Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel is around the corner. Or so you thought the sign said. Avoid missing the highlights of Italy with these simple instructions on asking for directions in Italian.
Difficulty: Hard
Time Required: one day
Here's How:
- To ask how far it is to someplace, ask: Quant'è lontano a...?
- To find where the bathroom is in a public place, ask: Dove sono i gabinetti? In a private home, ask: Dov'è il bagno? or Posso usare il bagno, per favore?
- To ask someone to point out something on a map, ask: Mi indichi sulla carta, per favore.
- Typical responses to requests for directions include a destra (right), a sinistra (left), vicino (near), lontano (far), and gira a (turn to). Other responses include:
- il primo/la prima a destra—first on the right.
- il secondo/la seconda a sinistra—second on the left.
- accanto a—next to.
- di fronte a...—across from...
- vada oltre—go past the...
Tips:
- Fifty percent of the time when asked where something is, Italians will answer Vada sempre diritto! It means "Straight ahead!"
- One kilometer (or chilometro in Italian) = 0.62 miles.
- If you can't find what you're looking for, enjoy what you've found. Sometimes when traveling, the best experiences happen serendipitiously!
What You Need:
- map of Italy
