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Italian prepositions: table and usage of di, a, da, in

At a Glance

  • 9 simple prepositions: di, a, da, in, con, su, per, tra, fra
  • Before a definite article: di, a, da, in, su contract (del, al, dal, nel, sul…)
  • City: a (vado a Roma) , Country / region: in (vivo in Francia)
  • At someone’s place: da (vado dal medico)
  • Con, per, tra, fra never contract mandatorily

Nine simple prepositions cover most grammatical relationships in Italian: di, a, da, in, con, su, per, tra, and fra. Seven of them combine with the definite article to form an articulated preposition. The choice between them often follows a logic different from that of English.

The Nine Simple Prepositions

Each simple preposition carries a primary meaning, although actual usage always goes beyond this first approximation.

Preposition Primary Meaning Example Translation
di of, possession Il libro di Marco Marco’s book
a to, at Vado a Roma I go to Rome
da from, since, at the place of, by Vengo da Milano I come from Milan
in in, to (countries) Vivo in Italia I live in Italy
con with Vieni con me Come with me
su on, about Il libro è sul tavolo The book is on the table
per for, through Compro un regalo per mia sorella I buy a gift for my sister
tra between, among, in (time) Tra due ore In two hours
fra between, among Fra amici Among friends

Tra and fra have an identical meaning and are used interchangeably; the choice between the two mainly follows a logic of sound, to avoid repeating the same sound (fra fratelli rather than tra fratelli).

Contracting with the Article: Articulated Prepositions

Di, a, da, in, and su mandatorily combine with the definite article that follows into a single form. Con, per, tra, and fra always remain separate from the article.

+ article il lo la l’ i gli le
di del dello della dell’ dei degli delle
a al allo alla all’ ai agli alle
da dal dallo dalla dall’ dai dagli dalle
in nel nello nella nell’ nei negli nelle
su sul sullo sulla sull’ sui sugli sulle

This table directly uses the seven forms of the definite articles in Italian, in both singular and plural, to merge them with the preceding preposition. Writing “di il” or “a la” separately does not exist: the contracted form is mandatory.

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A or In: City, Country, Region

The choice between a and in for a place follows a fairly stable rule, despite a few exceptions.

Context Preposition Example
City a Vivo a Milano.
Small island a Vivo a Capri.
Country in Vivo in Francia.
Region in Vivo in Toscana.
Large island in Vivo in Sicilia.

Confusing a and in before a city name remains the most frequent mistake among English-speaking beginners, by calque of the English “in”: the correct form always associates a city with a, never with in.

Da: The Most Complex Preposition

Da covers several meanings with no single equivalent in English: origin, going to someone’s place, a duration from a starting point, or the agent of a passive action.

Meaning Example Translation
Origin Vengo da Torino. I come from Turin.
At the place of (person, profession) Vado dal dentista. I go to the dentist.
Since (time) Vivo qui da tre anni. I have lived here for three years.
Agent (passive voice) Scritto da un autore famoso. Written by a famous author.

This distinction between origin and provenance directly connects to the formulas used for introducing oneself in Italian, where sono di and vengo da are never freely interchangeable.

Di: Possession, Material, and Comparison

Di connects two nouns to express belonging or composition, and also serves as a reference point in a comparison.

Meaning Example Translation
Possession La bicicletta di Chiara. Chiara’s bicycle.
Material Un tavolo di legno. A wooden table.
Origin (with essere) Sono di Torino. I am from Turin.
Comparative Più alto di Marco. Taller than Marco.

Con, Su, Per, Tra, and Fra: The Other Simple Prepositions

These four prepositions cover a more restricted field and pose less confusion for English speakers.

Preposition Primary Use Example
con Accompaniment, means Vengo con mia sorella.
su Position, topic of discussion Un libro su Roma.
per Purpose, destination, duration Lavoro per un’azienda italiana.
tra / fra Position between two elements, future time L’aeroporto si trova tra due città.

Example Sentences with Articulated Prepositions

A short paragraph assembles several prepositions, simple and articulated, in a natural context.

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Il libro è sul tavolo, vicino alla finestra della cucina. Vengo dal centro e vado dai miei genitori, che abitano nella zona sud della città.
The book is on the table, near the kitchen window. I come from the center and I am going to my parents’ place, who live in the southern area of the city.

Sul (su + il), alla (a + la), della (di + la), dal (da + il), dai (da + i), and nella (in + la) illustrate, in a single sentence, all the contraction mechanisms specific to Italian grammar.

Practical Exercise

Test your knowledge:

Question 1: What is the contraction of “di + il”?




“Di + il” gives “del”, as in “il libro del professore” (the professor’s book).

Question 2: Which preposition is used before the name of a city?




City names are used with “a” (vado a Roma), unlike countries and regions which take “in”.

Question 3: How do you say “I am going to the doctor” in Italian?




“To someone’s place” for a person or professional is translated by “da” (dal medico), not by “a” or “in”.

Question 4: Which of these prepositions never mandatorily contracts with the article?




Per, like con, tra, and fra, always remains separate from the article: “per il lavoro”, never “perl lavoro”.

Question 5: “Vengo ___ Milano” (I come from Milan): which preposition?




With the verb “venire” (to come), origin is constructed with “da”: vengo da Milano.

Question 6: What is the contraction of “in + gli”?




“In + gli” gives “negli”, as in “negli Stati Uniti” (in the United States).


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