When traveling to a country where you do not speak the language, it can be very easy to get lost. Italy, with its winding country roads and narrow city streets, is definitely no stranger to travelers asking for directions. (Especially in a city like Venice, where you will get lost at some point, no matter how many times you read the map and how many people you ask for directions.)
Why You Should Know Some Simple Phrases in Italian
In small towns and villages, where English may not be as common as in a major tourist city, it's essential to know how to ask for directions. It's also important to know what someone is saying when he or she answers your question. Be sure to carry a map with you, though, because in the event of an impassible language barrier, it will prove a vital accessory.
The Basics of Asking for Directions in Italian
Learn some essential Italian for travelers! Here are some basic, useful words and phrases to help you get around in Italy:
- left: sinistra (see-NEE-stra)
- right: destra (DAY-stra)
- to turn: svoltare (svohl-TAR-ay)
- straight ahead: diritta (dee-REE-ta)
- the way: la strada (la STRAAA-daa)
- Where is...?: Dov'è...?" (doe vay...?)
Svoltare is used with a sinistra or a destra to indicate which direction to turn. Also incredibly useful to know is the verb "to go": andare (ahn-DAR-ay), conjugated as io vado, tu vai, lui/lei/ va, noi andiamo, voi andate, loro vanno.
As a side note, in Italian, the "r" is rolled.
Names for Streets, Public Transportation, and Tourist-Related Necessities in Italian
In order to ask where you are going, it's also important to know how to explain what type of place you need to get to:
- plaza/square: la piazza (la PIAT-zah)
- street: la strada (la STRA-da)
- train: il treno (eel TRAY-no)
- bus: l'autobus (laow-toe-BOOSE)
- station: la stazione (statz-ee-OH-nay)
- hotel: l'hotel, (low-TELL) l'albergo (lahl-BAIR-go)
- hostel: l'ostello (loss-TELL-oh)
Other Necessary and Useful Phrases for Travel in Italy
Here are just a few more words and phrases that may prove helpful when traveling around Italy and trying to get directions:
- I would like...: Vorrei... (Vor-RAY)
- I don't understand/I can't understand: Non capisco, Non posso capire
- Could you please speak more slowly?: Può parlare più lentamente, per favore?
Knowing ways to ask for directions, the names of types of transportation, and other travel-related words and phrases is useful for travel in Italy. If you know how to use and understand at least a few of these basic Italian phrases, getting from Point A to Point B in Italy can be much easier.
Suzanne Swartz - During college, Suzanne spent a semester in southwest Germany. After receiving her B.A. in History and German Studies, she went back to ...
Join the Conversation