Prepositions
Eight small words — di, a, da, in, con, su, per, tra/fra — none of which maps one-to-one onto English. Two things to master: the fused preposition + article forms, and the personality of da, the most Italian preposition of all.
Preposition + article = one word
di, a, da, in, su fuse with the definite article — di + il = del, in + la = nella, su + gli = sugli. The full grid lives in Articles; it is not optional (di il is simply wrong). con and per stay separate.
a vs in — places
| rule | examples |
|---|---|
| a + city | vivo a Roma, vado a Parigi |
| in + country, region, large island | in Italia, in Toscana, in Sicilia |
| in + "function" places (no article) | in banca, in ufficio, in centro, in macchina |
| a + a similar fixed set | a casa, a scuola, a letto, a teatro, a piedi |
| al / alla… for specific venues | al cinema, al mare, alla stazione |
Same word for position and motion: Sono a Roma / Vado a Roma — Italian doesn't distinguish "in" from "to" the way English does.
da — THE Italian preposition
English speakers underuse it for months. Its jobs:
| meaning | example |
|---|---|
| from | Vengo da Milano. · dalle 9 alle 5 |
| at/to someone's place | Vado da Marco. · Sono dal medico. (chez in French) |
| since / for (duration, with present tense) | Studio italiano da due anni. — I have been studying for two years |
| purpose / suitability | qualcosa da mangiare, una camera da letto, occhiali da sole |
| by (agent) | scritto da Dante |
| behaving as | da bambino (as a child), fai da te (DIY) |
The da + present pattern replaces the English perfect: Aspetto da un'ora = "I have been waiting for an hour" — present tense in Italian, always.
di — of, and more
Possession (il libro di Anna), material (una casa di legno), origin with essere (Sono di Napoli — but vengo da), comparisons (più alto di te), the partitive (del pane = some bread), and after quantities: un chilo di pane, qualcosa di bello.
The traps for English speakers
| English says | Italian says |
|---|---|
| think about | pensare a |
| depend on | dipendere da |
| ask (someone) | chiedere a qualcuno |
| look at / listen to / wait for | guardare, ascoltare, aspettare — no preposition at all |
| in the evening | di sera · la sera (habit) |
| on Monday | lunedì — no preposition; il lunedì = every Monday |
| made of | fatto di |
| on TV | alla TV / in TV |
Verb + infinitive linkers must be memorised per verb: cerco di capire, comincio a lavorare, voglio capire (nothing).
tra / fra
Interchangeable (pick whichever sounds better): between (tra me e te) and "in" for future time: tra dieci minuti = in ten minutes' time — never in for this meaning.
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