Italian Phrase
Segui i numeri dei gate.
Meaning
Literally, ‘Follow the gate numbers.’ The sentence tells someone to look at the numbered signs that indicate each boarding gate and move accordingly. It is a typical instruction you’ll hear in airports or large venues with multiple entry points.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are guiding a traveler, a friend, or a colleague inside an airport, a conference centre, or any place where gates are numbered. It works both in informal settings (with friends) and in semi‑formal contexts (with strangers) as long as you keep the informal ‘tu’ form.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Seguiinumerideigate
Imperativo (tu)
‘Segui’ is the second‑person singular imperative of ‘seguire’, used for giving a direct command or instruction.
Articolo determinativo plurale
‘i’ is the masculine plural definite article that must agree with the plural noun ‘numeri’.
Preposizione articolata ‘dei’
‘dei’ = ‘di’ + ‘i’, meaning ‘of the’; it links ‘numeri’ with the noun that follows.
Loanword ‘gate’
In Italian airports the English word ‘gate’ is used as a masculine plural noun; it does not change in the singular.
🗨In Conversation
Scusa, dove devo andare per il volo per Roma?
Excuse me, where should I go for the Rome flight?
Segui i numeri dei gate, il tuo volo parte dal gate 12.
Follow the gate numbers, your flight departs from gate 12.
✕Common Mistakes
Segui i numeri del gate.
‘del’ is singular; you need the plural ‘dei’ because ‘numeri’ is plural.
Segui i numeri dei gates.
‘gate’ is already a plural loanword in Italian; adding an English ‘s’ is redundant.
Segui numeri dei gate.
The definite article ‘i’ is required before ‘numeri’ for correct agreement.
↔Alternatives
Segui i numeri dei cancelli.
Follow the numbers of the gates.
Segui i numeri dei gate per trovare il tuo volo.
Follow the gate numbers to find your flight.
Guarda i numeri dei gate e dirigiti verso quello indicato.
Look at the gate numbers and head to the one indicated.
Cultural Tip
In Italian airports the signage is usually bilingual: the word ‘gate’ stays in English while the numbers are Arabic digits. Italians often use the informal imperative ‘Segui…’ with strangers in busy places, but in a very formal setting (e.g., speaking to an elderly passenger) you could switch to the polite form ‘Segua i numeri dei gate.’