Directions (le indicazioni)

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: the left (a sinistra = to / on the left)

la sinistra is the left, the right (a destra = to / on the right)la destra is the right, and a sinistra / a destra means to (or on) the left / the right:

When the way is straight, no noun is needed: straight, straight ahead

dritto. Sempre dritto — straight on — is the eternal answer of every Italian giving directions.

Up, down, around

above, on top ofsopra is the mirror of *sotto*: the painting hangs *sopra il divano*, the cat sleeps *sotto il tavolo*. down, downstairsgiù sends you *down* — down the stairs, downstairs to the kitchen.

Two more direction words take a: intorno a — around (intorno a)

intorno — circles around something, and accanto a — next to, right beside (accanto a)accanto — puts you right next to it, closer than vicino.

The compass

You already know il nord and il sud. the east

l'est — where the sun rises — and the westl'ovest — where it sets — complete the compass. Like a sinistra, they drop the article after a: a est, a ovest.