The most important prepositions of time in Italian are di, a, da, in, per, tra/fra, and su. Prepositions of time come before nouns or other phrases that answer questions like quando? meaning when?, or da/per quanto tempo? meaning how long?.
In this post, we’ll show you how and when to use each of the prepositions in the list above to talk about time, duration, frequency, and more. If you have wondered why in English you say “on Monday,” while in Italian we say lunedì, or di lunedì, then you are in the right place!
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
How to use the prepositions of time in Italian?
Prepositions of time are used to introduce a noun or a noun phrase that represents the time (when?) or duration (for how long?) of an action. The are the most common prepositions of time are:
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
di | on, in |
a | on, until |
da | when, from, since |
in | in, within, during |
per | for |
tra/fra | in about |
su | around, about |
Let’s go through how to use each one of these prepositions of time one-by-one!
How to use ‘di’ as a preposition of time in Italian?
The preposition di introduces a time at which something usually or regularly occurs. This is often a particular day of the week, part of the day, or season:
di+ day of the week
I negozi sono chiusi di lunedì.Translation: Stores are closed on Mondays.A more common way to express the same meaning, though, is just to use the day of the week by itself or with a definite article.
I negozi sono chiusi il lunedì.Translation: Stores are closed on Mondays.di+ part of the day
Studio di pomeriggio.Translation: I study in the afternoon.Though usually, di + part of the day is used to describe a regular action, you can use it to describe an action that happens just once (i.e. something that’s not a habit)
Domani partiró di notte.Translation: Tomorrow I’m leaving at night.With some parts of the day you don’t need the preposition:
La mattina studio.Translation: I study in the morning.di+ season
D’inverno fa molto freddo.Translation: In winter it is very cold.You can also use the preposition in with seasons with little change in meaning:
In inverno fa molto freddo.Translation: In winter it is very cold.
Frequent time expressions with ‘di’
Here are some frequent Italian time expressions that use di:
- d’improvvisoTranslation: suddenly
- di solitoTranslation: usually
- di nuovoTranslation: again
- di recenteTranslation: recently
How to use ‘a’ as a preposition of time in Italian?
The preposition a can be used as a preposition of time in a few different ways. Most often, it will introduce a noun or phrase that represents a specific moment. For example:
a + a specific time (on the clock)
A che ora arrivi? Arrivo alle 10:30.Translation: What time do you arrive? I arrive at 10:30.Before a time on the clock given using numbers (e.g. “at 10:30”), you need to use the combined form of the preposition by merging the preposition a and the definite article le:
a+ le= alle ← use this before times on the clock!
Why le? Because the feminine plural word ore meaning hours is implied.
This means that before 1:00 you’ll use the singular form all’ instead at 1:00 there is only a singular ora meaning hour!
Arrivo all’unaTranslation: I arrive at one.Check out our post on how to tell time in Italian to learn more!
a + a specific age when something happens generally or when it happened for an individual
In Italia si prende la patente a 18 anni.Translation: In Italy, one gets the driving license at 18.a + a celebration
Typically these are holidays such as Pasqua meaning Easter, Natale meaning Christmas, etc.
A Pasqua mangiamo la Colomba.Translation: At Easter we eat Colomba.a + a month
Festeggiamo a maggio.Translation: We celebrate in May.
Frequent time expressions with ‘a’
Here are some frequent expressions where a is used to talk about time:
- A presto!Translation: See you soon!Literally: at soon
- A domani!Translation: See you tomorrow!Literally: at tomorrow
- A dopo!Translation: See you later!Literally: at later
How to use ‘da’ as a preposition of time?
Da has a couple different uses as a preposition of time:
da+ duration
This is used to express how long something has been or had been going on.
This means that the action or situation you’re describing is still in place:
- Da quando studi l’italiano?Translation: How long have you been studying Italian?
- Studio italiano da due anni.Translation: I have been studying Italian for two years.
Or it can mean that it was still in place at another moment you’re talking about:
Nel 2008 studiavo italiano da cinque anni.Translation: In 2008, I had been studying Italian for five years.In 2008, I was still studying Italian.If the action is just finished, use per instead.
da+ a specific period in someone’s life
This can be used to describe a past period, or a future period of your life.
Da bambina giocavo a tennis.Translation: When I was little, I played tennis.Literally: (lit.) When a child, I played tennisDa grande farò l’avvocato.Translation: When I grow up, I will be a lawyer.Literally: (lit.) When a grown-up, I will be a lawyer.da(l)... a(l)... meaning from... to...
Use da, to indicate the beginning of a time period, and a to indicate the end. The time can be given…
With months:
Seguo i corsi da agosto a dicembre.Translation: I have classes from August until December.With days:
- Vado al mare dal 10 al 31 luglio.Translation: I am going to the beach from July 10 until July 31.
- Ho lezione dal martedì al giovedì.Translation: I have class from Tuesday to Thursday.
With times on the clock:
Il supermercato è aperto dalle (ore) 8 alle (ore) 22.Translation: The supermarket is open from 8 to 10 pm.
How to use ‘in’ as an Italian preposition of time?
The Italian preposition in can be used to discuss time in a variety of ways:
in+ season
To define the period of the year during which something happens.
In estate le giornate sono lunghe.Translation: In/during the summer, days are longer.in+ amount of time
defining a limit, an amount of time within which something must be finished.
Devo finire questo lavoro in 4 giorni.Translation: I have to finish this job in four days.in+ year/century
Use the articulated preposition in + il = nel
Maria Montessori è nata nel 1870, nel XIX secolo.Translation: Maria Montessori was born in 1870, in the nineteenth century.we use il because anno meaning year is masculine singular.
How to use ‘per’ as a preposition of time?
The preposition per is like the English preposition “for” when…
per + amount of time
This expresses the duration of a finished action/situation.
Ho abitato a Pisa per 3 anni.Translation: I lived in Pisa for three years.per + a moment in time
This is often used when making plans for a holiday or break:
Cosa fai per Capodanno?Translation: What are you doing for New Year's Day?
How to use ‘tra’ and ‘fra’ as prepositions of time?
You can use tra and fra to mean “within” in discussions of time. Here are their main uses
tra / fra + amount of time
This tells you how much time will pass before something happens.
La pasta è pronta tra/fra 10 minuti.Translation: The pasta will be ready in about ten minutes.tra / fra + start time + e + end time
This establishes a range of time during which something will happen.
La lezione inizia tra/fra le 10 e le 10:15.Translation: Class starts between 10 and 10:15.
How to use ‘su’ as a preposition of time?
The word su is used like “around” or “about” in English. We use it most often before a time on the clock:
- Parto sulle (su+le) 10:00.Translation: I leave around 10.
- Ho camminato sulle due ore.Translation: I walked for about two hours.
As with other prepositions that come before times on the clock, you’ll want to use the articulated preposition sulle (= su + le), unless the time is 1:00, in which case you’ll use sull’ instead.
Summing up
These are the prepositions used to express time in Italian, and some uses are quite different from English, so here are some useful suggestions:
When in English you say “on” (on Monday), in Italian we say di lunedì, or il lunedì to indicate a recurring action (every Monday), or just lunedì to express the actual weekday.
When in English you say “in May,” in Italian we say a maggio or in maggio when talking about months.
You can use either in or di with seasons: in inverno or d’inverno.
Now let’s practice with these activities!
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