Which way?
In the last lesson you learned where things are — davanti, dietro, sotto, vicino. This lesson turns that knowledge into directions: how to follow them, and how to give them.
A sinistra, a destra
Italian points with a + a noun: la sinistra is the left, la destra is the right, and a sinistra / a destra means to (or on) the left / the right:
| I turn left at the traffic light. | Giro a sinistra al semaforo. |
When the way is straight, no noun is needed: dritto. Sempre dritto — straight on — is the eternal answer of every Italian giving directions.
| The museum? Straight ahead, then to the right. | Il museo? Sempre dritto, poi a destra. |
Up, down, around
sopra is the mirror of sotto: the painting hangs sopra il divano, the cat sleeps sotto il tavolo. giù sends you down — down the stairs, downstairs to the kitchen.
| The bathroom is downstairs, under the stairs. | Il bagno è giù, sotto le scale. |
Two more direction words take a: intorno a — intorno — circles around something, and accanto a — accanto — puts you right next to it, closer than vicino.
The compass
You already know il nord and il sud. l'est — where the sun rises — and l'ovest — where it sets — complete the compass. Like a sinistra, they drop the article after a: a est, a ovest.
| The mountain is west of the lake. | La montagna è a ovest del lago. |
