Italian · Everyday Verbs

"to go" in Italian: andare

andare

Say it: ahn-DAH-rehverb/anˈda.re/

To go in Italian is andare (ahn-DAH-reh). It is irregular: io vado, tu vai, lui/lei va, noi andiamo, voi andate, loro vanno. Andiamo also means let's go.

Leaving a café

Andiamo? Io vado verso la stazione.
Shall we go? I'm going toward the station.
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How to pronounce andare

Say it

ahn-DAH-reh

/anˈda.re/

Andare stresses DAH: ahn-DAH-reh. Andiamo is ahn-DYAH-moh. Vado is VAH-doh.

"to go" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
andareto go

Movement toward a place.

vado / vai / vaI go / you go / he-she goes

Irregular singular present forms.

andiamowe go; let's go

Statement or suggestion.

andare a + placeto go to + place

Vado a Roma, andiamo al mare.

How to use andare in real life

  1. 1Leaving a café

    Andiamo? Io vado verso la stazione.

    Shall we go? I'm going toward the station.

    Andiamo and vado are both from andare.

  2. 2Weekend plan

    Domenica andiamo al lago in treno.

    Sunday we're going to the lake by train.

    Andare a + place.

  3. 3Checking in

    Come va? Dove andate stasera?

    How's it going? Where are you going tonight?

    Come va uses va from andare.

Mistakes English speakers make with andare

Incorrect: Io andare a casa.

Correct: Vado a casa.

Conjugate: io vado, not io andare.

Incorrect: Devo andare in il negozio.

Correct: Devo andare al negozio.

Combine preposition and article: a + il = al.

Good to know

Andiamo is a social lubricant: friends say it to start moving together. Come va? (how's it going?) is a greeting built on the same verb family, so beginners hear andare forms all day.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Deciding how to reach the museum

  1. ChatPal

    Andiamo a piedi o prendiamo l'autobus?

    Shall we go on foot or take the bus?

  2. You

    Io vado volentieri a piedi se non piove.

    I'm happy to go on foot if it doesn't rain.

  3. ChatPal

    Ok. Allora andiamo subito, prima che faccia buio.

    Ok. Then let's go right away, before it gets dark.

  4. You

    Perfetto. Dopo il museo andiamo a prendere un gelato.

    Perfect. After the museum let's go get a gelato.

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"to go" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "to go" in Italian

What does andiamo mean?

Literally we go, and often let's go when you suggest moving.

Why is io vado so different from andare?

Andare is irregular. Memorise vado, vai, va as a set with andiamo, andate, vanno.

How do I say I'm going home?

Vado a casa. Home usually takes a, not in, in this phrase.

What is come va?

A casual how's it going? using the lui/lei form va.

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