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3.8: Preposizioni

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    Preposizioni semplici (simple prepositions)

    Preposizioni semplici
    a (at, to) Andiamo a Venezia.
    con (with) Esco con gli amici.
    da (from) Arrivano da Roma.
    di (of, --’s) La moto di Giulio è nuova.
    in (in, to, into) Roma è in Italia.
    per (for) Compro un regalo (present) per Clara.
    su (on, over, on top of) Le chiavi (keys) sono su quel tavolo.
    tra / fra (between, among) Il Monte Bianco è tra la Francia e l’Italia.

    Preposizioni articolate (prepositions combined with articles)

    Some common prepositions contract to form one word when combined with the definite article.

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

    Note: in modern Italian con may combine only with il and i

    • con + il = col
    • con + i = coi

    Uso delle preposizioni

    Key Points

    1. Italian prepositions are always used in front of another word (noun or pronoun), and never at the end of a sentence!

     

    1. Italian prepositions often combine with a definite article to form one word.

     

    1. Prepositions are often used in prepositional phrases like the following:

    dietro a          invece di         lontano da           fino a                     prima di

    behind           instead of       far from                till, until                before

    Bevo il cappuccino invece del caffè.
I drink cappuccino instead of coffee.

Il parco è vicino alla scuola.
The park is near the school.

Abbiamo studiato fino a pagina 60.
We have studied up to page 60.

Ci incontriamo prima della lezione?
Are we going to meet before class?

    Common Uses of Prepositions

    • a/in (with places):
      • a + city
      • in + state/country
      • in + means of transportation (in macchina, in treno, in aereo)
      • in + rooms (in salotto, in cucina, in camera, in bagno)*

      *Note: no article is used with common expression referring to places:

    in biblioteca, in ufficio, in centro, in città, in chiesa, in campagna, in montagna

    a casa, a scuola, a lezione, a letto, a teatro

       But the article is used if the noun is modified:

    a scuola             but                 alla scuola di mio fratello
    in giardino                                nel giardino pubblico
    in cucina                                   nella cucina di mia sorella
    in ufficio                                    nell’ufficio di Irene

    • a (with time) = “at” + time of the day:

     a mezzogiorno/mezzanotte         all’una, alle due/tre…

    • Phrases to remember (note the different preposition in English):

    sul giornale                         alla radio
    in the newspaper             on the radio

    al telefono                           alla televisione
    on the phone                      on TV

     

     

     

     

    This page titled 3.8: Preposizioni is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Cinzia Blum and Lucia Gemmani (Iowa State University Digital Press) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.