Prepositions · 1ec3ee371b7b6e9e407feb239fa2db97

---

A+

Remember how in Italian many short words combine together? You will come across many word combinations, but here’s something to help you remember all the different blends of a with other little words.

a + il	al
a + lo	allo
a + la	alla
a + l'	all'
a + i	ai
a + gli	agli
a + le	alla

Here are some examples that use these contractions.

These word combinations and a are also used with the verb piacere to talk about likes and dislikes.

A lui piace il tè.
He likes tea.

Alla ragazza non piace il pollo.
The girl does not like chicken.

Blend in

A isn’t the only word that can be part of contractions in Italian. For example, you’ve already come across in and the word combinations nel and nello. Here’s how in combines together with other short words.

in + il	nel
in + lo	nello
in + la	nella
in + l'	nell'
in + i	nei
in + gli	negli
in + le	nelle

These word combinations are often used to talk about the location of objects, animals, or people.

Metto ghiaccio nei bicchieri.
I put ice in the glasses.

Il cibo è nei piatti.
The food is on the plates.

Possession

In English, we say Maria’s cat to show that the cat belongs to Maria. But in Italian, you’d say il gatto di Maria, which literally means the cat of Maria.

Di combines together with other short words to form contractions. Here’s some of them.

di + il	del
di + lo	dello
di + la	della
di + l'	dell'
di + i	dei
di + gli	degli
di + le	delle

For example, you can use these word combinations to say who owns something.

Short Words

But wait, there’s more! You will come across other useful short words while you learn Italian. These are some examples.

La donna arriva da Venezia.
The woman arrives from Venice.

Taglio il pane con un coltello.
I cut the bread with a knife.

Vedo il tuo cappello fra i vestiti.
I see your hat among the dresses.

Abbiamo l'ingrediente per la torta.
We have the ingredient for the cake.