Where are you from?
'Di dove sei?' = dee DOH-veh SAY. The 'd' in 'di' is soft; don't stress it.
Ask this early in a casual conversation after exchanging names. It is one of the most natural follow-up questions when meeting someone new in Italy. Also very common when meeting Italian speakers abroad.
'Di dove sei?' uses the preposition 'di' to indicate origin. The verb 'essere' (to be) is conjugated as 'sei' for informal 'tu'. This is distinct from 'Dove sei?' which means 'Where are you?' (location), not origin.
Di dov'è lei?
Where are you from? (formal)
Formal version using 'Lei' — the apostrophe elides 'dove è' to 'dov'è'.
Da dove vieni?
Where do you come from?
Uses 'venire' (to come) — equally common, slightly more conversational.
Sei italiano/a?
Are you Italian?
A yes/no version — useful when you're guessing someone's nationality.
Italians often feel a strong regional identity before a national one. Saying you're from Naples, Sicily, or Venice carries cultural weight — expect follow-up questions about local food, dialect, or traditions.