🔍 In short. Italian improper prepositions are words like davanti, vicino, dietro, sopra, fuori, lungo, prima, dopo that work as prepositions but are also adverbs (and sometimes nouns). Most of them need a small linking word to govern a noun: davanti a la finestra, vicino alla porta, prima di cena, a causa del traffico. Before a personal pronoun many take di: sopra di me, dietro di te. This guide sorts every type of italian improper prepositions, the linking word each needs, and the meaning shifts of fuori di / fuori da and oltre / oltre a.
The simple prepositions (di, a, da, in, con, su, per, tra, fra) are a closed list of nine. Italian improper prepositions are an open, much larger set, and the only real difficulty is the linking word: get that right and the whole group falls into place.
Cosa impareremo oggi
👆🏻 Jump to section
- What an improper preposition is
- The “+ a” group: davanti a, vicino a
- The “+ di” group: prima di, invece di
- Before a pronoun: sopra di me
- When the linking word changes the meaning
- Prepositional phrases: a causa di, in mezzo a
- Adverb or preposition?
- Vicino casa: the regional drop
- Common mistakes English speakers make
- Dialog: moving into a Padova flat
- Cheat sheet: every linking word
- Mini-challenge
- Frequently asked questions
- Related guides
What an improper preposition is
Move into a new flat in Padova and you cannot say one sentence without them: il divano davanti alla finestra, la libreria vicino alla porta, gli scatoloni dietro l’armadio. Words like davanti, vicino, dietro, sopra, fuori, dentro, lungo are called improper prepositions because they are not born prepositions: the same word can be an adverb (guarda davanti, look ahead) or even a noun (il davanti della casa, the front of the house). Only when they introduce a noun do they act as italian improper prepositions.
The contrast is with the nine simple prepositions (di, a, da, in, con, su, per, tra, fra), a tiny closed set that does nothing else. Italian improper prepositions are an open, growing group, and almost all of them lean on a simple preposition, usually a or di, to connect to the noun. That linking word is the whole game.
🔍 The one question. For every one of the italian improper prepositions, ask only: does it take a, di, or nothing before the noun? Learn the linking word and the rest is easy.
The “+ a” group: davanti a, vicino a
The largest family of italian improper prepositions links with a. Most of these describe position or direction, and the a is not optional in standard Italian.
- Il divano va davanti alla finestra, non accanto alla porta.
The sofa goes in front of the window, not next to the door. - Mettiamo la libreria vicino all’ingresso.
Let’s put the bookcase near the entrance. - C’è troppa roba in mezzo alla stanza.
There’s too much stuff in the middle of the room. - Lo scatolone è in fondo al corridoio.
The big box is at the end of the corridor.
The core list to memorize: davanti a, accanto a, vicino a, intorno a, attorno a, di fronte a, in mezzo a, in fondo a, in cima a, fino a, insieme a. They all behave the same way, so once davanti a is automatic, the rest of these italian improper prepositions follow the identical pattern.
The “+ di” group: prima di, invece di
A second family of italian improper prepositions links with di. These lean more towards time, comparison and reason than physical position.
- Prima di montare il letto, dipingiamo la parete.
Before assembling the bed, let’s paint the wall. - Invece di buttare quella sedia, la regaliamo.
Instead of throwing that chair away, we’ll give it away. - A causa del traffico siamo arrivati tardi a Padova.
Because of the traffic we arrived in Padua late. - Riguardo all’affitto, ne parliamo domani.
Regarding the rent, we’ll talk about it tomorrow.
Core list: prima di, invece di, a causa di, per via di, al posto di, al di là di, al di sopra di, riguardo a (this one keeps a). Notice the split: prima di takes di, but its opposite dopo takes nothing (dopo cena). That asymmetry is the single thing learners trip on with these italian improper prepositions.
Before a pronoun: sopra di me
Here is a rule English never warns you about. Several italian improper prepositions that normally take a or nothing switch to di when the next word is a personal pronoun (me, te, lui, lei, noi, voi, loro).
- Il quadro va sopra il camino. but Non metterlo sopra di me!
The picture goes above the fireplace / Don’t put it above me! - dietro la porta but si è nascosto dietro di te
behind the door / he hid behind you - contro il muro but non ho niente contro di lui
against the wall / I have nothing against him - verso la finestra but è venuto verso di noi
towards the window / he came towards us
The set that does this includes sopra, sotto, dietro, contro, verso, su, presso, fra/tra, senza, dentro. So it is su di lei, never “su lei”, and senza di te, never “senza te” in careful Italian. This pronoun rule is the most useful single fact about italian improper prepositions for sounding natural.
🔍 Pronoun = + di. sopra/sotto/dietro/contro/verso/senza + a noun, but the same words + di + a personal pronoun: sopra di me, senza di te, verso di noi. This is the signature of italian improper prepositions.
When the linking word changes the meaning
With a few italian improper prepositions the linking word is not just grammar: it changes the meaning. These pairs are worth memorizing one by one.
- Oltre la siepe c’è un albero. (beyond) versus Oltre alla siepe c’è un muretto. (in addition to)
- Corse dietro la macchina parcheggiata. (behind, stationary) versus Corse dietro alla macchina che partiva. (after, moving)
- I libri sono fuori della scatola. (outside, position) versus Ha tirato i libri fuori dalla scatola. (out of, motion)
So oltre alone is “beyond”, oltre a is “besides”; bare dietro is a fixed position, dietro a is following something that moves; fuori di is location, fuori da is movement out. With this handful, the choice inside italian improper prepositions is a meaning choice, not a style one.
Prepositional phrases: a causa di, in mezzo a
Many italian improper prepositions are not single words but fixed multi-word phrases, the locuzioni preposizionali. You learn them as whole blocks, exactly as you would a single preposition.
- Reason: a causa di, per via di, per colpa di, grazie a (Siamo in ritardo a causa del traffico)
- Position: in mezzo a, in fondo a, in cima a, al posto di, nei pressi di
- Reference: riguardo a, rispetto a, a proposito di, nei confronti di
- Goal: al fine di, allo scopo di, in vista di
Most end in a or di, which keeps them inside the same logic as the rest of italian improper prepositions. Memorizing them as set phrases (a causa di, not a + causa + di) is far more efficient than analyzing them word by word.
Adverb or preposition?
The same word is an adverb without a following noun and one of the italian improper prepositions with one. The presence of the linking word tells you which.
- Guarda davanti! (adverb: look ahead) versus Davanti alla casa c’è un albero. (preposition)
- Vieni dopo. (adverb: come later) versus Dopo cena usciamo. (preposition)
- Abita lì vicino. (adverb: nearby) versus Abita vicino a Lucca. (preposition)
Rule of thumb: no noun after it, it is an adverb; a noun after it (usually via a or di), it is a preposition. This double life is precisely why these italian improper prepositions are called “improper”: they were never prepositions to begin with.
Vicino casa: the regional drop
You will hear Italians say vicino casa, davanti casa, fuori porta, dropping the linking word. This is common in speech and in several regions, but standard written Italian keeps it: vicino a casa, davanti a casa.
- Spoken / regional: Abito vicino casa di mia sorella.
- Standard: Abito vicino alla casa di mia sorella.
- Fixed exceptions where the drop is normal: fuori città, sotto casa, sotto Natale.
For a learner the safe choice is always to keep the a or di: it is never wrong. Recognize the dropped form when you hear it, but produce the full one. That keeps your use of italian improper prepositions correct in any register.
Common mistakes English speakers make
Almost every error with italian improper prepositions comes back to the linking word: dropped, swapped, or added where it does not belong. These six are the ones that show up in every B2 class.
- Dropping the linking word: davanti la finestra should be davanti alla finestra in standard Italian.
- Using a instead of di before a pronoun: not sopra a me but sopra di me, not senza te but senza di te.
- Giving dopo a di: it is dopo cena, not dopo di cena (but dopo di te with a pronoun).
- Confusing oltre la (beyond) with oltre alla (besides), or fuori di (position) with fuori da (motion).
- Splitting set phrases: a causa di is one block; do not translate it piece by piece.
- Treating davanti as always a preposition. With no noun it is an adverb: guarda davanti.
Dialog: moving into a Padova flat
Lorenzo and Caterina are arranging furniture on moving day in a Padova flat. Listen for the linking word after each of these italian improper prepositions.
👩🏽🦱 Caterina: Allora, il divano lo mettiamo davanti alla finestra o vicino al termosifone?
So, do we put the sofa in front of the window or near the radiator?
👨🏼🦰 Lorenzo: Davanti alla finestra. Prima di decidere, però, spostiamo gli scatoloni in mezzo alla stanza.
In front of the window. Before deciding, though, let’s move the boxes to the middle of the room.
👩🏽🦱 Caterina: La libreria invece la mettiamo dietro la porta, così non dà fastidio.
The bookcase, on the other hand, we’ll put behind the door, so it’s out of the way.
👨🏼🦰 Lorenzo: Dietro la porta non ci sta. Mettiamola accanto al divano, in fondo alla parete.
It won’t fit behind the door. Let’s put it next to the sofa, at the end of the wall.
👩🏽🦱 Caterina: E il quadro? Sopra il camino o sopra di me, qui dove sono adesso?
And the picture? Above the fireplace or above me, here where I am now?
👨🏼🦰 Lorenzo: Sopra il camino, è il posto migliore. Invece di appenderlo subito, aspettiamo di tinteggiare.
Above the fireplace, it’s the best spot. Instead of hanging it now, let’s wait until we paint.
👩🏽🦱 Caterina: Giusto. A causa del trasloco non abbiamo ancora i pennelli. Li compro vicino a casa.
Right. Because of the move we don’t have brushes yet. I’ll buy them near home.
👨🏼🦰 Lorenzo: Perfetto. Senza di te non ne uscivo vivo da questo trasloco.
Perfect. Without you I wouldn’t have come out of this move alive.
Notice the linking words: davanti alla, vicino al, prima di, in mezzo alla, dietro la, accanto al, in fondo alla, sopra il, sopra di me, invece di, a causa del, vicino a, senza di te. One moving day runs through every pattern of italian improper prepositions.
Cheat sheet: every linking word
One table for the whole logic of italian improper prepositions. Keep it open while you do the quiz.
| Preposition | Linking word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| davanti | a | davanti alla finestra |
| vicino | a | vicino alla porta |
| accanto | a | accanto al divano |
| in mezzo / in fondo | a | in mezzo alla stanza |
| prima | di | prima di cena |
| dopo | nothing (+di pronoun) | dopo cena / dopo di te |
| invece / a causa | di | invece di uscire |
| sopra/sotto/dietro/contro/verso/senza | nothing (+di pronoun) | sopra il camino / sopra di me |
| oltre | nothing = beyond / a = besides | oltre la siepe / oltre alla siepe |
| fuori | di = position / da = motion | fuori di casa / fuori da casa |
Mini-challenge
🎯 Mini-challenge. Six sentences with italian improper prepositions. Add the linking word if one is needed (a, di, da, or nothing), then read each sentence aloud once.
- Il gatto dorme vicino _____ termosifone.
- Prima _____ uscire, chiudi le finestre.
- Non ho niente contro _____ lui.
- Dopo _____ cena facciamo due passi.
- Ha tirato la scatola fuori _____ armadio.
- Abita oltre _____ ponte, il secondo palazzo.
👉 Show answers
1. vicino al termosifone (a + il) · 2. prima di uscire · 3. contro di lui (di + pronoun) · 4. dopo cena, no linking word · 5. fuori dall’armadio (da = motion out) · 6. oltre il ponte, no a (beyond, not “besides”)
Test your understanding
The quiz below drills italian improper prepositions: the +a and +di groups, the pronoun rule and the meaning shifts. Take it after the cheat sheet.
LOADING QUIZ…
§
Frequently asked questions
Seven questions about italian improper prepositions come up in every B2 class. The answers below draw on classroom usage and on the Crusca note La reggenza di dentro e fuori, sopra e sotto.
What is an improper preposition in Italian?
It is a word that works as a preposition but is not born one: davanti, vicino, dietro, sopra, fuori, lungo, prima, dopo. The same word can be an adverb (guarda davanti) or even a noun (il davanti della casa). It acts as a preposition only when it introduces a noun, usually through a linking word. The contrast is with the nine simple prepositions (di, a, da, in, con, su, per, tra, fra), a closed set that does nothing else.
Why does davanti need an a (davanti alla porta)?
Because most improper prepositions cannot govern a noun directly: they lean on a simple preposition, almost always a or di. Davanti, vicino, accanto, intorno, in mezzo, in fondo take a (davanti alla porta, vicino al mare). Prima, invece, a causa take di (prima di cena, invece di uscire). In standard written Italian the linking word is not optional.
Why is it sopra di me and not sopra a me?
Several improper prepositions switch to di before a personal pronoun (me, te, lui, lei, noi, voi, loro): sopra di me, sotto di te, dietro di lui, contro di noi, verso di loro, senza di te, su di lei. With a normal noun they take a or nothing (sopra il camino, contro il muro), but the pronoun forces di. This is one of the most reliable rules across italian improper prepositions.
What is the difference between oltre la and oltre alla?
Oltre with no linking word means beyond: oltre la siepe c’e un albero, beyond the hedge there is a tree. Oltre a means besides, in addition to: oltre alla siepe c’e un muretto, besides the hedge there is also a low wall. The same split appears in dietro la (behind, stationary) versus dietro alla (after something moving), and fuori di (position) versus fuori da (motion out).
What are prepositional phrases (locuzioni preposizionali)?
They are multi-word improper prepositions learned as fixed blocks: a causa di, per via di, in mezzo a, in fondo a, al posto di, riguardo a, a proposito di, nei confronti di, al fine di. Most end in a or di, so they follow the same linking-word logic. Treat a causa di as one unit, not as a plus causa plus di, and they become easy.
Can I say vicino casa without the a?
You will hear vicino casa, davanti casa, fuori porta in speech and in several regions, but standard written Italian keeps the linking word: vicino a casa, davanti a casa. A few fixed expressions normally drop it (fuori citta, sotto casa, sotto Natale). For a learner the safe rule is to keep the a or di: it is never wrong, while dropping it can be.
How do I know if davanti is an adverb or a preposition?
Look for a following noun. No noun after it, it is an adverb: guarda davanti, vieni dopo, abita li vicino. A noun after it, usually through a or di, it is a preposition: davanti alla casa, dopo cena, vicino a Lucca. This double life, adverb without a noun, preposition with one, is exactly why these words are called improper prepositions.
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.
Quattro Chiacchiere
Corso di gruppo B2-C1 · in diretta su Zoom
Immersione totale in italiano con un insegnante madrelingua. Solo in italiano, niente inglese: lettura, conversazione e sfumature della lingua reale.
- Piccoli gruppi, massimo 4 studenti — lezioni settimanali su Zoom
- Lettura, vocabolario, grammatica e ascolto, tutto in italiano
- Cicli di 4 lezioni, ci si può unire in qualsiasi momento
- Compiti dopo ogni lezione, corretti dal tuo insegnante
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 sit next to italian improper prepositions in the preposition cluster, plus the institutional reference.
- Italian Compound Prepositions: del, al, dallo, when a simple preposition fuses with the article.
- Italian Motion Prepositions: a, da, verso, in, fino a for movement and direction.
- Italian Preposition A: the simple preposition that so many improper ones lean on.
- Accademia della Crusca: la reggenza di dentro e fuori, sopra e sotto: institutional note.
