Italian preposition "a" (at, to,...)
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The preposition a (at) has a lot of uses in Italian.
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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:
Italian | English |
---|---|
Abitare a Milano | To live in Milan |
Essere al mare | To be at the seaside |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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I am Tina, am Italian, from the south part of Italy. Am 35, I graduated in languages and International communication in Rome. I studied English, Spanish and French at university and Bulgarian on my own. I have a specialist title for teaching Italian as a foreign language. I personally prepare the teaching material, I studied how to project material. My method is communicative and situational, respectful of cultural aspects and interculture. My teaching method permits a multisensorial learning, I use you- tube videos and pictures, arts pictures, songs and other authentic material of everyday Life (informal and public enviroment) . My lessons and my teaching material are Dynamic and interactive. I want students to have a nice and funny learning experience, I try to have impact on the emotions of the students, so that he can learn better as there Is a link between Memory and emotions.
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Concetta is an amazing teacher with an unique intuitive teaching method and individual approach to each student. She is passionated and prepares materials and exercises especially to cover respective needs and goals of a student. The way Concetta leads the lessons gives deep understanding of language and culture. She speaks many languages and has knowledges in different aspects that’s why communication with her is smooth and pleasant. Thank you Tina, for being so incredible teacher! .
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Hi everyone!
My name is Daniela, I am Italian and I come from a small town in Sicily, Southern Italy. I am a qualified Italian language teacher and a CELI examiner! I work in two language schools teaching Italian and I also teach English at school.
I love foreign languages, translating, reading and listening to music. Are you ready to start your language learning path with me? We are going to learn many things and to talk a lot, if you allow me to! Don’t worry if you’ve never studied the language before: everyone can attend my classes – from beginner to advanced students. You just need passion for what you're going to do and... a good Internet connection. Materials are provided by me!
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Daniela is an excellent teacher. has a lot of patience and you shouldn't be afraid of making mistakes. she is always there to help you. Thanks Daniela
Daniela V.Dear Linda, thank you for your positive feedback. I am very happy that you feel comfortable and this is very important to me. Thanks to you for the great trust :-)
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I am so excited to be your new teacher. I have been teaching for 8 years as a Foundation Phase Teacher.
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I look forward to meeting you in our new classroom!
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Louise is a very kind teacher with materials based on what you want to learn. I totally recommend her.
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Native speaker from Paris with about 15 years of teaching experience. I’m well-travelled, and I’ve lived and worked in different parts of the world (Europe, Latin America, North America, Africa, Australia and a little bit in Asia).
I have a postgraduate degree (France) in Languages, Literature and Cultural Studies and I’m currently a freelance translator. I’ve previously worked at universities in France and abroad (South Africa/Australia) and have a solid experience in teaching (French Language, Literature, Philosophy, Cultural Studies, Creative Writing, etc.), designing courses, evaluating and guiding students, preparing students for exams/job interviews/professional presentations, managing a Language and Literature department at the university, presenting papers at academic conferences worldwide, publishing, translating and journalism. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to teach people with different profiles and from various backgrounds: international professionals, university students, beginner translators and teachers, high school students, retirees, travellers, francophiles, children (help with homework), etc.
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After the initial introductory lesson, I will design customised lesson plans that will evolve as you progress. We can also, at any time during the programme, change our working method if you wish to do so. I remain very flexible in that regard.
The learning materials will be varied, and we will choose together the themes and aspects of French language to be covered, in line with your objectives. In any case, I am very attentive in general, so please don't hesitate to make any suggestions.
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Hi there, I’m Letizia!
I've always had a great passion for languages and have made it my life's work.
I have been teaching English, Spanish and Italian as second languages (L2) to international students for 7 years now. I mainly work with teenagers and adults, but I also have experience with school-age children.
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The classes with Letizia are very helpful. Very good mix of theory and exercises. I can highly recommend Letizia!
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Hello, everybody ! My name is Elena. I’m a native Italian speaker, I’m 49 years old and live in Turin. I am a certified CEDILS teacher, I graduated in Foreign Languages and Literature in Milan and have been working as a teacher of Italian for more than 10 years. I speak English and German. I attended specialization courses for Italian L2 teachers and I am interviewer for C1 PLIDA exam.
Are you seeking a friendly and dynamic study environment ? I got what you need. I am looking forward to being in touch with new students and organize pleasant, interesting and fruitful courses.
Do you wish to learn or improve your Italian to speak with your parents or friends? Do you need Italian for work or study ? Do you simply love Italian language and culture ? Do you need to improve your writing skills ?
My classes are tailored on your needs and considering your level of knowledge, I create a proper course plan. Classes focus on language and on the possibility for you to improve your ability to speak and understand Italian in your daily life or in work.
I offer 1-to-1 or 2-to-1 tuition, general Italian courses (grammar, conversation, listening, reading and writing), preparation to Italian examinations (all levels, also Italian for residence permit) and Italian and culture courses.
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I have worked with children, adolescents and adults for all levels of Italian, from beginner to advanced. I have experience in preparing students to international certification (CILS, PLIDA). I was an A2/B1 Telc examiner.
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Elena is absolutely fantastic and extremely helpful in preparing me at short notice for a PLIDA B2 exam. Great teacher, lovely person and I'd highly reccommend her to anyone in need of suport in learning italian.
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I offer English and Indonesian language classes. My class is based on conversation practice. You will learn grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary through practice. You will learn in a safest way because I always want to make sure my students feel comfortable and safe during the class, so they are not afraid to make mistakes.
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Ade is a very gentle person with lots of experience in teaching English. She offers well structured lessons, I totally recommend her!
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Buongiorno gente!
Are you ready to learn italian with me?
My name is Mojra and I'm a qualified mother tongue tutor. Whether you need to prepare yourself for a job interview, you're planning to relocate to Italy or to spend your next holiday there, I look forward to assisting you to achieve your goals!
I am here to help you improve you grammar, sentence structure and to teach you helpful phrases in a fun and relaxed way.
I graduated from university majoring in Linguistic Mediation and in Modern Languages and then I specialized in the teaching of Italian as a second language, attending a one-year post-graduate course devoted to this and receiving excellent grades (FILIS: Formatori Interculturali di Lingua Italiana per Stranieri). I also teach in the Italian public schools.
If you'd like to learn Italian fluently, I'd love to be your teacher, then why not book a trial class with me now? In this lesson, we will design a lesson plan especially for you discussing how you will reach your specific goals.
IMPORTANT: Please contact me before booking your lesson with me and let me know your Italian level as well as the reasons why you want to learn Italian.
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Moijra is very good teacher, patient and supportive She has the know how to transfer to her beginner students the needed knowledge
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Hi everyone!
My name is Daniela, I am Italian and I come from a small town in Sicily, Southern Italy. I am a qualified Italian language teacher and a CELI examiner! I work in two language schools teaching Italian and I also teach English at school.
I love foreign languages, translating, reading and listening to music. Are you ready to start your language learning path with me? We are going to learn many things and to talk a lot, if you allow me to! Don’t worry if you’ve never studied the language before: everyone can attend my classes – from beginner to advanced students. You just need passion for what you're going to do and... a good Internet connection. Materials are provided by me!
See you online!
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Wonderful teacher, thanks to her methodology and her pedagogical skills I could to reach the required level of italian language even without living in Italy. Highly recommended!!
Daniela V.Thanks, Lana. Your Italian is growing more and more and I am sure that the next big goal will soon arrive! :-D
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Buongiorno gente!
Are you ready to learn italian with me?
My name is Mojra and I'm a qualified mother tongue tutor. Whether you need to prepare yourself for a job interview, you're planning to relocate to Italy or to spend your next holiday there, I look forward to assisting you to achieve your goals!
I am here to help you improve you grammar, sentence structure and to teach you helpful phrases in a fun and relaxed way.
I graduated from university majoring in Linguistic Mediation and in Modern Languages and then I specialized in the teaching of Italian as a second language, attending a one-year post-graduate course devoted to this and receiving excellent grades (FILIS: Formatori Interculturali di Lingua Italiana per Stranieri). I also teach in the Italian public schools.
If you'd like to learn Italian fluently, I'd love to be your teacher, then why not book a trial class with me now? In this lesson, we will design a lesson plan especially for you discussing how you will reach your specific goals.
IMPORTANT: Please contact me before booking your lesson with me and let me know your Italian level as well as the reasons why you want to learn Italian.
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I just had my first Italian lesson with Mojra and it was great. She is a very enthusiastic and happy person and seemed to really care about helping me to improve my Italian. Although her English is very good, she was quite strict about making me speak almost only in Italian during the entire lesson. My Italian is at an A2 (low intermediate) level but with seemingly infinite patience and useful hints, Mojra helped me to ask my questions in Italian and I felt my confidence grow as the lesson progressed. I asked for help on knowing when I should use the dreaded subjunctive in Italian (congiuntivo). Mojra had some interesting material on the subject and some exercises that both helped me to practice and, at the same time, taught me some interesting things about Italy. We laughed a lot and I was quite surprised to find that I had been speaking almost entirely in Italian for an hour. The time flew past. I think Mojra is an excellent teacher. You should try a lesson with her.
Mojra G.Thank you very much for your words Abner! You are a very diligent student, continua così!
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Hello! My name is Federico Pasquale, I was born in La Plata, Argentina but now I live in Formia, Italy. I have an English-Spanish translation degree, a degree in teaching and a CELTA Certificate. I've been working as an English teacher for 14 years in different countries and I've recently started to teach Spanish, my native language. I offer classes in different levels and also conversation classes. If you want to improve your skills in one of these languages, get in touch with me. See you in the lesson!
Areas of Expertise:
English: General English (all levels), Conversational English, Exam preparation classes (PET, FCE, CAE, CPE, IELTS)
Spanish (Variety: Argentinian/Rioplatense): General Spanish at levels A1, A2 y B1, conversation and vocabulary
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Federico is a certified teacher with lots of experience who is well-structured and passionate about teaching English.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
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