A1 Idiom Neutral

a due passi

A stone's throw away

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use 'a due passi' to describe something so close you could reach it in just two steps.

  • Means: Extremely close or within very short walking distance.
  • Used in: Giving directions, describing home locations, or meeting friends.
  • Don't confuse: It's figurative; you don't literally have to take only two steps.
🚶 + 🚶 = 📍 (Destination reached!)

Explanation at your level:

This phrase is very easy. It means 'very close'. You use it to talk about places in a city. For example, 'The hotel is a due passi from the station'. It is better than just saying 'vicino' because it sounds more natural and friendly.
At this level, you should use 'a due passi da' to give directions. Remember to combine 'da' with the article (da + il = dal). It's a great way to describe your neighborhood or tell a friend where to meet you. It implies you can walk there in less than five minutes.
Intermediate learners can use this idiom to add color to their descriptions. It's common in travel writing and storytelling. You can also use the related verb phrase 'fare due passi' to mean taking a short, relaxing walk. It shows you understand the Italian preference for walking in the city.
Upper-intermediate students should recognize 'a due passi' in metaphorical contexts, such as being close to a breakthrough or a goal. It's important to distinguish this from more formal expressions like 'nelle immediate vicinanze'. Using this idiom correctly helps you sound less like a textbook and more like a native speaker.
At an advanced level, you should appreciate the idiomatic nuances and the hyperbolic nature of the phrase. It functions as a spatial quantifier that prioritizes subjective ease over objective distance. You might compare it with more regional or archaic synonyms like 'a un tiro di schioppo' to vary your register and tone in sophisticated discourse.
Mastery involves understanding the cognitive linguistics behind 'a due passi'. It represents a conceptual metaphor where human movement units (steps) serve as the primary scale for spatial cognition. You should be able to manipulate the phrase in literary or rhetorical contexts, perhaps contrasting the 'due passi' of physical reality with the vast metaphorical distances in philosophical or emotional narratives.

Bedeutung

Very close by.

🌍

Kultureller Hintergrund

Italian cities are designed for walking. 'A due passi' reflects the reality that most essential services are within a 5-minute walk in the 'centro storico'. When an Italian says they are 'a due passi' on the phone, it might mean they are actually 5-10 minutes away. It's a polite way to say 'I'm coming!'. The related phrase 'fare due passi' refers to the cultural ritual of the evening stroll, where people dress up and walk through the town center. In Italian property ads, 'a due passi dal mare' is the most coveted description, even if the sea is a 10-minute walk away.

💡

Use it for convenience

Use this phrase when you want to sound enthusiastic about how easy it is to reach a place.

⚠️

Watch the preposition

Remember: 'a due passi DA'. Don't use 'di' or 'a' after the phrase.

Bedeutung

Very close by.

💡

Use it for convenience

Use this phrase when you want to sound enthusiastic about how easy it is to reach a place.

⚠️

Watch the preposition

Remember: 'a due passi DA'. Don't use 'di' or 'a' after the phrase.

🎯

The 'Proprio' boost

Add 'proprio' (proprio a due passi) to sound 100% like a native speaker when something is extremely close.

Teste dich selbst

Complete the sentence with the correct preposition and article.

Il cinema è a due passi ___ (il) centro.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: dal

We use 'da' for distance, and 'da + il' becomes 'dal'.

Which sentence is the most natural way to say 'The beach is very close'?

Come si dice 'The beach is very close' in modo idiomatico?

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: La spiaggia è a due passi.

'A due passi' is the standard idiom.

Complete the dialogue.

A: 'Andiamo in macchina al bar?' B: 'No, dai, è ___.'

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: a due passi

The context suggests walking is better because it's close.

Match the phrase to the situation.

You are 2 minutes away from meeting a friend. What do you text?

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: Sono a due passi!

'Sono a due passi' means 'I'm almost there'.

🎉 Ergebnis: /4

Visuelle Lernhilfen

Häufig gestellte Fragen

5 Fragen

Technically yes, but it's not a standard idiom. Stick to 'due' or 'quattro' for the idiomatic effect.

Yes, if you are describing where you live or how you got there. It's neutral-friendly.

99% of the time, yes. It implies a distance so short that driving would be silly.

'Vicino' is a simple adjective (near). 'A due passi' is more expressive and emphasizes the ease of getting there.

No, it's strictly for spatial distance. For time, use 'tra poco' or 'manca poco'.

Verwandte Redewendungen

🔄

dietro l'angolo

synonym

Just around the corner.

🔗

qui vicino

similar

Near here.

🔄

a un tiro di schioppo

synonym

A stone's throw away.

🔗

fare due passi

builds on

To take a short walk.

🔗

a portata di mano

similar

Within reach / handy.

Wo du es verwendest

💊

Asking for a pharmacy

Turista: Scusi, c'è una farmacia qui vicino?

Passante: Sì, è proprio a due passi, dietro l'angolo.

neutral
🏠

Real Estate Viewing

Agente: Questo appartamento è bellissimo e la metro è a due passi.

Cliente: Ottimo, la posizione è perfetta allora.

neutral
📱

Meeting a friend

Giulia: Dove sei? Ti aspetto da dieci minuti!

Luca: Tranquilla, sono a due passi, sto parcheggiando!

informal
🏨

Booking a Hotel

Viaggiatore: L'hotel è lontano dal centro?

Receptionist: No, siamo a due passi da Piazza Navona.

neutral
💼

At the office

Collega 1: Andiamo a pranzo fuori?

Collega 2: Sì, c'è un posticino nuovo a due passi dall'ufficio.

neutral
🥾

On a hike

Escursionista 1: Manca ancora molto per il rifugio?

Escursionista 2: No, dai, siamo a due passi dalla cima!

informal

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of '2 steps' (due passi). If you only need two steps, you're basically already there!

Visual Association

Imagine standing at your front door and seeing your favorite coffee shop so close that you could reach it in two giant leaps.

Rhyme

A due passi, senza sassi. (Two steps away, no stones in the way.)

Story

Marco was late for his date. He called Sofia and said, 'I'm a due passi!' He literally took two big steps and turned the corner to see her waiting at the fountain. They both laughed because he was finally telling the truth about being close.

Word Web

vicinopassocamminaredistanzaprossimitàangolometripiedi

Herausforderung

Next time you are walking in your neighborhood, identify three places that are 'a due passi' from your home and say them out loud in Italian.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

A dos pasos

None, they are linguistic twins.

French high

À deux pas

French sometimes uses 'à deux pas d'ici' more frequently than the standalone version.

German moderate

Ein Katzensprung

The German version is more colorful/figurative, while the Italian is more literal-based.

Japanese low

目と鼻の先 (Me to hana no saki)

Focuses on visual field rather than walking distance.

Arabic moderate

على مرمى حجر (Ala marma hajar)

Implies a slightly larger distance than 'two steps'.

Chinese partial

近在咫尺 (Jìn zài zhǐ chǐ)

More formal/literary than the casual Italian 'a due passi'.

Korean low

엎어지면 코 닿을 데 (Eopeojimyeon ko daeul de)

Much more informal and descriptive than the Italian version.

Portuguese high

A dois passos

None.

Easily Confused

a due passi vs. passo dopo passo

Learners see 'passo' and think it's about distance.

This means 'step by step' and refers to a process or method, not distance.

a due passi vs. fare il passo più lungo della gamba

Contains 'passo' but is a complex idiom.

This means 'to bite off more than you can chew'.

FAQ (5)

Technically yes, but it's not a standard idiom. Stick to 'due' or 'quattro' for the idiomatic effect.

Yes, if you are describing where you live or how you got there. It's neutral-friendly.

99% of the time, yes. It implies a distance so short that driving would be silly.

'Vicino' is a simple adjective (near). 'A due passi' is more expressive and emphasizes the ease of getting there.

No, it's strictly for spatial distance. For time, use 'tra poco' or 'manca poco'.

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