Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| andare a | /anˈda.re a/ (word by word) |
| andare in | /anˈda.re in/ (word by word) |
The phrase is used to express movement towards a destination. The most common way to express this is by using the preposition a, which can mean "to" or "at".
Which one should you use?
There are two main forms used depending on the destination. Use andare a when the destination is a specific event, a meal or a specific place like a city or a person's house. Use andare in when the destination is a country, a large island, a region or certain types of locations such as in centro (downtown) or in banca (to the bank).
How does it change in a sentence?
The choice between using andare a and andare in depends entirely on the noun that follows the verb, rather than the verb itself.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /anˈda.re a/. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use andare a for countries. You must use andare in for countries, such as vado in Italia.
Did you know?
- In Italian, andare can describe how a piece of clothing fits, such as questo vestito mi va bene, meaning 'this dress fits me well'.
- In Italian, if you are going to a person's house or business, you use andare da instead of a or in, such as vado da Marco.
- The verb andare is a 'suppletive' verb, meaning it borrows its forms from different roots. For example, the root of andare is actually related to the Latin 'vādō', which is an entirely different word than the Latin 'andāre' from which it was inherited.
Examples in context
- Vuoi andare a cena?Do you want to go to dinner?This sentence is useful for practicing the use of andare a with a meal.Tatoeba #5631018 by Guybrush88, translation #2951802 by CK
- Devo andare a letto.I have to go to bed.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of andare a with an activity or state like bed.Tatoeba #710679 by Guybrush88, translation #1395 by brauliobezerra
- Non andare a Boston.Don't go to Boston.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of andare a with a city.Tatoeba #5869696 by Guybrush88, translation #2270435 by CK
- Devo andare al lavoroI need to go to work
- Vorrei andare a casa di mio zioI would like to go to my uncle's house
- Mi devo recare all'ambasciataI have to go to the embassy
- Dovevo recarmi dal dottoreI had to go to the doctor
- Per raggiungere la conferenza, mi devo spostare presso il centro congressiTo reach the conference, I have to go to the convention center
- Andiamo al cinema stasera?Are we going to the cinema tonight?
- Vado a RomaI'm going to Rome
- Vado a trovare mia nonnaI'm going to visit my grandma
- Vado a prendere il paneI'm going to get the bread
- Vai al supermercato!Go to the supermarket!
- 2096 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Martina are planning their afternoon.
- AlessandroVogliamo andare a casa di Luca?Do we want to go to Luca's house?
- MartinaSì, ma preferisco andare a piedi.Yes, but I prefer to go on foot.
- AlessandroVa bene, allora andiamo a piedi.Alright, then let's go on foot.
- MartinaPerfetto, partiamo subito!Perfect, let's leave now!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “go to” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (andare, a, in) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, andare, in, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
