Italian Phrase
Sono in una zona con poco segnale.
Meaning
The speaker is telling someone that they are currently located in an area where the mobile or internet signal is weak. It’s a handy way to explain why calls drop, messages are delayed, or data won’t load.
When to use
Use this sentence when you’re traveling, in a rural or mountainous region, or inside a building with bad reception and you need to justify connectivity problems to friends, colleagues, or customer‑service staff.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Sonoinunazonaconpocosegnale.
Essere (Sono)
‘Sono’ is the first‑person singular present of the verb ‘essere’ (to be) and is used to describe a state or location.
Preposition ‘in’
‘In’ introduces the place where someone or something is located.
Indefinite article ‘una’
‘Una’ is the feminine singular indefinite article, used before a feminine noun that is not previously known to the listener.
Preposition ‘con’
‘Con’ means ‘with’ and links a noun to another noun to express accompaniment or a characteristic.
Adjective ‘poco’
‘Poco’ means ‘little’ or ‘few’; when placed before a noun it modifies the noun’s quantity or intensity.
Noun ‘segnale’
‘Segnale’ is a masculine singular noun meaning ‘signal’ (as in mobile or radio signal).
🗨In Conversation
Riesci a chiamarmi?
Can you call me?
Mi dispiace, sono in una zona con poco segnale.
Sorry, I’m in an area with poor signal.
✕Common Mistakes
Sono in una zona con poco di segnale.
‘Poco di segnale’ is ungrammatical; the adjective ‘poco’ directly modifies the noun without ‘di’.
Sono in una zona con poco segno.
‘Segno’ means ‘sign’ or ‘mark’, not ‘signal’. Use ‘segnale’ for mobile/network signal.
Sono in una zona con poco segnale.
If you want to stress the lack, you can also say ‘con segnale scarso’; ‘poco segnale’ is correct but less common in formal contexts.
↔Alternatives
Sono in una zona con scarsa copertura.
I’m in an area with poor coverage.
Il segnale è debole qui.
The signal is weak here.
Non ho buona ricezione.
I don’t have good reception.
Cultural Tip
In Italy, mobile coverage can be spotty in the Alps, the Apennines, and many historic city centres where old stone walls block signals. Italians often say ‘segnale scarso’ or ‘copertura debole’ instead of ‘poco segnale’. When you need help, it’s polite to add ‘scusa’ or ‘mi dispiace’ before explaining the problem.