Log inSign up

Avanti, per favore!

Avanti, per favore!
Come in, please!
From Lesson 77:Prepositions of place (vicino a, davanti a)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Avanti, per favore!

Why does avanti mean "come in" here instead of using a verb?
Avanti literally means "forward" or "ahead." While you could use a verb and say entri (come in), just saying Avanti! is the most natural and standard response in Italian when someone knocks on a door. It's exactly like saying "Come forward!"
Since this lesson teaches davanti a (in front of), what is the difference between avanti and davanti?
Davanti describes a static position (where something is), while avanti usually describes direction or movement (where someone is going). You use avanti to tell someone to move forward into a room, but davanti a to say they are already standing in front of the door.
Why isn't there a preposition after avanti in this sentence?
In this context, avanti is used as an exclamation all by itself. You only need a preposition (like the a in davanti a) when you are linking the word to a specific location or object. Here, you are just giving a general direction.
In what other common situations will I hear Avanti! used like this?
Because it means "forward," you will often hear Avanti! used to mean "Next!" when you are waiting in line at a pharmacy, deli, or doctor's office. It's a quick way for the clerk to tell the next person to step up.

Learn Avanti, per favore and more in Italian

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Italian →