Basic Italian: A Grammar and Workbook

11 Tra and fra are typically used to express:

Prepositions of place

12 Here are some examples of the different prepositions used to denote
place:

Another preposition used to denote place is lungo (along): lungo il fiume
(along the river).

13 A is normally used with names of town and villages and with cardinal
points:

14 In is normally used with names of regions and nations, with geographical
areas, and with shops:

• With mare (sea) the preposition a is used (al mare, ‘at the seaside’).

place

time

tra Milano e Torino

fra compagni di classe

fra due ore

between Milan and Turin

among classmates

in two hours/two hours’

time

Sono di Ferrara.

La domenica vado al cinema.

Sono a scuola.

Vengo da Ferrara.

Abito da mia nonna.

Luisa è in camera sua.

Devi camminare sul marciapiedi.

il ponte sull’Arno

Partite per Dublino?

Novara è fra Torino e Milano.

Siamo tra amici.

I am/come from Ferrara.

On Sundays I go to the cinema.

I’m at school.

I’m coming from Ferrara.

I live at my granny’s.

Luisa is in her room.

You have to walk on the pavement.

the bridge over the Arno

Are you leaving for Dublin?

Novara is between Turin and Milan.

We are among friends.

Vado a Pisa.

Abito a Londra.

Passo le vacanze a Cogne.

Andiamo a nord.

Cogne è a sud di Aosta.

I’m going to Pisa.

I live in London.

I spend my holidays in Cogne.

We are going north.

Cogne is south of Aosta.

Vado in Toscana.

Abito in Inghilterra.

Passo le vacanze in montagna.*

Compro il pane in panetteria.

I’m going to Tuscany.

I live in England.

I spend my holidays in the mountains.

I buy bread at the bakery/the baker’s.