Common italian prepositions with examples
Italian ⋙
Italian A1
Welcome to our Italian grammar course for beginners! Today we're going to talk about common prepositions.
Prepositions are fundamental in Italian, as they play a crucial role in indicating relationships between words and expressing various ideas such as location, direction, time, and more. Let's look at prepositions that will be useful for beginners.
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A" :
At, To, In:
The preposition "a" is one of the most versatile prepositions in Italian. It has several meanings, including "at," "to," and "in," depending on context:
Vado a scuola. (I go to school.)
Abito a Roma. (I live in Rome.)
Siamo arrivati a casa tua. (We arrived at your house.)
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In" :
In, Into, On:
The preposition "in" is used to indicate location, destination, or time:
Sono in ufficio. (I am in the office.)
Ci vediamo in piazza domani. (We'll meet in the square tomorrow.)
"
Da" :
From, By, At, To:
The preposition "da" is multifunctional and can indicate origin, possession, location, or the "by" meaning in passive sentences:
Vengo da Milano. (I come from Milan.)
La macchina è da mio padre. (The car belongs to my father.)
Il regalo è stato fatto da Luca. (The gift was made by Luca.)
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Di" :
Of, From, About:
The preposition "di" has various meanings, including possession, origin, and subject matter:
La casa di Luca è grande. (Luca's house is big.)
Vengo di Spagna. (I come from Spain.)
Parliamo di cinema. (We are talking about movies.)
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Con" :
With:
The preposition "con" simply means "with."
Vado al cinema con Marco. (I'm going to the cinema with Marco.)
Bevo il caffè con latte. (I drink coffee with milk.)
Esco con i miei amici. (I go out with my friends.)
"
Su" :
On, About, Over:
The preposition "su" indicates position on something or the topic of discussion:
Testo su quel pianeta libero. (Text on that free planet.)
Stiamo discutendo su questo problema. (We are discussing (about) this problem.)
Parliamo su cinema. (Let's talk about movies.)
"
Per" :
For, In Order To:
The preposition "per" usually expresses purpose, destination, or duration:
Ho comprato un regalo per mia sorella. (I bought a gift for my sister.)
Partiamo per Firenze domani. (We are leaving for Florence tomorrow.)
E per quanto tempo lo tocchi. (And how long you touch it for.)
"
Tra" / "Fra" :
Between, Among:
Both "tra" and "fra" mean "among" or "between." Sometimes these prepositions mean "during" or "in" and can also be used to indicate a period of time:
Il libro è tra i fogli. (The book is between the sheets.)
Ci sono molti amici fra noi. (There are many friends among us.)
Ci vediamo tra una settimana. (We'll meet in a week.)
L'esame è fra due ore. (The exam is in two hours.)
"
Perché" : Because, Why:
The preposition "perché" functions as both "because" and "why," depending on the context:
Vado al mare perché fa caldo. (I am going to the beach because it's hot.)
Perché sei triste? (Why are you sad?)
Non so perché lei continui a insistere. (I don't know why she keeps insisting.)
"
Contro" :
Against:
The preposition "con" means "against and indicates opposition or contrast. It can be used in some idiomatic expressions:
È contro il divorzio. (He/She is against divorce)
Ho lottato contro il vento. (I fought against the wind.)
Andare contro qualcuno. (To go against someone.)
"
Senza" :
Without:
The preposition indicates absence or lack and can be used with verbs to indicate the absence of something:
Ho viaggiato senza soldi. (I traveled without money.)
Nescafe senza latte. (Nescafe without milk.)
Stare qui senza fare rumore. (Stay here without making noise.)
Summary
In this lesson, you learned the common prepositions in Italian. Remember that prepositions can be tricky because they often have specific usage and meanings.
Pay attention to the new words you come across in the lesson:
Scuola (school)
Ufficio (office)
Spagna (Spain)
Latte (milk)
Testo (text)
Libero (free)
Pianeta (planet)
Domani (tomorrow)
Firenze (Florence)
Molto (very)
Settimana (week)
Ora (hour)
Divorzio (divorce)
Vento (wind)
Qualcuno (someone)
Soldi (money)
Senza (without)
Rumore (noise)
We are waiting for you in the next lesson, where we will talk about
modal verbs in Italian. Good luck!