One of the most amusing memories I have from the past year involves strolling around Cardiff with my dad and young son, who speaks Italian as his first language. Out of the blue, my dad turns to me and asks, “What does ‘a-choo‘ mean?” It took me a moment to realise he had caught onto my son saying laggiù in his endearing childish lisp.
laggiù
down there / over there
Laggiù is an adverb that combines the words là (there) e giù (down), with the doubling of the g in giù.
Its primary and most literal meaning is “down there” or simply “down.” It is synonymous with the expressions là in basso or là in fondo.
Guarda laggiù, vedo qualcosa che brilla! Andiamo a vedere che cos’è.
Look down there, I can see something shiny! Let’s go see what it is.
More informally, it can also mean “down south“, as in the south of Italy.
Laggiù in Sicilia abitano i miei zii.
My aunt and uncle live down south in Sicily.
The second meaning is “over there,” used when referring to something that is far away from where the speaker is standing.
Dove abiti? – In quella casa laggiù.
Where do you live? – In that house over there.
Considering that “down there” combines là and giù, it logically follows that “up there” is formed by combining là and su. However, it’s important to note that lassù never signifies “over there.” Some alternative translations include “way up high,” “high up,” and “up above.” Additionally, in a metaphorical sense, it can mean “in heaven.”
Lassù su quel ramo c’è un nido di scoiattolo.
There’s a squirrel’s nest up there on the branch.
Spero che mia nonna mi veda da lassù.
I hope my grandmother can see me from up there.
Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction.
