The Italian word parte has so many meanings! Let’s put it to the test with a sentence that fits three of them into just one line:
Non voglio prendere le parti di nessuno, ma so benissimo da che parte parte questa critica.
I don’t want to take sides with anyone, but I know exactly where this criticism is coming from.
And that’s not even the full picture, because parte has even more meanings up its sleeve. Let’s go through them all.
1. PARTE = part / segment / fraction
Similar to English, parte (feminine: la parte, plural: le parti) means “part” or “portion,” like the single piece in a bigger puzzle.
C’è una bellissima chiesa da vedere nella parte alta del borgo.
There’s a beautiful church to see in the upper part of the village.
I guadagni sono stati divisi in parti uguali tra i tre soci.
The profits were divided equally among the three partners.
In this “part/portion” sense, parte appears in certain fixed expressions we use to talk about a fraction or extent of something, such as:
- La maggior parte di: The majority of, most of. It’s followed by a plural noun, but the verb typically stays singular.
La maggior parte dei nostri amici vive a Milano.
The majority of our friends live in Milan.
That said, you could also use the verb in the plural (La maggior parte dei nostri amici vivono a Milano), and honestly, plenty of us say it that way without a second thought (the grammar purists, however, will silently judge you).
- Per buona parte di: for most of
Ieri eravamo stanchissimi e abbiamo dormito per buona parte della giornata.
Yesterday we were absolutely exhausted, and we slept for most of the day.
- In parte: partly / in part
Quello che ti hanno detto è vero solo in parte.
What they told you is only partly true.
- In buona / gran parte: largely, mostly
Il successo del progetto è in buona parte merito vostro.
The success of the project is largely thanks to you.
- In tutto o in parte: In whole or in part. This usually appears in copyright notices or official documents in phrases like:
È vietato riprodurre questo testo, in tutto o in parte, senza autorizzazione.
It is forbidden to reproduce this text in whole or in part without authorisation.
- In ogni sua parte: in its entirety
Ricorda di controllare il documento in ogni sua parte prima di firmare.
Remember to review the document in its entirety before signing it.
- Essere parte (integrante) di: To be a(n integral) part of.
La privacy è parte integrante della progettazione del nuovo software.
Privacy is an integral part of the new software design.
- Anche l’occhio vuole la sua parte: Literally, “even the eye wants its part,” this is our way of saying that how something appears is just as important as how well it works.
Il sito funziona alla grande, ma dovresti migliorare la parte grafica: come si dice, anche l’occhio vuole la sua parte!
The website works great, but you should improve the design. As they say, look matters too!
2. PARTE = place / area
When talking about geography or surroundings, parte means “place” or “area.” Here are a couple of everyday expressions where you’ll see it in action:
- Da ogni parte: From everywhere (literally “from every part”)
Stanno arrivando offerte da ogni parte per quel dipinto antico.
Offers for that antique painting are pouring in from everywhere.
- Da qualche parte: Somewhere (literally “from some part”)
Andiamo da qualche parte il prossimo fine settimana?
How about we go somewhere next weekend?
- Da nessuna parte: Nowhere (literally, “from no part”)
Ma che succede oggi? Non si trova parcheggio da nessuna parte!
What’s happening today? There’s nowhere to park!
- Non sta scritto da nessuna parte che…: There’s no rule that says… / Who says… (Literally: “It isn’t written anywhere that…”). We use this expression a lot in spoken Italian to challenge unwritten social rules or expectations.
Non sta scritto da nessuna parte che dobbiamo per forza sposarci.
There’s no rule that says we have to get married.
It’s also very common to use parte in the plural (parti) to talk about a neighbourhood or what you might call “your neck of the woods” in English.
Non c’è molto da fare da queste parti, però il paesaggio è bellissimo.
There isn’t much to do around here, but the landscape is beautiful.
3. PARTE = direction / way
Lost in Italy? Parte is a word you’ll need. It also means “direction” or “way,” which makes it essential for giving or asking for directions in Italian. Here are the key expressions worth memorising:
- Da quella / questa parte: That way / In this direction, great to know for pointing out where things are (questa is for things near us, and quella for things further away).
La biglietteria è da questa parte, seguitemi.
The ticket office is this way, follow me.
- Da che parte…?: Which way…? / Where…?
Da che parte è l’uscita?
Which way is the exit?
Da che parte is not just for real directions, though. It’s also a building block for common phrases where the “direction” is more figurative (think moods or choices), such as:
- Vedere da che parte tira il vento: to gauge the mood/vibe (literally, “to see which way the wind is blowing”).
Aspetta, vediamo da che parte tira il vento prima di decidere.
Hold on, let’s gauge the mood before making a final decision.
- Non sapere da che parte cominciare / iniziare: To not know where to start
Ho così tante cose da fare che non so da che parte cominciare.
I have so many things to do that I don’t know where to start.
4. PARTE = side
And here we are, at the meaning that started this article: parte as “side,” as in taking one or diplomatically refusing to pick one at all – super handy during family arguments about whose fault it really was.
Ma insomma, tu da che parte stai?
Come on, whose side are you on?
Some useful expressions to know:
- Prendere le parti di qualcuno: To take someone’s side, to defend someone
La smetti di prendere sempre le sue parti? Sai benissimo che ha sbagliato!
Will you stop always taking his/her side? You know full well he/she messed up!
- Essere di parte: To be biased.
Scusa, ma tu non fai testo in questa storia: sei troppo di parte!
Sorry, but you don’t count as a neutral source here: you’re too biased!
The expression di parte is also used in legal and technical contexts, where it means something closer to “hired by one side” rather than neutral or independent. For example, il perito di parte (the expert hired by one side) or il consulente tecnico di parte (the technical consultant hired by one side).
- Essere dalla parte del torto / della ragione: To be in the wrong / to be in the right (literally, “to be on the side of wrong / right”). This is a fancier way to say avere torto / avere ragione (to be wrong / to be right), like they’re standing on a team, not just holding an opinion.
Enzo sa di essere dalla parte del torto, ma non lo ammetterà mai.
Enzo knows he’s in the wrong, but he’ll never admit it.
We also say passare dalla parte del torto to describe someone who starts off in the right but acts in a way that puts them in the wrong.
Hai ragione su tutto, ma alzando la voce finirai col passare dalla parte del torto.
You’re totally in the right, but if you raise your voice, you’ll end up in the wrong.
And how do we say that someone is firmly on the controlling side of things? That’s avere il coltello dalla parte del manico, literally “to have the knife by the handle.” Which is very fitting: after all, whoever is holding the handle controls the blade, right?
Pensi davvero di avere il coltello dalla parte del manico solo perché paghi l’affitto?
Do you seriously think you’re in control just because you pay the rent?
But sometimes parte in this “side” sense is just… a side, no team-picking or arguments involved:
Da che parte del letto preferisci dormire?
Which side of the bed do you prefer to sleep on?
A few more everyday expressions that use this same, drama-free parte:
- Da parte di padre/madre: On the father’s / mother’s side.
Cinzia è napoletana da parte di madre.
Cinzia is Neapolitan on her mother’s side.
- Da parta mia: On my side / for me (you can swap mia with tua, sua, vostra, etc. depending on the context).
Da parte mia non ci sono mai stati problemi.
There were never any problems on my side.
This same expression is great for everyday pleasantries and small talk, for instance:
Saluta i tuoi da parte mia.
Say hi to your parents for me.
- Da una parte… dall’altra…: We use this both to describe a place (“on this side… on the other…”) and to compare arguments or feelings (“on one hand… on the other”).
Che spettacolo questo posto: da una parte c’è la spiaggia, dall’altra le montagne!
What a stunning place: on one side there is the beach, on the other the mountains!
- Sapere da che parte prendere qualcuno: To know how to handle someone (literally, “to know from which side to take someone.”
Non so più da che parte prenderlo, è sempre di pessimo umore.
I don’t know how to handle him anymore, he’s always in a terrible mood.
5. PARTE = part / role
In the world of cinema or theatre, parte takes on yet another meaning: the “role” or “part” an actor plays. And, as with any good production, there’s a whole vocabulary around handing roles out and stepping into them:
- Assegnare una parte: to assign/cast a role.
Si sa già a chi hanno assegnato la parte di Romeo per il nuovo spettacolo?
Do we know who got cast as Romeo for the new show yet?
- Ottenere la parteda protagonista: To land the lead role.
Ha fatto tanti provini e alla fine è riuscita a ottenere la parte da protagonista.
She did several auditions and finally managed to land the lead role.
- Interpretare la parte di: to play the role of.
Non è facile interpretare la parte del cattivo quando il pubblico ti conosce solo per ruoli comici.
It’s not easy playing the villain when people only know you for comedic roles.
- Avere una piccola parte: to have a small role
Una mia amica ha avuto una piccola parte come comparsa in una serie TV.
One of my friends had a small part as an extra in a TV show.
By the way, in Italian small roles often get a cute diminutive: una particina (literally, “a tiny little part”).
Gli hanno dato una particina nel film.
They gave him a tiny little role in the movie.
Outside the arts world, parte can still mean “role” — just applied to everyday life instead of a script. Here are some examples:
- Fare la propria parte: To do one’s part
Se vogliamo che il progetto venga approvato, ognuno deve fare la propria parte.
If we want the project to be approved, everyone needs to do their part.
- Fare la parte della vittima: To play the victim.
Non fare la parte della vittima, sai benissimo che hai sbagliato.
Don’t play the victim, you know very well you were wrong.
Naturally, you can swap vittima for pretty much any personality type you want to call out, for instance:
- Fare la parte del duro / della dura (to play the tough guy/girl)
- Fare la parte del / della martire (to play the martyr)
- Fare la parte del / della guastafeste (to play the party pooper)
- Fare la parte del finto tonto / della finta tonta (to play dumb)
Smettila di fare la parte del martire, nessuno ti ha chiesto di sistemare tutto da solo.
Stop acting like a martyr, nobody asked you to clean up everything by yourself.
6. PARTE = party
Time to put on our best serious face, because we’re stepping into official legal territory now: courtrooms, contracts, disputes, negotiations and all that. Here, parte refers to each person or side involved.
Here are some key terms you might come across:
- La partelesa: The injured party (the one who suffered financial, physical, or emotional damage from a crime — in other words, the victim).
- La partecivile: The civil claimant (the person who joins a criminal trial to demand compensation).
- La partecreditrice: The creditor.
- La parte debitrice: The debtor.
In this context, you’ll also see parte very often in the plural:
- Le parti in causa: The parties involved in the case.
Le parti in causa non sono riuscite a raggiungere un accordo.
The parties involved in the case couldn’t reach an agreement.
- Le parti contraenti: The contracting parties (the ones signing on the dotted line).
Le parti contraenti si impegnano a rispettare i termini del contratto.
The contracting parties agree to respect the terms of the contract.
- Le parti sociali: The labour and business representatives (i.e. those unions and employer associations who negotiate things like collective agreements, wages, and workplace rules on behalf of workers and companies).
And here are a few more technical expressions to sound like a seasoned Italian lawyer:
- Costituirsi parte civile: to formally join a trial as a civil claimant.
La famiglia della vittima si è costituita parte civile nel processo.
The victim’s family brought a civil action in the trial.
- Un accordo fra le parti: An agreement or settlement between the parties
Dopo mesi di negoziati, è stato raggiunto un accordo fra le parti.
After months of negotiations, an agreement was reached between the parties.
- La volontà delle parti: The will of the parties
Le modifiche sono state apportate per rispettare la volontà delle parti.
The changes were made to respect the will of the parties.
- Con il consenso delle parti: With the consent of the parties
La causa è stata archiviata con il consenso delle parti.
The case was dropped with the consent of the parties.
7. PARTE as a verb
And finally, parte is also a verb! Specifically, it’s the third person singular (lui/lei — he/she/it) form of partire, which can mean:
- To leave, to depart
Nostro figlio parte domani, poi noi lo raggiungiamo la settimana prossima.
Our son leaves tomorrow, and then we’re joining him next week.
- To originate
L’idea di aprire un ristorante vegetariano parte da un’esigenza personale.
The idea of opening a vegetarian restaurant comes from a personal need.
- To start (both physically and figurative).
La macchina non parte, bisogna chiamare un carro attrezzi.
The car won’t start, we need to call a tow truck.
There’s also this expression for everyday spoken Italian: Ecco che parte con… We use it (half-jokingly, half seriously) when someone is about to launch into some very painfully predictable behaviour (a rant, a lecture, a story we’ve heard fifty times), similar to saying “and here he/she goes again with…” in English.
Ecco che parte con la solita lamentela sul traffico.
And here he/she goes again with the usual complaint about traffic.
Further expressions with PARTE in Italian
Paired with certain prepositions or verbs, parte forms expressions that we use all the time, for example:
- A parte: Aside, except, separate
Scherzi a parte, sei davvero sicuro che sia una buona idea?
Joking aside, are you really sure it’s a good idea?
- Da parte: set aside, saved up.
Abbiamo ancora dei soldi da parte.
We still have some money saved up.
(Literally, “learn the craft and put it aside” — a classic Italian proverb about picking up a trade, because you never know when it’ll come in handy.)
Some everyday verbs that pair nicely with da parte include:
- Farsi da parte: To step aside.
Non voglio rovinare il vostro rapporto, preferisco farmi da parte.
I don’t want to ruin your relationship, I prefer to step aside.
- Tenere da parte: To put something aside.
Mi tieni da parte un pollo allo spiedo? Passo a ritirarlo tra un’ora.
Could you put a roast chicken aside for me? I’ll come pick it up in about an hour.
- Prendere qualcuno da parte: To take someone aside.
L’ho presa da parte per chiederle scusa.
I took her aside to apologise.
- Da un anno / mese a questa parte: For the past year / month.
Da un mese a questa parte leggo tutti i giorni.
For the past month, I have been reading every day.
- Essere senza arte né parte: To be a complete good-for-nothing (literally, “to be without craft nor part”).
Fidati di me, quello là è uno senza arte né parte.
Trust me, that guy is a complete good-for-nothing.
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.
