A1 · Unit 3 · Getting around

How to ask for directions in Italian

Stopping someone

Scusi, dov'è il Duomo?

“Excuse me, where is the Duomo?”

When: Asking a stranger on the street

Practice this scene liveFree: 3 sessions a day, 3 minutes each

The moment

You are lost in the winding streets of Florence and ask a local how to reach the Duomo.

A1 · Unit 3 · Getting around

"Scusi" (formal excuse me) plus "dov'è...?" (where is...?) is all you need to open.

Scusi, dov'è il Duomo?

“Excuse me, where is the Duomo?”

When to use it: Asking a stranger on the street

What you’ll hear back: Sempre dritto, poi a destra.

Listen for "sempre dritto" (straight ahead), "a sinistra" (left), "a destra" (right). Echo them back to confirm.

Sempre dritto e poi a destra?

“Straight ahead and then right?”

When to use it: Confirming the route

What you’ll hear back: Esatto, cinque minuti a piedi.

Italian	Say it	English
dov'è...?	doh-VEH	where is...?
Dov'è la stazione? Where is the station? Tip: Contraction of dove è.
sempre dritto	SEM-preh DREET-toh	straight ahead
Vada sempre dritto. Go straight ahead. Tip: Literally "always straight".
a sinistra / a destra	ah see-NEES-trah / ah DES-trah	to the left / right
Il Duomo è a destra. The Duomo is on the right. Tip: Sinistra = left, destra = right.

Ask how to get where you’re going, then check one detail: which way to turn or how far it is.

Lines that get it done

In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.