Meaning of sotto in Italian
Sotto is both an adverb and a preposition. It can be translated as “under”, “underneath” or “below”.
Sotto
Under, underneath, below
Sotto in Italian: Examples
Il cane si nasconde sotto al tavolo.
The dog is hiding under the table.
Le chiavi di casa sono sotto al vaso accanto alla porta.
The house keys are under the vase by the door.
Ci sono dei libri sotto la scrivania?
Are there any books under the desk?
Il termometro è sceso sotto zero.
The thermometer went down below zero.
Using sotto in Italian
We’ve said that sotto in Italian primarily means “below” and “under”, so it can be used for things that touch each other and for things that just one below the other.
Sotto la diga c’era un mulino ad acqua.
There was a water mill below the dam.
It’s most often followed by the preposition A, although you can use sotto without any preposition. For example, there’s no difference between saying sotto al tavolo and sotto il tavolo (under the table)… It’s just a matter of style, but there is one exception.
I bambini hanno trovato i regali di Natale nascosti sotto al letto.
The children found the Christmas presents hidden under the bed.
Il sole tramonta sotto l’orizzonte.
The sun sets below the horizon.
If sotto is followed by a pronoun, you cannot do without a second preposition. The second preposition also changes: you have to use the preposition DI.
Sotto all’appartamento dei miei vive una famiglia di avvocati.
Below my parents’ apartment lives a family of lawyers.
But…
Sotto di me vive un’anziana signora.
Below me lives an elderly woman.
Sotto in Italian: Expressions
There’s a variety of common expressions and sayings featuring sotto in Italian. Here are some:
- sotto la pioggia (in the rain)
- sotto controllo (under control)
- sotto pressione (under pressure)
- sotto tiro (under siege, at gunpoint)
- mettere qualcosa sotto i denti (to grab a bite)
- sotto a chi tocca! (whoever’s turn is it!)
For example, you can say…
Non permettere ai bambini di giocare sotto la pioggia.
Don’t allow the children to play in the rain.
Mi rifiuto di lavorare sotto pressione.
I refuse to work under pressure.
Il cacciatore tiene il coniglio sotto tiro.
The hunter holds the rabbit at gunpoint.
Ho fame. C’è qualcosa da mettere sotto i denti?
I’m hungry. Is there anything I can eat?
(Literally: Is there anything I can put under my teeth?)
More free Italian resources
You might want to keep learning Italian online with these free Italian resources:
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