'andare' (to go).
Someone tells you: "Giri a sinistra dopo la farmacia." What should you do?
What does this mean? "Il duomo è proprio dietro l'angolo."
Hint 'Proprio' here means 'right' as in 'right there', and 'dietro l'angolo' is an idiom.
Rewrite this sentence using the polite imperative form of 'prendere': "Tu devi prendere la prima strada a destra." (You must take the first street on the right.)
Hint Drop 'Tu devi' and use the Lei imperative — it ends in '-a' for -ere verbs.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
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