A guide to saying it like a local
How to Say "Next to the bank" in Italian
Italian phrase for 'next to the bank,' useful for asking directions to financial institutions.
Accanto alla banca
ah-KAHN-toh AHL-lah BAHNG-kahneutral
Italian TTS · 0:01
Use this when asking someone for directions to a bank or when describing the location of something relative to a bank. For example, you could say, 'Dov'è la posta? È accanto alla banca.' (Where is the post office? It's next to the bank.)
Alternatives
- Vicino alla bancaThis means 'near the bank' and is a bit less precise than 'accanto'.
- Di fianco alla bancaThis is a good alternative, also meaning 'next to the bank' and very common.
Ways to get it wrong
Confusing 'accanto' with 'a canto'
'Accanto' means 'next to,' while 'a canto' means 'on the side' or 'aside' and is rarely used in this context.
Mispronouncing 'banca'
Ensure the 'a' sounds are clear and open, like the 'a' in 'father,' and don't shorten the word.
A small cultural note
Banks are often central landmarks in Italian towns and cities, making them a reliable point of reference for directions.
When you'd actually say this
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Directing a delivery driver by phone
You're waiting outside your Airbnb in Bologna and the delivery driver calls, confused by the narrow street names on his GPS. You tell him, 'Siamo accanto alla banca, sul lato sinistro della strada' — you can hear his scooter idling somewhere close, and the smell of fresh bread from the bar next door tells you he must be nearly there.
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Giving a meeting point to friends
Your group has split up at a busy Saturday market in Siena and you're texting a friend who doesn't know the square well. You type 'Ci vediamo accanto alla banca' because the Banca Monte dei Paschi branch is the one building everyone in the group walked past on the way in — it's unmissable, with its stone facade and the queue of pensioners outside.
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Explaining where you parked the car
You've parked on an unfamiliar one-way street in Perugia and your partner stayed behind at the café. When they call asking where to meet you, you say 'Ho parcheggiato accanto alla banca, quella con le colonne' — you can see the ATM light glowing green from where you're standing, which is the detail that makes the location stick.
Related ways to say it in Italian
- Proprio accanto alla banca — Right next to the bank
- Use 'proprio' when you want to stress that the location is immediately adjacent, not just nearby — helpful when precision matters in a crowded street.
- Lì vicino alla banca — There by the bank
- More casual and spoken; you'd use this when pointing or gesturing, rather than giving a clean verbal description to a stranger.
- A fianco della banca — Alongside the bank / at the side of the bank
- Slightly more formal than 'di fianco alla banca' and implies a side-by-side physical alignment; you'll hear it in written directions or formal speech more than casual conversation.
- Adiacente alla banca — Adjacent to the bank
- Formal register; found in written notices, property listings, or official signage — not something you'd say aloud when asking for directions on the street.
Notes for English speakers
- English speakers often want to say 'accanto a la banca' as two separate words, but 'alla' is the mandatory contraction of 'a' and 'la' — splitting them apart sounds unnatural and marks you immediately as someone reading from a textbook.
- The word 'banca' is a false friend for Spanish speakers but also catches English speakers off guard: it refers only to a financial institution, never to a riverbank, which is 'riva' or 'sponda' in Italian — so 'accanto alla banca' will never be understood as 'next to the riverbank'.
- In southern Italian regions, particularly in Sicily and Calabria, you may hear 'vicino a' used almost exclusively where northern and central Italians would say 'accanto a' — if a local seems puzzled by 'accanto', switching to 'vicino alla banca' will usually resolve the confusion instantly.
The same phrase in other languages
Frequently asked
How to ask where is the bank in Italian?
You can ask 'Dov'è la banca?' (Where is the bank?). To ask what's next to it, you'd say 'Cosa c'è accanto alla banca?'
Is 'accanto' or 'vicino' better for directions?
'Accanto' implies directly beside something, while 'vicino' means nearby or close. For precise directions, 'accanto' is usually better.
What's the difference between 'accanto a' and 'di fianco a'?
Both mean 'next to' and are largely interchangeable. 'Di fianco a' might feel slightly more common in everyday speech.
