Italian Prepositions

Italian Prepositions Per, Su, Con, Fra/Tra

PrinterFriendly Version
The Italian prepositions per, su, con, and fra/tra stand for many different words and
are used in a variety of grammatical constructions. The preposition per ("for" in
English) is used to indicate the following:
1. ovement through space:
Sono passati per Roma. (They passed through !ome.)
Sono passati per Londra. (They passed through "ondon.)
2. #uration of time:
Ho lavorato per un anno intero. (I wor$ed for an entire year.)
Ho lavorato per due giorni senza una pausa. (I wor$ed for two days without a
%rea$.)
3. #estination:
Questa lettera per il direttore. (This letter is for the director.)
&nother useful preposition to $now is su (on). Su is used in Italian to indicate
location or a topic of discourse. 'or e(ample:
l li!ro sul tavolo. (The %oo$ is on the ta%le.)
l cuscino sul divano. (The cushion is on the couch.)
" una conferenze sull#in$uinamento industriale. (It is a conference on industrial
pollution.)
The use of preposition con is similar to your use of the English "with":
" uscito con la cugina. ()e left with his cousin.)
Sono andato con la mia famiglia. (I left with my family.)
Taglia il pane con $uel coltello. ()e*she cuts the %read with that $nife.)
%pre la porta con $uesta c&iave. ()e*she opens the door with this $ey.)
Ha risposto con gentilezza. ()e*she responded with gentleness.)
Lei &a gridato con gioa. (+he screamed with ,oy.)
'inally, there is the preposition tra or fra (these words are fraternal twins and
interchangea%le in all cases), which may %e used in the sense of "%etween" (whether
%etween two locations, things, or people), or to indicate a time in the future with
respect to the spea$er. 'or e(ample:
Livorno fra Roma e 'enova. ("ivorno is %etween !ome and -enova.)
Silvano fra (aria e )avide. (+ilvano is %etween aria and #avide.)
Fra $ualc&e giorno arriver* la primavera. (In a few days spring will arrive.)
Tra alcuni ore arriveremo. (In a few hours we.ll arrive.)
Italian Preposition )i
PrinterFriendly Version
The Italian preposition di means "of" in English. It is used in the following cases:
1. To indicate possession:
il li!ro di (aria (aria.s %oo$)
la padella del cuoco (the coo$.s pan)
la casa dello zio (the uncle.s house)
2. To indicate what an o%,ect is made of:
il tavolo di legno (wooden ta%le)
la spada di metallo (metal $nife)
la medaglia di !ronzo (%ron/e medal)
3. To indicate origin using the ver% essere 0 di 0 nome di citt* (name of the city):
+lisa di ,apoli. (Elisa is from 1apoli.)
(aurizio di Prato. (auri/io is from Prato.)
Rossi sono di Catania. (The !ossis are from 2atania.)
4. The preposition di is used with certain ver%s and ad,ectives:
%ccorgersi di $ualcosa (to notice something)
nnamorarsi di $ualcuno (to %e in love with someone)
(alato di una malattia (ill with a sic$ness)
-ergognarsi di $ualcosa (to %e ashamed %y something)
5. The preposition di is found in many particular grammatical constructions:
di sera (during the evening)
di notte (at night)
d#estate (during the summer) un uomo di mezza et* (a man of middle age)
Italian Preposition %
3or$%oo$ E(ercises &%out This Topic
PrinterFriendly Version
The Italian preposition a can mean "to," "at," or "in," depending on how you use it in
conte(t. 4ou will need preposition a in the following cases:
1. To e(press the idea of going somewhere or staying somewhere (with names of
cities):
-ado a (ilano. (I go to ilan.)
-ado al mercato ogni luned.. (I go to the mar$et every onday.)
Si trova a -enezia. (It can %e found in 5enice.)
Si trova alla piazza. (It can %e found in the pla/a.)
2. 6efore direct o%,ects:
Scriva a Rita. ()e*she writes to !ita.)
Scriviamo alla zia. (3e write to our aunt.)
Telefonano agli amici. (They call their friends.)
3. The preposition a is also used with several ver%s. 7ften those are ver%s of motion,
%ut in other instances it.s a case of usage. That means either you.ll have to commit
them to memory, or, more li$ely, you.ll grow accustomed to the usage over time as
you listen and read Italian:
andare a... (to go to)
fermarsi a... (to stop)
incoraggiare a... (to encourage)
invitare a... (to invite to)
insegnare a... (to teach)
riuscire a... (to succeed)
venire a... (to come to)
4. To form several grammatical constructions with particular significance:
a mezzogiorno (at noontime)
alle tre (at three)
!arca a vela (sail%oat)
sedia a rotelle (wheelchair)
Italian Preposition )a
PrinterFriendly Version
The Italian preposition da means "from" in English. This preposition is used in time
e(pressions, in which case you may translate it as "since" or "for." Italian uses the
construction of present tense 0 da 0 time e(pressions to indicate an action that
%egan in the past and is still going on in the present. 'or e(ample:
)a $uanto tempo leggi $uesta rivista/ ()ow long have you %een reading this
maga/ine8)
Leggo $uesta rivista da molto tempo. (I.ve %een reading this maga/ine for a long
time.)
)a is also used in the following instances:
1. To e(press the e9uivalent of the English phrase "at the house of":
-ado dal fratello. (I.m going to my %rother.s house.)
-ado da Filippo. (I.m going to 'ilippo.s house.)
%ndiamo dai signori Rossi. (3e.re going to the !ossi.s house.)
%ndiamo da 'ino. (3e.re going to -ino.s house.)
2. To indicate origin or source:
-engo da Torino. (I come from Torino.)
-engo dalla Francia. (I come from 'rance.)
" tornato dalle vacanze. ()e is %ac$ from vacation.)
" tornato dagli zii. ()e is %ac$ from his aunt and uncle.s house.)
3. To indicate the worth or price of something:
-oglio un franco!ollo da cento lire. (I want a :;; lire stamp.)
" una casa da poco prezzo. (It.s a house of little worth.)
Italian Preposition n
PrinterFriendly Version
<sually the Italian preposition in means "in" in English, %ut it can also mean "to" or
"%y"= The preposition in is used in the following cases.
1. To e(press the idea of going somewhere or staying somewhere (with countries,
continents, regions, large islands, and addresses):
-ado in talia. (I am going to Italy.)
-ado nella Sicilia. (I am going to +icily.)
%!ita in 'ermania. ()e*she lives in -ermany.)
Roma in talia. (!ome is in Italy.)
2. In descri%ing a method of transportation:
%ndiamo in macc&ina. (3e are going %y car.)
%ndiamo in auto!us. (3e are going %y %us.)
-iaggiamo in aereo. (3e are traveling %y plane.)
-iaggiamo in !arca. (3e are traveling %y %oat.)
3. In dates>note that nel is the contraction for the prepositional article in 0 il:
Cristoforo Colom!o nato nel 1231. (2hristopher 2olum%us was %orn in :?@:.)
Caravaggio morto nel 1345. (2aravaggio died in :@A;.)
Italian +imple Prepositions
PrinterFriendly Version
Preposizioni Semplici
di (d) of6 from
a at6 to6 in
da from6 !7
in in
con 8it&
s on
per for
tra! "ra !et8een
E(amples:
-ive a Roma. (+he lives in !ome.)
L9aereo arriva da Londra. (The airplane arrives "rom "ondon.)
&%ita in 2alifornia. ()e lives in 2alifornia.)
Parlo con %ndrea. (IBm tal$ing #it$ &ndrea.)
li!ri sono su un !anco. (The %oo$s are on a des$.)
La penna tra i $uaderni. (The pen is %et#een the note%oo$s.)
La c&iamata per Teresa. (The call is "or Teresa.)
The preposition di e(presses possession as well as place of origin:
)i c&i $uesta rivista/:" di Lucia.
3hose maga/ine is this8>ItBs "uciaBs.
)i dov9 ;ames/:" di (iami.
3here is Cames from8> )eBs from iami.
The English to and in are translated %y the Italian preposition a when used with the
name of a city or a small island.
-ado a Venezia. (I am going to Venice.)
%!itano a Venezia. (They live in Venice.)
-anno a Capri. (They are going to &apri.)
%!itano a Ischia. (They live in Isc$ia.)