Prepositions - Italian
Preposizioni
Simple Prepositions
Simple prepositions in Italian are fundamental for creating expressions of location, direction, and time. They are typically used with nouns or verbs to form various phrases. Here's how you can use them:
a: Used for expressing time or destination.
- Vado a Roma. (I am going to Rome.)
- Mangiamo a mezzogiorno. (We eat at noon.)
con: Indicates inclusion or company.
- Esco con gli amici. (I go out with friends.)
- Scrivo con una penna. (I write with a pen.)
da: Used for origin or who is performing an action.
- Vengo da New York. (I come from New York.)
- La lettera è da Mario. (The letter is from Mario.)
di: Expresses possession or material.
- Il libro di John. (John's book.)
- Una sciarpa di lana. (A woolen scarf.)
in: Used for location or place.
- Abito in Italia. (I live in Italy.)
- Metto lo zucchero in caffè. (I put sugar in coffee.)
per: Indicates purpose or duration.
- Studio per l'esame. (I study for the exam.)
- Parto per due giorni. (I leave for two days.)
su: Expresses placement or topic.
- Il libro è su tavolo. (The book is on the table.)
- Un documentario su leoni. (A documentary about lions.)
tra/fra: Used for position or time between things.
- La casa è tra/fra i negozi. (The house is between the shops.)
- Ritorno tra un'ora. (I will return in an hour.)
Articulated Prepositions
Articulated prepositions are a combination of a preposition and a definite article. They're often used when the noun is specific or defined:
a + article:
- al (a + il): Vado al parco. (I go to the park.)
- alla (a + la): Mangiamo alla mensa. (We eat at the canteen.)
da + article:
- dal (da + il): Vengo dal supermercato. (I come from the supermarket.)
- dalla (da + la): Esco dalla scuola. (I leave the school.)
di + article:
- del (di + il): Il sapore del vino. (The taste of the wine.)
- della (di + la): Il profumo della rosa. (The scent of the rose.)
in + article:
- nel (in + il): Vivo nel centro città. (I live in the city center.)
- nella (in + la): Entriamo nella biblioteca. (We enter the library.)
su + article:
- sul (su + il): Il gatto è sul divano. (The cat is on the couch.)
- sulla (su + la): Sulla collina, c'è un castello. (On the hill, there is a castle.)
In daily speech, Italians frequently use these prepositions to convey various relationships and connections between objects, people, and places. Articulated prepositions especially help in making the language more fluid and natural.
Related Topics
Modal verbs and infinitive, Complex sentence structures, Pronominal verbs, Imperfect subjunctive, Adverbs and adjectives, Present subjunctive, Present conditional, Relative pronouns, Pronoun "ci" for place, Interrogative pronouns, Partitive articles, Imperfect indicative, Reflexive verbs, Adverbs of frequency, Complement pronouns, Present perfect, Simple imperative, Qualifying adjectives (simple agreement), Possessive adjectives, Present indicativeSkills
Usare le preposizioni semplici
Usare le preposizioni articolate