Italian prepositions made simple

Learn how to use tiny words with big impact: “a,” “in,” “su,” and more.

If you’ve ever struggled with whether it’s in Italia or a Italia, or found yourself wondering what sul tavolo means, this post is for you.

Italian prepositions might be small, but they pack a punch. They show direction, time, place, possession, all with just two or three letters. The good news? Once you learn a few key patterns, they become much easier to use (and even kind of fun).

Let’s break it down.

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🧭 First: what’s a preposition?

In English, prepositions are words like in, on, to, from, with. They explain how things relate to each other.
Same deal in Italian. But with a twist: Italian prepositions often combine with articles like il, la, or lo. We'll get there, promise.

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📌 Core Italian prepositions you’ll use all the time

Let’s start with a few must-know words:

• a → Think to or at. You use this one with cities and small places.
  Example: Vado a Roma → I'm going to Rome.

• in → Means in, just like in English. But it’s used with countries and large areas.
  Example: Sono in Italia → I’m in Italy.

• su → This means on or about.
  Example: Il libro è su → The book is on (something).

• di → This shows possession, like of or ’s in English.
  Example: La penna di Maria → Maria’s pen.

• da → Use this for from, or when you're talking about going to someone’s place.
  Example: Vado da Marco → I'm going to Marco’s place.
  Or: Vengo da Milano → I come from Milan.

• con → Super simple. Just means with.
  Example: Esco con gli amici → I'm going out with friends.

• per → Means for or in order to.
  Example: Questo è per te → This is for you.

• tra or fra → These both mean between, among, or in (a certain time).
  Example: Arrivo tra due ore → I’ll arrive in two hours.

Fun fact: tra and fra are completely interchangeable. Just pick whichever sounds better in your sentence.

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🔄 When prepositions get fancy: combining with articles

Here’s the twist that trips up most learners: in Italian, prepositions often merge with definite articles (il, la, lo, i, etc.). Think of it as a shortcut, instead of saying “su il tavolo,” Italians just say “sul tavolo” (on the table).

A few examples:

• a + il becomes al → Vado al mercato (I’m going to the market)

• in + la becomes nella → La chiave è nella borsa (The key is in the bag)

• di + i becomes dei → I libri dei ragazzi (The boys’ books)

• su + lo becomes sullo → Il bicchiere è sullo scaffale (The glass is on the shelf)

There are many combinations, but the pattern becomes clear with practice. You’re basically blending a preposition with a “the” word.

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🧠 Quick tips that actually help

• Use “a” with cities: a Milano, a Napoli

• Use “in” with countries or regions: in Italia, in Toscana

• Use “da” when talking about going to or coming from someone’s place: vado dal dottore (I’m going to the doctor)

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📝 A few practice sentences

Try translating these mentally:

1. I live in Italy. → Abito in Italia.

2. I’m going to the station. → Vado alla stazione.

3. The cat is on the sofa. → Il gatto è sul divano.

4. This is for you. → Questo è per te.

5. I’ll be there in two hours. → Arrivo fra due ore.

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🧩 The bottom line

Yes, Italian prepositions are tricky at first. But they follow patterns, and once you start seeing them in context, they stick. Focus on the ones you’ll use daily (a, in, su, di, da), and don’t stress about memorizing every combination. You’ll pick them up as you go.

Want a printable cheat sheet or an audio version of this lesson? Let me know and I’ll send it your way.

Buono studio! 🇮🇹✨

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