Italian has 9 core simple prepositions: di, a, da, in, con, su, per, tra, fra. They are used before nouns, pronouns, infinitive verbs, and other expressions to show relationships between words — such as possession, direction, origin, location, purpose, and more. Mastering these prepositions is essential for building correct Italian sentences.
| Preposition | Main Meanings | Example |
|---|---|---|
| di | of, from, about | Il libro di Marco. — Marco's book. |
| a | to, at (cities) | Vado a Roma. — I go to Rome. |
| da | from, since, at someone's place | Vengo da Milano. — I come from Milan. |
| in | in, to (countries, regions) | Vado in Italia. — I go to Italy. |
| con | with | Vado con Mario. — I go with Mario. |
| su | on, about | Il libro è sul tavolo. — The book is on the table. |
| per | for, in order to | Questo è per te. — This is for you. |
| tra / fra | between, among, in (future time) | Arrivo tra un'ora. — I'll arrive in one hour. |
A key rule to remember: use 'a' before city names and 'in' before countries, regions, and continents. Vado a Roma. (I go to Rome.) Vado in Italia. (I go to Italy.) Abito a Parigi. (I live in Paris.) Abito in Francia. (I live in France.) Exception: large islands use 'in' — in Sicilia, in Sardegna — while small islands use 'a' — a Capri, a Ischia.
The preposition 'da' has three important uses that English speakers often confuse. First, origin: Vengo da Roma. (I come from Rome.) Second, duration of an ongoing action: Studio italiano da tre anni. (I have been studying Italian for three years — and I still am.) Third, location at someone's place: Vado da Marco. (I'm going to Marco's place.) This last use is like the French 'chez'.
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The Preposition 'di' — Possession and Origin
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The Preposition 'di' — Common Expressions
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The Preposition 'a' — Cities and Places
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The Preposition 'a' — Indirect Object and Time
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'di' vs 'a' — Contrast Practice
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More Uses of 'a'
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'di' — Varied Contexts
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'a' and 'di' — Group Review
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Context Sentences — di and a
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'di' and 'a' — Challenge Round
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The Preposition 'da' — Origin and Location
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The Preposition 'da' — Duration of Ongoing Actions
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The Preposition 'in' — Countries, Regions, and Continents
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The Preposition 'in' — Rooms and Transport
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'da' vs 'in' — Contrast Practice
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'da' — Varied Uses
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'in' — Varied Uses
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'da' and 'in' — Group Review
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Context Sentences — da and in
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'da' and 'in' — Challenge Round
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The Preposition 'con' — With
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The Preposition 'su' — On and About
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The Preposition 'per' — For, In Order To, Through
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The Prepositions 'tra' and 'fra' — Between, Among, In (time)
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con, su, per, tra/fra — Mixed Practice
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'per' — More Expressions
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'su' and 'con' — Contrast Practice
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'tra/fra' and 'per' — Review
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Context Sentences — con, su, per, tra/fra
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con, su, per, tra/fra — Challenge Round
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'a' vs 'in' — Cities, Countries, Regions
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'da' for Origin vs Duration — Deep Practice
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'a' vs 'in' — Special Cases and Islands
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'di' vs 'da' — Origin and Possession
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'in' vs 'a' — Places and Environments
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di, a, da, in — Four-Way Contrast
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'a' and 'in' with Articles — Contracted Forms
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Common Errors — Choosing the Right Preposition
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Group 4 Mixed — a, in, di, da in Context
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Group 4 Challenge — All Prepositions in Context
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Mixed — All Prepositions (Set 1)
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Mixed — All Prepositions (Set 2)
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Mixed — All Prepositions (Set 3)
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Mixed — All Prepositions (Set 4)
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Mixed — All Prepositions (Set 5)
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A Day in the Life — Prepositions in Story Context
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Mixed — Travel and Movement
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Mixed — Home and Family
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Mixed — All Prepositions (Set 6)
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Final Challenge — All 9 Prepositions
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