Italian · Travel & Getting Around

"Far" in Italian: lontano

lontano

Say it: lon-TAH-nohadverb/lonˈta.no/

Far in Italian is lontano (lon-TAH-noh). Ask Quanto è lontano? for how far is it. Use lontano da for far from a place.

Directions

La stazione non è lontana da qui.
The station isn't far from here.
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How to pronounce lontano

Say it

lon-TAH-noh

/lonˈta.no/

Lontano stresses TAH: lon-TAH-noh. Feminine lontana is lon-TAH-nah.

"Far" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
lontanofar

Default adverb/adjective.

lontano dafar from

Distance from a point.

quanto è lontano?how far is it?

Asking about distance.

non lontanonot far

Reassuring that something is close.

How to use lontano in real life

  1. 1Directions

    La stazione non è lontana da qui.

    The station isn't far from here.

    Lontana agrees with stazione.

  2. 2Planning a trip

    Il museo è troppo lontano a piedi.

    The museum is too far on foot.

    Lontano after essere.

  3. 3Family chat

    I miei genitori abitano lontano.

    My parents live far away.

    Lontano without naming the place.

Mistakes English speakers make with lontano

Incorrect: È molto lungo da qui.

Correct: È molto lontano da qui.

Lungo means long; for distance use lontano.

Incorrect: Abito lontano della città.

Correct: Abito lontano dalla città.

Use da: lontano da / dalla.

Good to know

Italians often answer distance with time: dieci minuti a piedi rather than kilometers. Still, lontano is the everyday word when something feels out of walk range.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Choosing how to reach a beach

  1. ChatPal

    La spiaggia è lontana dall'hotel?

    Is the beach far from the hotel?

  2. You

    Un po' lontana, meglio prendere il bus.

    A bit far, better to take the bus.

  3. ChatPal

    Ok. Il centro invece non è lontano.

    Ok. The center isn't far though.

  4. You

    Perfetto, allora dopo pranzo andiamo a piedi.

    Perfect, then after lunch we'll walk.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Far" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Far" in Italian

How do I ask how far something is?

Quanto è lontano? or È lontano da qui?

Does lontano change for gender?

As an adjective yes: lontano/lontana/lontani/lontane. As a bare adverb it often stays lontano.

What is the opposite of lontano?

Vicino (near).

Can I say far away with lontano?

Yes: abitano lontano means they live far away.

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