Voted Best Answer
Nov 09, 2017 - 04:11 AM
In general "lì" and "là" both mean “over there” and can be used interchangeably in spoken Italian. In fact, if you go to Italy you will hear both in various contexts even though there may be regional variances. So, the difference between "lì" and "là" is minimal so much so that it may not even be perceived by Italians.
From a grammatical perspective both refer to a place at a distance from the speaker / listener but "lì" can refer to a somewhat more specific, tangible place. Think of very specific places such as an entrance or a path, for instance. "Là", on the other hand, can refer to a more general, indeterminate place. Think of the area beyond a river, for instance – that’s a very wide, general area, right? In addition, "lì" is generally a little bit closer to the speaker or listener compared to "là". These are, however, nuances of the language and you will generally be absolutely fine to use either unless you are comparing that one there (slightly closer to you) – "lì" - with that one over there (slightly further away) – "là".
From a grammatical perspective both refer to a place at a distance from the speaker / listener but "lì" can refer to a somewhat more specific, tangible place. Think of very specific places such as an entrance or a path, for instance. "Là", on the other hand, can refer to a more general, indeterminate place. Think of the area beyond a river, for instance – that’s a very wide, general area, right? In addition, "lì" is generally a little bit closer to the speaker or listener compared to "là". These are, however, nuances of the language and you will generally be absolutely fine to use either unless you are comparing that one there (slightly closer to you) – "lì" - with that one over there (slightly further away) – "là".
