Italian simple prepositions exercises

A free A1 (beginner) Italian exercise on Preposizioni semplici (simple prepositions): 60 multiple choice questions in 4 sets, from core practice to a mixed review, each with the answer and a short explanation. Or take a random round of 10. No account needed.

The rule in brief

Italian has eight simple prepositions: di, a, da, in, con, su, per and tra (also spelt fra). They rarely match English one to one, so it helps to learn them in fixed patterns.

Use a with cities (abito a Milano), with a casa and with times (a mezzogiorno), and before the person who receives something (telefono a Paola). Use in with countries and regions (in Germania, in Sicilia), with many places (in ufficio, in centro) and with means of transport (in treno, in bicicletta). Di shows origin with essere (sono di Napoli) and possession (il libro di Giulia).

Da means "from" with places, but also "at someone’s place" (ceno da Marco) and "since / for" with the present tense (aspetto da venti minuti). Con means "with", su means "on" or "about", and per means "for" or, with partire, the destination (parto per Firenze). Tra means "between" or "in" for future time: tra dieci minuti.

When a preposition meets a definite article, they combine (a + il = al); that comes in a later exercise.

Preposition	Typical use	Example
a	city, time, to someone	a Roma, a mezzogiorno
in	country, region, transport	in Italia, in treno
di	origin, possession	sono di Bari, la casa di Anna
da	at someone’s place, since/for	da Marco, da due anni
con	with	con mia sorella
su	on, about	un libro su Roma
per	for, destination with partire	per te, parto per Pisa
tra	between, in (future time)	tra un’ora

Exercises · 60 questions in 4 sets

Choose the correct preposition (di, a, da, in, con, su, per, tra) for each sentence.

Set 1 · Core practice

1
Abito Milano da tre anni.
I’ve lived in Milan for three years.
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a · With the name of a city, "in" is a: abito a Milano.
2
Mio fratello lavora Germania.
My brother works in Germany.
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in · With the name of a country, "in" is in: in Germania.
3
Stasera ceno Marco.
Tonight I’m having dinner at Marco’s.
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da · Da + a person means "at someone’s place": da Marco.
4
Questo è il libro Giulia.
This is Giulia’s book.
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di · Italian has no ’s for possession; it uses di: il libro di Giulia.
5
Marta va a scuola bicicletta.
Marta goes to school by bike.
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in · Means of transport take in: in bicicletta, in treno, in macchina (but a piedi).
6
Il treno parte dieci minuti.
The train leaves in ten minutes.
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tra · For "in" + a time in the future, Italian uses tra (or fra): tra dieci minuti.
7
Questo regalo è te.
This present is for you.
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per · "For" someone is per: per te.
8
Stasera telefono Paola.
I’m phoning Paola tonight.
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a · Telefonare takes a before the person you call: telefono a Paola.
9
Ad agosto vado in vacanza i miei genitori.
In August I’m going on holiday with my parents.
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con · "With" is con. Here it is followed by the article i, which con does not merge with.
10
Stasera guardo un documentario Venezia.
Tonight I’m watching a documentary about Venice.
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su · "About" a topic is su: un documentario su Venezia.
11
Sono Napoli, ma abito a Torino.
I’m from Naples, but I live in Turin.
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di · With essere, origin is di: sono di Napoli. Da is used with venire: vengo da Napoli.
12
La farmacia è la banca e il bar.
The chemist’s is between the bank and the café.
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tra · "Between" is tra (or fra): tra la banca e il bar.
13
Domani mattina parto Firenze.
Tomorrow morning I’m leaving for Florence.
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per · Partire takes per before the destination: parto per Firenze.
14
Aspetto l’autobus venti minuti e non arriva!
I’ve been waiting for the bus for twenty minutes and it isn’t coming!
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da · For something that started in the past and is still going on, Italian uses the present tense + da.
15
Il lunedì la lezione comincia mezzogiorno.
On Mondays the lesson starts at midday.
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a · Times take a: a mezzogiorno. Mezzogiorno has no article, so a stays a simple preposition.

15 questions.

Set 2 · More practice

16
Quest’estate andiamo Venezia per tre giorni.
This summer we’re going to Venice for three days.
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a · With the name of a city, "to" is a: andiamo a Venezia.
17
I miei cugini vivono Spagna.
My cousins live in Spain.
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in · With the name of a country, "in" is in: in Spagna.
18
Ogni mattina vado ufficio con l’autobus.
Every morning I go to the office by bus.
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in · Ufficio is one of the places that take in without an article: vado in ufficio, sono in ufficio.
19
Questa è la macchina mio padre.
This is my father’s car.
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di · Possession is di: la macchina di mio padre.
20
Mia nonna non viaggia mai aereo.
My grandmother never travels by plane.
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in · Means of transport without an article take in: in aereo, in treno, in macchina.
21
Il sabato gioco a tennis mio fratello.
On Saturdays I play tennis with my brother.
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con · "With" someone is con: con mio fratello.
22
Arrivo cinque minuti, aspettami!
I’ll be there in five minutes, wait for me!
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tra · "In" + an amount of time in the future is tra (or fra): tra cinque minuti.
23
Il treno Bologna parte dal binario tre.
The train to Bologna leaves from platform three.
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per · The destination of a train, bus or flight takes per: il treno per Bologna.
24
Regalo un libro Marco per il suo compleanno.
I’m giving Marco a book for his birthday.
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a · The person who receives something takes a: regalo un libro a Marco.
25
Mia sorella vive Sardegna da due anni.
My sister has lived in Sardinia for two years.
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in · Regions and large islands take in: in Sardegna, in Toscana.
26
Stasera dormo Chiara perché i miei genitori sono via.
Tonight I’m sleeping at Chiara’s because my parents are away.
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da · Da + a person means "at someone’s place": dormo da Chiara.
27
Sono stanca: lavoro mattina a sera.
I’m tired: I work from morning till night.
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da · "From … to" is da … a: da mattina a sera, da lunedì a venerdì.
28
Facciamo una festa il compleanno di Sara.
We’re having a party for Sara’s birthday.
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per · "For" an occasion is per: per il compleanno. Per does not merge with the article.
29
Il gatto dorme una sedia in cucina.
The cat is sleeping on a chair in the kitchen.
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su · "On" a surface is su: su una sedia.
30
Ci vediamo le cinque e le sei.
Let’s meet between five and six.
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tra · "Between" two times or two places is tra (or fra): tra le cinque e le sei.

15 questions.

Set 3 · Trickier cases

31
Vengo Palermo, ma vivo a Milano.
I come from Palermo, but I live in Milan.
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da · With venire, origin is da: vengo da Palermo. Di is used with essere: sono di Palermo.
32
Oggi vado al lavoro piedi perché c’è il sole.
Today I’m walking to work because it’s sunny.
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a · Most means of transport take in, but "on foot" is the fixed expression a piedi.
33
Conosco Marco molti anni.
I’ve known Marco for many years.
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da · English uses "have known … for", but Italian uses the present tense + da for something still true now.
34
Quest’estate andiamo in vacanza Capri.
This summer we’re going on holiday to Capri.
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a · Small islands such as Capri and Ischia take a, like cities; large islands such as Sicilia take in.
35
Il corso finisce due settimane.
The course ends in two weeks.
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tra · English "in two weeks" looks like in, but for a future point in time Italian uses tra: tra due settimane.
36
Chiedo Luca dov’è la stazione.
I ask Luca where the station is.
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a · English "ask someone" has no preposition, but chiedere takes a before the person: chiedo a Luca.
37
Partiamo Roma alle otto e arriviamo a Napoli alle dieci.
We leave Rome at eight and arrive in Naples at ten.
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da · Rome is the starting point here, so it takes da ("from"). Partire per would mean Rome was the destination.
38
Domani vado Marco a studiare.
Tomorrow I’m going to Marco’s to study.
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da · Going to a person’s place is da, not a: vado da Marco. A is for cities: vado a Roma.
39
Studio biblioteca perché a casa c’è rumore.
I study in the library because it’s noisy at home.
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in · Like ufficio and banca, biblioteca takes in without an article: in biblioteca.
40
Grazie il caffè!
Thanks for the coffee!
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per · "Thanks for" is grazie per. Per does not merge with the article il.
41
Stasera vado letto presto.
Tonight I’m going to bed early.
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a · "To go to bed" is the fixed expression andare a letto.
42
Preferisci andare montagna o al mare?
Do you prefer going to the mountains or to the seaside?
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in · The mountains take in without an article (in montagna), while the seaside takes al mare.
43
Abito con i miei genitori un piccolo paese vicino a Lucca.
I live with my parents in a small village near Lucca.
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in · A is used before the name of a town; before a common noun such as un paese, "in" is in.
44
Ci incontriamo centro, davanti alla stazione.
We’ll meet in the centre, in front of the station.
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in · Centro takes in without an article: in centro.
45
Studio l’italiano lavorare in Italia.
I’m studying Italian to work in Italy.
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per · Per + infinitive gives the purpose, like "in order to": per lavorare.

15 questions.

Set 4 · Mixed review

46
Mio fratello è Londra per lavoro questa settimana.
My brother is in London for work this week.
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a · London is a city, so "in" is a: è a Londra.
47
Mia figlia studia Inghilterra e torna a casa a Natale.
My daughter studies in England and comes home at Christmas.
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in · England is a country, so "in" is in: in Inghilterra.
48
Scrivo un’email inglese al mio capo.
I’m writing an email in English to my boss.
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in · The language you use takes in: in inglese, in italiano.
49
Quanto costa un biglietto Milano a Roma?
How much is a ticket from Milan to Rome?
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da · "From … to" between places is da … a: da Milano a Roma.
50
Sabato andiamo Verona a vedere l’opera.
On Saturday we’re going to Verona to see the opera.
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a · Verona is a city, so "to" is a: andiamo a Verona.
51
Esco il cane tre volte al giorno.
I go out with the dog three times a day.
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con · "With" is con, and it stays separate from the article: con il cane.
52
Mettiamo un quadro questa parete?
Shall we put a painting on this wall?
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su · "On" a surface is su: su questa parete.
53
Siamo in fila quaranta minuti: c’è molta gente oggi.
We’ve been queuing for forty minutes: there are lots of people today.
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da · For a situation that started in the past and is still going on, Italian uses the present + da.
54
Prendiamo la macchina Giorgio: la nostra è dal meccanico.
Let’s take Giorgio’s car: ours is at the mechanic’s.
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di · Possession is di: la macchina di Giorgio.
55
Ti chiamo due ore, dopo la riunione.
I’ll call you in two hours, after the meeting.
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tra · For "in" + a time in the future, Italian uses tra (or fra): tra due ore.
56
In estate viaggiamo sempre macchina, perché il treno costa troppo.
In summer we always travel by car, because the train is too expensive.
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in · Means of transport take in: in macchina.
57
C’è una telefonata te, Marco!
There’s a phone call for you, Marco!
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per · "For" someone is per: per te.
58
Lucca è Pisa e Firenze.
Lucca is between Pisa and Florence.
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tra · "Between" two places is tra (or fra): tra Pisa e Firenze.
59
Il direttore parla Elena dei nuovi orari.
The manager is talking to Elena about the new timetable.
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con · "To talk to someone" is parlare con: parla con Elena. The topic follows with di (dei nuovi orari).
60
Vado farmacia a comprare l’aspirina.
I’m going to the chemist’s to buy some aspirin.
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in · Shops ending in -ia take in without an article: in farmacia, in libreria, in pizzeria.

15 questions.

Learn it in the free course

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The rule in brief

Exercises · 60 questions in 4 sets

Set 1 · Core practice

Set 2 · More practice

Set 3 · Trickier cases

Set 4 · Mixed review

Random 10

Learn it in the free course

More A1 Italian exercises