Phrases › Reading Signs and Maps › Come si legge questa mappa?

Come si legge questa mappa?

How do you read this map?

Pronunciation

'Legge' — LED-je. The 'gg' before 'e' is soft, like 'dj'; stress on the first syllable.

When to use it

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.

What it means

'Si legge' is the impersonal reflexive form of 'leggere' (to read). It means one reads or how is it read. 'Leggere una mappa' (reading a map) is the same construction as 'leggere un libro' (reading a book) — maps are read just like text in Italian.

Variations

Può mostrarmi dove siamo?

Can you show me where we are?

Ask someone to point your current position on the map.

Qual è il nord sulla mappa?

Which way is north on the map?

Find orientation before navigating.

Cosa significa il simbolo rosso?

What does the red symbol mean?

Ask about legend symbols on the map.

Mini Dialogue

— Come si legge questa mappa? — Guardi, il nord è sempre in alto. Siamo qui, segnati con la freccia. — E questi simboli blu? — Sono i monumenti da visitare.

— How do you read this map? — Look, north is always at the top. We are here, marked with the arrow. — And these blue symbols? — Those are the monuments to visit.

Cultural Note

Tourist maps in Italian cities are often provided free at the APT (Azienda di Promozione Turistica) office — the local tourism board. These maps show walking routes, public transport lines, and UNESCO sites. They are often more useful than smartphone maps for historic centres.

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