Common Prepositions

Beyond da, di, and a, Italian has several more prepositions that you will encounter daily: in, con, su, per, tra/fra. Some of these also form articulated prepositions (preposizioni articolate) when combined with definite articles.

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In — In, Into, To, By

Articulated Forms

	il	lo	la	l'	i	gli	le
in	nel	nello	nella	nell'	nei	negli	nelle

Key Uses

1. Location and Destination (in / into / to)

Italian	English
Vivo in Italia.	I live in Italy.
Andiamo in Francia.	We're going to France.
Abita in Toscana.	She lives in Tuscany.
Studio in biblioteca.	I study in the library.
Sono in ufficio.	I'm in the office.

Rule of Thumb: Use in with countries, regions, continents, and large islands: in Italia, in Europa, in Sicilia. Use a with cities: a Roma, a Parigi.

2. With Rooms and Enclosed Spaces

Italian	English
Sono in cucina.	I'm in the kitchen.
Mangiamo in giardino.	We eat in the garden.
È nella stanza.	She's in the room.

3. Time (in)

Italian	English
In estate andiamo al mare.	In summer we go to the seaside.
L'ho fatto in tre ore.	I did it in three hours.
Ci vediamo in settimana.	We'll see each other during the week.

4. Transport

Italian	English
Vado in macchina.	I go by car.
Viaggio in treno.	I travel by train.
Andiamo in bicicletta.	We go by bicycle.
Vola in aereo.	She flies by plane.

Note: Use in without the article for standard transport: in macchina, in treno, in autobus. But: a piedi (on foot).

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Con — With

Con does not normally form articulated prepositions in modern Italian. Old forms like "col" (con + il) and "coi" (con + i) exist but are now mostly optional and literary.

Key Uses

1. Accompaniment (with)

Italian	English
Esco con Marco.	I'm going out with Marco.
Vieni con noi?	Are you coming with us?
Parlo con il professore.	I'm speaking with the professor.

2. Means / Instrument (with)

Italian	English
Scrivo con la penna.	I write with a pen.
Taglio il pane con il coltello.	I cut the bread with a knife.
Pago con la carta di credito.	I pay with a credit card.

3. Manner / Attitude

Italian	English
Parla con calma.	Speak calmly. (with calm)
Lo fa con piacere.	She does it with pleasure.
Lavora con attenzione.	He works carefully. (with attention)

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Su — On, About, Upon

Articulated Forms

	il	lo	la	l'	i	gli	le
su	sul	sullo	sulla	sull'	sui	sugli	sulle

Key Uses

1. Position (on / on top of)

Italian	English
Il libro è sul tavolo.	The book is on the table.
Metti il cappotto sulla sedia.	Put the coat on the chair.
C'è un gatto sul tetto.	There's a cat on the roof.

2. About / Regarding

Italian	English
Un libro sulla storia italiana.	A book about Italian history.
Un documentario sui delfini.	A documentary about dolphins.
Cosa pensi su questo argomento?	What do you think about this topic?

3. Approximate Number

Italian	English
Ha sui quarant'anni.	She's about forty years old.
Costa sui venti euro.	It costs about twenty euros.

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Per — For, Through, By

Per does not form articulated prepositions.

Key Uses

1. Purpose / Benefit (for)

Italian	English
Questo regalo è per te.	This gift is for you.
Studio per l'esame.	I'm studying for the exam.
Lavoro per una banca.	I work for a bank.

2. Duration (for)