portare via
/porˈta.re ˈvi.a/word by word
The English phrase 'to take away' is translated into Italian as portare via.
portare via is the most common way to express the idea of moving something from one place to another. If you want to describe the act of removing something in a more technical or permanent sense, you should use rimuovere. Additionally, when ordering food, you can use da portare via or da asporto to specify that you want your food to go/for takeout.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb portare (to carry or bring) and the adverb via (away).
Which one should you use?
While portare via means to move something from one place to another, togliere is more commonly used when the intent is to remove something from a surface or a specific position.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using a direct object pronoun like 'it', the pronoun is attached to the end of the infinitive verb, such as in portarlo via (to take it away). In the imperative mood, the object pronoun is also attached to the end of the verb, for example portatelo via (take it away).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of portare via is /porˈta.re ˈvi.a/. It has 5 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- In Italian, the verb portare is used for both 'to bring' and 'to take', unlike English which distinguishes the direction of movement.
- The Latin root of portare is also the ancestor of the English words 'portal' and 'transport', all referring to the act of carrying or passing through.
- The word via in portare via shares the same Latin root as the English word 'way', as both stem from the concept of a road or a path.
Examples in context
- Posso portare via il mio pranzo?Can I take away my lunch?
- Levami la borsa da dosso!Take away the bag from me!
- Il vento ha portato via il cappello.The wind took the hat away.
- Devo portare via queste scatole.I have to take away these boxes.
Example conversation
Martina and Lorenzo are cleaning the dining table.
- MartinaLorenzo, puoi portare via queste tazze?Lorenzo, can you take away these cups?
- LorenzoCerto, le porto subito in cucina.Sure, I'll take them to the kitchen right away.
- MartinaGrazie, poi puliamo il tavolo.Thanks, then we will clean the table.
- LorenzoVa bene, faccio tutto io.Alright, I'll do everything.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry portare via, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (portare, via) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries portare, via, CC BY-SA 4.0.
