Italian simple prepositions
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Sign up for freeSimple prepositions (preposizioni semplici) are all invariable in gender and number.
You can easily learn them from the following list:
- di (of, from,...)
- a (at, to,...)
- da (by, from,...)
- in (in, to,...)
- con (with)
- su (on, over,...)
- per (for, to,...)
- tra (between, among,...)
- fra (between, among,...)
As you can see, each preposition can have different meanings.
Lesson outline
HideThe preposition di (of, from, ...)
The preposition di is used in the following contexts.
| Meaning | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | Lei è la mamma di Giorgio | She's Giorgio's mum |
| Origin | Mia mamma è di Roma | My mum is from Rome |
| Topics | Un libro di filosofia | A book about philosophy (A philosophy book) |
| Contents | Un sacchetto di caramelle | A bag of candies |
| Characteristics (materials, ingredients) | Una torta di mele | An apple cake |
| Cause or reason | Sto morendo di sonno | I'm dying of sleepiness |
| Measures or quantity | Una strada di venti chilometri | A twenty-kilometres-long road |
| Part of a group | Qualcuno di voi mente | Some of you are lying |
Time expressions | Gli uffici sono aperti solo di giorno | The offices are opened during the morning only |
| Comparisons | Maria è più alta di Sara | Maria is taller than Sara |
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The preposition a (at, to,...)
The preposition a has the following meanings. When it is followed by the same vowel, you add a -d.
| Meaning | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Direction (cities and places) | Sto andando ad Amburgo | I am going to Bologna |
| Exact time or moment | L'appuntamento è alle cinque | The date is at five o'clock |
| Distance (space and time) | L'albergo più vicino è a due chilometri | The nearest hotel is two kilometres away |
Indirect object | Avevo dato a tutti voi la mia fiducia | I had given you all my trust |
The preposition da (from, by,...)
The preposition da has the following meanings.
| Meaning | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point in space / origin | Il volo da Roma a Madrid è in ritardo | The flight from Rome to Madrid got delayed |
| Motion "through" something | Per andare in Francia bisogna passare dal tunnel | You have to pass through a tunnel to go to France |
| Starting point in time | Studio spagnolo dall'anno scorso | I have been studying Spanish since last year |
| Current location | Sono da Claudia adesso | I'm at Claudia's now |
| Agent in passive sentences | L'edificio è stato costruito da quella compagnia | The building was built by that company |
| Characteristics | La signora dai pantaloni rossi | The lady with red trousers |
| Purposes | Scarpe da tennis | Tennis shoes |
The preposition in (in, to,...)
The preposition in has the following meanings.
| Meaning | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Location in a space or in time | La "Barcaccia" è una famosa fontana di Roma in Piazza Navona | The "Barcaccia" is a famous fountain in Rome, in Navona Square |
| Direction (countries, regions and big islands) | Mi sono trasferito in Italia, ma poi sono andato in Spagna, in Andalusia. | I moved to Italy, but then I went to Spain, to Andalusia |
| Motion within a space | Navighiamo in mare aperto | We are sailing in the open sea |
| Transports | Andiamo in aereo o in nave? | Are we going by ship or by plane? |
| Materials | Il falegname ha costruito un scala in legno | The carpenter built a wooden staircase |
| Abilities and languages | Noi scriviamo testi in francese | We write texts in French |
The preposition con (with)
The preposition con has the following meanings.
| Meaning | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Literal and figurative company | Stiamo andando in spiaggia con Giulia | We are going to the beach with Giulia |
| Transports | Mario è venuto con la macchina, ma è andato via con la bici | Mario came by car, but went away by bike |
| Tools | Gli spaghetti si mangiano con la forchetta. | Spaghetti are eaten with a fork |
| Characteristics | Il gatto con la coda lunga e gli occhi neri | The cat with a long tail and black eyes |
| Ways | Guidare con attenzione | Drive careful |
| Comparisons | Mi mettono sempre a confronto con mio fratello | They always compare me with my brother |
The preposition su (on, over,...)
The preposition su is used in the following contexts.
| Meaning | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Il libro è su quel tavolo | The book is on that table |
| Topic of a speech or writing | Una conferenza su guerra e società in Medio Oriente | A conference about war and society in the Middle East |
| Approximation (age, price, measures) | Era un uomo alto sul metro e ottanta | It was a man about a metre and eighty tall |
| Distributive (groups, grades) | Un ragazzo su quattro ha preso meno di cinque su dieci! | One in four guys got less than five out of ten! |
The preposition per (for, to,...)
The preposition per has the following meanings.
| Meaning | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | Ho studiato per otto ore oggi | I have been studying for eight hours today |
| Destination in space | Il treno per Parigi è in ritardo | The train to Paris is delayed |
| Movement "through" something | Si può entrare solo per la porta principale | You can get inside only through the main door |
| Reason | Non sono venuto per la febbre | I didn't come because of the fever |
| Purposes | L'ho fatto per farti stare bene | I did it to make you feel good |
| Imminence of an action | Sto per andare a New York | I am going to go to New York |
| Price or measure | Ho comprato la giacca per 30 euro | I bought the jacket for 30 euros |
The prepositions tra and fra (between, among,...)
The prepositions tra and fra are perfectly synonyms. They are used in the following contexts.
| Meaning | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Position "between" two elements | Le mele sono tra/fra le banane e le arance | The apples are between the bananas and the oranges |
| Position "among" more elements | Il leone è il più forte tra/fra i felini | The lion is the strongest among the felines |
| Interval of time | Lo spettacolo comincia tra/fra due minuti | The show begins in two minutes |
| Distance | Il supermercato è tra/fra duecento metri | The supermarket is two-hundred meters from here |
| Relations | C'è un bel rapporto tra/fra noi due | There is a nice relationship between the two of us |