Le preposizioni

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The preposition di (d’ in front of vowels)
The Italian preposition di is the most versatile one and has several different meanings depending on the context in which it is used.

• You have already learned about di as from (see Unità 1)
• In most of the cases translates the English of: un gruppo di amici (a group of friends), un chilo di patate (a kilo of potatoes). It is also the equivalent of the English genitive case, formed  by adding the clitic ’s: il libro di Mario (Mario’s book), gli amici di Maria (Maria’s friends) 
• It expresses the subject, topic, field of something: Mi piace parlare di calcio (I like talking about soccer), È un libro di matematica (It is a math book) 
• It is also used to indicate the material of which something is made: un anello d’oro (a gold ring), un tavolo di legno (a wooden table)
• The preposition di is also used after some verbs (see a short list of them) followed by an infinite form: Finisco di lavorare alle 7:00 (I finish work at 7:00), Spero di passare l’esame  (I hope to pass the exam)

The preposition a
The Italian preposition a can mean in, at, or to, depending on the context in which it is used.

• You have already learned about a expressing:  1) the idea of staying, going somewhere, or even doing something in specific locations (see Unità 1  and Unità 3); 2) means of ‘transportation’ (see Unità 3); 3) the time (see Unità 5) and months in which one does something (see Unità 6);
• It can indicate to whom an action refers (see also Unità 4): Do un fiore a Maria (I give a flower to Maria), Come fare un bagno a un piccolo cane (How to give a small dog a bath)
• It can indicate games one plays: giocare a tennis, a scacchi, a carte, etc. (to play tennis, chess, cards, etc.)
• It is also used after some verbs (see a short list of them) followed by an infinite form: Vado a vedere un film (I am going to see a movie), Comincio a studiare (I start studying)

The preposition da
The Italian preposition da can be equivalent to the English from, to, at, or by depending on the context in which it is used. The preposition da can express

• motion from: Partiamo da Firenze (We are departing from Florence), Esco da scuola (I leave school)
• agent of an action: una composizione scritta da uno studente (a composition written by a student), una torta fatta da Maria (a cake made by Mary)
• idea of staying, going  (even doing something) somewhere when used with proper names, names denoting family members and names of professions: Sono da Franco (I am at Franco’s), Vado da nonna (I am going to Grand-ma’s), Mangio da Maria (I eat at Maria’s), Sono da un dottore (I am at a doctor’s’ office)
• time of something started in the past: Io studio da due ore (I have been studying for two hours), Lui dorme da ieri (He has been sleeping since yesterday). Note: Italian uses in these cases the simple present tense where English the present perfect continuous (Io studio/I have been studying…, Lui dorme/He has been sleeping…)

The preposition in
The preposition in is usually equivalent to the English in, but it can also mean at, to, and by, depending on the context in which it is used. You have already learned about in expressing the idea of staying, going somewhere, or even doing something in specific locations (see Unità 1  and Unità 3); indicating means of  ‘transportation’ (see Unità 3); expressing the months or seasons in which one does something (see Unità 6).

The preposition con
The Italian preposition con is equivalent to the English with: Vado con Marco (I go with Marco), Gli piace scrivere con carta e penna (He likes writing with paper and pen). The preposition con, followed by an article, can also be used instead of in to indicate means of transportations (con il treno, con l’auto, etc.).

The preposition su
The Italian preposition su is generally equivalent to the English on and over: L’aereo vola su Roma (The plane is flying over Rome), Io conto su voi (I count on you). It can also indicate the theme of something: Una mostra su Leonardo a Milano (A Leonardo exibition in Milan).

The preposition per
The Italian preposition per is generally equivalent to the English for: Faccio questo per gli studenti (I am doing this for the students), Oggi parto per Firenze (I am leaving for Florence today). Per + infinitive is equivalent to the English preposition ‘to’ or the expression ‘in order to’: Studio per avere buoni voti (I study to get good grades), Faccio sport per dimagrire (I do sports to lose weight).

The preposition tra/fra
Fra and tra are two interchangeable prepositions, the use of which depends mostly on one’s preference. They are generally equivalent to the English between and among: Il numero due è tra/fra l’uno e il tre (Number two is between one and three), Qui tu sei fra amici (You are among friends here). The prepositions fra and tra can also be equivalent to the English in when used to express future time: Parto fra una settimana (I am leaving in a week), Il film finisce fra/tra cinque minuti (The movie ends in five minutes).

The verb bere and uscire
Irregular verbs are numerous in Italian. Among them, we have bere (to drink) and uscire (to go out, to leave) that do not follow the typical 2nd and 3rd conjugation patterns.

• Repeat the recordings several times. Use Speech to Text to check your pronunciation.
• Look at the pictures above and write what the characters are doing, adding more information (Ex. “Matteo esce di casa alle tre. Ha fretta e va in ufficio in bicicletta” etc.) Use the Dictionary if you need to find more Italian words. Then use Spell and Grammar Checker to check if there are mistakes in your text.
• Create a dialogue between two students including the verbs bere and uscire. Use at least four of the prepositions learned in this chapter. Check if there are mistakes in your text with Spell and Grammar Checker.