Italian prepositions "tra/ fra" (between, among,...)
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Sign up for freeThe preposition tra and fra (between) are synonyms.
It's better to avoid tra if the word that follows starts with t-.
In the same way, it's better to avoid fra if the word that follows begins with f-.
Fra tre giorni
In three days
Tra fratelli
Between brothers
They can have a lot of uses in Italian.
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Meanings
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Cecilia C. 
Cinzia C.
Lidia P.
Alice S.
Niccolò C.
Elena P.
Ilaria B.
Beatrice B.
Antonio S.
Giulia A.
Position "between" two elements
When tra or fra indicate the position "between" two elements, they translate as between.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Ho visto il cane tra le due macchine. | I saw the dog between the two cars. |
| La gomma è fra la matita e la biro. | The rubber is between the pencil and the pen. |
Position "among" more elements
When tra or fra indicate the position "among" more elements, it translates as among.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Ho trovato l'assegno tra i documenti. | I found the check among the documents. |
| La tua camicia è fra gli altri vestiti. | Your shirt is among the other clothes. |
Interval of time
When tra or fra indicate an interval of time, it translates as between or in.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Arriveremo tra le due e le tre. | We'll get there between two and three o'clock. |
| Spero di finire il libro fra un mese. | I hope to finish the book in a month's time. |
Distance
When tra or fra indicate an interval of space, it translates as in or as from (placed after the complement expressing the distance).
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Tra cento metri troverete il ristorante. | In one meters you'll find the restaurant. |
| Il nostro ufficio è tra due chilometri. | Our office is two kilometers from here. |
Relations
When tra or fra indicate a relation, it translates as between.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| C'è una meravigliosa amicizia tra di voi. | There is a wonderful friendship between you. |
| Tutto è finito tra noi. | Everything is over between us. |
Typical expression
In the following table you can find a list of typical Italian expressions that are introduced by the prepositions "tra" or "fra".
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| essere tra due fuochi | to sit on the fence |
| tra il dire e il fare c'è di mezzo il mare | between saying and doing there is half a sea |
| essere tra i piedi | to be in the way |
| leggere tra le righe | to read between the lines |
| fra moglie e marito non mettere dito | never interfere between husband and wife |