Puoi darmi un passaggio?

Puoi means can you.

It is the second person singular form of potere = to be able to / can.

• io posso = I can
• tu puoi = you can
• lui/lei può = he/she can

In Italian, the subject pronoun tu is usually omitted because the verb ending already shows who the subject is. So:

• Puoi darmi un passaggio? = Can you give me a ride?
• Tu puoi darmi un passaggio? = same meaning, but tu adds emphasis

Darmi is made of:

• dare = to give
• mi = to me

So darmi literally means to give me.

In Italian, object pronouns such as mi, ti, gli, ci are often attached to the end of an infinitive:

• dare + mi → darmi
• portare + ti → portarti
• dire + gli → dirgli

After a modal verb like potere, both of these are possible:

• Puoi darmi un passaggio?
• Mi puoi dare un passaggio?

They mean the same thing.

Here, un passaggio means a ride or a lift in someone’s vehicle.

So the whole sentence means:

• Can you give me a ride?
• In British English: Can you give me a lift?

Even though passaggio can sometimes mean passage in other contexts, in this sentence it has the everyday meaning of a ride.

Yes, very literally, the structure looks like can you give me a passage, but that is not how English expresses this idea.

In Italian, dare un passaggio is a common expression meaning:

• to give someone a ride
• to drive someone somewhere as a favor

So it is best learned as a set phrase:

• dare un passaggio a qualcuno = to give someone a ride

Yes. Puoi is the informal singular form, used with:

• friends
• family
• classmates
• people your age in casual situations

If you want to be more formal or polite, you would usually say:

• Può darmi un passaggio? = formal Can you give me a ride?
• Potrebbe darmi un passaggio? = Could you give me a ride?, even more polite

Yes, absolutely. That is very common.

These are both correct:

• Puoi darmi un passaggio?
• Mi puoi dare un passaggio?

The difference is mainly in where the pronoun mi goes:

• attached to the infinitive: darmi
• placed before the conjugated verb: mi puoi dare

Both sound natural. Learners should understand both patterns.

No. It usually means you take the person with you in your car or other vehicle.

So if you ask:

• Puoi darmi un passaggio?

you are asking the other person to drive you somewhere or let you come along.

It does not normally mean:

• Can I borrow your car?

Most often, yes, people use it for a car ride, but it can also be understood more generally as a lift in someone’s vehicle.

If you want to make it extra clear, you can say:

• Puoi darmi un passaggio in macchina? = Can you give me a ride in the car?

In everyday speech, though, un passaggio by itself is very commonly understood as a ride.

Because this sentence does not mention a destination yet. It just asks for the ride itself.

If you want to add where you need to go, you would add that separately, for example:

• Puoi darmi un passaggio in stazione? = Can you give me a ride to the station?
• Puoi darmi un passaggio fino a casa? = Can you give me a ride home?

So un passaggio is the thing being requested, and the destination can be added afterward.

Yes, very common. It is a normal, natural way to ask someone for a ride.

You might hear it in situations like:

• after school
• after work
• when public transport is inconvenient
• when friends are leaving by car

It sounds practical and idiomatic, so it is a very useful phrase to know.