Giving Directions in Italian
When someone asks you for the way in an Italian city, you need to use imperatives (command forms) to tell them where to go! In A1 Italian, we use the polite form (Lei) or the informal singular form (tu). For giving directions to strangers or acquaintances, the polite form is very common.
Key Direction Phrases
- Sempre dritta / dritto – Go straight ahead
- A sinistra – To the left
- A destra – To the right
- Gira – Turn
Examples:
- Vada sempre dritta. – Go straight ahead. (Polite)
- Gira a sinistra. – Turn left. (Informal)
- Gira a destra. – Turn right. (Informal)
Common Mistakes
Don't confuse sinistra (left) with destra (right). Remember that gira means 'turn', while vada means 'go' (polite).
Words
sempre dritto
straight ahead
Vada sempre dritto.Go straight ahead.
a sinistra
to the left
Gira a sinistra.Turn left.
a destra
to the right
Gira a destra.Turn right.
gira
turn
Gira a destra.Turn right.
vada
go (polite)
Vada sempre dritto.Go straight ahead.
la via
the street
La via è a sinistra.The street is to the left.
la piazza
the square
Dov'è la piazza?Where is the square?
dov'è
where is
Dov'è il museo?Where is the museum?
Lessons are prepared with the help of AI.
Patterns
Gira a ___
Tell someone to turn left or right.
Gira a sinistra.Turn left.
Vada ___
Politely tell someone to go straight.
Vada sempre dritto.Go straight ahead.
Dov'è ___?
Ask where a specific place is located.
Dov'è la piazza?Where is the square?