What Are Prepositions?
Prepositions are words that connect nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other parts of a sentence. In Italian, they are crucial to indicate relationships between elements, like location, direction, or time.
As a tutor of Italian, I realized over the years that one of the common challenges Italian learners face is understanding how prepositions work, particularly when it comes to location and movement.
When it comes to prepositions of place, Italian has some tricky rules that often confuse learners. When I explain this topic to my students I always state the following:
the choice of the preposition of place in Italian does not depend on the type of relation the subject has with that place, but it depends on the type of place where the subject is moving towards or staying.
By this I mean that, unlike English, it is not relevant whether the subject is moving towards a place or is staying there. Now, let me give you a detailed explanation on places and prepositions in Italian.
IN vs A: Prepositions of Place in Italian
Preposition “in”
What I always say is that the preposition in is used for enclosed areas and locations that have boundaries or limits, like gates, doors, or borders.
This is why it is used with countries, regions, and continents, for example:
Vivo in Italia.
I live in Italy.
Vado in Toscana.
I’m going to Tuscany.
Sono in ufficio.
I am in the office.
Lavoro in banca.
I work in a bank.
Preposition “a”
On the other hand, the preposition a is used for wider spaces, that are not circumscribed. Be careful: it is not about the size, but rather about whether it is delimited.
It is commonly used with cities, towns, or general places, as in:
Vado a Roma.
I’m going to Rome.
Vivo a Milano.
I live in Milan.
Vado al mare.
I’m going to the beach.
Vado a una festa.
I’m going to a party.
How to Use Italian Prepositions of Place
Verbs of Motion
One of the most common sources of confusion is how prepositions interact with verbs of motion. As I mentioned before, in Italian the choice between in and a shifts depending on the place, rather than on the movement:
Vado a casa.
I’m going home.
Vado in ufficio.
I’m going to the office.
In both cases the verb andare (to go) is used, but depending on the place where I am going, one or the other preposition is used.
Sono a scuola.
I am at school.
Sono in palestra.
I am at the gym.
Same reasoning applies to verbs of state, like essere (to be).
Be careful: essere and stare are different in Italian!
Modes of Transport
Italian prepositions also vary depending on the mode of transportation. In my experience, more than 70% of my students stumble over this distinction because Italian differentiates between enclosed and open modes of transport.
But guess what? The distinction is the same!
- In is used for enclosed modes of transport, like trains, buses, or cars:
Vado in treno.
I go by train.
Viaggio in macchina.
I travel by car.
- A is used for more open or personal transport, like walking or cycling:
Vado a piedi.
I walk.
Vado a cavallo.
I ride a horse.
Although not relevant to this topic, keep in mind that Italian often uses the preposition con (with) to express means of transport.
Vado a lavoro con la macchina.
I go to work by car.
Exceptions
Of course, like any language, Italian has its exceptions that can confuse learners. One common area of confusion for my students is the use of prepositions with islands and specific locations like schools or universities.
Here, I will try to give you an overview of these exceptions:
- Larger islands use in
Vado in Sardegna.
I’m going to Sardinia.
- Smaller islands use a:
Vado a Capri.
I’m going to Capri.
- Essere a vs. Essere in: if you’re in a generalized environment, use a as in essere a scuola (be at school). If you are in a specific place use in, as essere in classe (be in class). Same for a casa (at home) and in cucina (in the kitchen).
