1. Adverbial phrases with Su (locuzioni avverbiali)
These function as single adverbs, modifying verbs, adjectives, or entire sentences. They describe direction, location, or approximation.
A. In su (upward, upwards)
This adverbial phrase indicates movement or direction upward. It can be used alone or in combination with other expressions.
| Phrase | Example |
| in su (upward, up) | Guardare in su. (To look up.) Alza lo sguardo in su. (Lift your gaze upward.) |
| in su e in giù (up and down) | Camminava in su e in giù per la stanza. (He walked up and down the room.) Ha passeggiato in su e in giù nervosamente. (He paced up and down nervously.) |
B. Da su / Di su (from above, from up there)
These phrases indicate origin or location from above. Di su is more common in modern Italian; da su is also used.
| Phrase | Example |
| da su (from above) | Guardato da su, il panorama è magnifico. (Seen from above, the view is magnificent.) Osservato da su, il campo sembrava un quadrato perfetto. (Observed from above, the field looked like a perfect square.) |
| di su (from above, of above) | La voce veniva di su. (The voice came from above.) La neve cadeva di su. (The snow was falling from above.) |
C. Su per giù (approximately, roughly, more or less)
This is one of the most common adverbial phrases with su, expressing approximation. It is synonymous with più o meno, circa.
| Phrase | Example |
| su per giù (approximately, roughly, more or less) | Costerà su per giù cento euro. (It will cost roughly a hundred euros.) Erano su per giù cinquanta persone. (There were roughly fifty people.) Ci vorranno su per giù due ore. (It will take about two hours.) Ho su per giù capito. (I understood more or less.) |
D. Su e giù (Up and Down)
This phrase indicates alternating movement in vertical directions.
| Phrase | Example |
| su e giù (up and down) | Il ponte levatoio andava su e giù. (The drawbridge went up and down.) |
E. Di su in giù (from top to bottom)
This phrase indicates movement or progression from top to bottom.
| Phrase | Example |
| di su in giù (from top to bottom) | L’acqua scorreva di su in giù. (Water flowed from top to bottom.) |
2. Prepositional phrases with Su (locuzioni preposizionali)
These are complex prepositions that introduce a complement. They are formed by combining su with other prepositions (per, di, con) or with adverbs.
A. Su per (up, up along, up through)
This phrase indicates movement upward along or through a surface or space. It combines su (up) with per (through/along).
| Phrase | Example |
| su per + noun (up, up along, up through) | Salire su per le scale. (To go up the stairs.) Correva su per le scale. (He ran up the stairs.) Camminavano su per il sentiero di montagna. (They walked up the mountain path.) L’acqua saliva su per il muro. (Water rose up the wall.) Saliamo su per le montagne. (We’re going up into the mountains.) |
B. Su di [on, upon, up on (with pronouns)]
When followed by a personal pronoun, su requires the support of di to link to the pronoun. This is a grammatical necessity.
| Phrase | Example |
| su di + pronoun (on, upon, up on) | Il peso cade su di me. (The weight falls on me.) Non contare su di te. (Don’t count on yourself.) Tutto il lavoro ricade su di lui. (All the work falls on him.) Aveva gli occhi puntati su di noi. (His eyes were fixed on us.) |
C. D’in su (from above, upward from)
This literary or archaic phrase indicates origin from above or movement upward from a point. It is less common in modern spoken Italian but appears in formal and literary contexts.
| Phrase | Example |
| d’in su (from above, upward from) | Guardando d’in su. (Looking from above.) Dal basso d’in su. (From bottom to top.) Il fumo saliva d’in su. (The smoke rose upward.) Contemplava le stelle d’in su. (He contemplated the stars from above.) |
D. Con su (with… on it / having on)
This phrase combines con (with) and su (on) to indicate that something has something else on it. It is often followed by a noun.
| Phrase | Example |
| con su + noun (with … on it) | Un cappello con su una piuma. (A hat with a feather on it.) Una torta con su la ciliegina. (A cake with a cherry on it.) Un vestito con su dei fiori ricamati. (A dress with embroidered flowers on it.) |
Note:
This construction is slightly literary; in conversation, one would more likely say un cappello con una piuma sopra or un cappello che ha una piuma sopra.
E. Da su/Di su [from above (as prepositional phrase)]
While da su and di su appear as an adverbial phrases, they can also function as a prepositional phrases introducing a complement.
| Phrase | Example |
| da su + noun (from above) | Osservato da su la collina. (Seen from above the hill.) |
| di su + noun (from above, of above) | La voce di su la montagna. (The voice from above the mountain.) |
Next lesson:
Espressioni verbali con (Su) / Verbal expressions with (Su)