Italian preposition "a" (at, to,...)
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Sign up for freeThe preposition a (at) has a lot of uses in Italian.
Lesson outline
HideMeanings of A
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Marianna D. 
Giulia T.
Simona S.
Chiara S.
Elena M.
Francesca A.
Silvia P.
Azzurra C.
Gabriele D.
Silvia B.
Marianna D.
Giulia T.
Simona S.
Chiara S.
Elena M.
Francesca A.
Silvia P.
Azzurra C.
Direction and location in space (cities and public places)
When a expresses a direction, it translates as to.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Andare a Milano | To go to Milan |
| Andare al mare | To go to the seaside |
When a expresses location in space:
- it usually translates as in with names of cities
- it usually translates as at with public places
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Abitare a Milano | To live in Milan |
| Essere al mare | To be at the seaside |
Exact time or moment (hour, age)
When a expresses an exact time or moment, it usually translates as at.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Alle sei | At six o'clock |
| A sedici anni | At sixteen |
Be careful! Unlike English, some Italian expressions need the article after the preposition (see Italian articulated prepositions)
Alle sei → At six o'clock
Months behave differently. In this case, a translates as in.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| A maggio | In May |
| A luglio | In July |
Distance in space and time
When a expresses a distance in terms of space and time, it translates as away (placed after the complement expressing distance).
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Lavoro a due chilometri da qui | I work two kilometres away from here |
| Roma è a tre ore da Firenze | Rome is three hours away from Florence |
Indirect object
When a expresses an indirect object, it usually translates as to.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Voglio dare questo libro a te | I want to give this book to you (I want to give you this book) |
| Tu hai scritto una lettera a Maria | You wrote a letter to Maria |
Typical expressions
In the following table you can find a list of typical Italian expressions that are introduced by the preposition "a".
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| a destra | to the right |
| all'oscuro | in the dark (without knowledge) |
| a sinistra | to the left |
| all'alba | at sunrise |
| al mattino | in the morning |
| al tramonto | at sunset |
| a cominciare da | beginning with, starting from |
| a momenti | sporadically, sometimes |
| al momento | at present, now |
| all'ultimo momento | at the last minute |
| a bocca aperta | open-mouthed |
| rimanere a bocca asciutta | to be left empty- handed |
| a braccia aperte | open-armed |
| alla buona | simple, informally |
| a malincuore | reluctantly |
| fatto a mano | handmade, hand-crafted |
| a mano a mano | little by little |
| rapina a mano armata | armed robbery |
| imparare a memoria | to learn by heart |
| a metà | halfway |
| ad ogni costo | come hell or high water |
| ad ogni modo | in any case, at any rate |
| (stare/calzare) a pennello | to a "t" |
| a/alla perfezione | perfectly, just right |
| a pois | polka-dotted |
| a quadri | checked (of material) |
| a rovescio | inside out |
| a strisce | striped |
| a tempo pieno | full time |
| a tutta velocità | at full speed |
| a vicenda | in turn, each other |
| a voce alta | in a loud voice |
| a voce bassa | in a soft voice |
| all'altezza | up to a task |
| a bruciapelo | point break |
| a buon mercato | cheap |
| a lungo andare | in the long run |
| a volontà | at will, as much as you want |
| a mio avviso | in my opinion |
| a capo | new paragraph (in dictation) |
| a posto | tidy |
| mettere a posto | to tidy up |
| è tutto a posto | everything's fine |
| a proposito di | speaking about |
Exercises
Translation of the Italian preposition "a" - Fill in the blanks
Remember!
Translations of a:
- at
- to
- in
- away
Use them in the exercise
1. Stanno andando a Milano per una conferenza.
They are going Milan for a conference.
2. Non posso uscire alle 10. È troppo tardi.
I can't get out 10 o' clock. It's too late.
3. Quando rimango a casa, faccio spesso le pulizie
When I stay home, I often clean up.
4. A 25 anni è già un uomo d'affari.
He is already a businessman twenty-five.
5. A luglio ci trasferiremo
July we will move.
6. Il mio ufficio è a un'ora da casa mia.
My office is one hour from here.
7. Regalerò tutti i miei libri a Lucia.
I will give all my books Lucia as a present.
8. Mi piace scattare foto all'alba.
I like taking pictures sunshine.
9. Ci vediamo dopo all'angolo.
See you later the corner.
10. Siamo al lago per rilassarci.
We are the lake to relax ourselves.
Exercises
Translation of the Italian preposition "a" - Fill in the blanks
Remember!
Translations of a:
- at
- to
- in
- away
Use them in the exercise
1. Stanno andando a Milano per una conferenza.
They are going Milan for a conference.
2. Non posso uscire alle 10. È troppo tardi.
I can't get out 10 o' clock. It's too late.
3. Quando rimango a casa, faccio spesso le pulizie
When I stay home, I often clean up.
4. A 25 anni è già un uomo d'affari.
He is already a businessman twenty-five.
5. A luglio ci trasferiremo
July we will move.
6. Il mio ufficio è a un'ora da casa mia.
My office is one hour from here.
7. Regalerò tutti i miei libri a Lucia.
I will give all my books Lucia as a present.
8. Mi piace scattare foto all'alba.
I like taking pictures sunshine.
9. Ci vediamo dopo all'angolo.
See you later the corner.
10. Siamo al lago per rilassarci.
We are the lake to relax ourselves.