Learn Italian: Il bagno è giù, sotto le scale. - The bathroom is downstairs, under the stairs.

Il bagno è giù, sotto le scale.

The bathroom is downstairs, under the stairs.

Breakdown of Il bagno è giù, sotto le scale.

essere

to be

il bagno

the bath / the bathroom

Questions & Answers about Il bagno è giù, sotto le scale.

What is the difference between giù and sotto in this sentence?

Both refer to being lower, but they work differently. Giù is an adverb meaning 'down' or 'downstairs' (a general location). Sotto is a preposition meaning 'under' or 'beneath' and needs an object, which is why it sits right before le scale (the stairs).

Does sotto combine with the article le into one word?

No. Unlike the preposition su (on/up), which merges with articles to form words like sul or sulle, sotto usually stays completely separate from the article. That is why it is written as two words: sotto le.

Why is it plural (le scale) instead of singular (la scala)?

In Italian, la scala (singular) can mean a ladder or a single staircase. However, when talking about the stairs in a house, Italians very often use the plural le scale, just like we say 'the stairs' in English.

How would I change this sentence to say the bathroom is upstairs?

The opposite of giù (down or downstairs) is su (up or upstairs). To say the bathroom is upstairs, you would simply swap the word: Il bagno è su.