Italian Phrase
Dov'è il nord su questa mappa?
Meaning
The speaker is asking for the location of the north direction on the map that is currently being looked at. It’s a practical question when trying to orient oneself.
When to use
Use this phrase when you’re looking at a map in a classroom, during a travel briefing, or while planning a route and need to confirm which way is north.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Dov'èilnordsuquestamappa?
Dov'è (dove + è)
A contraction of dove (where) and è (is), used for asking location of something.
Definite article with cardinal directions
Italian uses the definite article before cardinal points (il nord, il sud, ecc.) when they function as nouns.
Preposition su
Su means 'on' or 'upon' and is used to indicate position on a surface, such as a map.
Demonstrative questa
Questa agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies (mappa, feminine singular).
🗨In Conversation
Dov'è il nord su questa mappa?
Where is north on this map?
È in alto a sinistra, come di solito.
It’s at the top left, as usual.
✕Common Mistakes
dove è il nord su questa mappa?
In spoken Italian the contraction Dov'è is required; writing it as two separate words is incorrect.
Dov'è nord su questa mappa?
Never drop the article; ‘nord’ alone sounds like an adjective, not a noun.
Dov'è il nord sopra questa mappa?
While sopra also means ‘on’, su is the idiomatic preposition used with maps.
↔Alternatives
Dove si trova il nord su questa mappa?
Where is north located on this map?
Qual è il punto più a nord di questa mappa?
What is the most northern point of this map?
Puoi indicarmi il nord su questa mappa?
Can you point out the north on this map for me?
Cultural Tip
Italian maps traditionally place north at the top, but older nautical charts or artistic maps might have a different orientation. Always look for the compass rose (rosa dei venti) to be sure. Also, ‘nord’ is capitalized when referring to the cardinal direction as a noun.