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Wanted! Your help with Italian prepositions

August 4, 2013 by Daniel

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.

Filed Under: Articles

Comments

  1. John Thomson says

    August 4, 2013 at 7:18 pm

    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

      August 5, 2013 at 10:36 am

      Good start! Thanks John.

  2. Jo Harvey says

    August 4, 2013 at 8:51 pm

    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

      August 5, 2013 at 10:37 am

      That “da” is a tricky one, isn’t it, Jo?
      But for your final example… do you get to say that a lot??

  3. Erica Ansley says

    August 5, 2013 at 10:19 am

    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

      August 5, 2013 at 10:38 am

      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.

  4. Sieglind D'Arcy says

    August 5, 2013 at 12:35 pm

    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

      August 5, 2013 at 4:25 pm

      Grande!

  5. Daniel says

    August 6, 2013 at 9:40 am

    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.

  6. Daniel says

    August 6, 2013 at 9:43 am

    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

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