The most important prepositions of place and direction in Italian are di, a, da, in, su, per, and tra/fra. A preposition of place/direction works with a noun to create a description of where something is, where something happened, or which way something is moving.
In this post, we’ll find out more about the way Italians talk about place and directions, or answer the questions: Dove? meaning Where?, Di/Da dove? meaning Where from?, and Per dove? meaning Where to?. Let’s have a look!
How to use the prepositions of place in italian?
In Italian, prepositions of place introduce nouns or noun phrases that describe the place where something happens or the direction something is moving in. Often these phrases answer questions such as
dove? meaning where?
di/da dove? meaning from where?
per dove? meaning to where?
Here is a quick “overview” of the most important Italian prepositions of place:
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
di | from |
a | at, to, in |
da | at, from, in, to |
in | in, within |
su | on, above, by |
per | to, through |
tra/fra | between, in |
These prepositions of place may look familiar, but they’re often used a little differently from how they’re used in English. We’ll go through the specific uses of each preposition in the sections below.
Now, let’s go through these prepositions one-at-a-time. Andiamo! meaning Let's go!
How to use 'di' as a preposition of place in Italian?
Use di as a preposition of place to mean “from.”
di + place of origin/birth
This is used to express where you are originally from and is only used with the verb essere meaning to be.
- Sono di Napoli.Translation: I am from Naples (originally).
- Di dove sei?Translation: Where are you from (originally)?
How to use ‘a’ as a preposition of place in Italian?
You can use a as a place to give the location where something is or happens or to give the destination for your movement:
a + place with a static verb
When used with a non-moving (static) verb, a introduces the place where the subject is or where the action takes place:
- Sono a casa.Translation: I am at home.
- Il museo è a destra.Translation: The museum is on the right.
- Abito a Genova.Translation: I live in Genoa.
a + place with a movement verb
When used with a movement verb, a introduces the destination, the place you are going to:
- Vado a scuola.Translation: I am going to school.
- Ogni estate vado all’Isola d’Elba.Translation: Every summer I go to the Island of Elba.
The preposition a is also part of several longer expressions that give information about precisely where something is located. For example, dietro a means “behind.”
Here are some other expressions like this:
accanto a meaning next to
davanti a meaning in front of
a destra/sinistra meaning to the right/left
dentro (a) meaning inside, within
intorno a meaning around
in cima a meaning on top of
sopra (a) meaning over
sotto (a) meaning under
vicino a meaning close to
For examples of how to use each of these expressions, check out our list of locational expressions with Italian preposition a.
How to use ‘da’ as a preposition of place in Italian?
The preposition da has various uses depending on the context and it does not always correspond to the word “from” in English. In Italian, it is used to indicate:
place of origin/birth:
- Vengo da Torino.Translation: I come from Turin.
- Il Parmigiano viene dall’Emilia Romagna.Translation: Parmigiano comes from Emilia Romagna.
a place you’re departing from:
- Parto da Verona.Translation: I leave from Verona.
the place you’re measuring distance from:
- La mia casa è a 45 minuti da Milano.Translation: My house is about 45 minutes from Milan.
the place you’re moving something from or out of:
- Prendo la borsa dalla macchina.Translation: I get the purse from the car.
some person’s or company’s place (a location or destination)
This might be a person’s house, store, place of work, clinic, or office and is usually used with articulated prepositions:
a person’s place
Ci vediamo da Maria.Translation: See you at Maria’s.a store
Vado dalla parrucchiera.Translation: I am going to the hairstylist’s.in an office
Sono dall’avvocato.Translation: I am at the lawyer's.
How to use ‘in’ as a preposition of place and direction in Italian?
The preposition in does not always correspond to the English “in.” In Italian, it is used:
for the location where someone or something is or where something happens
This is used only with certain kinds of locations, like countries, regions, streets, etc:
- Vorrei andare in Irlanda.Translation: I would like to go to Ireland.
- Sono in Toscana.Translation: I am in Tuscany.
- Abito in Via Modigliani.Translation: I live in Via Modigliani.
for a destination
This includes the types of places listed above, but also, stores ending in -cia and -ria:
- Devo andare in farmacia.Translation: I have to go to the pharmacy.
- Stasera andiamo in pizzeria.Translation: Tonight we’ll go to a pizzeria.
How to use ‘su’ as a preposition of place in Italian?
You will be happy with the preposition su, as it corresponds to the English “on” when indicating:
position of a thing over, above, or on top of something, and with articulated prepositions:
Il libro è sullo scaffale.Translation: The book is on the shelf.proximity to a place:
Voglio comprare una casa sul lago.Translation: I want to buy a house on/by the lake.
How to use ‘per’ as a preposition of place in Italian?
The preposition per meaning for, through may be tricky when translating from English, as in Italian it indicates:
a place through which something or someone is passing through or by:
Passiamo per Napoli.Translation: We pass through Naples.a direction towards which something or someone is moving with a means of transportation:
Prendo l’aereo per Genova.Translation: I take the plane to Genoa.
How to use ‘tra’ and ‘fra’ as prepositions of place?
You will love tra and fra, they each correspond to the English “between/among” or “in” when indicating:
a position between two or more objects or places:
La casa è tra/fra gli alberi.Translation: The house is among trees.Abito tra/fra Pisa e Firenze.Translation: I live between Pisa and Florence.approximate distance to a destination:
Tra/fra dieci chilometri arriviamo a casa.Translation: In about ten kilometers we will arrive home.
Summing up
These are the most common uses of Italian prepositions to express place and any direction in space! Here is a summary of the uses:
di |
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a |
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da |
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in |
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su |
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per |
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tra/fra |
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If you would like to learn more about some other ways to express places in Italian, check out our downloadable table with more expressions of place and direction in Italian!
Now it’s your turn! Try these activities — andiamo! meaning Let's go!
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