La preposizione di
Di is most commonly used to express possession/ownership; origin; characteristics; and duration:
La casa di Alessia = Alessia’s house (possession)
Sono di Egitto = They are from Egypt (origin)
È un libro di ottima qualità = It’s a high-quality book (characteristic)
Un viaggio di un’ora = A one-hour trip (duration)
La preposizione a
A is most commonly used to express movement to or placement in cities and small islands; distance; location; time:
Vanno a Napoli = They’re going to Naples (movement to a city)
Abito a quindici chilometri da Fiesole = I live 15 kilometers from Fiesole (distance)
Sono a scuola = I’m at school (location)
Alle due e mezza = At two thirty (time)
La preposizione da
Da is most commonly used to express possession of a location; continuing action; origin; need/desire to do something when followed by an infinitive; qualification:
Sei da tua cugina? = Are you at your cousin’s place? (possession of a location)
Lavora qui da quattro anni = She’s been working here for four years (continuing action)
Edo viene da Rimini = Edo is from Rimini (origin)
C’è molto da fare oggi = There’s a lot to do today (need/desire to do something)
Questa è la sala da pranzo = This is the dining room (qualification)
La preposizione in
In is most commonly used to express movement to or placement in continents/countries/regions/large islands; enclosed locations; means of transportation:
Avete passato due mesi in Italia = You spent two months in Italy (placement in a country)
Gli studenti sono in classe = The students are in the classroom (enclosed location)
Andiamo in macchina = Let’s go by car (means of transportation)
La preposizione su
Su is most commonly used to express content, placement, estimates:
È uno studio sul Rinascimento = It’s a study on the Renaissance (content)
Il cellulare è sulla sedia = The cell phone is on the chair (placement)
La macchina costa sui $40.000 = The car costs about $40,000 (estimate)
La preposizione con
Con is most commonly used to express accompaniment, weather, equipment:
Abito con mia moglie e mio figlio = I live with my wife and my son (accompaniment)
Non uscire con la pioggia = Don’t go out in the rain (weather)
Viaggiano con l’auto = They’re traveling by car (equipment)
La preposizione per
Per is most commonly used to express purpose, duration, destination:
Lavoro a New York per guadagnare bene = I work in NY in order to make a lot of money (purpose)
Siamo rimasti in Francia per tre mesi = We stayed in France for three months (duration)
Sono partiti per Roma = They left for Rome (destination)
Le preposizioni tra e fra
Tra and fra are interchangeable. Both are most commonly used to express future time, comparisons, placement:
Arriva fra un’ora = He/she is arriving in an hour (future time)
Quell’università è fra le migliori = That university is among the best (comparison)
La penna è tra il dizionario e la borsa = The pen is between the dictionary and the bag (placement)