Prepositions are small words that connect different parts of a sentence. They help us express relationships such as location, movement, possession, time, and purpose. In English, common prepositions include in, at, to, from, of, and with. Italian uses prepositions in similar ways, but the two languages do not always choose the same word. For this reason, translating English prepositions directly into Italian can lead to mistakes.
Italian has nine simple prepositions: di, a, da, in, con, su, per, tra, and fra. They are called simple because they consist of a single word. Simple prepositions do not change according to gender or number, although some combine with definite articles to form what are called articulated prepositions. Each preposition can have several meanings, depending on the context. At the A1 level, the most important goal is to recognize their basic functions and learn how to use them in common everyday expressions.
The Main Uses of Simple Prepositions
The preposition di often expresses possession, origin, or the relationship between two nouns. It corresponds to English of or from, but it can also replace the English possessive form with 's. For example, Italian uses di to identify the owner of an object or the city someone comes from. It also appears when we describe the contents of a container. The preposition da also expresses origin, but it is commonly used with verbs that describe movement, such as venire (to come). This creates an important distinction: essere di identifies where someone is from, while venire da describes coming from a place. Another frequent use of da is before a person's name, where it can mean at someone's place or to someone's place, depending on the verb.
Il libro di Marco è interessante. — Marco's book is interesting.
Sono di Milano. — I'm from Milan.
Vorrei una tazza di caffè. — I'd like a cup of coffee.
Vengo da Firenze. — I come from Florence.
Vado da Maria. — I'm going to Maria's place.
The prepositions a and in are especially important when talking about locations and destinations. Italian generally uses a with the names of cities and towns, while in is used with countries, regions, and continents. Both prepositions can indicate where someone is or where someone is going, depending on the verb. However, the choice also depends on the type of place. Common expressions include a casa (at home), a scuola (at school), in ufficio (at the office), and in biblioteca (at the library). These combinations are useful to learn as complete expressions because they do not always correspond directly to English. The preposition a is also used with clock times and in the expression a piedi (on foot), while in is commonly used with means of transportation, such as in macchina (by car) and in treno (by train).
Abito a Roma. — I live in Rome.
Vado a scuola. — I go to school.
Vivo in Italia. — I live in Italy.
Vado in Toscana. — I'm going to Tuscany.
La lezione comincia a mezzogiorno. — The lesson starts at noon.
Andiamo in treno. — We're going by train.
The preposition con usually means with. It expresses company, showing that people are together, or indicates something used to perform an action. Its meaning is generally straightforward, making it one of the easiest Italian prepositions to learn. The preposition su generally means on or about. It can describe the position of something on a surface or introduce the subject of a book or discussion. The preposition per commonly means for. It can indicate the person who receives something, the purpose of an action, or the destination of a journey. It is especially useful before an infinitive when explaining why someone does something. In this construction, per corresponds to English to or in order to.
Esco con Anna. — I'm going out with Anna.
Scrivo con una penna. — I write with a pen.
Un libro su Roma. — A book about Rome.
Questo regalo è per te. — This gift is for you.
Studio per imparare l'italiano. — I study to learn Italian.
Parto per Napoli. — I'm leaving for Naples.
Finally, tra and fra have the same meaning and are generally interchangeable. Both can mean between when describing the position of something in relation to two other things. They can also mean in when referring to a period of time before something happens. There is no important difference in meaning between them, although speakers sometimes choose one form because it sounds more natural with the surrounding words.
La farmacia è tra la banca e il bar. — The pharmacy is between the bank and the café.
Torno fra dieci minuti. — I'll be back in ten minutes.
Simple Prepositions and Articles
Some Italian prepositions combine with definite articles to form a single word. For example, di + il becomes del, a + il becomes al, and su + il becomes sul. This explains why Italian says sul tavolo rather than su il tavolo. These combinations are called articulated prepositions and follow a separate set of rules. For now, it is enough to recognize that they contain a simple preposition and a definite article.
Il libro è sul tavolo. — The book is on the table.
Summary of Italian Simple Prepositions
| Preposition | Main meanings | Common uses | Example |
| di | of, from | Possession, origin, contents | di Marco — Marco's |
| a | to, at | Cities, destinations, clock times | a Roma — in Rome |
| da | from, at someone's place | Origin, visits | da Maria — at Maria's place |
| in | in, to, by | Countries, regions, places, transportation | in Italia — in Italy |
| con | with | Company, instruments | con Anna — with Anna |
| su | on, about | Position, subject | su Roma — about Rome |
| per | for, to | Recipient, purpose, destination | per te — for you |
| tra | between, in | Position, future time | tra due giorni — in two days |
| fra | between, in | Same uses as tra | fra un'ora — in an hour |