Italian Prepositions for English Speakers: Simple and Articulated Forms

Official guidance checked on 26 October 2026

Prepositions are the small words that link ideas in a sentence: to, from, with, for, on. In Italian they are called preposizioni (prepositions).

This lesson explains the nine simple prepositions and the joined forms such as al and della. It compares Italian with English only, so you do not need any other language to follow it.

Do not learn one English word for each Italian preposition. Learn whole patterns, such as "a + city" or "in + country". One English word, like "in" or "for", can become several different Italian prepositions.

Why English is a poor guide

English often chooses the preposition by movement: you live in Milan, but you go to Milan.

Italian often chooses it by the type of place. A city takes a, a country takes in, whether you are there or going there.

So look at the kind of place first, not the direction.

The nine simple prepositions

The preposizioni semplici (simple prepositions) are di, a, da, in, con, su, per, tra, fra. On their own, they never change for masculine, feminine, singular or plural.

These are starting points to help you remember, not rules for every sentence.^[1]

DI: possession and origin

English adds 's to the owner. Italian has no 's. It uses the pattern object + di + owner.

With essere (to be), di tells people your city of origin. It does not say where you live now.

Sono di Colombo, ma abito a Milano. = I am from Colombo, but I live in Milan.

A: cities, people and clock times

Use a with city names, both for being there and for going there: Abito a Pavia (I live in Pavia), Vado a Roma (I am going to Rome).

Some everyday phrases also use a. Learn them as fixed phrases: a casa (at home, home), a scuola (at school, to school), a piedi (on foot).

A also introduces the person who receives something: Do il libro a Nimal (I give the book to Nimal).

Some English verbs have no preposition, but the Italian verb needs a. Telefono a mia madre = I phone my mother. Faccio una domanda a Maria = I ask Maria a question.

With clock times, a joins with the article: alle otto (at eight), all'una (at one o'clock). But noon is simply a mezzogiorno.

DA: from, someone's place, and "for" or "since"

Da means "from" with verbs of coming and arriving: Vengo da Roma (I come from Rome), Il treno arriva da Milano (The train arrives from Milan).

Da + a person means at or to that person's home or workplace. English does something similar with "at the doctor's": Vado da Nimal (I am going to Nimal's), Sono dal medico (I am at the doctor's).

The biggest trap for English speakers is time. English says "I have lived here for two years". Italian uses the present tense + da, because the situation is still true today.

Present tense + da + a period or a starting point = something that began in the past and still continues. Vivo in Italia da due anni = I have lived in Italy for two years. Studio italiano da gennaio = I have been studying Italian since January.

Do not translate "for two years" as per due anni in this situation. Vivo qui per due anni does not mean "I have lived here for two years".

Da can also show what an object is for: occhiali da sole (sunglasses), scarpe da lavoro (work shoes). Here da does not mean "from".

IN: countries, common places and transport

Use in with most countries and regions: Vivo in Italia (I live in Italy), Abito in Lombardia (I live in Lombardy).

For Sri Lanka, the standard form is nello Sri Lanka (in + lo), and "from Sri Lanka" is dallo Sri Lanka. You will also hear in Sri Lanka in everyday speech.^[4]

Many common places use in with no article: in banca (at the bank), in farmacia (at the pharmacy), in ufficio (at the office), in cucina (in the kitchen), in ospedale (in hospital).

For transport, English "by" becomes in: in treno (by train), in autobus (by bus), in macchina (by car), in aereo (by plane). Walking is different: a piedi (on foot).

English "by" can become two different Italian words. By bus = in autobus, but by card = con la carta.

CON, SU and PER

CON: with

Con shows who is with you or what you use: Vivo con mio marito (I live with my husband), Scrivo con la penna (I write with the pen), Pago con la carta (I pay by card).

SU: on and about

Su means "on" a surface: Il telefono è sul tavolo (The phone is on the table). Here su + il becomes sul.

Su can also mean "about" for books, films and articles: un libro su Roma (a book about Rome). But for talking, use parlare di: Parliamo di lavoro.

PER: for, and "in order to"

Per shows who something is for: Questo regalo è per te (This gift is for you).

English uses "to" + verb for a purpose: "I study Italian to work in Italy". Italian needs per + infinitive (the basic verb form): Studio italiano per lavorare in Italia.

With partire (to leave), per gives the destination: Parto per Milano (I am leaving for Milan). Per can also give the length of one activity: Ogni sera studio per un'ora (Every evening I study for an hour).

TRA and FRA

Tra and fra have the same meaning. Choose the one that sounds smoother; it is not a grammar rule.^[3]

They mean "between" or "among": La farmacia è tra la banca e la scuola (The pharmacy is between the bank and the school). For time, they mean "in ... from now": Arrivo tra dieci minuti (I will arrive in ten minutes).

English "in ten minutes" has two Italian versions. Tra dieci minuti = ten minutes from now. In dieci minuti = the time needed to finish something, as in Finisco l'esercizio in dieci minuti (I finish the exercise in ten minutes).

Articulated prepositions

In English, "to the" stays as two words. In Italian, five prepositions join with the definite article to make one word: a + il = al. These joined forms are called preposizioni articolate (articulated prepositions).^[2]

Notice that di changes to de- (del) and in changes to ne- (nel). Before l', keep the apostrophe and join the next word: dell'amica, all'ufficio.

How to build one

1. Choose the preposition from the meaning: going to the market needs a.
2. Find the noun's definite article: il mercato.
3. Join the two: a + il = al, so Vado al mercato (I go to the market).

Le chiavi sono nella borsa (in + la) = The keys are in the bag. Do i libri agli studenti (a + gli) = I give the books to the students.

When the words stay separate

Most city names and people's names have no article, so nothing joins: a Milano, da Nimal. Compare dal medico, because medico takes il.

In modern Italian, con, per, tra and fra usually stay separate: con gli amici, per il bambino, tra le case. You may see col (con il), but con il is always correct.

With un, uno, una (a, an), never join: da un medico, in una borsa.

Be careful: della can also mean "some". Compro della frutta means "I buy some fruit", not "of the fruit".

Common mistakes English speakers make

Quick practice

Fill each gap with one word.

1. Sono ___ Colombo. (my city of origin)
2. Vivo ___ Italia ___ tre anni. (and I still live here)
3. Vado ___ mercato.
4. Le chiavi sono ___ borsa. (inside the bag)
5. Pago ___ la carta.
6. Vado al lavoro ___ autobus.
7. Studio italiano ___ parlare con i miei colleghi.
8. Il treno parte ___ otto. (at eight)

Answers

1. di (origin with essere)
2. in, da (country; still continuing)
3. al (a + il mercato)
4. nella (in + la borsa)
5. con (using something)
6. in (means of transport)
7. per (purpose + infinitive)
8. alle (a + le otto)

Official sources

1. Treccani – Preposizioni (La grammatica italiana)
2. Treccani – Preposizioni, prontuario (Enciclopedia dell'Italiano)
3. Treccani – Tra o fra? (La grammatica italiana)
4. Treccani – Sri Lanka

This article is general information for language learners, not legal advice.