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Italian Phrase

Metti il tuo indirizzo in alto a sinistra.

/ˈmet.ti il ˈtu.o in.diˈdriz.tso in ˈal.to a sinˈstri.a/
Meaning"Put your address at the top left."
💡

Meaning

The sentence tells someone to place their address in the upper‑left corner of a document, form, or screen. It uses the informal imperative, so it’s appropriate when speaking to a peer, a colleague, or a student.

🎯

When to use

Use this instruction when you are helping someone format a letter, fill out an online form, design a flyer, or set up a profile page. It’s common in informal or semi‑formal settings; for a formal request you could say *Posizioni il suo indirizzo in alto a sinistra*.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Mettiiltuoindirizzoinaltoasinistra

1

Imperative (Metti)

‘Metti’ is the second‑person singular informal imperative of the verb *mettere* (to put).

2

Possessive adjective (tuo)

‘tuo’ agrees in gender and number with the noun *indirizzo* (masculine singular).

3

Definite article (il)

The article *il* precedes masculine singular nouns that start with a consonant.

4

Spatial phrase (in alto a sinistra)

‘in alto a sinistra’ is a fixed locative expression meaning ‘at the top left’. The preposition *in* introduces the location, *alto* indicates ‘high’, and *a sinistra* adds ‘to the left’.

5

Word order

In Italian the prepositional phrase of location usually follows the direct object, as in *Metti … in alto a sinistra*.

🗨In Conversation

A

Devo sistemare il foglio, ma non so dove mettere l'indirizzo.

I need to arrange the sheet, but I don’t know where to put the address.

Metti il tuo indirizzo in alto a sinistra.

Put your address at the top left.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Metti il tuo indirizzo in alto sinistra.

    The preposition *a* is required before *sinistra*; the correct phrase is *in alto a sinistra*.

  • Metti il tuo indirizzo al alto a sinistra.

    Use *in* for location, not *al* (which means ‘to the’).

  • Metta il tuo indirizzo in alto a sinistra.

    ‘Metta’ is the formal imperative; using it with *tuo* (informal possessive) creates a register mismatch.

↔Alternatives

  • Posiziona il tuo indirizzo in alto a sinistra.

    Position your address at the top left.

  • Scrivi il tuo indirizzo in alto a sinistra.

    Write your address at the top left.

  • Metti l'indirizzo in alto a sinistra.

    Put the address at the top left.

  • Metti il tuo indirizzo in alto a sinistra.

    Put your address at the top left.

it

Cultural Tip

In traditional Italian business letters the sender’s address is placed in the upper‑left corner, unlike many English‑language letters that put it on the right. The phrase *in alto a sinistra* is also widely used by graphic designers and web developers when describing layout positions.