{"id":23598,"date":"2019-05-18T00:43:40","date_gmt":"2019-05-17T15:43:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/?p=23598"},"modified":"2026-04-29T05:16:44","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T20:16:44","slug":"italian-preposition-a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-preposition-a\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian Preposition A: The Complete Guide for English Speakers"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-tldr-italian-preposition-a\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<p><strong>TL;DR.<\/strong> Italian preposition A covers place (a Roma), time (alle nove), indirect object (a Marco), manner (a piedi), age and price (a venti euro), and many fixed idioms (a posto, a riguardo, a seguito di). With cities A; with countries IN. Trattoria dialogue and 15 idioms.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The italian preposition a is the second most common word in Italian after DI, and its reach surprises every English learner. It shows up when you travel (<em>andare a Capri<\/em>), when you tell time (<em>alle otto<\/em>), when you talk to someone (<em>telefonare a Marco<\/em>), when you describe how you cook (<em>a fuoco lento<\/em>), and in dozens of idioms that sound nothing like their word-by-word English translation. This guide maps out every role of the italian preposition a at A2 and B1 level, with real examples from Italian homes and offices, the five traps that trip up English speakers, a dialog set in a neighbourhood trattoria, and a collapsible mini-challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-background is-style-wide\" style=\"background-color:#ab2227;color:#ab2227\" \/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-prepa-toc\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-prepa-toc-title gb-headline-text\">Cosa impareremo oggi<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">\ud83d\udc46\ud83c\udffb Jump to section<\/p>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#rule\">The rule: A in one line<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#place\">Place: cities, homes, destinations<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#time\">Time: telling the clock, months, periods<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#indirect-object\">Indirect object: verbs that need A<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#manner\">Manner, means, style<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#age-distance-price\">Age, distance, price, sentence<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#comparison\">Comparison and similarity<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#idioms\">15 idioms with A to sound Italian<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#traps\">Five traps for English speakers<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#cheat-sheet\">Cheat sheet<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#dialog\">Dialogue at the neighbourhood trattoria<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-rule gb-headline-text\" id=\"rule\">The rule: italian preposition a in one line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Think of <strong>A<\/strong> as the preposition of <em>destination, relation and manner<\/em>. It answers &#8220;where to?&#8221;, &#8220;at what time?&#8221;, &#8220;to whom?&#8221;, &#8220;how?&#8221;, &#8220;at what price?&#8221;. The word itself is tiny but it links your sentence to a specific point: a place you are heading to, an hour on the clock, a person on the other end of the phone, a way something is done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A must contract with definite articles when the noun has one: A + IL = <em>al<\/em>, A + LO = <em>allo<\/em>, A + LA = <em>alla<\/em>, A + I = <em>ai<\/em>, A + GLI = <em>agli<\/em>, A + LE = <em>alle<\/em>. Contraction is non-negotiable in writing and speech. <em>Vado a il supermercato<\/em> is always wrong; it has to be <em>vado al supermercato<\/em>. A also takes the euphonic form <strong>AD<\/strong> before a word starting with A to avoid vowel clash: <em>ad Ancona, ad agosto, ad alta voce<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-obs-rule\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udd0d Observe A in action:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Domani vado <strong>a<\/strong> Napoli <strong>alle<\/strong> sei <strong>a<\/strong> trovare mia sorella. <em>Tomorrow I am going to Naples at six to visit my sister.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Puoi telefonare <strong>al<\/strong> medico? Sto <strong>a<\/strong> casa con la febbre. <em>Can you call the doctor? I am at home with a fever.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Questa sciarpa \u00e8 fatta <strong>a<\/strong> mano, <strong>a<\/strong> uncinetto. <em>This scarf is made by hand, with a crochet hook.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-place gb-headline-text\" id=\"place\">Place: cities, homes, destinations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The most frequent use of A is to mark a <em>place you are heading to or staying at<\/em>. Italian splits places into two kinds: small places (cities, homes, specific buildings) take A; large regions (countries, regions, continents, large islands) take IN. This is the first thing to burn in: <em>vado a Roma<\/em>, but <em>vado in Italia<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cities and small places<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-obs-place-city\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udd0d Observe:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Il mio ragazzo vive <strong>a<\/strong> Bologna, io <strong>a<\/strong> Trieste. Ci vediamo nei weekend. <em>My boyfriend lives in Bologna, I live in Trieste. We see each other on weekends.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>La prossima estate andiamo <strong>a<\/strong> Lampedusa per due settimane. <em>Next summer we are going to Lampedusa for two weeks.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Ho un appuntamento <strong>a<\/strong> Palazzo Chigi, sai dove si trova? <em>I have an appointment at Palazzo Chigi, do you know where it is?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Home, school, the office<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A group of very common places behave like cities: they take A, not IN. These are the words you reach for every day: <em>a casa, a scuola, a letto, a teatro, al cinema, al bar, al ristorante, al mare, al lago, alla stazione, all&#8217;aeroporto, all&#8217;universit\u00e0<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-obs-place-home\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udd0d Observe:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Stasera rimaniamo <strong>a<\/strong> casa, sono troppo stanca per uscire. <em>Tonight we are staying home, I am too tired to go out.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>I bambini sono ancora <strong>a<\/strong> scuola, escono <strong>alle<\/strong> quattro e un quarto. <em>The kids are still at school, they get out at a quarter past four.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Venite anche voi <strong>al<\/strong> mare questo fine settimana? <em>Are you coming to the seaside this weekend too?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-note-place-trap\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udca1 The A vs IN trap:<\/strong> countries, regions, continents and large islands take <strong>IN<\/strong>, not A. So: <em>in Italia, in Toscana, in Europa, in Sicilia, in Sardegna<\/em>. But <em>a Palermo<\/em>, <em>a Capri<\/em>, <em>a Milano<\/em>. And for buildings with internal spaces: <em>in banca, in farmacia, in biblioteca, in piscina<\/em>: IN because you enter the space. For open-air destinations: <em>al mare, al lago, in montagna<\/em>. This is not 100% consistent; some pairs you just learn by exposure.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-ms1-place-dida\">\n<p><strong>\ud83c\udfaf Mini-Challenge:<\/strong> place with A<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I&#8217;m going to Bologna.<\/li>\n<li>I live at Marco&#8217;s place. (chez)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<details>\n<summary><strong>Show answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Vado a Bologna.<\/li>\n<li>Abito da Marco. (chez = DA, NOT A)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-time gb-headline-text\" id=\"time\">Time: telling the clock, months, periods<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When Italian asks <em>a che ora?<\/em> the answer is always marked with A. Hours take the contracted form with the article (<em>alle otto<\/em>, because the implicit noun is <em>ore<\/em>, feminine plural), except for midnight, noon and one o&#8217;clock which use the singular (<em>a mezzogiorno, a mezzanotte, all&#8217;una<\/em>). Months use plain A: <em>a settembre, a novembre, ad agosto<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-obs-time\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udd0d Observe:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ci vediamo <strong>alle<\/strong> otto e mezza davanti <strong>al<\/strong> cinema. <em>See you at half past eight in front of the cinema.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Il treno parte <strong>all&#8217;<\/strong>una in punto, non fare tardi. <em>The train leaves at one sharp, don&#8217;t be late.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Ci sposeremo <strong>a<\/strong> maggio, probabilmente <strong>a<\/strong> Cortona. <em>We will get married in May, probably in Cortona.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>A<\/strong> quell&#8217;epoca abitavamo ancora in un appartamento piccolissimo. <em>At that time we were still living in a very tiny flat.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-ms2-time-dida\">\n<p><strong>\ud83c\udfaf Mini-Challenge:<\/strong> time with A<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The shop opens at nine.<\/li>\n<li>I&#8217;ll see you at six.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<details>\n<summary><strong>Show answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Il negozio apre alle nove.<\/li>\n<li>Ci vediamo alle sei.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-indirect gb-headline-text\" id=\"indirect-object\">Indirect object: verbs that need A<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Italian marks the recipient of an action with A. This is the <em>indirect object<\/em>: the person or thing that receives the benefit, the message, the gift. Common verbs that require A before the recipient: <em>dare, dire, scrivere, telefonare, parlare, rispondere, chiedere, regalare, spiegare, raccontare, prestare, mandare, portare, offrire<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-obs-indirect\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udd0d Observe:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ho regalato una pianta <strong>a<\/strong> mia suocera, cos\u00ec magari la smette di lamentarsi. <em>I gave my mother-in-law a plant, maybe she will stop complaining.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Hai gi\u00e0 telefonato <strong>al<\/strong> tuo capo per dirgli che sei malato? <em>Have you already called your boss to tell him you are sick?<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Puoi spiegare <strong>ai<\/strong> bambini perch\u00e9 il gatto \u00e8 scappato? <em>Can you explain to the kids why the cat ran away?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-note-indirect-repeat\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udca1 Repeat the A in lists of recipients:<\/strong> Italian obligatorily repeats A before each recipient in a series. <em>Ho scritto a Paolo e a Giorgio<\/em> is correct; <em>Ho scritto a Paolo e Giorgio<\/em> sounds wrong to a native ear. The same goes for other prepositions; if in doubt, repeat.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-ms3-io-dida\">\n<p><strong>\ud83c\udfaf Mini-Challenge:<\/strong> indirect object with A<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I told the truth to Marco.<\/li>\n<li>She gave a gift to her sister.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<details>\n<summary><strong>Show answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Ho detto la verit\u00e0 a Marco.<\/li>\n<li>Ha fatto un regalo a sua sorella.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-manner gb-headline-text\" id=\"manner\">Manner, means, style<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A glues together countless expressions that describe <em>how<\/em> something is done: by hand, by heart, on foot, aloud, in silence, with a specific instrument, in a certain style. Once you see the pattern, you start recognising these everywhere in Italian conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-obs-manner\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udd0d Catalogue you will hear every day:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>a mano<\/strong>, <strong>a macchina<\/strong>, <strong>a piedi<\/strong>, <strong>a cavallo<\/strong> <em>by hand, by typewriter\/machine, on foot, on horseback<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>a memoria<\/strong>, <strong>a voce alta<\/strong>, <strong>ad alta voce<\/strong>, <strong>a bassa voce<\/strong> <em>by heart, out loud, in a loud voice, in a whisper<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>a fuoco lento<\/strong>, <strong>alla griglia<\/strong>, <strong>al forno<\/strong>, <strong>al dente<\/strong> <em>over low heat, grilled, baked, al dente<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>a colori<\/strong>, <strong>a righe<\/strong>, <strong>a maniche corte<\/strong>, <strong>a pois<\/strong> <em>in colour, striped, short-sleeved, polka-dotted<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>a energia solare<\/strong>, <strong>a gas<\/strong>, <strong>a batteria<\/strong> <em>solar-powered, gas-powered, battery-powered<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-ms4-man-dida\">\n<p><strong>\ud83c\udfaf Mini-Challenge:<\/strong> manner with A<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I came on foot.<\/li>\n<li>We sing aloud at the stadium.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<details>\n<summary><strong>Show answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Sono venuto a piedi.<\/li>\n<li>Cantiamo a voce alta allo stadio.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-age-distance gb-headline-text\" id=\"age-distance-price\">Age, distance, price, sentence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A marks specific numeric points in four domains: the age at which something happens, the distance to a place, the price at which something is sold, and (in a darker register) the sentence a court hands down. Pattern: noun + A + number.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-obs-age-distance\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udd0d Observe:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Et\u00e0<\/strong>: Mio nonno si \u00e8 risposato <strong>a<\/strong> settant&#8217;anni, ci ha sorpresi tutti. <em>My grandfather remarried at seventy, he surprised us all.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Distanza<\/strong>: La trattoria nuova \u00e8 <strong>a<\/strong> due passi da qui, andiamo? <em>The new trattoria is just steps away from here, shall we go?<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Prezzo<\/strong>: Ho preso la stampante <strong>a<\/strong> settanta euro in saldo, un affare. <em>I got the printer for seventy euros on sale, a bargain.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Pena<\/strong>: L&#8217;imputato \u00e8 stato condannato <strong>a<\/strong> tre anni con la condizionale. <em>The defendant was sentenced to three years with a suspended sentence.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-comparison gb-headline-text\" id=\"comparison\">Comparison and similarity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A small group of adjectives and verbs that express similarity, equivalence or superiority takes A. The pattern is predictable once you see it. Key items: <em>simile a, uguale a, identico a, paragonabile a, superiore a, inferiore a, pari a<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-obs-comparison\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udd0d Observe:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Questo vino \u00e8 molto simile <strong>a<\/strong> quello che abbiamo bevuto ieri <strong>a<\/strong> cena. <em>This wine is very similar to the one we drank at dinner yesterday.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>La nuova versione \u00e8 identica <strong>alla<\/strong> precedente, ma costa il doppio. <em>The new version is identical to the previous one, but costs twice as much.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Il fratello maggiore \u00e8 superiore <strong>al<\/strong> minore in matematica, inferiore in disegno. <em>The older brother is better than the younger one at math, worse at drawing.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-idioms gb-headline-text\" id=\"idioms\">15 idioms with A to sound Italian<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is where the italian preposition a really pays off. Italian packs dozens of idioms into short A-structures that sound natural only once you have heard them a dozen times. Here are fifteen that come up in everyday conversation, grouped by what they express.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-obs-idioms\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udd0d The working catalogue:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>a casaccio<\/strong> <em>at random<\/em>: Ho messo i vestiti <strong>a casaccio<\/strong> nella valigia e sono corso in aeroporto.<\/li>\n<li><strong>a colpo sicuro<\/strong> <em>without hesitation, straight to the point<\/em>: Il testimone ha riconosciuto il ladro <strong>a colpo sicuro<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>a malapena<\/strong> <em>barely<\/em>: Con la gamba ingessata cammina <strong>a malapena<\/strong>, figurati correre.<\/li>\n<li><strong>a malincuore<\/strong> <em>reluctantly<\/em>: Venderemo la casa al mare, <strong>a malincuore<\/strong>, ma serve il soldi per gli studi.<\/li>\n<li><strong>a tu per tu<\/strong> <em>face to face, one on one<\/em>: Mi sono trovato <strong>a tu per tu<\/strong> con il direttore in ascensore.<\/li>\n<li><strong>a fior di pelle<\/strong> <em>on edge, raw-nerved<\/em>: Durante l&#8217;esame avevo i nervi <strong>a fior di pelle<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>a forza di<\/strong> <em>by dint of, from so much<\/em>: <strong>A forza di<\/strong> camminare con le scarpe strette, mi fanno male i piedi.<\/li>\n<li><strong>alla buona<\/strong> <em>in a simple, unfussy way<\/em>: Ho preparato un pranzo <strong>alla buona<\/strong>, niente di speciale.<\/li>\n<li><strong>a occhio e croce<\/strong> <em>roughly, approximately<\/em>: <strong>A occhio e croce<\/strong> saremo una ventina alla festa.<\/li>\n<li><strong>a pi\u00f9 non posso<\/strong> <em>like crazy, as hard as one can<\/em>: Abbiamo ballato <strong>a pi\u00f9 non posso<\/strong> fino alle tre di notte.<\/li>\n<li><strong>a volte<\/strong> <em>sometimes<\/em>: <strong>A volte<\/strong> Milano ti sorprende, altre ti sfinisce.<\/li>\n<li><strong>a caso<\/strong> <em>randomly, at random<\/em>: Ho aperto il libro <strong>a caso<\/strong> e ho trovato una frase perfetta.<\/li>\n<li><strong>a vista d&#8217;occhio<\/strong> <em>visibly, rapidly<\/em>: Il bambino cresce <strong>a vista d&#8217;occhio<\/strong>, ogni volta che lo vedo \u00e8 pi\u00f9 alto.<\/li>\n<li><strong>a posto<\/strong> <em>in order, all sorted<\/em>: Non preoccuparti, \u00e8 tutto <strong>a posto<\/strong>, non c&#8217;\u00e8 bisogno di chiamare.<\/li>\n<li><strong>alla meno peggio<\/strong> <em>as best as one can, middlingly<\/em>: Il concerto \u00e8 andato <strong>alla meno peggio<\/strong>, poteva andare peggio ma nemmeno benissimo.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-ms5-idi-dida\">\n<p><strong>\ud83c\udfaf Mini-Challenge:<\/strong> A idioms<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Everything is in order.<\/li>\n<li>She apologised properly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<details>\n<summary><strong>Show answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Tutto \u00e8 a posto.<\/li>\n<li>Si \u00e8 scusata a dovere.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-traps gb-headline-text\" id=\"traps\">Five traps for English speakers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trap 1: &#8220;a posto&#8221; versus &#8220;apposto&#8221;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>These two look and sound almost identical, but only one is right in most cases. <em>A posto<\/em> (two words) means &#8220;in order, settled, fine&#8221; and is a fixed idiomatic expression: <em>\u00e8 tutto a posto<\/em>. <em>Apposto<\/em> (one word) is the past participle of <em>apporre<\/em> &#8220;to affix&#8221; and only shows up in formal or bureaucratic writing: <em>il timbro apposto sul documento<\/em>. In everyday use, it is almost always <strong>a posto<\/strong>. Even native Italians slip up on this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trap 2: &#8220;telefonare a&#8221; but &#8220;chiamare&#8221; without A<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Verbs of communication split into two camps. <em>Telefonare<\/em>, <em>scrivere<\/em>, <em>parlare<\/em>, <em>rispondere<\/em> all take A before the person (<em>telefono a mio padre, scrivo a mia zia<\/em>). But <em>chiamare<\/em>, <em>cercare<\/em>, <em>contattare<\/em> take a direct object without A (<em>chiamo mio padre, cerco mia zia<\/em>). The difference is historical and you just have to learn the list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trap 3: &#8220;a Milano&#8221; but &#8220;in Italia&#8221;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Cities always take A, countries and regions always take IN. English &#8220;in Milan, in Italy&#8221; collapses the two; Italian splits them. The same logic applies to small islands (a Capri, a Ischia) versus large islands (in Sicilia, in Sardegna). For continents: in Europa, in Asia. For states within federations (US, Germany, Australia) Italians say <em>nello stato di<\/em> or simply use IN: <em>in Texas, in Baviera, nel Queensland<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trap 4: &#8220;a sentire&#8221; \/ &#8220;a vedere&#8221; as conditional triggers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Italian has a short construction <em>a + infinitive<\/em> that means &#8220;if\/when one hears, sees, reads, etc.&#8221;: <em>a sentire lui, non \u00e8 mai colpa sua<\/em> means &#8220;if you listen to him, it is never his fault&#8221;. This construction is colloquial and very frequent. English has no direct equivalent; learners often try to translate it as &#8220;to hear&#8221; which misses the conditional flavour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trap 5: &#8220;a riguardo&#8221; or &#8220;al riguardo&#8221;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Both forms exist. Conservative usage prefers <strong>al riguardo<\/strong> (&#8220;on this matter, in this regard&#8221;), which has the article. <em>A riguardo<\/em> without the article is spreading in journalism and on the web, but careful writers still find it substandard. For formal writing, stick with <em>al riguardo<\/em> or switch to <em>in merito a, a proposito di<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-cheat gb-headline-text\" id=\"cheat-sheet\">Cheat sheet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Function<\/th><th>Example<\/th><th>English<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody>\n<tr><td>Place (city, home, specific place)<\/td><td>Vado <strong>a<\/strong> Roma.<\/td><td>I&#8217;m going to Rome.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Time (clock, month)<\/td><td><strong>Alle<\/strong> otto.<\/td><td>At eight.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Indirect object (recipient)<\/td><td>Scrivo <strong>a<\/strong> Mario.<\/td><td>I write to Mario.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Manner, style<\/td><td>Fatto <strong>a<\/strong> mano.<\/td><td>Made by hand.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Means, instrument<\/td><td><strong>A<\/strong> gas, <strong>a<\/strong> batteria.<\/td><td>Gas-powered, battery-powered.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Age<\/td><td><strong>A<\/strong> diciotto anni.<\/td><td>At eighteen.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Distance<\/td><td><strong>A<\/strong> due chilometri.<\/td><td>Two kilometres away.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Price<\/td><td><strong>A<\/strong> cinquanta euro.<\/td><td>At fifty euros.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Sentence (court)<\/td><td>Condannato <strong>a<\/strong> tre anni.<\/td><td>Sentenced to three years.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Comparison<\/td><td>Simile <strong>a<\/strong>, uguale <strong>a<\/strong>.<\/td><td>Similar to, equal to.<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-dialog gb-headline-text\" id=\"dialog\">Dialogue at the neighbourhood trattoria<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Luigi, a seventy-year-old regular, has just sat down at his usual table at Trattoria Da Gino. Anna, the waitress who has known him for twenty years, brings him the menu and they chat. Count how many uses of A you spot.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-dialog-container\">\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffb <strong>Anna:<\/strong> Buongiorno Luigi, il solito <strong>al<\/strong> tavolo vicino <strong>alla<\/strong> finestra? <em>Good morning Luigi, the usual at the table by the window?<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc74\ud83c\udffb <strong>Luigi:<\/strong> S\u00ec grazie, come sempre. E un bicchiere di Sangiovese <strong>a<\/strong> temperatura ambiente, non troppo freddo. <em>Yes thanks, as always. And a glass of Sangiovese at room temperature, not too cold.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffb <strong>Anna:<\/strong> Certo. Oggi abbiamo i pici <strong>al<\/strong> rag\u00f9 e un coniglio <strong>alla<\/strong> cacciatora fatto <strong>a<\/strong> casa da mia madre. <em>Of course. Today we have pici with rag\u00f9 and a hunter-style rabbit made at home by my mother.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc74\ud83c\udffb <strong>Luigi:<\/strong> <strong>A<\/strong> malincuore passo sul coniglio, oggi devo stare leggero. Prendo i pici e basta. <em>Reluctantly I&#8217;ll skip the rabbit, today I need to eat light. I&#8217;ll just have the pici.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffb <strong>Anna:<\/strong> Come sta sua moglie? L&#8217;ho vista <strong>alla<\/strong> posta ieri, sembrava un po&#8217; stanca. <em>How is your wife? I saw her at the post office yesterday, she looked a bit tired.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc74\ud83c\udffb <strong>Luigi:<\/strong> <strong>A<\/strong> dire la verit\u00e0 \u00e8 un po&#8217; gi\u00f9, <strong>a<\/strong> causa di sua sorella che sta male. Ma si riprender\u00e0. <em>Truth be told she is a bit down, because of her sister who is unwell. But she will bounce back.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffb <strong>Anna:<\/strong> Le mando un saluto, quando torna <strong>a<\/strong> casa glielo dica. <strong>A<\/strong> proposito, sabato qui facciamo la serata musicale dalle nove, viene? <em>Send her my regards when you get home. By the way, Saturday we are having our music night here from nine, are you coming?<\/em><\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc74\ud83c\udffb <strong>Luigi:<\/strong> Magari <strong>a<\/strong> quell&#8217;ora sono gi\u00e0 <strong>a<\/strong> letto, ma vediamo. <strong>A<\/strong> occhio e croce, se mia moglie sta meglio, veniamo volentieri. <em>Maybe by then I&#8217;m already in bed, but we&#8217;ll see. Roughly, if my wife is better, we will gladly come.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-dialog-note\">\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udca1 Notice:<\/strong> <em>al tavolo<\/em> (at the table), <em>alla finestra<\/em> (by the window), <em>a temperatura ambiente<\/em> (at room temperature), <em>al rag\u00f9<\/em> (with rag\u00f9: food preparation style), <em>alla cacciatora<\/em> (hunter-style), <em>a casa<\/em> (at home), <em>a malincuore<\/em> (idiom), <em>alla posta<\/em> (at the post office), <em>a dire la verit\u00e0<\/em> (fixed phrase), <em>a causa di<\/em> (because of), <em>a proposito<\/em> (by the way), <em>a quell&#8217;ora<\/em> (at that time), <em>a letto<\/em> (in bed), <em>a occhio e croce<\/em> (roughly). 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[\/process_step] [process_step title=&#8221;Check your inbox&#8221; icon_image=&#8221;20577&#8243;] We&#8217;ll get back to you with a confirmation and details. [\/process_step] [process_step title=&#8221;See you on Skype&#8221; icon_image=&#8221;20586&#8243;] That&#8217;s it. See you in class. [\/process_step] [\/process_steps]<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>[contact-form-7 id=&#8221;15171&#8243; title=&#8221;trial due colonne&#8221;]<\/p>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <\/li>\n                                    <\/ul>\n            <\/div>\n                        <div style=\"margin: 10px 0px;\">\n                                            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n                <div class=\"wpProQuiz_reviewDiv\" style=\"display: none;\">\n            <div class=\"wpProQuiz_reviewQuestion\">\n                <ol>\n                                            <li>1<\/li>\n                                    <\/ol>\n                <div style=\"display: none;\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"wpProQuiz_reviewLegend\">\n                <ol>\n                    <li>\n                        <span class=\"wpProQuiz_reviewColor\" style=\"background-color: #6CA54C;\"><\/span>\n                        <span class=\"wpProQuiz_reviewText\">Answered<\/span>\n                    <\/li>\n                    <li>\n                        <span class=\"wpProQuiz_reviewColor\" style=\"background-color: #FFB800;\"><\/span>\n                        <span class=\"wpProQuiz_reviewText\">Review<\/span>\n                    <\/li>\n                <\/ol>\n                <div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n            <div>\n                                    <input type=\"button\" name=\"review\" value=\"Review question\"\n                           class=\"wpProQuiz_button2\" style=\"float: left; display: block;\">\n                                        <div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n                <div class=\"wpProQuiz_quizAnker\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/div>\n                <div style=\"display: none;\" class=\"wpProQuiz_quiz\">\n            <ol class=\"wpProQuiz_list\">\n                                    <li class=\"wpProQuiz_listItem\" style=\"display: none;\">\n                        <div\n                            class=\"wpProQuiz_question_page\" style=\"display:none;\" >\n                            Question <span>1<\/span> of <span>1<\/span>                        <\/div>\n                        <h5 style=\"display: none;\"\n                            class=\"wpProQuiz_header\">\n                            <span>1<\/span>. 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Ci eravamo abituati bene.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Siamo riusciti <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"10\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(a malapena)<\/span><\/span> ad arrivare in orario, visto il traffico.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>A Palermo abbiamo mangiato cannoli <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"16\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(a pi\u00f9 non posso)<\/span><\/span>. Non erano mai troppi.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Se vi va, possiamo organizzare una festicciola <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"10\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(alla buona)<\/span><\/span> e invitare qualche amico.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Conoscevo tutte le risposte del quiz. Sono andata <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"14\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(a colpo sicuro)<\/span><\/span>.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Durante la partita finale, i giocatori sentivano la tensione <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"15\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(a fior di pelle)<\/span><\/span>.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"16\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(A occhio e croce)<\/span><\/span>, ci saranno cento persone in fila.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Ho preso <span class=\"wpProQuiz_cloze\"><input data-wordlen=\"10\" type=\"text\" value=\"\"> <span class=\"wpProQuiz_clozeCorrect\" style=\"display: none;\">(a casaccio)<\/span><\/span> un mazzo di chiavi ed erano quelle sbagliate.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>                                    <\/li>\n                                                                <\/ul>\n                        <\/div>\n                                                    <div class=\"wpProQuiz_response\" style=\"display: none;\">\n                                <div style=\"display: none;\" class=\"wpProQuiz_correct\">\n                                                                            <span class=\"wpProQuiz_respone_span\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCorrect\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br>\n                                    <p><hr \/>\n<p>Controlla le risposte giuste e completa il quiz.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><span class=\"blink_text\" style=\"font-size: 28pt; color: #ff0000;\">\u2193\u2193\u2193<\/span><\/p><\/p>                                <\/div>\n                                <div style=\"display: none;\" class=\"wpProQuiz_incorrect\">\n                                                                            <span class=\"wpProQuiz_respone_span\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIncorrect\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br>\n                                    <p><hr \/>\n<p>Controlla le risposte giuste e completa il quiz.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><span class=\"blink_text\" style=\"font-size: 28pt; color: #ff0000;\">\u2193\u2193\u2193<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>                                <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        \n                        \n                                                <input type=\"button\" name=\"back\" value=\"Back\"\n                               class=\"wpProQuiz_button wpProQuiz_QuestionButton\"\n                               style=\"float: left !important; margin-right: 10px !important; display: none;\">\n                                                <input type=\"button\" name=\"check\" value=\"Check\"\n                               class=\"wpProQuiz_button wpProQuiz_QuestionButton\"\n                               style=\"float: right !important; margin-right: 10px !important; display: none;\">\n                        <input type=\"button\" name=\"next\" value=\"Next\"\n                               class=\"wpProQuiz_button wpProQuiz_QuestionButton\" style=\"float: right; display: none;\">\n\n                        <div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n\n                        \n                    <\/li>\n\n                            <\/ol>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n            window.wpProQuizInitList = window.wpProQuizInitList || [];\n\n            window.wpProQuizInitList.push({\n                id: '#wpProQuiz_72',\n                init: {\n                    quizId: 72,\n                    mode: 2,\n                    globalPoints: 10,\n                    timelimit: 0,\n                    resultsGrade: [0],\n                    bo: 7552,\n                    qpp: 0,\n                    catPoints: [10],\n                    formPos: 0,\n                    lbn: \"Finish quiz\",\n                    json: {\"269\":{\"type\":\"cloze_answer\",\"id\":269,\"catId\":0,\"points\":[1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1],\"correct\":[[\"a forza di\"],[\"a tu per tu\"],[\"a malincuore\"],[\"a malapena\"],[\"a pi\\u00f9 non posso\"],[\"alla buona\"],[\"a colpo sicuro\"],[\"a fior di pelle\"],[\"a occhio e croce\"],[\"a casaccio\"]]}}                }\n            });\n        <\/script>\n        \n<!-- \/wp:shortcode -->\n<!-- \/wp:generateblocks\/container -->\n\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<!-- \/wp:separator -->\n\n\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p style=\"font-size:0.9em;opacity:0.85\"><em>Further reading: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.treccani.it\/enciclopedia\/a-prep_(La-grammatica-italiana)\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Treccani: la preposizione a<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:generateblocks\/container {\"uniqueId\":\"banner-milano-v5\",\"backgroundColor\":\"#f4f5f6\",\"isDynamic\":true,\"blockVersion\":4,\"spacing\":{\"paddingTop\":\"30px\",\"paddingBottom\":\"30px\",\"paddingLeft\":\"30px\",\"paddingRight\":\"30px\",\"marginTop\":\"30px\",\"marginBottom\":\"30px\"},\"borders\":{\"borderTopWidth\":\"1px\",\"borderTopStyle\":\"solid\",\"borderTopColor\":\"#ab2227\",\"borderBottomWidth\":\"1px\",\"borderBottomStyle\":\"solid\",\"borderBottomColor\":\"#ab2227\",\"borderTopLeftRadius\":\"11px\",\"borderTopRightRadius\":\"11px\",\"borderBottomLeftRadius\":\"11px\",\"borderBottomRightRadius\":\"11px\"}} -->\n<!-- wp:image {\"align\":\"center\",\"width\":100,\"sizeSlug\":\"thumbnail\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-thumbnail is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Milano-logo-100x100-1.png\" alt=\"Milano course logo\" width=\"100\" \/><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n<!-- wp:heading {\"textAlign\":\"center\",\"level\":3} --><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Milano: A2\/B1 group course on Zoom<\/h3><!-- \/wp:heading -->\n<!-- wp:paragraph {\"align\":\"center\"} --><p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Take grammar from textbook to confident real conversation. Small live group lessons.<\/p><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n<!-- wp:buttons {\"layout\":{\"type\":\"flex\",\"justifyContent\":\"center\"}} -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons\"><!-- wp:button {\"backgroundColor\":\"vivid-red\",\"style\":{\"border\":{\"radius\":\"6px\"}}} --><div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-vivid-red-background-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/our-courses\/\" style=\"border-radius:6px\">Discover Milano<\/a><\/div><!-- \/wp:button --><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:buttons -->\n<!-- \/wp:generateblocks\/container -->\n\n<!-- wp:separator --><hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/><!-- \/wp:separator -->\n\n<!-- wp:generateblocks\/headline {\"uniqueId\":\"h2-faq\",\"anchor\":\"faq\",\"blockVersion\":3} -->\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-h2-faq gb-headline-text\" id=\"faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:generateblocks\/headline -->\n\n<!-- wp:rank-math\/faq-block {\"questions\":[{\"id\":\"faq-prepa-q1\",\"title\":\"When do I use A with cities and when do I use IN?\",\"content\":\"Use A with cities, towns, small islands and specific named buildings: a Milano, a Capri, al Colosseo, al Louvre. Use IN with countries, regions, continents and large islands: in Italia, in Toscana, in Europa, in Sicilia. For enclosed spaces you enter and move around in, IN also applies: in banca, in farmacia, in piscina. The test: if the destination is one identifiable point, it is A; if it is a region or a space you move inside, it is IN.\",\"visible\":true},{\"id\":\"faq-prepa-q2\",\"title\":\"Is it a posto or apposto?\",\"content\":\"In everyday spoken and written Italian it is almost always a posto (two words), meaning in order, fine, settled. Example: \u00e8 tutto a posto. The single-word apposto is the past participle of apporre (to affix) and only appears in legal or bureaucratic language like il timbro apposto sul documento. Even native speakers slip up and write apposto when they mean a posto, but the two-word form is the correct choice ninety per cent of the time.\",\"visible\":true},{\"id\":\"faq-prepa-q3\",\"title\":\"Why do I say telefonare a Marco but chiamare Marco without A?\",\"content\":\"Telefonare, scrivere, parlare, rispondere treat the person as an indirect object and require A: telefono a Marco, scrivo a Marco. Chiamare, cercare, contattare, aspettare, incontrare treat the person as a direct object and take no preposition: chiamo Marco, aspetto Marco. The split is historical and you learn the list by exposure. A useful clue: verbs that imply a message going to someone use A; verbs that imply action on someone use the direct object.\",\"visible\":true},{\"id\":\"faq-prepa-q4\",\"title\":\"How do I tell time with A in Italian?\",\"content\":\"Use A with the contracted article because the understood noun is ore (hours, feminine plural). So it is alle otto, alle tre e mezza, alle sette e un quarto. Exceptions for singular times: a mezzogiorno, a mezzanotte, all apostrophe una. When you ask, say a che ora; when you answer, say alle eight or all una. Never say a otto; it is always alle otto.\",\"visible\":true},{\"id\":\"faq-prepa-q5\",\"title\":\"When does A become AD?\",\"content\":\"A becomes AD before a word starting with the vowel A to avoid a vowel clash: ad agosto, ad Ancona, ad alta voce. It is optional before other vowels (a Emilio is acceptable, as is ad Emilio in careful writing). Modern Italian uses AD only before A; before E, I, O, U the plain A is standard. Follow your ear: if saying a alta voce sounds awkward, switch to ad alta voce.\",\"visible\":true},{\"id\":\"faq-prepa-q6\",\"title\":\"Should I repeat A in a list like scrivere a Paolo e a Giorgio?\",\"content\":\"Yes. Italian repeats A before each recipient in a series: Ho scritto a Paolo e a Giorgio. Dropping the second A sounds unnatural to native ears. The same principle applies to other prepositions in lists (in Italia e in Francia; per te e per Maria). If in doubt, repeat the preposition rather than omit it.\",\"visible\":true},{\"id\":\"faq-prepa-q7\",\"title\":\"A riguardo or al riguardo, which is correct?\",\"content\":\"Both are used, but conservative writers prefer al riguardo with the article, meaning on this matter or in this regard. A riguardo without the article is spreading in journalism and on the web, but careful editors still flag it as substandard. For formal writing, stick with al riguardo, or rephrase with in merito a or a proposito di. In colloquial speech both forms are understood without issue.\",\"visible\":true}],\"titleWrapper\":\"h3\"} -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-faq-block\">\n<h3 id=\"faq-prepa-q1\" class=\"rank-math-question\">When do I use A with cities and when do I use IN?<\/h3>\n<div id=\"faq-prepa-q1-answer\" class=\"rank-math-answer\"><p>Use A with cities, towns, small islands and specific named buildings: <em>a Milano, a Capri, al Colosseo, al Louvre<\/em>. Use IN with countries, regions, continents and large islands: <em>in Italia, in Toscana, in Europa, in Sicilia<\/em>. For enclosed spaces you enter and move around in, IN also applies: <em>in banca, in farmacia, in piscina<\/em>. The test: if the destination is one identifiable point, it is A; if it is a region or a space you move inside, it is IN.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3 id=\"faq-prepa-q2\" class=\"rank-math-question\">Is it &#8220;a posto&#8221; or &#8220;apposto&#8221;?<\/h3>\n<div id=\"faq-prepa-q2-answer\" class=\"rank-math-answer\"><p>In everyday spoken and written Italian it is almost always <em>a posto<\/em> (two words), meaning &#8220;in order, fine, settled&#8221;. Example: <em>\u00e8 tutto a posto<\/em>. The single-word <em>apposto<\/em> is the past participle of <em>apporre<\/em> (to affix) and only appears in legal or bureaucratic language like <em>il timbro apposto sul documento<\/em>. Even native speakers slip up and write <em>apposto<\/em> when they mean <em>a posto<\/em>, but the two-word form is the correct choice ninety per cent of the time.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3 id=\"faq-prepa-q3\" class=\"rank-math-question\">Why do I say &#8220;telefonare a Marco&#8221; but &#8220;chiamare Marco&#8221; without A?<\/h3>\n<div id=\"faq-prepa-q3-answer\" class=\"rank-math-answer\"><p><em>Telefonare, scrivere, parlare, rispondere<\/em> treat the person as an indirect object and require A: <em>telefono a Marco, scrivo a Marco<\/em>. <em>Chiamare, cercare, contattare, aspettare, incontrare<\/em> treat the person as a direct object and take no preposition: <em>chiamo Marco, aspetto Marco<\/em>. The split is historical and you learn the list by exposure. A useful clue: verbs that imply a message going to someone use A; verbs that imply action on someone use the direct object.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3 id=\"faq-prepa-q4\" class=\"rank-math-question\">How do I tell time with A in Italian?<\/h3>\n<div id=\"faq-prepa-q4-answer\" class=\"rank-math-answer\"><p>Use A with the contracted article because the understood noun is <em>ore<\/em> (hours, feminine plural). So it is <em>alle otto, alle tre e mezza, alle sette e un quarto<\/em>. Exceptions for singular times: <em>a mezzogiorno, a mezzanotte, all&#8217;una<\/em>. When you ask, say <em>a che ora<\/em>; when you answer, say <em>alle<\/em> + number or <em>all&#8217;una<\/em>. Never say <em>a otto<\/em>; it is always <em>alle otto<\/em>.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3 id=\"faq-prepa-q5\" class=\"rank-math-question\">When does A become AD?<\/h3>\n<div id=\"faq-prepa-q5-answer\" class=\"rank-math-answer\"><p>A becomes AD before a word starting with the vowel A to avoid a vowel clash: <em>ad agosto, ad Ancona, ad alta voce<\/em>. It is optional before other vowels (<em>a Emilio<\/em> is acceptable, as is <em>ad Emilio<\/em> in careful writing). Modern Italian uses AD only before A; before E, I, O, U the plain A is standard. Follow your ear: if saying <em>a alta voce<\/em> sounds awkward, switch to <em>ad alta voce<\/em>.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3 id=\"faq-prepa-q6\" class=\"rank-math-question\">Should I repeat A in a list like &#8220;scrivere a Paolo e a Giorgio&#8221;?<\/h3>\n<div id=\"faq-prepa-q6-answer\" class=\"rank-math-answer\"><p>Yes. Italian repeats A before each recipient in a series: <em>Ho scritto a Paolo e a Giorgio<\/em>. Dropping the second A sounds unnatural to native ears. The same principle applies to other prepositions in lists (<em>in Italia e in Francia; per te e per Maria<\/em>). If in doubt, repeat the preposition rather than omit it.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3 id=\"faq-prepa-q7\" class=\"rank-math-question\">&#8220;A riguardo&#8221; or &#8220;al riguardo&#8221;, which is correct?<\/h3>\n<div id=\"faq-prepa-q7-answer\" class=\"rank-math-answer\"><p>Both are used, but conservative writers prefer <em>al riguardo<\/em> with the article, meaning &#8220;on this matter&#8221; or &#8220;in this regard&#8221;. <em>A riguardo<\/em> without the article is spreading in journalism and on the web, but careful editors still flag it as substandard. For formal writing, stick with <em>al riguardo<\/em>, or rephrase with <em>in merito a<\/em> or <em>a proposito di<\/em>. In colloquial speech both forms are understood without issue.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:rank-math\/faq-block -->\n\n\n<!-- wp:separator -->\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<!-- \/wp:separator -->\n\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related guides<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<!-- wp:list-item --><li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-di-vs-da\/\">Italian DI vs DA: The Complete Guide<\/a><\/li><!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n<!-- wp:list-item --><li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-modal-verbs\/\">Italian Modal Verbs: Dovere, Potere, Volere, Sapere<\/a><\/li><!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n<!-- wp:list-item --><li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-per-idioms\/\">Italian PER Idioms<\/a><\/li><!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n<!-- wp:list-item --><li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-stressed-pronouns\/\">Italian Stressed Pronouns<\/a><\/li><!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n<!-- wp:list-item --><li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-indefinite-adjectives-and-pronouns\/\">Italian Indefinite Adjectives and Pronouns<\/a><\/li><!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n<\/ul>\n<!-- \/wp:list -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Italian preposition A in every role: place, time, indirect object, manner, idioms. Five traps for English speakers, 15 idioms, a trattoria dialogue and a challenge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10020,"featured_media":23609,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[1518,1519,1523,1520,1521,1525,1526,1522,1524,1517],"class_list":["post-23598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lingua","tag-a-casaccio","tag-a-colpo-sicuro","tag-a-forza-di","tag-a-malapena","tag-a-malincuore","tag-a-occhio-e-croce","tag-a-piu-non-posso","tag-a-tu-per-tu","tag-alla-buona","tag-avere-i-nervi-a-fior-di-pelle","no-featured-image-padding","pmpro-has-access"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10020"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23598"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23598\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59680,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23598\/revisions\/59680"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}