Compared with English, italian has only a few prepositions:
"di",
"a",
"da",
"in",
"con",
"su",
"per",
"tra" e "fra",
These above are called simple prepositions.
In Italian names are often preceded by an article, and you have to put the preposition before the noun
and its article: for example "di un viaggio".
The prepositions "di","a","da", "in", "su" and definite articles usually
unite to form what are called "preposizioni articolate".
The "preposizioni articolate" are used the same way the preposition they come from.
Sometimes, speakers prefer using adverbs instead of prepositions. I will give an account of the most
commonly used adverbs togheter with the corresponding prepositions.
- The preposition "di" is used to indicate:
- a)Possession:
L'automobile di Laura, Laura's car;
- b)Time, used with the names of the days:
Di Sabato Laura studia, Laura studies on Saturday;
- c)The material something is made of:
Un muro di mattoni, a wall made of bricks;
- d)Authorship:
"Romeo e Giulietto" di William Shakespeare, "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare;
- e)What something is about:
Parliamo di calcio, let's talk about soccer;
- Un libro di storia, a book of history;
- f)a better explanation of the noun it follows:
Il laccio della scarpa,the string of the shoe;
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- The preposition "a" is used to indicate:
- a)The Indirect Object:
Paolo tira la palla a Laura,Paolo throws the ball to Laura;
- b)Time, used with the names of months and feasts:
A Giugno Laura va in vacanza,Laura goes on holiday in June;
- Paolo è sempre felice a Natale,Paolo in always happy on Christmas;
- c)The goal of a movement:
Paolo va all'università,Paolo goes to the university;
- Paolo è andato a Londra,Paolo has gone to London;
- but with names of nations you should use "in":
Paolo andrà in Giappone,Paolo will go to Japan;
- d)The place something or somebody is in:
Paolo è all'università,Paolo is at the university;
- Laura è all'ufficio postale,Laura is at the post office;
- but you whould use "in" with names of nations and enclosed spaces like pockets or boxes:
Paolo è negli Stati Uniti,Paolo is in the USA;
- il mio cellulare è nella tasca della giacca,My mobile phone is in the pocket of my jacket;
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- The preposition "da" is used to indicate:
- a)The origin of something or somebody
Laura viene dall'Italia,Laura comes from Italy;
L'italiano deriva dal Latino,Italian derives from Latin
- b)The time something lasts from:
Paolo è nell'esercito dal 1991, Paolo has been in the army since 1991;
Paolo è nell'esercito da due anni, Paolo has been in the army for two years;
- c)The performer of an action expressed by a passive verbs:
Il ladro è stato ucciso dal poliziotto, The thief has been killed by the policeman;
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- The preposition "in" is used to indicate:
- a)The enclosed space something is in:
l'orologio e nella tasca, The clock is in the pocket;
- b)The time someone needs in order to do something:
Posso farlo in tre ore, I can do it in three hours;
- c)What someone's university degree is about:
Ho una laurea in storia, I have a degree in history;
- d)The nation you're going to:
Paolo va in Giappone, Paolo goes to Japan;
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- The preposition "con" is used to indicate:
- a)The instrument you use for doing something:
Paolo taglia il pane con il coltello,Paolo cuts the bread with the knife;
- b)The people you do something with:
Paolo va al ballo con laura,Paolo goes to the ball with Laura;
- c)that something has something else:
Una pentola con due maniglie,A pot with two handles;
- d)The way someone does something (in this case the construction preposition+noun can be substituted by an adverb):
Paolo si è comportato con onestà,Paolo behaved honestly;
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- The preposition "su" is used to indicate:
- a)the place where something lays(in this meaning you can also say "sopra a"
Il libro è sul tavolo,The book is on the table;
- b)what something is about:
Un film sulla Rivoluzione Francese, A film on the French Revolution;
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- The preposition "per" is used to indicate:
- a)The place you pass through:
Laura e paolo passarono per il centro della città, Laura and paolo passed through the town center;
- b)The reason why someone someone does something, or something happens:
Paolo sposò Laura per la sua ricchezza, Paolo married Laura for her wealth;
- c)duration, of distance or time:
Camminammo per 10 km, We walked for 10 km;
Cuoci la torta per 45 minuti, bake the cake for 45 minutes;
- d)The purpose of something:
Tutto ciò che ho fatto l'ho fatto per te, Everything I did, I did it for you;
L'ho fatto solo per i soldi, I did it only for money;
- d)The destination of something:
C'è una lettera per Laura There's a letter for Laura;
La nave partì per l'America The ship left for America;
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Well, this two prepositions have the same usage. Use "tra" if the following word begins with "f":
tra fratelli, among brothers;
and use "fra" in case the following word begin with "t":
fra traditori, among traitors;
It stands for the english "between" and "among".
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