In this post, you’ll learn about an important topic in Italian grammar: When the Italian Preposition A becomes the English Preposition TO. Prepositions in Italian and English may not always have the same meaning or application.
Simple Prepositions in Italian A can occasionally be used with the definite article to form contracted prepositions (preposizione articolata).
Prepositions usually come before:
- a noun
- an adjective
- a verb
When comparing these two prepositions in Italian (A) and English (TO), we may use “A” in the same meaning as “TO” when talking about:
- a person
- a place
- with certain verbs
- with dates
Examples:
andare a scuola ➡︎ to go to school
both in terms of “attending school” and “travelling to the school building
- andare a letto ➡︎ to go to bed
- andare a Napoli ➡︎ to go to Naples
- andare a teatro ➡︎ to go to the theatre
- andare al risotrante ➡︎ to go to the restaurant
Some more examples:
- Scrivo a mia sorella → I’m writing to my sister
- Ho regalato un mazzo di rose alla (a + la) mia fidanzata → I gave a bunch of roses to my girlfriend
- Vai al (a+ il) cinema? → Are you going to the cinema?
- Domani vado a Firenze → Tomorrow I’m going to Florence
- Vado a letto. → I’m going to bed.
- Siamo pronti a uscire → We are ready to go out
- Sono pronto a partire → I’m ready to leave
- Attento a non perderti → Be careful not to get lost
- Sono abituato alla (a + la) pioggia → I’m used to the rain
- Comincia a piovere → It’s starting to rain
- da lunedì a venerdì → from Monday to Friday
- dal 10 al (a+ il) 30 maggio → from the 10th to the 30th of May
What’s next?
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