How to express From with Different Italian Prepositions

‘From’ is an important preposition that expresses the starting point of a journey, the origin of an object, or the source of action. Here is a beginner’s guide to using the preposition ‘from’ in Italian.

It’s essential to know that there are different ways to translate ‘from’ into Italian, depending on the context.

The most common prepositions used to translate ‘from’ are ‘da,’ ‘dalla,’ ‘dal,’ ‘dagli,’ ‘dalle,’ ‘dello,’ and ‘dell.’
Each of these prepositions has a different meaning depending on the gender and number of the word it modifies.

Examples of how to use these prepositions:

‘Da‘ is the most common preposition used to translate ‘from‘ into Italian. It’s used to express the origin of a person or an object, as well as the starting point of a journey. For example:

Sono italiana, vengo da Roma. (I’m Italian, I come from Rome.)
Ho comprato la macchina da un concessionario. (I bought the car from a dealer.)
Partiamo da Milano alle 9. (We’re leaving from Milan at 9.)

‘Dalla,’ ‘dal,’ ‘dagli,’ and ‘dalle‘ are variations of ‘da’ that change depending on the gender and number of the noun they modify (❗️ Preposizioni articolate).

For example:

Vengo dalla Francia. (I come from France.)
Sono uscito dal ristorante. (I went out of the restaurant.)
Gli ho comprato il libro dagli Stati Uniti. (I bought him the book from the United States.)
Le scarpe sono dalle suore. (The shoes are from the nuns.)

‘Dello‘ and ‘dell‘ are variations of ‘di’ that change depending on the gender and number of the noun they modify. (❗️ Preposizioni articolate)
They are used to express the origin of a thing or an object.

For example:

La penna è dello zio. (The pen is from the uncle.)
Il cibo è dell’agriturismo. (The food is from the farmhouse.)

How to express From with Different Italian Prepositions

Express From with Different Italian Prepositions in detail:

Expressing Place ➤ DI – DA

(da+la=dalla)

Maria viene dalla Spagna

Maria comes from Spain

DALLA Spagna 👉 FROM Spain

MEANING

👉 Her country of origin is Spain
or
👉 She has just arrived from Spain

Di dove sei?

Where are you from?

More Examples – Expressing place

(DI+L’=DELL’)

Carla è dell’Australia/australiana

Carla comes from Australia (i.e. that is her country of origin)

Carla viene dall’Australia

Carla comes from Australia (i.e. she is travelling or has just arrived from there)

Expressing time: Showing duration ➤ DALLE

(DA+LE = DALLE)

From… to…” are used to say when an activity starts and finishes.

Lavoro dalle 9 alle 17.

I work from 9 am to 5 pm

Italian Expressions with FROM

Da cima a fondo ➤ From top to bottom
Dall‘inizio alla fine ➤ From beginning to end
Da capo From the beginning
Dalla testa ai piedi ➤ From head to foot
Dall’alba al tramonto ➤ From dawn to dusk
Dal primo maggio ➤ From May 1st
D’ora in poi ➤ From now on
Da oggi in poi ➤ From today on
Di giorno in giorno ➤ From day to day
Di quando in quando ➤ From time to time
Di quando in quando ➤ From time to time
Dal mio punto di vista ➤ From my point of view
La crema solare protegge la pelle dal sole. ➤ Sun cream protects the skin from the sun.

Mastering the use of ‘from’ in Italian takes practice and familiarity with the different prepositions used to translate it. However, by following this beginner’s guide, you will be on your way to expressing direction and origin like a native Italian speaker.

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🔗 How to Express ABOUT in Italian

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How to express From with Different Italian Prepositions

Examples of how to use these prepositions: