Simple Prepositions (di, a, da, in, con, su, per, tra)

📌 Nota grammaticale

'Di' is used to show possession (equivalent to English 'of' or the Saxon genitive) and to express origin or where someone is from. It also contracts with definite articles in complex ways later, but the simple form is used directly before proper nouns and unmodified nouns.

📌 Nota grammaticale

'A' translates to 'to' or 'at' in English. It is primarily used before names of cities, towns, and small islands to indicate destination or location, as well as before many common movement verbs.

📌 Nota grammaticale

'Da' means 'from' (motion away from a place or person) or 'since/for' with time. A very common Italian usage is meaning 'at the house/place of' someone (e.g., da Mario = at Mario's).

📌 Nota grammaticale

'In' translates to 'in' or 'to'. It is used before names of countries, regions, continents, and large islands. It is also used before many enclosed locations (in ufficio, in biblioteca) and modes of transport (in treno, in macchina).

📌 Nota grammaticale

'Con' means 'with'. It is used to indicate company (with someone) or the instrument/manner used to do something (with a pen, with pleasure).

📌 Nota grammaticale

'Su' means 'on' or 'upon'. It is used when an object is physically resting on top of a surface. It can also mean 'about' when discussing a topic (un libro su Roma).

📌 Nota grammaticale

'Per' translates to 'for', 'through', or 'in order to'. It is used to express duration of time (per due ore), cause, or intended recipient/destination.

📌 Nota grammaticale

'Tra' and 'fra' are completely interchangeable in meaning and usage (choose based on euphony to avoid repeating sounds). They mean 'between' or 'among' in space, or 'in' a certain amount of time regarding the future.

📌 Nota grammaticale

Choosing the right preposition depends on the verb. Verbs of rest (abitare, essere, stare) take 'in' or 'a'. Verbs of motion (andare, venire, viaggiare) pair with specific location prepositions like 'a' (cities), 'in' (countries), or 'da' (people).

📌 Nota grammaticale

At level A1, certain fixed expressions use simple prepositions automatically. For example, 'a colazione' (at breakfast), 'a pranzo' (at lunch), 'a cena' (at dinner), and 'a letto' (to bed).

📌 Nota grammaticale

Many Italian verbs require a simple preposition ('a' or 'di') before a following infinitive verb. Verbs like cominciare a (to start to) or imparare a (to learn to) always take 'a' before the infinitive action.

📌 Nota grammaticale

Simple prepositions are essential for expressing times and schedules. Use 'a' for clock times (alle due), 'di' for parts of the day in general (di mattina, di sera), and 'in' for months or seasons (in agosto).