Come il cacio sui maccheroni! Italian Articulated Prepositions

In this post we’re going to learn Italian articulated prepositions, also known as contracted prepositions. If you’re not sure what that is, there’s an example of one in the idiom come il cacio sui maccheroni. Cacio is another term for formaggio, or cheese, and the idiom literally means like cheese on macaroni. If you want to express that two things go together beautifully, you can say that they’re come il cacio sui maccheroni. Sui is our example of an articulated preposition. It’s the preposition su (on) combined with the definite article i. These contracted prepositions are very common in Italian, so they’re an important part of the grammar to master.

In this post we’ll cover what you need to know to do that. First, we’ll define articulated (or contracted) prepositions, adding a few more examples than sui. Then we’ll look at each preposition that behaves this way, one at a time. First we’ll start with a (to, at). Then we’ll move on to di (of) and da (from). After that we’ll cover in (in) and su (on). For each preposition, we’ll show you all the contracted forms you need to know, along with plenty of examples.

What Are Italian Articulated Prepositions?

An articulated preposition, or a contracted preposition, is when the Italian definite article (il, lo, l’, la, i, gli, le) fuses with certain prepositions (di, a, da, in, su) to create contractions. This avoids awkward sounds and improves fluidity in speech. Sui in come il cacio sui maccheroni is a contraction of su and i. Here are some more examples:

• di + il → del
  È il libro del professore (It’s the professor’s book.)
• su + lo → sullo
  Il libro è sullo scaffale. (The book is on the shelf.)
• in + la à nella
  Siamo nella cucina di Maria. (We’re in Maria’s kitchen.)

Now, let’s explore each preposition in detail.

Italian Contracted Prepositions by Preposition

Articulated prepositions happen when the prepositions a (to, at), di (of), da (from), in (in) or su (on) are followed by a definite article.

A (to, at, in)

The preposition a combines with definite articles to indicate direction, location, or time.

• Vado al supermercato.
  I’m going to the supermarket.
• Sono allo zoo con i bambini.
  I’m at the zoo with the kids.
• La festa è all’aperto.
  The party is outdoors.
• Parliamo alla maestra.
  We talk to the teacher.
• Scrivo ai miei amici.
  I write to my friends.
• Regalo un libro agli studenti.
  I give a book to the students.

Di (of, from, about)

Di expresses possession, origin, or topic. When it contracts, the i changes to e as follows:

• Il libro del professore è interessante.
  The professor’s book is interesting.
• Mi piace l’odore dello zabaglione.
  I like the smell of the zabaglione.
• La copertina dell’agenda è rossa.
  The cover of the planner is red.
• Questa è la macchina della mia amica.
  This is my friend’s car.
• I colori dei fiori sono belli.
  The colors of the flowers are beautiful.
• Parliamo degli esami di domani.
  We talk about tomorrow’s exams.

Da (from, since, by)

Da is used to indicate origin, a point of departure, or the agent in passive sentences. The da contractions are identical to the di contractions, with an a instead of an e.

• Vengo dal ristorante.
  I come from the restaurant.
• Arriva dallo stadio.
  He arrives from the stadium.
• Esce dall’ufficio.
  She leaves the office.
• Sono partita dalla stazione ferroviaria.
  I left from the train station.
• Prendiamo i libri dai banchi.
  We take the books from the desks.
• Ricevo aiuto dagli insegnanti.
  I receive help from the teachers.

In (in, into, inside)

In is used for locations, means of transport, and time expressions. All the articulated prepositions based on in start with ne-.

• Vivo nel centro della città.
  I live in the city center.
• Chi vedi nello specchio?
  Who do you see in the mirror?
• C’è tanta luce nell’aula.
  There is a lot of light in the classroom.
• Metti il vestito nella valigia.
  Put the dress in the suitcase.
• I quaderni sono nei cassetti.
  The notebooks are in the drawers.
• Abitiamo negli Stati Uniti.
  We live in the United States.

Su (on, about)

Su means on when referring to a physical location or about when referring to a topic of discussion.

• Il libro è sul tavolo.
  The book is on the table.
• Scrivo un articolo sullo sport.
  I write an article about sports.
• L’informazione è sull’internet.
  The information is on the internet.
• Metti il bicchiere sulla mensola.
  Put the glass on the shelf.
• Ho trovato le chiavi sui sedili.
  I found the keys on the seats.
• Ci sono foglie sugli alberi.
  There are leaves on the trees.

Summary Table of Articulated Prepositions

Now let’s look at a table summarizing all of the Italian contracted prepositions. As you can see, they follow verb predictable patterns. The only two changes you have to keep in mind are di > de… and in > ne…

Practice

Finally, see how well you know Italian articulated prepositions with this practice exercise. Complete each sentence with the missing contraction. Then translate. Answers are below.

1. Vengo _____ la stazione. (da)
2. Partiamo _____ aeroporto domani mattina. (da)
3. Il libro è _____ tavolo. (su)
4. Abitiamo _____ centro della città. (in)
5. Il gatto salta _____ sedia. (su)
6. Stasera ceniamo _____ amici. (da)
7. La farmacia si trova _____ angolo della strada. (a)
8. Questo regalo è _____ miei genitori. (da)
9. Metto il quaderno _____ zaino. (in)
10. Il ristorante si trova _____ piazza principale. (in)
11. Sono tornato _____ vacanze ieri. (da)
12. Ho comprato il vestito _____ negozio elegante. (in)
13. Il museo è _____ parte vecchia della città. (in)
14. Abbiamo parlato _____ progetto tutto il giorno. (di)
15. Ho lasciato le chiavi _____ macchina. (in)

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Answer Key

1. Vengo dalla stazione.  I’m coming from the station.
2. Partiamo dall’aeroporto domani mattina.  We are leaving from the airport tomorrow morning.
3. Il libro è sul tavolo. The book is on the table.
4. Abitiamo nel centro della città. We live in the city center.
5. Il gatto salta sulla sedia. The cat jumps on the chair.
6. Stasera ceniamo dagli amici. Tonight we are having dinner at our friends’ place.
7. La farmacia si trova all’angolo della strada. The pharmacy is at the corner of the street.
8. Questo regalo è dai miei genitori. This gift is from my parents.
9. Metto il quaderno nello zaino. I’m putting the notebook in the backpack.
10. Il ristorante si trova nella piazza principale. The restaurant is in the main square.
11. Sono tornato dalle vacanze ieri. I came back from vacation yesterday.
12. Ho comprato il vestito nel negozio elegante. I bought the dress in the elegant store.
13. Il museo è nella parte vecchia della città. The museum is in the old part of the city.
14. Abbiamo parlato del progetto tutto il giorno. We talked about the project all day.
15. Ho lasciato le chiavi nella macchina. I left the keys in the car.

Image by Amanda Whitlatch from Pixabay