The adverbs of place su, sopra, giù and sotto in Italian

Learn how to use The adverbs of place su, sopra, giù and sotto with examples.
Test your Italian level for free today with Saga Baldoria.

TEST YOUR ITALIAN Free trial and no commitment to buy
4,7 on App Store, Play Store and Trustpilot More than 8 million learners worldwide

The adverbs of place su, sopra, giù and sotto

Su, in alto, sopra (up; on; above) and giù, in basso, sotto (down; under, beneath) are used to indicate position and are invariable (their spelling never changes).

Guarda in alto, c’è la luna piena!

Look up, there's a full moon!

Preferisco abitare giù, al primo piano.

I prefer living downstairs, on the first floor.

To indicate an upward direction or position (↑):

  • Su (up; on) and in alto (up, upward) imply an upward movement.

Potresti portare su la valigia? (= Potresti portare in alto la valigia?)

Could you bring the suitcase up?

  • Sopra and su can mean “on”, “over” or “above”.

Ho lasciato la valigia sopra il letto.

I left the suitcase on the bed.

To indicate a downward direction or position (↓):

  • Giù (down) and in basso (down, downward) imply a downward movement.

Il gatto è saltato giù (= Il gatto è saltato in basso).

The cat jumped down.

  • Sotto means “below” or “under”.

Il gatto è nascosto sotto il tavolo.

The cat is hidden under the table.

Note: 

  • In alto (above, high up) and in basso (below, down low) can sometimes also be used to indicate position.

Guarda nel mobile in basso (= nella parte bassa del mobile / nel mobile che si trova giù).

Look in the bottom cabinet.

Apri la finestra in alto (= la finestra che si trova in una posizione superiore rispetto a un'altra).

Open the top window.

  • Alto (tall) and basso (short), without the in, are used to indicate the height of someone/something and have to agree in gender and number with the person or thing they refer to.

Toni è alto.

Toni is tall.

Quella statua è bassa.

That statue is short.

Still facing difficulties with 'The adverbs of place su, sopra, giù and sotto'? Enhance your grammar and learn Italian through our online Italian lessons.
Start with a free test and improve today!

TEST YOUR ITALIAN

What our users say:

Pleasure

         

I enjoy doing my online Italian lessons. Only ten minutes daily are enough...Thank you!

Innovative

         

I love your innovative method which allows me to learn a new language and have fun at the same time!

Unique

         

Your method is unique! Your courses have helped me to progress and gain confidence during my travels.

Progress

         

Gymglish has allowed me to improve my Italian. A daily routine I wouldn't miss for anything in the world!

More testimonials.

Improve your Italian further and test Saga Baldoria, online Italian course.