Asking for and giving directions
Chiedere e dare indicazioni
- Ask for directions in a city
- Giving directions to a stranger
- Ask for the existence of a building or service.
- The expressions of place: a destra, vicino a, ...
Learn how to ask for and give directions in Italian with essential location expressions, city vocabulary, practical dialogues, and key verb conjugations. Master phrases like "a destra," "vicino a," and "accanto a" to navigate cities confidently.
Vocabulary (12) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Reorder sentences
Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.
Exercise 2: Match a word
Instruction: Match the translations
Exercise 3: Cluster the words
Instruction: Classify the words by distinguishing between city place names and terms indicating spatial position.
Luoghi della città
Termini di posizione
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Il parco
The park
2
Ritornare
To return
3
La piazza
The square
4
Lontano
Far
5
Dietro
Behind
Esercizio 5: Conversation exercise
Istruzione:
- Ask how to go to a building. (Ask how to go to a building.)
- Give directions to the others. (Give directions to the others. )
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
C'è una fermata dell'autobus qui vicino? Is there a bus stop nearby? |
|
Vai dritto e poi prendi la seconda strada a sinistra. Go straight and then take the second street on the left. |
|
La stazione ferroviaria è accanto al parco. The train station is next to the park. |
|
Sai dov'è la scuola? Do you know where the school is? |
|
Sì, devi solo andare dritto. Yes, you just have to go straight. |
|
Conosci la strada per la piazza principale? Do you know the way to the main square? |
| ... |
Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 7: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Mi scusi, dove _________ il centro città?
(Excuse me, where _________ the city center?)2. Per arrivare al parco, si deve sempre _________ dritto e poi girare a sinistra.
(To get to the park, you must always _________ straight and then turn left.)3. Ieri ho _________ la farmacia vicino alla piazza, proprio accanto al ristorante.
(Yesterday I _________ the pharmacy near the square, right next to the restaurant.)4. Dopo aver visitato il museo, _________ al centro per prendere un caffè.
(After visiting the museum, _________ to the center to have a coffee.)Exercise 8: Asking for and giving directions in the city
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Ritornare - Return
Presente
- io ritorno
- tu ritorni
- lui/lei ritorna
- noi ritorniamo
- voi ritornate
- loro ritornano
Trovare - Find
Passato prossimo
- io ho trovato
- tu hai trovato
- lui/lei ha trovato
- noi abbiamo trovato
- voi avete trovato
- loro hanno trovato
Andare - Go
Presente
- io vado
- tu vai
- lui/lei va
- noi andiamo
- voi andate
- loro vanno
Girare - Turn
Presente
- io giro
- tu giri
- lui/lei gira
- noi giriamo
- voi girate
- loro girano
Ritornare - Return
Passato prossimo
- io sono ritornato/a
- tu sei ritornato/a
- lui/lei è ritornato/a
- noi siamo ritornati/e
- voi siete ritornati/e
- loro sono ritornati/e
Exercise 9: Le espressioni di luogo: a destra, vicino a, ...
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: The expressions of place: a destra, vicino a, ...
Show translation Show answersal centro, vicino al, lontano dal, accanto a, vicino alla, accanto alla, accanto all'
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
A1.43.1 Grammatica
Le espressioni di luogo: a destra, vicino a, ...
The expressions of place: a destra, vicino a, ...
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Ritornare to return Share Copied!
Presente
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) ritorno | I return |
| (tu) ritorni | You return |
| (lui/lei) ritorna | he/she returns |
| (noi) ritorniamo | we return |
| (voi) ritornate | You return |
| (loro) ritornano | they return |
Trovare to find Share Copied!
Passato prossimo
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) ho trovato | I have found |
| (tu) hai trovato | You have found |
| (lui/lei) ha trovato | he/she found |
| (noi) abbiamo trovato | we found |
| (voi) avete trovato | you have found |
| (loro) hanno trovato | they found |
Don't see progress when learning on your own? Study this material with a certified teacher!
Do you want to practice Italian today? That is possible! Just contact one of our teachers today.
Asking for and Giving Directions in Italian
This lesson introduces essential expressions and vocabulary to help you ask for and give directions in Italian. It focuses on common location phrases, city landmarks, and basic verbs that are crucial for navigating an Italian-speaking city.
Key Expressions and Vocabulary
You will learn useful spatial terms such as "a destra" (to the right), "vicino a" (near), "accanto a" (next to), and "sempre dritto" (straight ahead). These phrases help describe positions and paths clearly.
City Places Vocabulary
- il centro — the center
- il parco — the park
- la piazza — the square
- la rotonda — the roundabout
Practical Dialogues
The lesson includes dialogues for common scenarios, such as asking for directions to the museum, the station, or the pharmacy. For example, "Mi scusi, dov'è la piazza?" (Excuse me, where is the square?) and "Il museo è vicino al parco, gira a destra alla rotonda." (The museum is near the park, turn right at the roundabout.)
Key Verbs and Conjugations
Important verbs introduced are andare (to go), girare (to turn), trovare (to find), and ritornare (to return). The lesson offers conjugation tables and exercises to help you practice these verbs in present and past tenses, enhancing your ability to understand and create directions.
Note on Direction Phrases
Italian directions often rely on landmarks and spatial relationships, similar to English. However, Italian uses prepositions like "vicino a" (near to) and "accanto a" (next to), which are generally followed by the definite article and noun, e.g., "vicino al parco" (near the park). Also, verbs like "girare" (to turn) are essential for clear instructions, comparable to English "turn right" or "turn left."
These lessons would not be possible without our amazing partners🙏
