What does a mean in Italian?

Mainly to and at. It marks where you are going or where you are in a city (vado a Roma, abito a Roma), the time (alle otto), and the person who receives something (scrivo a Giulia). Many verbs also need a before an infinitive.

When do you use a and when do you use in?

Use a with cities and towns: vado a Milano, abito a Milano. Use in with countries, regions, and large islands: vado in Italia, abito in Sicilia. Some set places also take a (a casa, a scuola), while others take in (in banca, in ufficio).

What are the contractions of a with the article?

A + il = al, a + lo = allo, a + l' = all', a + la = alla, a + i = ai, a + gli = agli, a + le = alle. The fused form is required whenever a comes directly before a definite article.

When does a become ad?

Mostly before a word that starts with a: ad Anna, ad andare. Before other vowels, plain a is the usual modern choice (a Elena, a Ugo), apart from a few set phrases such as ad esempio (for example).

Why do some Italian verbs take a before an infinitive?

It is a fixed property of each verb. Cominciare, continuare, imparare, aiutare, and riuscire take a; finire, cercare, and decidere take di; volere, potere, and dovere take nothing. Learn each verb together with its preposition.

Italian grammar · Beginner

A in Italian

Written by Parrot Italian Team, Italian Curriculum Editors · Reviewed October 2026

A is the Italian preposition for to and at. It marks a destination, a location in a city, a time on the clock, and the person who receives something. Before a definite article it fuses into al, allo, all', alla, ai, agli, or alle, and before a word starting with a it often becomes ad.

Domani vado a Roma.

Tomorrow I'm going to Rome.

What it is

A usually means to or at. It takes you to a city (vado a Milano), places you in one (abito a Milano), tells the time (alle otto), and marks the person who receives an action (do il libro a Marco). English uses to, at, in, and sometimes no preposition at all where Italian uses a.

Vado a Napoli (I'm going to Naples), abito a Napoli (I live in Naples), il treno parte alle sei (the train leaves at six).

How to spot it

Ask whether English has to or at. With cities, a covers both movement and location, so Italian does not switch to in the way English does.

Vado a Firenze. (I'm going to Florence.)
Abito a Venezia. (I live in Venice.)
Ci vediamo alle otto. (See you at eight.)
Ho dato un regalo a mia madre. (I gave my mother a present.)

With countries and regions, Italian uses in, not a: vado in Italia, abito in Toscana. The A vs In page covers this choice in detail.

A Quick Reference

The main uses of a

Use	Example	Translation
Destination: a city	Vado a Torino.	I'm going to Turin.
Location: a city	Lavoro a Torino.	I work in Turin.
Set places	Sono a casa. Vado a scuola.	I'm at home. I go to school.
Clock time	La lezione inizia alle nove.	The lesson starts at nine.
Indirect object	Scrivo a Giulia.	I'm writing to Giulia.
Verb + infinitive	Comincio a capire.	I'm starting to understand.
Purpose after a verb of motion	Vado a mangiare.	I'm going to go and eat.
Style or manner	spaghetti alla carbonara	spaghetti carbonara
Rate and frequency	due volte al giorno	twice a day
Distance	a due chilometri da qui	two kilometres from here

Common A Examples in Italian

A across its main uses:

Cities and Set Places

Il mio amico abita a Londra.: My friend lives in London.
Stasera resto a casa.: I'm staying home tonight.
I bambini sono a scuola.: The children are at school.

A casa and a scuola take no article. Compare al cinema and al mare, which do.

Times

Il film comincia alle nove e mezza.: The film starts at half past nine.
Ci vediamo a mezzogiorno.: See you at midday.
A domani.: See you tomorrow.

Clock times take the article (alle nove, all'una). Mezzogiorno and mezzanotte do not.

People Who Receive Something

Ho spedito una lettera ai nonni.: I sent a letter to my grandparents.
Puoi passare il sale a Marco?: Can you pass Marco the salt?

English can drop to (pass Marco the salt). Italian always marks the receiver with a.

Verbs Before an Infinitive

Mi aiuti a portare le borse?: Will you help me carry the bags?
Ho imparato a nuotare da bambino.: I learned to swim as a child.

Aiutare, imparare, cominciare, continuare, and riuscire all take a before an infinitive.

How A Works

Five habits explain almost every appearance of a in a sentence.

A Plus the Article Always Fuses

Whenever a comes before il, lo, l', la, i, gli, or le, the two become one word: al, allo, all', alla, ai, agli, alle. The separate sequence is never correct.

Andiamo al cinema stasera?

Shall we go to the cinema tonight?

a + il = al.

Cities Take A, Countries Take In

Use a for cities and towns, both for going there and for being there. Use in for countries, regions, and large islands. English uses to and in, which does not match either split.

Abito a Milano, in Italia.

I live in Milan, in Italy.

a + city, in + country.

The Receiver Is Always Marked

English can say I gave Marco the book with no preposition. Italian must mark the person who receives with a, and the usual order is the thing first, then a plus the person.

Ho dato il libro a Marco.

I gave Marco the book.

to someone = a + person.

Ad Before a Vowel

Before a word that starts with a, a usually becomes ad to avoid two a sounds together: ad Anna, ad andare. Before other vowels, plain a is the modern standard choice.

Ho scritto ad Anna.

I wrote to Anna.

ad Anna, but a Elena.

Verbs of Motion Plus A Plus Infinitive

After andare, venire, uscire, and similar verbs, a plus an infinitive gives the purpose of the movement. English uses to or and: go and buy, come and see.

Esco a comprare il pane.

I'm going out to buy bread.

andare a + infinitive.

Common Mistakes with A

Incorrect: Vado a il mare. (I'm going to the seaside.)

Correct: Vado al mare. (I'm going to the seaside.)

A and il must fuse into al. The same is true for every definite article.

Incorrect: Abito in Roma. (I live in Rome.)

Correct: Abito a Roma. (I live in Rome.)

English says in Rome, but Italian uses a with cities, for location as well as movement.

Incorrect: Vado a Italia. (I'm going to Italy.)

Correct: Vado in Italia. (I'm going to Italy.)

Countries take in, not a, even for movement. This is the mirror image of the city rule.

Incorrect: Ho telefonato Marco. (I phoned Marco.)

Correct: Ho telefonato a Marco. (I phoned Marco.)

English phone takes a direct object, but Italian telefonare takes a before the person.

A With the Definite Article

A never stands next to a definite article in running Italian. The two fuse into one word, and a keeps its shape.

A with each definite article

Choose the article the noun takes on its own, then attach it to a.

Pronoun	il	lo	l'	la	i	gli	le
a	al	allo	all'	alla	ai	agli	alle

In use: al bar, allo stadio, all'aeroporto, alla stazione, ai genitori, agli amici, alle cinque.

Fixed Expressions With A

These phrases use a in ways that do not follow from to or at. Learn them as whole units.

Manner and style

A describes how something is done or made: a piedi (on foot), a mano (by hand), alla griglia (grilled), alla romana (Roman style).

Vado al lavoro a piedi.: I walk to work.
Questo maglione è fatto a mano.: This jumper is handmade.
Ho ordinato le verdure alla griglia.: I ordered the grilled vegetables.

Alla in a dish name stands for alla maniera, in the style of.

Everyday phrases

A few short a phrases appear in almost every conversation: a presto (see you soon), a dopo (see you later), a proposito (by the way), a volte (sometimes).

A volte mangio fuori.: Sometimes I eat out.
Ciao, a presto.: Bye, see you soon.
A proposito, hai chiamato Sara?: By the way, did you call Sara?

A plus a time word is the standard way to say see you then: a domani, a lunedì, a stasera.

Verbs that take a before an infinitive

A large group of verbs needs a before a following infinitive: cominciare a, continuare a, imparare a, aiutare a, riuscire a, provare a.

Non riesco a dormire.: I can't sleep.
Continua a piovere.: It keeps raining.
Prova a chiamarlo.: Try calling him.

The choice between a and di after a verb is fixed for each verb. Learn the verb with its preposition.

Frequency and price

A plus the article gives a rate: al giorno (a day), alla settimana (a week), al chilo (per kilo), all'ora (per hour).

Vado in palestra tre volte alla settimana.: I go to the gym three times a week.
Le mele costano due euro al chilo.: Apples cost two euros a kilo.

English uses a or per here. Italian uses a plus the definite article.

Quick Check: A

Fill each gap with a, ad, in, or the correct fused form of a.

1. La lezione comincia ___ (a + le) dieci.

Answer: alle

clock times take the feminine plural article

2. Abito ___ Bologna.

Answer: a

cities take a

3. Do il regalo ___ (a + gli) zii.

Answer: agli

zii takes gli

4. Non riesco ___ aprire la porta.

Answer: a

riuscire a + infinitive

5. Quest'estate vado ___ Grecia.

Answer: in

countries take in, not a

6. Ho detto tutto ___ Andrea.

Answer: ad

a usually becomes ad before a word starting with a

A FAQs

What does a mean in Italian?: Mainly to and at. It marks where you are going or where you are in a city (vado a Roma, abito a Roma), the time (alle otto), and the person who receives something (scrivo a Giulia). Many verbs also need a before an infinitive.
When do you use a and when do you use in?: Use a with cities and towns: vado a Milano, abito a Milano. Use in with countries, regions, and large islands: vado in Italia, abito in Sicilia. Some set places also take a (a casa, a scuola), while others take in (in banca, in ufficio).
What are the contractions of a with the article?: A + il = al, a + lo = allo, a + l' = all', a + la = alla, a + i = ai, a + gli = agli, a + le = alle. The fused form is required whenever a comes directly before a definite article.
When does a become ad?: Mostly before a word that starts with a: ad Anna, ad andare. Before other vowels, plain a is the usual modern choice (a Elena, a Ugo), apart from a few set phrases such as ad esempio (for example).
Why do some Italian verbs take a before an infinitive?: It is a fixed property of each verb. Cominciare, continuare, imparare, aiutare, and riuscire take a; finire, cercare, and decidere take di; volere, potere, and dovere take nothing. Learn each verb together with its preposition.