Italian Prepositions: How To Use “In”and “A”

In or A?

One of the most common mistakes in Italian for foreign learners is the use of the prepositions a and in.

And that’s completely normal.

In some cases, there are specific rules that tell you when to use the preposition in and when to use a. However, the truth is that in most cases, there isn’t a specific rule.

Smart Tip: The best way to master prepositions is to learn them in “chunks.” For example: andare al cinema, andare all’università, or andare in pizzeria are chunks. A chunk (or an idiom, an expression) is a recurring combination of words and prepositions (or words and verbs).

The Preposition A

When to use the preposition ‘a’

A is used before the names of cities. Also, ‘a’ becomes AD before the names of cities that starts with a vowel. 

• Vado a Venezia
• Vivo a Palermo
• Vivo ad Amburgo
• Vivo ad Alessandria 

A is also used in front of  names of small states, such as:

• Vado a San Marino
• Vado a Gilbirteterra 

A is used in front of the names of small islands, for examples:

• Vado a Malta
• Vado a Ibiza

A is used with cardinals points:

• A Sud, a Nord, a Est, a Ovest

A is also used with some verbs when they are followed by another action (and the infinitive verb is used), for example:

• Continuare a – continuo a studiare più tardi 
• Cominciare a – comincio a lavorare alle 9 del mattino
• iniziare a – ho iniziato a studiare italiano 5 anni fa
• Aiutare a  – mi aiuti a pulire?
• Essere abituato a – non sono abituato a parlare in pubblico 
• Riuscire a – non riesco a dormire

The Preposition In

In is used before nouns of countries:

• Vivo in Italia
• Vivo in Germania

If the countries is grammatically plural, such as, the United States or the Netherlands, the correct Italian prepositions to use are nei, negli.

• Vivo negli Stati Uniti
• Vivo nei Paesi Bassi

In is used too with the names of regions or states:

• Vivo  in Lombardia
• Vivo in Texas

In is used with names of the big islands, for instance

• Vivo in Sicilia
• Vivo in Sardegna

In is used with the names of the streets or squares.

• Vivo a Londra, in Oxford Street
• Vivo a Milano, in via Petrarca

In is finally used with the name of shops or places ending in –ia.

Vado…

• in farmacia
• in pizzeria
• in gelateria
• in macelleria
• in periferia
• in profumeria
• in campagna

There are rules and trends when it comes to deciding whether to use the preposition in or a, but sometimes it is difficult to pick up the right one. Thus it’s better off to learn by heart the most common expressions using these prepositions.

Common Expressions Using The Preposition In

in pizzeria	in/to/at a/the pizzeria/pizza parlour
in discoteca	in/to the disco
in città	in/to town
in centro	in/to the city centre
in chiesa	in/to church
in mensa	in/to the canteen
in camera	in/to the bedroom
in bagno	in/to the bathroom
in classe	in/to the classroom
in palestra	in/to the gym
in caserma	in/to the barracks
in prigione	in/to prison
in ufficio	in/to the office
in piscina	at/to the swimming bath

Common Expressions Using The Preposition A

a casa	at home
a scuola	at/to school
a letto	in/to bed
a lezione	in class/to (one’s) class
a tavola	to the table [i.e. come and sit down]/at table
a destra/a sinistra	(on/to the) right/left
a nord/a sud/a est/a ovest	(in/to the) north/south/east/west
a colazione/a pranzo/a cena	at/for breakfast/lunch/dinner, supper or tea
a mezzogiorno/a mezzanotte	at midday/midnight
a 10/11/12 [etc.] anni	at ten/eleven/twelve [etc.] (years of age)
a metà	in the middle/mid-
all’ombra/al sole	in the shade/in the sun
al bar	in the bar
al ristorante	at/to the restaurant
alla stazione	at/in/to the station