🔍 In short. Italian compound prepositions (preposizioni articolate) are a simple preposition fused with a definite article. Five prepositions fuse systematically: di, a, da, in, su. So di + il becomes del, a + il becomes al, da + lo becomes dallo, in + la becomes nella, su + i becomes sui. Con fuses only optionally (col survives), and per, tra, fra no longer fuse at all. The shape of the article follows the same gender, number and sound rules you already use for il, lo, l’, la, i, gli, le.
Get the italian compound prepositions right and a huge slice of A2 Italian becomes automatic: where things are, where you go, where you come from. By the end you will read the whole 35-cell table, choose between the simple and the fused form, and stop confusing the partitive del with the prepositional del.
Cosa impareremo oggi
👆🏻 Jump to section
- What a compound preposition is
- The full table: 5 prepositions, 7 articles
- Which prepositions fuse, which do not
- Simple or compound: a scuola vs al cinema
- Del: preposition or partitive?
- Con, col and the archaic forms
- Book and film titles: del Tempo or de Il Tempo
- Da: the trickiest of the five
- Place and time: the everyday patterns
- Cheat sheet: italian compound prepositions
- Common mistakes English speakers make
- Dialog: at the Lucca post office
- Frequently asked questions
- Related guides
What an italian compound preposition is
An italian compound preposition is one word that hides two: a simple preposition plus a definite article, melted together. Italian does not say di il libro; it fuses the two into del libro. The same happens with a la casa to alla casa, in il giardino to nel giardino. The grammar books call these preposizioni articolate, “articulated prepositions”, because the article is built into them.
This matters because Italian uses the definite article far more than English, so the italian compound prepositions appear in almost every sentence about place, time and possession. The good news: there is no new selection rule. If you can already pick il, lo, l’, la, i, gli, le, you can already build every fused form.
The full table: five prepositions, seven articles
Five prepositions fuse with the seven definite articles, giving the 35 forms that make up the core of the italian compound prepositions. Read across each row: the preposition stays recognisable, the article changes with the noun.
| + | il | lo | l’ | i | gli | la | le |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| di | del | dello | dell’ | dei | degli | della | delle |
| a | al | allo | all’ | ai | agli | alla | alle |
| da | dal | dallo | dall’ | dai | dagli | dalla | dalle |
| in | nel | nello | nell’ | nei | negli | nella | nelle |
| su | sul | sullo | sull’ | sui | sugli | sulla | sulle |
Two patterns make the table easy. In is the odd one: it changes its vowel to e (in + il to nel, not inil). The other four keep their first letter: d-, a-, d-, s-. Learn the in row separately and the rest of the italian compound prepositions fall out automatically from the article rules.
- Il pacco è nell’armadio dell’ingresso.
The parcel is in the hall cupboard. - Vengo dalla stazione di Lucca.
I am coming from the Lucca station. - Le chiavi sono sul tavolo della cucina.
The keys are on the kitchen table.
Which prepositions fuse, which do not
Not every preposition becomes an italian compound preposition. Three groups, from “always” to “never”.
- Always fuse: di, a, da, in, su. These are the core five and they always combine: del, al, dal, nel, sul.
- Optional, mostly not: con. Modern Italian prefers con il, con la; only col (con + il) is still common, especially in set phrases.
- Never fuse today: per, tra, fra. You always write per il, tra i, fra le. The old forms pel, fral are archaic.
🔍 The five-letter memory hook. Only DADIS (di, a, da, in, su) gives full italian compound prepositions. Con is half-in (col only). Per, tra, fra stay apart. If the preposition is not one of those five, write it separately and add the article unchanged.
Simple or compound: a scuola vs al cinema
The italian compound prepositions appear only when the noun actually takes a definite article. Some everyday phrases drop the article, so they keep the simple preposition. This is the choice English speakers find hardest, because English has nothing to map it onto.
- Vado a scuola. versus Vado al cinema.
I go to school. versus I go to the cinema. - Sono in ufficio. versus Sono nello studio del notaio.
I am at the office. versus I am in the notary’s office. - Torno a casa. versus Torno alla casa di Caterina.
I am going home. versus I am going to Caterina’s house. - Lavoro in banca. versus Lavoro nella banca di Modena.
I work at a bank. versus I work at the bank in Modena. - Vado in centro. versus Vado nel centro storico di Lucca.
I am going downtown. versus I am going into Lucca’s old town. - Pietro è a letto. versus Pietro è sul letto della camera di sopra.
Pietro is in bed. versus Pietro is on the bed in the upstairs room.
The rule behind the italian compound prepositions here is simple: no article, no fusion. A scuola, in ufficio, a casa, in banca, in centro, a letto are fixed article-less expressions; as soon as the noun is specified and takes the article (la casa di Caterina, la banca di Modena), the italian compound prepositions kick in and the preposition fuses (alla casa, nella banca).
Del: preposition or partitive?
One form, two jobs, and this trips up almost everyone. Del, dello, della, dei, degli, delle are italian compound prepositions when they mean “of the”. The exact same forms are partitive articles when they mean “some”. Context decides.
- La copertina del libro è rossa.
The cover of the book is red. (preposition: of the) - Ho comprato del pane.
I bought some bread. (partitive: some) - Le pagine delle riviste sono strappate.
The pages of the magazines are torn. (preposition) - Ho incontrato delle amiche.
I met some friends. (partitive)
Quick test: if it answers “of what / whose”, it is one of the italian compound prepositions; if it answers “how much / some”, it is the partitive article. The form is identical; only the meaning tells them apart.
Con, col and the archaic forms
Among the italian compound prepositions, con is the borderline case. Historically it fused fully (col, collo, colla, coi, cogli, colle), but modern Italian has dropped almost all of these in favour of con plus a separate article.
- Col (con + il) is still common, especially in set phrases: col tempo (in time), col cavolo! (no way!).
- The others (collo, colla, coi, cogli, colle) sound dated; write con lo, con la, con i, con gli, con le.
- Per, tra, fra never fuse now. The poetic pel, pei and fral belong to old texts only.
So the safe modern rule for the italian compound prepositions: fuse di, a, da, in, su always; use only col for con; keep per, tra, fra apart.
Book and film titles: del Tempo or de Il Tempo
One refined point. When the definite article is part of a title (a newspaper, a film, a book), Italian sometimes splits the preposition from the title to keep the title intact, instead of using the normal italian compound prepositions.
- Title kept intact: il redattore de Il Tempo, i protagonisti di La Terra Trema.
- Normal fusion (also correct, often recommended): il redattore del Tempo, una scena della Terra Trema.
Both are acceptable; the fused version is the more natural everyday choice. Outside titles, always use the regular italian compound prepositions.
Da: the trickiest of the five
Among the italian compound prepositions, the da- row carries the most meanings, so it deserves its own look. Dal, dallo, dalla, dai, dagli, dalle can mark origin, an agent, a time span, a purpose, and the very Italian “at someone’s place”.
- Origin or motion from: Vengo dalla stazione.
I am coming from the station. - Agent in a passive: Il pacco è stato firmato dal corriere.
The parcel was signed by the courier. - Time span (since): Pietro lavora qui dal 2019.
Pietro has worked here since 2019. - At someone’s place or business: Vado dal medico, poi dai nonni.
I am going to the doctor’s, then to my grandparents’.
That last use has no English equivalent: dal medico, dal fornaio, dai nonni all mean “to or at the place of”. It is one of the most useful patterns hiding inside the italian compound prepositions, and it always fuses because the noun takes the article. Master this da- family and a large part of everyday movement and origin, the real workhorse of the italian compound prepositions, is already under control.
Place and time: the everyday patterns
Most of the time you meet the italian compound prepositions in two everyday jobs: saying where something is and saying when. A few reliable patterns cover the bulk of A2 speech.
- Position with su and in: Le chiavi sono sul tavolo, i documenti nel cassetto.
The keys are on the table, the documents in the drawer. - Inside a specified place with in: Siamo nella sala d’attesa dell’ufficio.
We are in the waiting room of the office. - Clock time with a: Il treno parte alle nove e alle dieci.
The train leaves at nine and at ten. - Possession and description with di: La copertina del libro, il colore della porta.
The cover of the book, the colour of the door.
Notice the clock pattern: time on the hour always takes alle (alle nove), except all’una, a mezzogiorno, a mezzanotte. These small fixed habits are where the italian compound prepositions become automatic, because you meet them every single day.
Place names add one more wrinkle to the italian compound prepositions. Cities take the bare preposition (a Lucca, da Modena), but countries, regions and plural place names take the article and therefore fuse: nel Lazio, negli Stati Uniti, dalla Germania, sulle Alpi. When a place name itself contains an article (La Spezia, L’Aquila), the fused form is the preferred modern choice: vado alla Spezia, torno dall’Aquila. So the test stays the same throughout: article present means the italian compound prepositions fuse, no article means they stay simple.
Cheat sheet: italian compound prepositions
The whole system on one card. Keep it open while you write about place and time.
| Point | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Always fuse | di, a, da, in, su + article | del, al, dal, nel, sul |
| The in row | in changes to ne- | nel, nella, negli |
| con | only col is common | col tempo |
| per, tra, fra | never fuse | per il, tra i |
| No article | no fusion | a casa, in ufficio |
| del two jobs | preposition (of the) or partitive (some) | del libro / del pane |
| Titles | split or fuse, both OK | del Tempo / de Il Tempo |
Common mistakes English speakers make with italian compound prepositions
- Not fusing at all. ❌ Vado a il cinema. ✅ Vado al cinema. With an article, di a da in su must fuse.
- Fusing per or tra. ❌ pel parco, tral i libri. ✅ per il parco, tra i libri.
- Wrong in form. ❌ in il giardino. ✅ nel giardino. In becomes ne-.
- Fusing where there is no article. ❌ Vado alla scuola for general “to school”. ✅ Vado a scuola.
- Overusing col forms. ❌ collo zaino, cogli amici. ✅ con lo zaino, con gli amici (only col is current).
For the simple prepositions behind these fusions, see our guide on Italian simple prepositions. For the same forms used as “some”, Italian partitive articles. For the article that gets absorbed, Italian articles. The institutional reference is the Accademia della Crusca note on the uso delle preposizioni.
🎯 Mini-challenge. Fuse the preposition and article, or keep them apart if there is no fusion. Read each sentence aloud once.
- Il libro è (su + il) _____ tavolo della cucina.
- Vengo (da + la) _____ stazione di Modena.
- Pietro lavora (in + il) _____ ufficio postale.
- Andiamo (per + il) _____ parco, è più corto.
- Le chiavi sono (in + la) _____ borsa di Elena.
- Caterina torna (a + la) _____ casa dei nonni.
Show answers
1. sul tavolo · 2. dalla stazione · 3. nell’ufficio · 4. per il parco (per non si fonde) · 5. nella borsa · 6. alla casa
Dialog: at the Lucca post office
Pietro collects a parcel; Caterina works at the counter of the Lucca post office. Watch the italian compound prepositions for place and origin, and the article-less phrases that keep the simple form.
👨🏼🦰 Pietro: Buongiorno, vengo dal deposito: ho un avviso per un pacco.
Good morning, I am coming from the depot: I have a notice for a parcel.
👩🏼🦰 Caterina: Mi dia l’avviso. Il pacco è arrivato dalla Germania, è nello scaffale in fondo.
Give me the notice. The parcel arrived from Germany, it is on the shelf at the back.
👨🏼🦰 Pietro: Perfetto. Devo firmare sul modulo o sullo schermo?
Perfect. Do I sign on the form or on the screen?
👩🏼🦰 Caterina: Sullo schermo, con la penna. La firma va nel riquadro in basso.
On the screen, with the pen. The signature goes in the box at the bottom.
👨🏼🦰 Pietro: Fatto. Devo anche spedire una lettera a Modena, all’ufficio del notaio.
Done. I also need to send a letter to Modena, to the notary’s office.
👩🏼🦰 Caterina: La mandi con raccomandata. Arriva nei due giorni lavorativi.
Send it by registered mail. It arrives within two working days.
👨🏼🦰 Pietro: Va bene. Pago col bancomat, grazie del consiglio.
All right. I will pay by card, thanks for the advice.
👩🏼🦰 Caterina: Prego. La ricevuta esce dalla stampante, gliela do subito.
You are welcome. The receipt comes out of the printer, I will give it to you right away.
Notice a Modena and con raccomandata: no article, so no fusion. Everywhere a definite article appears, the italian compound prepositions take over: dal, dalla, nello, sul, sullo, nel, all’, nei, col, del.
Test your understanding
A quiz on the italian compound prepositions, the full fusion table and the simple-versus-compound choice, is on its way. For now, rebuild the table from memory and redo the mini-challenge.
(Quiz coming soon)
§
Frequently asked questions
Seven questions about the italian compound prepositions come up in every A2 cohort. The answers draw on classroom usage and on the Accademia della Crusca note on the uso delle preposizioni.
What is an Italian compound preposition?
It is a simple preposition fused with a definite article into one word: di + il becomes del, a + la becomes alla, in + il becomes nel. Grammar books call them preposizioni articolate. They appear whenever the noun takes a definite article, which in Italian is very often.
Which prepositions form compound prepositions?
Five fuse systematically: di, a, da, in, su, giving del, al, dal, nel, sul and their variants. Con fuses only as col (con + il); the other con forms are dated. Per, tra and fra never fuse in modern Italian: you write per il, tra i, fra le.
How do I form the full table?
Take di, a, da, in, su and combine each with il, lo, l’, i, gli, la, le. The preposition keeps its first letter, except in, which becomes ne-: nel, nello, nella, nei, negli, nelle. The article part follows the normal gender, number and sound rules.
Is del a preposition or a partitive article?
Both, depending on meaning. As a compound preposition del means of the: la copertina del libro. As a partitive article del means some: ho comprato del pane. The form is identical; context tells them apart. Of what is the preposition, how much is the partitive.
When do I use the simple preposition instead?
When the noun has no definite article. Fixed article-less phrases keep the simple form: a scuola, in ufficio, a casa, in centro. As soon as the noun is specified and takes the article, the preposition fuses: alla casa di Caterina, nell’ufficio del notaio.
Is col still correct?
Yes. Col (con + il) is alive and common, especially in set phrases like col tempo and col cavolo. The other fused con forms (collo, colla, coi, cogli, colle) sound old-fashioned; modern Italian writes con lo, con la, con i, con gli, con le.
Do I fuse the preposition before a title like Il Tempo?
Both options are accepted. To keep a title intact you can split: il redattore de Il Tempo. The normal fused form is also correct and often recommended: il redattore del Tempo. Outside titles, always use the regular compound preposition.
Ready for the next step?
All our classes are live on Zoom with a native Italian teacher, in small groups. If this lesson matches your level, take it further with real practice.
Milano A2-B1
Small group course · live on Zoom · native teacher
Move from the basics to real conversations, step by step, with a native Italian teacher who keeps the group small and the pace right for you.
- Small groups, max 4 students — weekly live Zoom lessons
- Grammar, vocabulary, listening and writing in every cycle
- Materials in Italian + English, beginner-friendly
- Homework after each lesson, corrected by your teacher
Individual classes
One-to-one · any level · live on Zoom
Private lessons with your dedicated native Italian teacher, fully tailored to your goals and schedule, from absolute beginner to advanced.
- 55-minute individual Zoom lessons, your dedicated teacher
- Personalised level assessment included
- Interactive online materials — homework after each lesson
- Flexible weekly schedule or pay-as-you-go package
Related guides
Three guides that pair with the italian compound prepositions, plus an institutional reference.
- Italian Simple Prepositions: the eight simple prepositions behind the fusion.
- Italian Partitive Articles: the same del/dei/delle used as “some”.
- Italian Articles: the definite article that gets absorbed.
- Accademia della Crusca: uso delle preposizioni: institutional note.
Che bella!
Madama Butterfly would have been better off if she had met you instead of Lt. Pinkerton. But, on the other hand, would you have taken her back to Italy when the cherry blossoms lost their petals??
Good question, dear Richard. I would have taken her, l’avrei portata con me senza esitare. Ciao. Riccardo.