Grammar, spelling, and usage
Italian Preposition A
The Italian preposition a can mean "to," "at," or "in," depending on how you use it in context. You will need preposition a in the following cases:
1. To express the idea of going somewhere or staying somewhere (with names of cities):
Vado a Milano. (I go to Milan.)
2. Before direct objects:
Scriva a Rita. (He/she writes to Rita.)
3. The preposition a is also used with several verbs. Often those are verbs of motion, but in other instances it's a case of usage. That means either you'll have to commit them to memory, or, more likely, you'll grow accustomed to the usage over time as you listen and read Italian:
andare a... (to go to)
4. To form several grammatical constructions with particular significance:
a mezzogiorno (at noontime)
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Vado al mercato ogni lunedì. (I go to the market every Monday.)
Si trova a Venezia. (It can be found in Venice.)
Si trova alla piazza. (It can be found in the plaza.)
Scriviamo alla zia. (We write to our aunt.)
Telefonano agli amici. (They call their friends.)
fermarsi a... (to stop)
incoraggiare a... (to encourage)
invitare a... (to invite to)
insegnare a... (to teach)
riuscire a... (to succeed)
venire a... (to come to)
alle tre (at three)
barca a vela (sailboat)
sedia a rotelle (wheelchair)
Italian Language Study Resources Language Lessons: Italian grammar, spelling, and usage. Audio Phrasebook: Improve your pronunciation and build your vocabulary. Workbook Exercises: Worksheets, drills, activities, and review. Buon Divertimento: Italian jokes, riddles, and puns. Italian Verbs: Formation, moods, tenses, and table of conjugations. Study Guides: Challenge your skills and test your knowledge of various topics. Audio Lab: Word of the day, survival phrases, ABC's, numbers, and conversation.

