The most important prepositions of place and direction in Italian are di, a, da, in, su, per, and tra/fra. A preposition of place/direction works with a nounNo definition set for nounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. to create a description of where something is, where something happened, or which way something is moving.
In this post, we’ll find out more about the way Italians talk about place and directions, or answer the questions: Dove?(Where?), Di/Da dove?(Where from?), and Per dove?(Where to?). Let’s have a look!
In Italian, prepositions of place introduce nouns or noun phrases that describe the place where something happens or the direction something is moving in. Often these phrases answer questions such as
dove?(where?)
di/da dove?(from where?)
per dove?(to where?)
Here is a quick “overview” of the most important Italian prepositions of place:
Italian | English |
|---|---|
di | from |
a | at, to, in |
da | at, from, in, to |
in | in, within |
su | on, above, by |
per | to, through |
tra/fra | between, in |
These prepositions of place may look familiar, but they’re often used a little differently from how they’re used in English. We’ll go through the specific uses of each preposition in the sections below.
These prepositions are not always used to talk about place and direction! Most of these can also be used to talk about time, duration, possession, and more. To read about some of the other uses of these prepositions, check out some of our other posts:
How to use Italian prepositions? (a general introduction)
Before we dive into the uses of individual words, take note of these two general rules:
In Italian, you will often find prepositions combined with one of the definite articlesNo definition set for definite articlesLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. il, lo, la, l', i, gli, or le(the). For example:
a + le → alle
in + gli → negli
These combined prepositions are called preposizioni articolate(articulated prepositions). Below, we’ll give you some advice about when to use the articulated forms, but we won’t introduce all the different forms. To see all the different preposizioni articolate check out our table of Italian articulated prepositions!
In Italian, prepositions are never left “hanging” at the end of a phrase or a question, in fact they are always placed in front of a noun phrase. So when you ask a question about the object of a preposition, the preposition will come first:
✅ Di dove sei?([lit.] From where are you?)
❌ Dove sei di?([lit.] Where are you from?)
Now, let’s go through these prepositions one-at-a-time. Andiamo!(Let's go!)
Use di as a preposition of place to mean “from.”
di + place of origin/birth
This is used to express where you are originally from and is only used with the verb essere(to be).
Sono di Napoli.
I am from Naples (originally).
Di dove sei?
Where are you from (originally)?
If you want to use another verb with “from,” or if you want to express something other than where you are originally from, you’ll use the preposition da instead!
You can use a as a place to give the location where something is or happens or to give the destination for your movement:
a + place with a static verb
When used with a non-moving (static) verb, a introduces the place where the subject is or where the action takes place:
Sono a casa.
I am at home.
Il museo è a destra.
The museum is on the right.
Abito a Genova.
I live in Genoa.
a + place with a movement verb
When used with a movement verb, a introduces the destination, the place you are going to:
Vado a scuola.
I am going to school.
Ogni estate vado all’Isola d’Elba.
Every summer I go to the Island of Elba.
For the destination of a vehicle or means of public transportation, use per instead:
Prendo un treno per Bologna.
I take a train to Bologna.
The preposition a is also part of several longer expressions that give information about precisely where something is located. For example, dietro a means “behind.”
Il cane è dietro alla porta.
The dog is behind the door.
Here are some other expressions like this:
accanto a(next to)
davanti a(in front of)
a destra/sinistra(to the right/left)
dentro (a)(inside, within)
intorno a(around)
in cima a(on top of)
sopra (a)(over)
sotto (a)(under)
vicino a(close to)
For examples of how to use each of these expressions, check out our list of locational expressions with Italian preposition a.
In Italian, the prepositions in and a are both used to give the location of an action or the destination of movement, but they are not interchangeable!!! Which one you use will depend on the noun that follows the preposition. For example:
Abito in Sicilia.
I live in Sicily.
Abito a Venezia.
I live in Venice.
The rules for using a vs. in to talk about locations are quite complex, though. To read the full rules, have a look at our post on when to use a vs. in to talk about place in Italian.
The preposition da has various uses depending on the context and it does not always correspond to the word “from” in English. In Italian, it is used to indicate:
place of origin/birth:
Vengo da Torino.
I come from Turin.
Il Parmigiano viene dall’Emilia Romagna.
Parmigiano comes from Emilia Romagna.
As we saw above, if you’re using the verb essere to indicate your place of origin, you’ll use the preposition di instead.
a place you’re departing from:
Parto da Verona.
I leave from Verona.
the place you’re measuring distance from:
La mia casa è a 45 minuti da Milano.
My house is about 45 minutes from Milan.
the place you’re moving something from or out of:
Prendo la borsa dalla macchina.
I get the purse from the car.
some person’s or company’s place (a location or destination)
This might be a person’s house, store, place of work, clinic, or office and is usually used with articulated prepositions:
a person’s place
Ci vediamo da Maria.
See you at Maria’s.
a store
Vado dalla parrucchiera.
I am going to the hairstylist’s.
in an office
Sono dall’avvocato.
I am at the lawyer's.
The preposition in does not always correspond to the English “in.” In Italian, it is used:
for the location where someone or something is or where something happens
This is used only with certain kinds of locations, like countries, regions, streets, etc:
Vorrei andare in Irlanda.
I would like to go to Ireland.
Sono in Toscana.
I am in Tuscany.
Abito in Via Modigliani.
I live in Via Modigliani.
for a destination
This includes the types of places listed above, but also, stores ending in -cia and -ria:
Devo andare in farmacia.
I have to go to the pharmacy.
Stasera andiamo in pizzeria.
Tonight we’ll go to a pizzeria.
As we mentioned above, in and a are both used to give the location of an action or the destination of movement, but they are not interchangeable!!! To read the full rules, have a look at our post on when to use a vs. in to talk about place in Italian.
You will be happy with the preposition su, as it corresponds to the English “on” when indicating:
position of a thing over, above, or on top of something, and with articulated prepositions:
Il libro è sullo scaffale.
The book is on the shelf.
We use per (instead of su) to indicate the position of something, or someone, when “on” the ground:
Noi studiamo sdraiati per terra.
We study lying on the floor.
I libri sono per terra.
The books are on the floor.
proximity to a place:
Voglio comprare una casa sul lago.
I want to buy a house on/by the lake.
Use in for street addresses!
The preposition per(for, through) may be tricky when translating from English, as in Italian it indicates:
a place through which something or someone is passing through or by:
Passiamo per Napoli.
We pass through Naples.
a direction towards which something or someone is moving with a means of transportation:
Prendo l’aereo per Genova.
I take the plane to Genoa.
You will love tra and fra, they each correspond to the English “between/among” or “in” when indicating:
a position between two or more objects or places:
La casa è tra/fra gli alberi.
The house is among trees.
Abito tra/fra Pisa e Firenze.
I live between Pisa and Florence.
approximate distance to a destination:
Tra/fra dieci chilometri arriviamo a casa.
In about ten kilometers we will arrive home.
These two prepositions are used interchangeably — it is just a question of personal preference to use one over the other! So, which one is your favorite?
These are the most common uses of Italian prepositions to express place and any direction in space! Here is a summary of the uses:
di |
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a |
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da |
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in |
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su |
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per |
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tra/fra |
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If you would like to learn more about some other ways to express places in Italian, check out our downloadable table with more expressions of place and direction in Italian!
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