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Italian Grammar Bank
SIMPLE & ARTICULATED PREPOSITIONS
Today we’ll introduce an important element of the language: simple and articulated prepositions in Italian.
We’ll briefly look at their meaning and provide some practical examples.
WHAT IS A PREPOSITION?
A preposition is a word used before nouns, pronouns, or noun phrases to express direction, time, place, location, and spatial relationships.
In Italian, they are a very important element and are found in almost every sentence.
SIMPLE PREPOSITIONS
In Italian, there are 9 simple prepositions: DI, A, DA, IN, CON, SU, PER, TRA, FRA.
In the following table, you can look at their meaning and some examples.
| PREPOSITION | MEANING | EXAMPLES |
|---|---|---|
| DI | OF |
Un foglio di carta
A sheet of paper |
| a | TO |
Andiamo a Roma!
Let’s go to Rome! |
| DA | FROM |
Sarò in vacanza da lunedì a domenica
I will be on vacation from Monday to Sunday |
| IN | IN |
Non c'è nessuno in ufficio
There is no one in the office |
| CON | WITH |
Vieni con me
Come with me |
| SU | ON |
Puoi contare su di me
You can count on me |
| PER | FOR |
Un regalo per la mamma
A present for mum |
| TRA/FRA | AMONG/BETWEEN |
Tra amici a volte si litiga
Among friends, sometimes you fight Fra le due opzioni preferisco la prima Between the two options, I prefer the first |
*TRA and FRA share the same meaning. the choice between the two depends solely on euphonic reasons: it’s better to avoid repeating the same sound, so for example, we prefer to say “FRA tre giorni” and “TRA fratelli”.
The meanings indicated in the table are the main ones, but Italian prepositions can have many different meanings according to the context: by listening, reading and speaking Italian, you’ll gradually learn about all of them.
ARTICULATED PREPOSITIONS
Articulated prepositions are words formed by putting together a simple preposition and a definite article. Whenever you want to use a preposition before a word that requires a definite article, you’ll need to use the correct articulated preposition.
So, for example, if you need to say “of the”, you won’t say “di il“, but
del
.
The prepositions DI, A, DA, IN and SU all form articulated prepositions:
| SIMPLE PREPOSITION | ARTICULATED PREPOSITIONS | MEANING |
|---|---|---|
| DI | DI + IL =
DEL
DI + L’ = DELL' DI + LO = DELLO DI + LA = DELLA DI + GLI = DEGLI DI + I = DEI DI + LE = DELLE | OF THE |
| A | A + IL =
AL
A + L’ = ALL' A + LO = ALLO A + LA = ALLA A + GLI = AGLI A + I = AI A + LE = ALLE | TO THE |
| DA | DA + IL =
DAL
DA + L’ = DALL' DA + LO = DALLO DA + LA = DALLA DA + GLI = DAGLI DA + I = DAI DA + LE = DALLE | FROM THE |
| IN | IN + IL =
NEL
IN + L’ = NELL' IN + LO = NELLO IN + LA = NELLA IN + GLI = NEGLI IN + I = NEI IN + LE = NELLE | IN THE |
| CON | CON + IL =
COL
CON + I = COI | WITH THE |
| SU | SU + IL =
SUL
SU + L’ = SULL' SU + LO = SULLO SU + LA = SULLA SU + GLI = SUGLI SU + I = SUI SU + LE = SULLE | ON THE |
| PER | / | / |
| TRA/FRA | / | / |
To choose the correct articulated prepositions, you’ll need to know the correct definite article and choose the corresponding articulated preposition.
So for example, since we say lo zaino (the backpack), we’ll say nello zaino (in the backpack).
PER, TRA and FRA don’t have articulated prepositions.
CON has only two articulated prepositions: COL and COI, but usually, you would just say con il and con i . For other articles, there are no articulated prepositions.
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FAQs
What are articulated prepositions?
They are words formed by prepositions + definite articles that combine the meaning of both.
When to use a simple or articulated preposition?
The choice between simple and articulated prepositions depends on whether the preposition is followed by a definite article. If it is, you use the articulated form; otherwise, you use the simple form.
What are prepositions in Italian?
Prepositions in Italian are words that indicate relationships between elements in a sentence. They often show the spatial, temporal, or logical connections between nouns, pronouns, or phrases.
What’s the difference between “nel” and “nell'”?
It’s the same difference that exists between il and l’. Nell’ is formed by in+l’, so words starting with a vowel (that use l’) will also use nell’.
How many types of Italian prepositions?
In Italian, prepositions can be categorized into two main types: simple prepositions (preposizioni semplici) and articulated prepositions (preposizioni articolate).
What are articulated prepositions in Italian?
Articulated prepositions in Italian are formed by combining a simple preposition with a definite article. For example, “a” (to/at) combines with “il” to form “al,” “in” combines with “i” to form “nei,” and so forth.