What do 'Entrance' and 'Exit' mean?
'Entrata' — en-TRA-ta. 'Uscita' — u-SCI-ta. The 'sc' before 'i' sounds like 'sh'.
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.
'Entrata' is the noun from 'entrare' (to enter). 'Uscita' is from 'uscire' (to exit). These are two of the most irregular and important verbs in Italian. On motorway signs, 'Uscita' is the exit — equivalent to the UK's 'Junction'. On emergency signs, 'Uscita di Emergenza' means emergency exit.
L'uscita di emergenza è da quella parte.
The emergency exit is that way.
Know this phrase for safety announcements.
L'entrata è gratuita?
Is entry free?
Ask about admission charges.
Quale uscita devo prendere in autostrada?
Which exit do I take on the motorway?
Motorway exits are 'uscite'.
In Italy, emergency exits are marked with a green running-man sign as per EU standards. In older buildings (pre-1990) you may find them labelled in red, which does not conform to current standards but is still common in rural areas.