46 phrases · Levels: A1A2B1
Cosa significa questo cartello?
What does this sign mean?
Use this whenever you encounter an unfamiliar sign in Italian. Works in shops, on the street, in museums, or in transport hubs. Pointing at the sign as you ask makes the question clear.
Dove si trova la piazza principale?
Where is the main square?
Ask when you are looking at a town map and cannot find the main square. Every Italian town revolves around its piazza — it is the social, political, and commercial heart.
Come si legge questa mappa?
How do you read this map?
Ask when you have a tourist map but cannot understand the orientation, legend, or scale. Very common in tourist information offices, museums, and historical sites.
Cosa vuol dire 'senso unico'?
What does 'senso unico' mean?
Ask when you see this sign on a street and are not sure whether you can drive or walk in both directions. It appears frequently in the narrow streets (vicoli) of Italian historic centres.
Il museo è segnato sulla mappa?
Is the museum marked on the map?
Ask a tourist office worker or map seller when looking for a specific museum on a tourist map. Useful in cities with many museums spread across a large area.
Cosa significa ZTL?
What does ZTL mean?
Ask when you see a yellow circular sign with 'ZTL' in an Italian city. Crucial for drivers — entering a ZTL without an authorisation results in an automatic fine often sent to your home country.
Che vuol dire 'Divieto di Accesso'?
What does 'No Entry' mean?
Ask when you see a red circular sign with a white horizontal bar or the text 'Divieto di Accesso'. It prohibits all vehicle entry in that direction.
Dove sono i servizi igienici?
Where are the toilets?
Ask when you cannot find the toilet sign. In public places, look for 'WC', 'Toilette', 'Servizi', or the silhouette man/woman signs. The word 'bagno' is also widely used.
Questo è il percorso giusto?
Is this the right route?
Ask when following a walking route on a tourist map and you want to confirm you are going in the right direction. Works for hiking trails, city walks, and cycling routes.
Cosa significano 'Aperto' e 'Chiuso'?
What do 'Open' and 'Closed' mean?
Know these two words for reading shop, museum, and restaurant signs. They are among the most important signs you will encounter when visiting Italy.
Dove sono su questa mappa?
Where am I on this map?
Ask a tourist office worker or passerby to point to your location on a paper map. Also the first thing to establish before trying to navigate.
Cosa vuol dire 'Lavori in Corso'?
What does 'Work in Progress' mean?
You will see 'Lavori in Corso' on construction barriers, road diversions, and building restoration scaffolding throughout Italian cities. It means an area is under construction or maintenance.
Come si dice nord, sud, est, ovest in italiano?
How do you say north, south, east, west in Italian?
Learn these words for reading Italian maps, following GPS instructions in Italian, or reading directional signs at transport hubs.
Cosa significa la freccia gialla?
What does the yellow arrow mean?
Ask when you see coloured arrows in tourist areas, on hiking trails, or near construction diversions and are not sure which to follow.
Cosa vuol dire 'Vietato fumare'?
What does 'No smoking' mean?
You will see 'Vietato fumare' on signs in public buildings, restaurants, hospitals, and enclosed spaces. Know this sign to avoid breaking Italian law.
Cosa significa 'Senso vietato'?
What does 'Wrong way / No entry' mean?
Ask when you see this red circular sign with a white bar. It is different from 'Divieto di Accesso' in that it specifically marks the wrong end of a one-way street.
Cosa significa 'Zona Pedonale'?
What does 'Pedestrian Zone' mean?
Ask when you see this sign on a street. Pedestrian zones prohibit all motorised traffic except emergency vehicles and authorised deliveries during specified hours.
Cosa significano 'Entrata' e 'Uscita'?
What do 'Entrance' and 'Exit' mean?
You will see these words at every building entrance, museum, car park, motorway junction, and airport. They are among the most essential signs in Italy.
Cosa vuol dire 'Parcheggio a Pagamento'?
What does 'Paid Parking' mean?
Ask when you see a parking sign and want to know if you need to pay. Blue-painted parking bays in Italy are always paid; white bays are usually free.
Come leggo l'orario dei treni?
How do I read the train timetable?
Ask at the train station or tourist office when you need help understanding the Italian train timetable format, especially when using paper timetables which are less intuitive than digital boards.
Cosa vogliono dire 'In Arrivo' e 'In Partenza'?
What do 'Arriving' and 'Departing' mean?
Know these two words to read departure and arrival boards at airports, train stations, and ferry ports. They appear on all Italian transport information displays.
Cosa significa questo segnale di pericolo?
What does this danger sign mean?
Ask when you encounter a yellow triangular warning sign on the road or on a building and are unsure what hazard it is warning about.
Dove indica questa freccia sulla mappa?
Where does this arrow on the map point?
Ask when a map has directional arrows that are unclear in meaning — tourist route arrows, emergency exit arrows, or trail markers that you cannot interpret without context.
Cosa vuol dire 'Esaurito'?
What does 'Sold Out' mean?
Know this word to understand signs at ticket offices, shops, and museums. It means all tickets, items, or spaces are sold out.
Cosa significa 'Orario Continuato'?
What does 'Continuous hours' mean?
Look for this sign on shop or restaurant windows. It means the business stays open continuously without the traditional midday closure — a rarity in Italian retail but becoming more common in tourist areas.
Dove posso parcheggiare la bicicletta?
Where can I park my bicycle?
Ask when you are on a rental bike or own bicycle and need to find a secure parking spot. Look for bicycle parking signs (a bike icon with a 'P').
Dove si trovano i punti di interesse?
Where are the points of interest?
Ask a tourist office worker or guide when looking at a map and wanting to identify what is worth visiting. A common first question when arriving in a new Italian town.
La mappa è aggiornata?
Is the map up to date?
Ask when you pick up a tourist map and want to know how current the information is. Italian towns frequently close streets for festivals, construction, or pedestrianisation.
Cosa significa l'icona della chiesa sulla mappa?
What does the church icon on the map mean?
Ask when reading a tourist map and wanting to understand the legend symbols, specifically when you see a cross or dome icon that could indicate a church, cathedral, or chapel.
Come si arriva a questo indirizzo?
How do you get to this address?
Ask when you have a written address but cannot find it on the map or do not know how to navigate to it. Show the written address to the person you are asking.
Cosa vuol dire 'km' sui cartelli stradali?
What does 'km' mean on road signs?
Ask when learning to read Italian road signs and distance markers. Italy uses the metric system — all distances are in kilometres.
Come si chiamano le strade principali in Italia?
What are the main types of roads called in Italy?
Ask when reading a map and encountering different road type labels. Understanding Italian road categories helps you choose the right route and understand speed limits.
Dove compro una cartina topografica?
Where do I buy a topographic map?
Ask at a newsstand, bookshop, or outdoor sports shop before hiking or cycling in unfamiliar Italian terrain. Standard tourist maps are insufficient for trails.
Cosa significa il cartello blu?
What does the blue sign mean?
Ask when encountering a blue road sign in Italy. Blue is the colour for informational signs, tourist attractions, and motorway directions — different from the green used in some other countries.
Come si usa Google Maps in italiano?
How do you use Google Maps in Italian?
Ask when you want to navigate in Italian using Google Maps with Italian voice guidance. Setting the app to Italian is a great language learning tool.
Cosa significa 'Senso Alternato'?
What does 'Alternating Directions' mean?
Ask when you see this sign on a narrow road, especially in the mountains or during road works. It means traffic takes turns to use the single lane in both directions, usually controlled by traffic lights or a person with a flag.
Cosa vuol dire 'Pedaggio'?
What does 'Toll' mean?
Ask when you see 'Pedaggio' signs approaching a tollbooth on the motorway. This is critical information for drivers in Italy, where most motorways charge tolls.
Dov'è la pista ciclabile?
Where is the bike path?
Ask when cycling in an Italian city and looking for the dedicated cycling lane separate from car traffic. Italian cycling infrastructure varies significantly by city.
Dov'è l'ospedale sulla mappa?
Where is the hospital on the map?
Ask in an emergency or when looking for medical care. The hospital symbol on Italian maps is a white 'H' on a blue background — same as most European countries.
Cosa significa questo segnale di limite di velocità?
What does this speed limit sign mean?
Ask when you see a round red-bordered white sign with a number in the centre. Speed limit signs appear at town entrances, road changes, and near schools.
Cosa vuol dire 'Deviazione'?
What does 'Detour' mean?
Ask when you see a yellow sign with 'Deviazione' and an arrow that is sending you off your planned route. Detour signs appear near road works, accidents, or closed sections.
Cosa significa il cartello 'Dare Precedenza'?
What does the 'Give Way' sign mean?
Ask when you see an inverted white triangle with a red border at an intersection. This sign means you must give way to traffic already on the road ahead.
Cosa significano le strisce pedonali?
What do pedestrian crossings mean?
Ask when you want to understand the rules for pedestrian crossings in Italy. Unlike the UK where drivers must stop, Italian law requires drivers to stop only when a pedestrian is already crossing.
Cosa significa il cartello della rotatoria?
What does the roundabout sign mean?
Ask when approaching a circular junction marked on a map or with a blue circular arrow sign. Roundabouts in Italy have specific priority rules that differ from the UK.
Cosa indicano i numeri sulla mappa?
What do the numbers on the map indicate?
Ask when you see numbered markers on a tourist or hiking map and are not sure what they represent. Numbers usually correspond to a legend or a list of points of interest.
Cosa significa il cartello 'Limite 30'?
What does the '30 Zone' sign mean?
Ask when entering a residential area or school zone with a '30' sign in a red circle. This is increasingly common in Italian cities as part of urban safety plans.