Italian prepositions of place and time
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Let's revise when we use the prepositions "a", "in" or "da" to indicate a place in Italian.
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"A" is placed before:
Italian | English |
---|---|
a casa | (at) home |
a letto | in / to bed |
a teatro | at / to the theatre |
a scuola | at / to school |
al cinema | at / to the cinema |
al parco | at / in the park |
al mare | at / to the seaside |
al lago | at / to the lake |
al porto | at / to the harbour |
al supermercato | at / to the supermarket |
al mercato | at / to the market |
al bar | at / to the café |
al ristorante | at / to the restaurant |
alla stazione | at / to the station |
alla posta | at / in / to the post office |
all'aeroporto | at / to the airport |
all'estero | abroad |
Sono a scuola
I am at school
Vado a scuola
I go to school
"In" is placed before:
Italian | English |
---|---|
in casa | (at) home |
in / nel (in+il) salotto | in / to the living room |
in / nella (in+la) cucina | in / to the kitchen |
in / nel (in+il) giardino | in / to the garden |
in / nel (in+il) cortile | in / to the courtyard |
in / nel (in+il) bagno | in / to the bathroom |
in / nella (in+la) camera | in / to the bedroom |
in / nel (in+il)centro | in / to the centre |
in / nella (in+la) città | in / to the city |
in / nel (in+il) paese | in / to the village |
in / nella (in+la) piazza | in / to the square |
in / nel (in+il) negozio | at / to the shop |
in / nella (in+la) banca | in / to the bank |
in / nella (in+la) fabbrica | at / in / to the factory |
in / nella (in+la) strada | in / to the street |
in / nell' (in + l') ufficio | in / to the office |
in / nella (in+la) chiesa | in / to the church |
in / nel (in+il) ospedale | at / in / to the hospital |
in / nell' (in+l')albergo | in / to the hotel |
in montagna | in / to the mountains |
in campagna | in / to the countryside |
in / nella (in+la) pizzeria | at / to the pizzeria |
in / nella (in+la) discoteca | at / to the disco |
in / nella (in+la) biblioteca | in / to the library |
in / nella (in+la) gelateria | at / to the ice-cream shop |
nel (in+il) parco | in the park |
nel (in+il) castello | in the castle |
When there are two options we usually use:
→ in to speak about the place in general
→ nel/nello/nella [...] (in+definite article) are used to talk about the place in a more specific way (see Italian articulated prepositions)
However this rule doesn't always work and you can learn the use of these expressions by practising the language only.
"Da" is placed before
Sono dal dentista.
I am at the dentist.
Vado dal dentista.
I go to the dentist.
Arriverò da Perugia con il treno .
I'll arrive from Perugia by train.
As you can see from the examples, Italian prepositions don't distinguish between direction and location in space.
However, when we want to express a movement from a place, we always use da.
Let's revise when we use the prepositions "di" "a", "da", "in" or "tra/fra" to express time in Italian.
"Di" is placed before parts of the day.
Noi andiamo al cinema di pomeriggio.
We go to the cinema in the afternoon.
"A" is placed before months, hour and age.
A novembre piove spesso.
It often rains in November.
Alle (a+le) cinque di solito bevo il té.
At five o'clock I usually drink the tea.
A tredici anni è difficile decidere per il proprio futuro.
At thirteen it is difficilt to decide for your own future.
"Da" is placed before a starting point in time.
Lavoro qui dal 1990.
I've been working here since 1990.
Luigi abita qui da tre mesi.
Luigi has been living here for three months.
"In" is placed before years and season
Nel (in+il) 2018 la nostra società è ancora molto instabile.
In 2018 our society is still very unstable.
In estate andremo al mare.
In (the) summer (summertime) we'll go to the seaside.
"Tra" and "Fra" are placed before an expression of time and indicate an interval of time.
Tra due anni sarò laureato.
I'll be graduated in two years.
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I am from Calabria, but over the years I have felt at home in various places. In each one I have searched for my way and in the end in each one I have found little clues that have allowed me to understand that I want to teach my language to those who do not yet know it.
I have always loved the word, its power and the infinite possibilities it offers; at first I only thought of writing it down but there was still something missing. What use is the word if it is not shared, if it does not become an opportunity for exchange between cultures, or better, between individuals?
So, between one suitcase and another, I graduated in Italian literature and specialised in journalism, then I obtained the Ditals II from the University for Foreigners of Siena and the two-year specialisation school as a teacher of Italian to foreigners at the same university.
I have been teaching Italian for more than ten years: in Italy in state schools, in schools for adult migrants (Cpia in Modena and Rome) and in public schools; abroad at the Dante Alighieri in Valletta and at the University of Cork.
I have a passion for music, cinema, documentaries and photography, different mo(n)es which allow me to learn and tell stories.
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I look forward to sharing more details of my experience and motivations with you. Thank you for your time consideration.
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Just great experience! Thank you. To be continued. What a nice and easy platform. Good and interesting teacher.. Congradulations. Nina
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Hi!
My name is Mariateresa, I'm Italian and I teach English, Italian and Spanish to foreign students.
Having lived in Spain during my last year at University, I moved to the UK, where I lived for the next five years. My English at that time was quite poor and I made a living by doing various jobs.
One day, inspired by my amazing English teacher Mandy, I had an idea: why not teach my native language and Spanish to English people and other nationalities? You wouldn’t believe how fascinated people are by these languages!
It was in 2017 when I fell in love with this job. So much so that one year later I successfully attained a TESOL Certificate, to teach English as a foreign language.
Teaching allows me to fully express myself and my personal qualities, such as patience and an ability to give my full attention to other people. By giving students a space in which to express themselves without fear, I create a safe, non-judgemental environment.
When a new student contacts me I always offer them a free trial lesson, so that we can introduce ourselves and I can get to know their level, interests and needs. It's from there that I create the ensuing lessons.
I provide students with a solid grammar base, but also help them to understand the application and use of the language in everyday life. At the same time, I tailor the lesson to suit the students' main interests – such as grammar, speaking, pronunciation, writing or exam preparation. I teach students of different levels, from beginners to advanced.
Although I love teaching in-person, I have adapted myself to teaching online as well. I have also completed a Teaching English Online course offered by Cambridge University. I have to admit that it's a really effective method, plus you meet people from all over the world!
Having lived abroad for several years I know that learning a foreign language requires time, but it's also fun. By speaking in it we can express hidden parts of ourselves – it's a bit like acting!
You can also assimilate the culture from which the language evolves. It's interesting to see how we can change and develop!
My aim is to transmit to students the idea that nothing is impossible. Learning a language is challenging, but entirely achievable if you keep in mind that it's a journey made of small steps.
What is important is to establish those small objectives every day, and reach them with calm determination.
Like a tracker counts the steps that you walk, put on your “count-words tracker” and you'll be surprised at how much you have learned by the end of the day!
For more information visit:
https://campsite.bio/mariateresa.medici
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Lessons with Mariateresa are fascinating. She has new ideas and very interesting learning materials. She makes you really enjoy Italian and Italian culture.Beside the lessons she really motivated me to do more homework! Moreover she is a very cultured person. I am very happy.
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Hi!
My name is Mariateresa, I'm Italian and I teach English, Italian and Spanish to foreign students.
Having lived in Spain during my last year at University, I moved to the UK, where I lived for the next five years. My English at that time was quite poor and I made a living by doing various jobs.
One day, inspired by my amazing English teacher Mandy, I had an idea: why not teach my native language and Spanish to English people and other nationalities? You wouldn’t believe how fascinated people are by these languages!
It was in 2017 when I fell in love with this job. So much so that one year later I successfully attained a TESOL Certificate, to teach English as a foreign language.
Teaching allows me to fully express myself and my personal qualities, such as patience and an ability to give my full attention to other people. By giving students a space in which to express themselves without fear, I create a safe, non-judgemental environment.
When a new student contacts me I always offer them a free trial lesson, so that we can introduce ourselves and I can get to know their level, interests and needs. It's from there that I create the ensuing lessons.
I provide students with a solid grammar base, but also help them to understand the application and use of the language in everyday life. At the same time, I tailor the lesson to suit the students' main interests – such as grammar, speaking, pronunciation, writing or exam preparation. I teach students of different levels, from beginners to advanced.
Although I love teaching in-person, I have adapted myself to teaching online as well. I have also completed a Teaching English Online course offered by Cambridge University. I have to admit that it's a really effective method, plus you meet people from all over the world!
Having lived abroad for several years I know that learning a foreign language requires time, but it's also fun. By speaking in it we can express hidden parts of ourselves – it's a bit like acting!
You can also assimilate the culture from which the language evolves. It's interesting to see how we can change and develop!
My aim is to transmit to students the idea that nothing is impossible. Learning a language is challenging, but entirely achievable if you keep in mind that it's a journey made of small steps.
What is important is to establish those small objectives every day, and reach them with calm determination.
Like a tracker counts the steps that you walk, put on your “count-words tracker” and you'll be surprised at how much you have learned by the end of the day!
For more information visit:
https://campsite.bio/mariateresa.medici
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Maria, was very helpful. I was a bit of a challenging case and so she had to modify her teaching program on the fly and did so with competence.
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Elena is a great teacher, she is extremely accessible, knowledgeable and will work with you to develop the best approach that works best for you. My husband and I have had multiple lessons now and we enjoy it a lot and look forward every week to the next lesson!
Elena P.Thank you for your feedback, Marja. It's a real pleasure to work with you and your husband. I am very satisfied of the results that you both have achieved in such a short time!
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Hello, everybody ! My name is Elena. I’m a native Italian speaker, I’m 49 years old and live in Turin. I am a certified CEDILS teacher, I graduated in Foreign Languages and Literature in Milan and have been working as a teacher of Italian for more than 10 years. I speak English and German. I attended specialization courses for Italian L2 teachers and I am interviewer for C1 PLIDA exam.
Are you seeking a friendly and dynamic study environment ? I got what you need. I am looking forward to being in touch with new students and organize pleasant, interesting and fruitful courses.
Do you wish to learn or improve your Italian to speak with your parents or friends? Do you need Italian for work or study ? Do you simply love Italian language and culture ? Do you need to improve your writing skills ?
My classes are tailored on your needs and considering your level of knowledge, I create a proper course plan. Classes focus on language and on the possibility for you to improve your ability to speak and understand Italian in your daily life or in work.
I offer 1-to-1 or 2-to-1 tuition, general Italian courses (grammar, conversation, listening, reading and writing), preparation to Italian examinations (all levels, also Italian for residence permit) and Italian and culture courses.
Grammar, vocabulary exercises, reading articles and magazines and talking together are all tools to feel at ease with the Italian language and then be able to practice it.
I have worked with children, adolescents and adults for all levels of Italian, from beginner to advanced. I have experience in preparing students to international certification (CILS, PLIDA). I was an A2/B1 Telc examiner.
Learning Italian can be closely related to culture, literature, music, sport and any other interest of my students.
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Elena is a profesional teacher in every way. She’s tailored the lessons for my level and we are working towards an specific goal. I’m super happy with her methodology and I’m looking forward to the next lesson! 100% recommended.
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Hi! My name is Federica, and I am a certified teacher of Italian as a foreign language.
I have 3 + years of experience as a teacher, and I have also been a translator/proofreader for almost three decades. I can speak English, a bit of German, French and Spanish, as well as very, very basic Swedish. In short, I know just how it feels to be a learner of a foreign language, too!
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She speaks so softly and understandable. Always cooperating with the student. I'd recommend her especially for grammar studies.
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Hi everyone!
My name is Daniela, I am Italian and I come from a small town in Sicily, Southern Italy. I am a qualified Italian language teacher and a CELI examiner! I work in two language schools teaching Italian and I also teach English at school.
I love foreign languages, translating, reading and listening to music. Are you ready to start your language learning path with me? We are going to learn many things and to talk a lot, if you allow me to! Don’t worry if you’ve never studied the language before: everyone can attend my classes – from beginner to advanced students. You just need passion for what you're going to do and... a good Internet connection. Materials are provided by me!
See you online!
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Daniela has tailored our lessons to exactly what I asked for (B1 exam preparations). She is very prepared for all of our lessons and provides extra study material for me to complete as homework. I would recommend her as a tutor.
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Bonjour à tous!
My name is Daniel, and I have been an online and face-to-face French teacher for more than 5 years (I work at the Alliance Française of Burgos and I have been teaching private classes online and face-to-face for several years).
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À très bientôt!!!
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Daniel is a teacher with a lot of experience in teaching and plenty of materials. .I can totally recommend him
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
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I'm a certified Italian teacher based in my hometown Florence. I spent my childhood in a small village in the Chianti countryside and I always loved to explore curious aspects of different languages. I studied Arabic, English, French and Spanish and I like to help students with practical insights into Italian language to better fix the structures and improve pronunciation, grammar and conversation. After my studies (master degree in teaching Italian as a second language + CEDILS certificate - teaching Italian to foreign students), I taught in different contexts and countries (IIC of Beirut, private schools in Prague, companies in Malta and Florence and to many many private students!).
I try each time to adapt to every student's needs, with mainly one goal: making every student enthusiastic about the learning process and more and more confident. I use a communicative approach and I can offer classes of Italian languages, cinema, culture, gestures, focuses on grammar, conversation, etc.
A presto!
Olivia
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The lesson answered all my expectations. The conversation was fluent. Olivia was very sensitive to my goals. I thank her for this lovely experience. to be continued… 12 weeks later, and I am so satisfied and grateful. The lessons are lively and fun. to be continued...
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I am a qualified teacher with a Bachelor's Degree in Education and a TESOL certificate. I will make you fall in love with English or Afrikaans. My goal is to make learning as fun and exiting as possible by using these methods in class: singing, dancing, games, role play and using fun colorful resources. I can help you with anything from pronunciation, grammer, reading and writing, phonics and building your vocabulary.
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Magda has a lot of experience and is well-structured. She offers a lot of materials. I would totally recommend her.
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Hello, everybody ! My name is Elena. I’m a native Italian speaker, I’m 49 years old and live in Turin. I am a certified CEDILS teacher, I graduated in Foreign Languages and Literature in Milan and have been working as a teacher of Italian for more than 10 years. I speak English and German. I attended specialization courses for Italian L2 teachers and I am interviewer for C1 PLIDA exam.
Are you seeking a friendly and dynamic study environment ? I got what you need. I am looking forward to being in touch with new students and organize pleasant, interesting and fruitful courses.
Do you wish to learn or improve your Italian to speak with your parents or friends? Do you need Italian for work or study ? Do you simply love Italian language and culture ? Do you need to improve your writing skills ?
My classes are tailored on your needs and considering your level of knowledge, I create a proper course plan. Classes focus on language and on the possibility for you to improve your ability to speak and understand Italian in your daily life or in work.
I offer 1-to-1 or 2-to-1 tuition, general Italian courses (grammar, conversation, listening, reading and writing), preparation to Italian examinations (all levels, also Italian for residence permit) and Italian and culture courses.
Grammar, vocabulary exercises, reading articles and magazines and talking together are all tools to feel at ease with the Italian language and then be able to practice it.
I have worked with children, adolescents and adults for all levels of Italian, from beginner to advanced. I have experience in preparing students to international certification (CILS, PLIDA). I was an A2/B1 Telc examiner.
Learning Italian can be closely related to culture, literature, music, sport and any other interest of my students.
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Elena is a great teacher! Kind, nice, very well prepared, in short, if you want to learn Italian she is your teacher. Elena is a great teacher! Kind, cheerful, well prepared, in short, if you would like to learn Italian she is your teacher. Elena is a brilliant teacher! Amable, sympathetic, preparada, en definitively, you are thinking en aprender italiano ella es tu profesora.
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Maria is a well-structured teacher that is fluent in both russian and spanish. I recommend her to anyone!
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Hello, everybody ! My name is Elena. I’m a native Italian speaker, I’m 49 years old and live in Turin. I am a certified CEDILS teacher, I graduated in Foreign Languages and Literature in Milan and have been working as a teacher of Italian for more than 10 years. I speak English and German. I attended specialization courses for Italian L2 teachers and I am interviewer for C1 PLIDA exam.
Are you seeking a friendly and dynamic study environment ? I got what you need. I am looking forward to being in touch with new students and organize pleasant, interesting and fruitful courses.
Do you wish to learn or improve your Italian to speak with your parents or friends? Do you need Italian for work or study ? Do you simply love Italian language and culture ? Do you need to improve your writing skills ?
My classes are tailored on your needs and considering your level of knowledge, I create a proper course plan. Classes focus on language and on the possibility for you to improve your ability to speak and understand Italian in your daily life or in work.
I offer 1-to-1 or 2-to-1 tuition, general Italian courses (grammar, conversation, listening, reading and writing), preparation to Italian examinations (all levels, also Italian for residence permit) and Italian and culture courses.
Grammar, vocabulary exercises, reading articles and magazines and talking together are all tools to feel at ease with the Italian language and then be able to practice it.
I have worked with children, adolescents and adults for all levels of Italian, from beginner to advanced. I have experience in preparing students to international certification (CILS, PLIDA). I was an A2/B1 Telc examiner.
Learning Italian can be closely related to culture, literature, music, sport and any other interest of my students.
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Elena is an excellent, experienced teacher. A true professional. She is patient with my beginner-level Italian language skills. She will quickly assess your skill level (or lack thereof) and present an appropriate level of instruction to ensure rapid growth. She will encourage you to use Italian during lessons to expedite your learning curve. I highly recommend her.
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Hi, guys! My name is Lucia and I would like to invite you to learn Italian with me.
I am both a native speaker and a QUALIFIED teacher, as I hold a post-graduate degree in “Teaching Italian as a second language” and a national certification as teacher of Italian to not-native speaking.
My teaching method is COMMUNICATION-oriented and involves also the study of Italian culture and grammar. Indeed, as it happens in your mother language, the knowledge of spare words is not enough to get able to speak (i.e. INTERACT!) properly and conveniently.
I’ll prepare for you all teaching materials, tailoring lessons to your needs and interests, taking advantage from both the huge number of textbooks I hold and my creativity!
I offer lessons for all levels, from absolute beginners to advanced, as well as support in preparation to certification exams (I am also qualified ad examiner for the oral part of CELI).
Do not hesitate to get in contact with me to find a suitable time-slot for your trial lesson!
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I highly recommend Lucia, she is an amazing teacher, very pedagogical and explains all the rules in a very comprehensible manner. The program/book she uses is great, words are easy to remember and the exercises are interesting and interactive. 5 out of 5!
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Hello everyone! I have been teaching Italian to foreigners in Bologna for 10 years, collaborating with local associations. I graduated in History, but later I specialized in teaching Italian by obtaining the Ditals, and in 2019 a master's degree at the Ca 'Foscari University of Venice in "Advanced planning of teaching Italian language and culture to foreigners". I love my job very much and I do it with dedication and passion. I have experience with students of all levels of Italian, from beginners to advanced, and in preparing for language tests. I adapt my teaching methods to the characteristics and training needs of my students, so as to favor a more effective, engaging and motivating learning. The materials I use are authentic, original texts and videos adapted for educational purposes. I love to use computer technologies for the preparation of interactive exercises, especially for the exercise of grammar. If you want to learn Italian in an engaging and motivating way, contact me! I'm waiting for you for a trial lesson!
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Cristiana is a delightful person and a very effective teacher. As a beginner, my almost nonexistent Italian skills and understanding requires a patient teacher who is willing to take the time to ensure I understand concepts, usage etc. before moving on. I highly recommend her as a tutor.
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