If you decide to visit Italy and stay for a while, you may want to visit different cities and towns and different parts of Italy – north, south and center.
To do so, one of the best things you can do is renting a car. Yes, because public transports in Italy aren’t always reliable and can’t reach every single Italian town.
Renting a car gives you the freedom and certainty to go everywhere you want, sure provided that you have a good sense of direction and can read maps.
Unfortunately for me, I’ve got no sense of direction and I’m terrible at reading maps. So, thanks God technology came in help and gave us apps like google maps which makes very difficult for us to get lost.
However, just in case you get lost anyway I’m going to list some of the sentences you can use to ask for directions in Italian.
Asking for directions can be hard for some people, especially men.
My husband, for example, is blessed with a good sense of direction. Despite this, it happens that once in three years or so he gets lost. And in those cases, he categorically refuses to ask for directions until he has tried to find the right way on his own 5 times or even more.
This is something I don’t understand and probably never will. I’ve no problem asking for directions. In fact, asking for directions saved me many times – and in many cases I even had a map with me…I know, I’m terrible!
So, if for you asking for directions is fine, here are some of the sentences you can use to ask for directions in Italian.
1. Buongiorno, mi scusi sa dirmi dov’è la torre antica?
Good morning, excuse me can you tell me where the ancient tower is?
2. Buongiorno, mi scusi mi sa dire qual è la direzione per la torre antica?
Good morning, excuse me can you tell me in which direction is the ancient tower?
3. Buongiorno, mi scusi per la torre antica è giusto per di qua?
Good morning, excuse me is this the right direction for the ancient tower?
You can choose the sentence you prefer. However, once you’ve asked for directions you’ve also to be ready to understand the answers Italians give you.
So here is a list of possible answers you can hear for questions 1 and 2.
a. No, mi dispiace, non lo so (non sono del posto)
No, I’m sorry, I don’t know (I’m not from around here)
b. Sì, certo. Deve continuare dritto e alla prima rotonda svoltare a destra/sinistra
Yes, sure. Keep going straight and once you get to the first traffic circle turn right/left
And, finally, here is a list of possible answers you can hear for question 3.
c. Sì, è giusto
Yes, it’s the right way
d. No, avete sbagliato. Dovete tornare indietro. Al semaforo prendete la prima via a destra, continuate dritto fino alla rotonda, e poi seguite il cartello “Antica torre”
No, this is the wrong way. You’ve to go back. At the traffic light turn right, then go straight until you get to a traffic circle and then follow the sign “Antica torre”.
Congratulations, you’ve just learnt how to ask for directions in Italian.
Credits
Original image by PublicDomainPictures
One of the craziest Roman emperors – Caligula
