Learn Italian Verbs 'ANDARE' and 'VENIRE' and use them with prepositions

Let’s learn to use correctly the verbs andare and venire and let’s pair them up with some useful prepositions so that you will learn them and never make a mistake again using them!

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These two verbs are extremely common and important in Italian. Unfortunately they cause some confusion. This video will clear all doubts and will have you using them correctly by its end… I have added a little exercise at the end!

Both of these verbs are used to talk about movement towards a direction.

Andare means to go and you will use it to talk about when you are going toward a person or a place. 

• ANDARE DA when you are talking about people and preposition
• ANDARE A when you are talking about places.

For example:

• Giovedì vado da Maria per mangiare una pizza insieme - On Thursday I will go to Maria's house to eat a pizze together
• Sabato vado a Milano - I will go to Milan on Saturday
• Penso di avere la febbre, vado dal dottore per una visita - I think I have a fever, I will go to the doctor's for a visit.
• Vado al cinema a vedere il nuovo film di Avatar - I will go to the cinema to watch the new Avatar movie.

Venire means to come and it is used when the movement occurs within the place where the person speaking or the person we are referring to is going. You will use preposition DA for people and A for places. 

Esempio:

• Stasera vado al cinema vuoi venire? Sì vengo volentieri al cinema. - I will go to the cinema on Saturday, want to come? Yes, I will happily come to the cinema.
• Vieni dal dottore con me? Ho paura! - Can you come to the doctor with me? I'm scared.
• Vengo a casa tua alle 18 e andiamo al ristorante! - I will come to your house at 6 and we will go to the restaurant!

Be careful when you are using prepositions, especially when you are talking about places.

You will use preposition IN instead of A when you are talking about :

1. Generic spaces like the following places: 

• Biblioteca
• Banca
• Montagna
• Campagna
• Città 
• Centro
• Periferia
• Pasticceria 
• Macelleria
• Gelateria
• Piscina
• Garage
• Pizzeria
• Discoteca

2. Countries:

• Andare in Francia
• Andare in America
• Andare in Spagna

3. Continents:

• Andare in Europa
• Andare in Asia
• Andare in Africa

4. Regions:

• Andare in Lombardia
• Andare in Sicilia
• Andare in Umbria

 Here are some examples:

• Vai in Piscina domani? No vado in palestra. - Are you going to the pool tomorrow? No, I'm going to the gym
• Andiamo in pasticceria a ritirare la torta - Let's go to the bakery to pick-up the cake.
• Devo andare in banca a prelevare i soldi. - I have to go to the bank to withdraw money.
• Mi piace leggere in biblioteca. - I like to read in the library.

 Also take note that you can use VENIRE DA when you are talking about where you are coming from. 

• Da dove vieni? Vengo dalla Francia - Where do you come from? I come from France.
• Da dove vieni? vengo dal supermercato, dovevo fare la spesa. - Where are you coming from? I come from the supermarket.

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