Are you from here?
'Sei' = SAY; 'qui' = KWEE. Short, punchy question — both words are stressed equally.
Use when you are in a specific city or neighborhood and are curious whether the person you're meeting is a local. Very natural at community events, in a new city, or when meeting people through local activities.
'Di qui' means 'from here' — 'di' indicates origin and 'qui' means 'here'. This compact question replaces the more explicit 'Di dove sei?' when the context makes it clear you're asking about the current location.
Sei del posto?
Are you a local?
'Del posto' (of the place) is an equally common phrase for 'local'.
Vivi qui da sempre?
Have you always lived here?
Implies you think they are local and asks about how long.
Conosci bene la zona?
Do you know the area well?
Indirect way of finding out if someone is local — also opens a conversation about recommendations.
Italians born in a city often say 'sono [city name]' as an identity statement — 'sono bolognese,' 'sono milanese.' It's a source of pride and immediately signals belonging.