“Da” in Italian
The Italian da is a very commonly used preposition and it has many meanings and uses. As with all prepositions, whenever it can be combined with a definite article, da must do so, becoming preposizione articolata, as you can see below.
| da + il | dal |
| da + lo | dallo (dall’) |
| da + la | dalla (dall’) |
| da + i | dai |
| da + gli | dagli |
| da + le | dalle |
The tiny word has several different meanings and uses, but here I will focus on its use in combination with articles to describe someone or something’s quality, as in the example below:
L’Argentina è un paese dalle grandi risorse.
Argentina is a country with important resources.
“Da” + Article in Italian
Use
Just like the preposition da itself, the Italian preposizioni articolate composed of da + article can be translated in different ways.
However, in this very specific case they are used to describe someone or something, therefore simply meaning “with” or “that have/has…”. For instance:
La ragazza dai capelli lunghi è simpatica.
The girl with long hair is fun. / The girl who has long hair is fun.
Of course, we must use the appropriate form of the preposizione articolata, as it must agree in gender and number with the noun it refers to.
Examples
Let me show you some more examples:
Mi piace quella donna dagli occhi verdi.
I like that woman with green eyes.
Chi è quel ragazzo dalla voce grave?
Who’s that guy with the deep voice?
Mio padre è un uomo dai modi spicci.
My dad is a man with abrupt manners.
Il vincitore è un ragazzo dalle spiccate doti di resistenza.
The winner is a guy with a marked talent in terms of resistance.
Non sono una persona dai gusti semplici.
I’m not a person with simple taste.
Other Uses of “da”
As I mentioned before, this preposition has several different meanings and uses, therefore it is important that you properly know how to use da in Italian:
- Origin or source: it is used like “from” or “by” in English.
Siamo partiti da Parigi.
We left from Paris.
Questo libro è stato scritto da Pirandello.
This book was written by Pirandello.
- With expressions of time: it indicates duration or starting point like “for” or “since”. It is used with the present tense, unlike per which is used with the past tense.
Have a look at the difference between da and per in Italian.
Studio Italiano da tre anni.
I have been studying Italian for three years.
Da bambina mi piaceva sciare.
As a child, I loved to ski.
- For destination: it indicates movement towards a person’s house or workplace.
Stasera vado a cena da Marco.
I’m going to Marco’s place for dinner.
Siamo da Giada.
We’re at Giada’s place.
- For purpose: followed by an infinitive.
Ho tante email da scrivere.
I have so many emails to write.
Sala da pranzo.
Dining room.
