🔍 The short version. In Italian, most verbs that take a second verb need a preposition to link them, and that preposition is not always “di”. A large family of verbs, the ones that describe motion, beginning, continuing, learning, aiming and forcing, work with “a”: imparo a nuotare, cominci a capire, riesco a parlare. English speakers default to “di” because the pattern feels safer, but half the time “a” is the correct bridge.
You will master: the core groups of verbs that take “a” + infinitive, the logic behind each cluster, the twin pairs that change meaning when you swap “a” for “di” (decidere vs decidersi, provare a vs provare di), and the most common anglophone mistakes. You will also see a running coach dialog, a grouped cheat sheet, and a mini-challenge to check your instinct.
Why Italian verbs take “a” (and what English gets wrong)
English connects two verbs with a single word, “to”: I want to leave, I learn to swim, I start to understand. Italian uses three different bridges depending on the first verb: “a”, “di”, or nothing at all. Voglio partire has no preposition. Imparo a nuotare takes “a”. Finisco di lavorare takes “di”. The bridge is not chosen by the second verb, it is dictated by the first one, and it is a lexical property you learn verb by verb.
The good news: the verbs that take “a” cluster around a handful of meanings. Motion, beginning, continuing, learning, aspiring, forcing and preparing: these are the semantic families where “a” dominates. Once you recognise the family, you recognise the preposition. The rest of this guide maps those families and gives you the twenty or so verbs you will meet again and again.
🔍 The English default trap. English speakers, when in doubt, drift toward “di” because “di” feels like the more grammatical choice. It is not. “Cominciare” never takes “di”, “imparare” never takes “di”, “riuscire” never takes “di”. If you hesitate, ask yourself whether the verb belongs to motion, starting, continuing, learning or aspiring. If yes, the answer is “a”.
Motion verbs: andare, venire, correre, tornare, passare
Every verb of physical movement takes “a” when followed by a purpose-infinitive. The logic is transparent: you move in order to do something, and “a” marks the destination of the action in the same way it marks a place (vado a Roma, vado a lavorare).
- andare a (to go and) : Domani vado a trovare mia nonna a Ravenna.
- venire a (to come and) : Paolo viene a prendermi alle otto, non prima.
- correre a (to run to) : Sono corso ad aprire la porta perche sentivo il cane abbaiare.
- tornare a (to go back to) : Dopo tre anni in Germania, Sabrina e tornata a vivere a Napoli.
- passare a (to drop by and) : Passo a salutarti in ufficio, fammi sapere quando sei libero.
- fermarsi a (to stop to) : Ci siamo fermati a pranzare in una trattoria sul lago.
- rimanere a (to stay and) : Se ti va, rimani a cena da noi stasera.
- stare a (to stand there and) : Non stare a guardare, dai una mano!
“Stare a” is worth a separate note. In addition to the literal meaning (stare a guardare = to stand watching), it is idiomatic in expressions of reproach: sta sempre a lamentarsi, non stare a fare storie. The preposition stays “a” in both uses.
Starting and beginning: cominciare, iniziare, mettersi, riprendere
All verbs that mark the beginning of an action take “a”. This is the cluster where English speakers slip most often, because “begin to” and “start to” in English can sometimes be replaced by “-ing”, and the translation back into Italian becomes uncertain. Italian is firm: inchoative verbs plus “a” plus infinitive.
- cominciare a (to start) : Ho cominciato a studiare il pianoforte a cinquantadue anni.
- iniziare a (to begin) : I lavori di ristrutturazione sono iniziati a coprire tutto il cortile.
- mettersi a (to set about, to start) : Quando ha sentito la notizia, si e messa a piangere.
- riprendere a (to resume) : Dopo la pausa invernale, abbiamo ripreso a correre tre volte a settimana.
- prendere a (to suddenly start) : Il cane ha preso a guaire appena e entrato il veterinario.
“Mettersi a” deserves a spotlight. Unlike “cominciare a”, it adds a nuance of sudden decision or immersion. Mi metto a cucinare suggests rolling up sleeves and getting into it, while comincio a cucinare is a neutral report of the action starting. The two are often interchangeable, but “mettersi a” has more body.
Continuing and insisting: continuare, insistere, ostinarsi, seguitare
Verbs that describe persistence, repetition or stubbornness also take “a”. The family is smaller than the beginning one, but the verbs are high-frequency and you will use them often in everyday speech.
- continuare a (to continue, to keep) : Continuo a pensare a quella conversazione di sabato.
- insistere a (to insist on) : Valeria insiste a dire che non e colpa sua, ma nessuno le crede.
- ostinarsi a (to stubbornly keep) : Perche ti ostini a usare quel vecchio computer? Ne prendi uno nuovo?
- seguitare a (to keep on, literary) : Seguitava a ripetere le stesse domande, senza ascoltare le risposte.
- perseverare a (to persevere) : Devi perseverare a studiare anche quando non ne hai voglia.
“Continuare a” is the verb you will actually reach for ninety percent of the time. “Ostinarsi” and “seguitare” carry stronger tones (stubbornness, literary flavour) and sound odd in casual conversation. Insistere often appears with “per” (“insisto per pagare io”) when it refers to paying or being hospitable, but with a real infinitive of action, “a” is the norm.
Learning and getting used to: imparare, abituarsi, insegnare
The whole semantic field of learning, teaching and habituation operates with “a”. The link makes sense if you think of it spatially: you move toward a skill, you approach a new habit. That “toward” is what “a” codes in Italian.
- imparare a (to learn) : Ho imparato a fare il pane durante il primo lockdown.
- insegnare a qualcuno a (to teach someone to) : Mio nonno mi ha insegnato a riconoscere i funghi commestibili.
- abituarsi a (to get used to) : Non mi abituero mai a svegliarmi alle cinque del mattino.
- aiutare a (to help to) : Mi aiuti a portare la spesa su per le scale?
- provare a (to try, to attempt) : Ho provato a chiamarti tre volte, ma il telefono era sempre occupato.
- riuscire a (to succeed in, to manage to) : Finalmente sono riuscito a parlare in italiano per dieci minuti senza fermarmi.
Two verbs in this group are worth memorising because they come up in almost every conversation at B1 level: “riuscire a” (the single most useful verb to talk about progress: sono riuscito a capire, non riesco a dormire) and “provare a” (used whenever you try something: prova a riavviare il computer, provate a cercare su Google).
Aspiring and aiming: aspirare, ambire, tendere, puntare
A more formal cluster, useful when you are writing cover letters, talking about career goals or describing long-term intentions. These verbs share the idea of direction: you point yourself at an outcome.
- aspirare a (to aspire to) : Marta aspira a diventare primario del reparto entro il 2030.
- ambire a (to strive for) : Pochi studenti ambiscono a lavorare in accademia, il percorso e troppo lungo.
- tendere a (to tend to) : I prezzi delle case a Milano tendono a salire anche in periodo di recessione.
- puntare a (to aim at) : La squadra punta a vincere il campionato al primo anno in serie A.
- mirare a (to aim to) : La nuova legge mira a ridurre il consumo di plastica monouso.
“Tendere a” is the one that English speakers mistranslate most often. In English you say “I tend to agree”, and the natural Italian is “tendo a essere d’accordo” with “a”, never “di”. The pattern is fixed.
Force, commitment, preparation: costringere, obbligare, impegnarsi, prepararsi
Verbs that express obligation, commitment or readiness take “a” as well. This is the cluster you will meet in emails at work, in formal announcements, and in any context that involves duties or agreements.
- costringere a (to force, to compel) : La pioggia ci ha costretti a rimandare la gita al weekend successivo.
- obbligare a (to oblige, to require) : Il contratto mi obbliga a dare un preavviso di tre mesi.
- impegnarsi a (to commit to) : Il Comune si e impegnato a piantare mille alberi entro l’anno.
- prepararsi a (to get ready to) : Ci stiamo preparando a ricevere venti ospiti per il pranzo di Ferragosto.
- apprestarsi a (to be about to, formal) : L’azienda si appresta a lanciare il nuovo modello a settembre.
- affrettarsi a (to hurry to) : Giulia si e affrettata a rispondere prima che cambiassi idea.
- sbrigarsi a (to hurry up and) : Sbrigati a vestirti, il taxi e gia qui.
- decidersi a (to make up one’s mind to) : Dopo anni di esitazione, mi sono deciso a vendere la casa di famiglia.
Note the reflexive “decidersi a” in the last line. It is not the same as “decidere di”, and that pair is the perfect bridge to the next section.
Pairs that look alike: “a” versus “di”
A handful of verbs exist in two versions, one with “a” and one with “di”, and the meaning shifts. These are the pairs that cause the most trouble once you have understood the main clusters. Commit them to memory.
| Verb + a | Verb + di | Contrast |
|---|---|---|
| decidersi a fare qualcosa | decidere di fare qualcosa | Decidere di = decide (neutral). Decidersi a = finally bring yourself to decide, after hesitation. |
| provare a fare qualcosa | provare (no prep) il vestito | Provare a + infinitive = try to do. Provare + noun = try on, taste, sample. |
| finire a fare qualcosa | finire di fare qualcosa | Finire di = finish doing (neutral end). Finire a = end up doing (unintended outcome: e finito a dormire sul divano). |
| cominciare a piovere | (no alternative with di) | Cominciare never takes “di”. The temptation comes from English “begin to”; resist it. |
| imparare a cucinare | (no alternative with di) | Imparare never takes “di” either. All learning verbs go with “a”. |
Common mistakes English speakers make
- Writing *ho imparato di nuotare instead of ho imparato a nuotare. Learning verbs always take “a”.
- Writing *ho cominciato di studiare instead of ho cominciato a studiare. Inchoative verbs always take “a”.
- Confusing “riuscire a” with “potere”. “Riesco a dormire” means “I manage to sleep”; “posso dormire” means “I am allowed to sleep”. Different verbs, different nuances.
- Using “provare di” instead of provare a in the sense of “try to”. Provare a chiamarmi, not provare di chiamarmi.
- Using “decidere a” instead of decidere di. Remember: plain decidere takes “di” (ho deciso di partire), the reflexive form “decidersi a” takes “a” (mi sono deciso a partire).
- Forgetting that “insegnare” takes an indirect object before the “a” + infinitive: Ti insegno a guidare, not *Insegno a guidare a te.
Dialog: a running coach and her athlete
Bologna, training track, three weeks before the half-marathon. Coach Elena talks to Riccardo, who started running in January.
- 🧑🦰 Elena: Allora Riccardo, sei riuscito a correre i quindici chilometri di ieri?
So Riccardo, did you manage to run yesterday’s fifteen kilometres? - 🧔 Riccardo: Si, ma verso il dodicesimo ho cominciato a sentire un po’ il ginocchio.
Yes, but around the twelfth I started to feel my knee a little. - 🧑🦰 Elena: Devi imparare ad ascoltare il corpo senza fermarti subito. Prova a rallentare invece di camminare.
You need to learn to listen to your body without stopping right away. Try slowing down instead of walking. - 🧔 Riccardo: Pero tendo a perdere il ritmo se cambio passo. E poi mi ostino a voler finire in tempo.
But I tend to lose the rhythm if I change pace. And I stubbornly want to finish on time. - 🧑🦰 Elena: Dopo dieci chilometri, ti puoi impegnare a tenere un passo costante anche se piu lento. Ci siamo preparati a questo da mesi.
After ten kilometres, you can commit to keeping a steady pace even if slower. We’ve been preparing for this for months. - 🧔 Riccardo: Va bene, mi sono deciso a fidarmi del tuo piano. Torno a allenarmi giovedi?
Okay, I’ve made up my mind to trust your plan. I’ll come back to train on Thursday? - 🧑🦰 Elena: Giovedi riprendiamo a lavorare sulla soglia. E sbrigati a dormire bene stanotte, almeno otto ore.
On Thursday we’ll resume working on the threshold. And hurry up and sleep well tonight, at least eight hours.
Count the “a + infinitive” structures in the dialog: riuscito a correre, cominciato a sentire, imparare ad ascoltare (note the euphonic d), prova a rallentare, tendo a perdere, mi ostino a voler, ti puoi impegnare a tenere, ci siamo preparati a questo, mi sono deciso a fidarmi, torno a allenarmi, riprendiamo a lavorare, sbrigati a dormire. Twelve constructions in seven lines: this is how dense Italian gets with prepositional verbs.
Cheat sheet: verbs by group
- Motion : andare, venire, correre, tornare, passare, fermarsi, rimanere, stare
- Beginning : cominciare, iniziare, mettersi, riprendere, prendere
- Continuing : continuare, insistere, ostinarsi, seguitare, perseverare
- Learning and trying : imparare, insegnare, abituarsi, aiutare, provare, riuscire
- Aspiring : aspirare, ambire, tendere, puntare, mirare
- Force and commitment : costringere, obbligare, impegnarsi, decidersi, affrettarsi, sbrigarsi
- Preparation : prepararsi, apprestarsi
🎯 Mini-challenge
Fill in the gap with “a” or “di”. Click the details to reveal the answers.
- Ho imparato ___ cucinare la pasta fresca da mia zia Luisa.
- I bambini hanno cominciato ___ ridere quando il clown e caduto.
- Finalmente ho deciso ___ cambiare lavoro dopo dieci anni.
- Non riesco ___ dormire con tutto questo rumore fuori.
- Prova ___ chiamare Marco, magari e in ufficio.
- Mi sono deciso ___ parlare con il direttore lunedi mattina.
Reveal answers
- Ho imparato a cucinare la pasta fresca da mia zia Luisa.
- I bambini hanno cominciato a ridere quando il clown e caduto.
- Finalmente ho deciso di cambiare lavoro dopo dieci anni. (plain decidere takes di)
- Non riesco a dormire con tutto questo rumore fuori.
- Prova a chiamare Marco, magari e in ufficio.
- Mi sono deciso a parlare con il direttore lunedi mattina. (reflexive decidersi takes a)
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FAQ: Italian verbs followed by a
How do I know whether a verb takes a or di before an infinitive?
There is no single grammatical rule; the preposition is a lexical property of each verb. However, seven semantic clusters consistently take a: motion (andare, venire, correre), beginning (cominciare, iniziare, mettersi), continuing (continuare, insistere), learning (imparare, abituarsi), aspiring (aspirare, tendere), force (costringere, obbligare) and preparation (prepararsi, affrettarsi). If a verb belongs to one of these groups, it almost certainly takes a. For verbs outside these groups, check whether they pair naturally with di (thinking, saying, hoping, fearing).
Does cominciare ever take di?
No. Cominciare in modern Italian always takes a plus infinitive: cominciare a leggere, cominciare a piovere. The form cominciare di exists only in very old or dialectal usage and sounds wrong to any native speaker today. The same rule applies to iniziare, mettersi, riprendere and prendere in its inchoative use.
What is the difference between decidere di and decidersi a?
Decidere di is the neutral verb for taking a decision: ho deciso di partire means I decided to leave. Decidersi a is the reflexive form and carries the nuance of finally overcoming hesitation: mi sono deciso a partire means I have at last made up my mind to leave, often after weighing options for a long time. Both are correct, but the second one is emotionally heavier.
Why do Italians say riesco a instead of riesco di?
Riuscire belongs to the cluster of verbs of success and achievement, and like its companions in that family (arrivare a, giungere a, pervenire a) it selects the preposition a. Riuscire di does not exist as a construction. The verb also has a very different use as riuscire da meaning to come out, but when followed by an action it is always a plus infinitive: sono riuscito a capire, non riesco a dormire, riusciamo a arrivare in tempo.
Do motion verbs always take a plus infinitive?
Yes, when the infinitive expresses the purpose of the motion. Vado a comprare il pane, viene a trovarci, corriamo a prenderlo. In older literary Italian you sometimes see a plus present indicative (vado a dormire at bedtime), but the infinitive structure is the living one. One exception: andare plus gerund (vado facendo) is a separate aspectual construction and does not take a.
What happens before a verb starting with a vowel?
The preposition a often gains a euphonic d to avoid hiatus: imparare ad ascoltare, cominciare ad arrivare, andare ad aiutare. The d is optional and a matter of rhythm: older written Italian uses it systematically, modern prose often skips it except before a with matching vowel (a ascoltare sounds awkward, so ad ascoltare wins). You will never be corrected for adding or omitting the d; listen to what feels smooth.
Does provare always take a plus infinitive?
Provare takes a plus infinitive when it means to try or to attempt: provare a correre, provare a chiamare, prova a dormire. Without an infinitive, provare governs a direct object and means to taste, to try on or to feel: provare il vino, provare una giacca, provare dolore. So the construction changes with the meaning: a plus infinitive for attempts, no preposition for direct experience.
Related guides: Italian verbs followed by the preposition DI (the companion list, essential to balance your instinct), Italian infinitive (when verbs link without any preposition at all), Italian modal verbs (volere, potere, dovere, sapere take no preposition), and Italian indefinite adjectives and pronouns (the quantity words you pair with these verbs).
tendere a – to
tentotend toEsatto. Grazie!
ostinarsi a – to insist
toon = Ha insistito (??)