OK, I admit it. I’ve never really gotten the hang of prepositions in Italian.
It’s not so much that the prepositions themselves are hard to remember. For the most part, they’re straightforward.
It’s the differences in use between my language (English) and Italian which always trip me up.
Like a lot of foreigners, I’m prone to making typical mistakes when saying things like:
“I live in Bologna” (Abito a Bologna)
“Thanks for everything” (Grazie di tutto)
So, today I’m going to ask YOU to help ME with my Italian prepositions.
Let me explain.
Looking up prepositions in a grammar book or online course is the work of a few minutes. You’ll easily find a list of Italian prepositions, with English translations, like this one:
di (‘of’, ‘belonging to’)
a (‘to’)
da (‘from’, ‘by’)
in (‘in’ ‘at’ for school subjects)
con (‘with’)
su (‘on’)
per (‘for’, ‘in order to’)
tra (‘among’, ‘between’)
fra (‘among’, ‘between’)
Of course, there’s the additional complication of the preposition/definite article combinations:
il lo la i gli le di del dello della dei degli delle a al allo alla ai agli alle da dal dallo dalla dai dagli dalle in nel nello nella nei negli nelle su sul sullo sulla sui sugli sulle
But in a couple of hours most of us would be able to memorise these without too much stress.
My problem is that just “knowing” them doesn’t seem to stop me from getting them wrong regularly when I speak or write.
So, I figured that what I really need is a list of examples where the use in Italian is different from the use in English. In effect a list of areas where I’m likely to get it wrong.
Now, if I could memorise THOSE, I’d be sorted. Right?
Unfortunately, no such list appears to exist on the Internet.
Yet.
Ever heard of “crowd-sourcing”?
It’s the idea that a (large) group of people, each contributing something small, can achieve something that might otherwise be impossible.
Funding a business start up, for example, or providing the manpower for a charity or scientifiic project.
Hey, I thought. WE could do that.
OnlineItalianClub.com members could work TOGETHER to produce a list of typical errors to avoid.
We could all think of instances where Italian uses prepositions differently, then share our ideas to produce a list of examples, like this one:
I’m not good at maths (“Non sono bravo in matematica”)
OK, so what I want you to do as soon as you finish reading this is to think of the prepositions YOU typically get wrong, and especially where the use of prepositions is obviously different in Italian and your own language, as in the examples above.
You could go through your homework from previous courses, for example. Or do a prepositions exercise in a grammar book or on a website, to see which ones you get wrong. Or even ask your teacher (if you have one) for suggestions.
You have to identify your typical preposition mistakes, analyse what causes them, and share that information with us by commenting on this article.
Then I’ll do my bit: I’ll edit out any duplications, get my (Italian) wife to check everything, and “Voila”, we’ll have a check list of typical errors which we can all try to avoid in future!
So, ready to lend a hand? Great! Click here to add your contribution.
Daniel says
Another contribution I received via e-mail:
Some verbs require a preposition:
Andare a – to go to it is actually to
Spero di – I hope to (I hope of)
I am still not clear Is it finire di or finire a
Some nouns require a preposition
Qualcosa di interessante – something interesting something of interest
Some adjectives require a preposition
Bravo a tennis – good at tennis
Sono stanco di lavorare
Fuori da – outside we do not have a preposition
Fuori servizio – out of service (no preposition)
Di fronte al museo – opposite the museum OF
Davanti a – in front of OF
Non si dimentichi di timbrare – do not forget to stamp TO
Camera da letto – bedroom (function) NO PREPOSITION
Occhiali da sole – sunglasses maybe in already (function) NO PREPOSITION
Prima di partire – before leaving NO PREPOSITION
A lui interessa – it interests him it is of interest to him TO
Cosa di fare – something to do TO
Per comprarlo to meaning in order to buy it TO
Sul giornale – in the paper IN
Alla televisione – on the television ON
Da martedi a giovedi – from tuesday until / till Thursday FROM TO /UNTIL
Un euro all’etto – I euro per 100 gms PER
La prima a destra – first on the right ON
Te al limone – tea with lemon WITH
Un film da fellini – a film by fellini created by or is it un film di fellini BY
Da sei mesi – for / since two months FOR/SINCE
Da giovane – as a young man AS
Il menu da 30 euro – the thirty euro menu NO PREPOSITION
Qualcosa da bere – something to drink function TO
La donna dagli occhi scuri – the woman with dark eyes personal characteristics WITH
Una borsa di pelle – a leather bag MADE OF
Vorrei del latte – i would like some milk SOME OF
Gioca meglio di me – you play better than me THAN
L’uomo piu gentile del mondo – the kindest man in the world IN
La casa di mia madre – my mother’s house replaces apostrophe
Il numero di telefono – the telephone number i.e. creates an adjective
Alle sette del mattino – seven in the morning IN
Vado in bicicletta – go by bike means of transport BY
Per vedere – to see = in order to see
Piageva per paura – she was crying through fear THROUGH
Per favore – please
Dieci per due ten times two TIMES
Per posta by post BY
Per terra on the ground ON
Il ponte sul fiume po – the bridge over the river Po OVER
Parto fra una settimana – I am leaving in a week IN WITHIN
Daniel says
Sent in by Bruce, via e-mail:
Andare a palestra vs. andare in palestra.
…fare la spesa per la cena questa sera vs. … la cena di questa sera.
…e per bere vs. e da bere.
Sieglind D'Arcy says
From my reading this morning:
di sabato non lavoro – I don’t work on Saturdays
faccio una passeggiata per il centro – take a walk in the city (CBD)
sul cono – in a cone
Sieglind
Daniel says
Grande!
Erica Ansley says
Sul fondo della piscina – at the bottom of the pool
Siamo in tre – there are three of us
Vado in bicicletta – I go by bicycle
Daniel says
Not sure about the first one, maybe “on the bottom” would work in English too. But the other two are classics! Thanks a lot, Erica.
Jo Harvey says
Allora
Vieni da me – come to me
Vado dalla nonna – going to grandma’s
Voglio fare l’ amore con te – I want to make love to you
Veramente una buon’ idea. Grazie
Daniel says
That “da” is a tricky one, isn’t it, Jo?
But for your final example… do you get to say that a lot??
John Thomson says
una buona idea
ecco alcuni dalla cima della testa
che velocita, cento chilometri al’ ora – what a speed, 100 kilometres per hour
la vedo per la strada – I saw her on the street
sono andato dal dottore e mi mette in ospedale – I went to the doctor and he sent me to the hospital
vieni da me – come to me
un film da Fellini – a film by Fellini
gli occhiali da sole – sun glasses
un bicchiere di vino – a glass of wine
un bicchiere da vino – a wine glass
di dove sei -where are you from
John
Daniel says
Good start! Thanks John.