What are articulated prepositions in Italian?

They are single words formed by a simple preposition and a definite article: di + il = del, a + la = alla, in + gli = negli. Italian requires the fused form whenever one of these prepositions comes directly before a definite article.

Which Italian prepositions combine with the article?

Five: di, a, da, in, and su. Each combines with all seven definite articles (il, lo, l', la, i, gli, le), which gives 35 forms. Di becomes de- (del, della) and in becomes ne- (nel, nella).

Do con and per combine with the article?

Not in modern standard Italian. You write con il, con la, per il, per le. Col and coi are still common in speech and informal writing, but forms such as colla, pel, and pei are old-fashioned.

When do you not use an articulated preposition?

When the noun has no definite article. This happens with many fixed phrases (a casa, in Italia, di sera), with singular family members after a possessive (a mia madre), with names of people and cities (da Marco, a Roma), and before un, uno, or una.

How do I choose between del, dello, and dell'?

Use the same rule as for the article. Del goes where you would say il (del libro), dello where you would say lo (dello studente, dello zio), and dell' where you would say l' (dell'amico, dell'acqua).

Italian grammar · Beginner

Italian Articulated Prepositions

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

Italian articulated prepositions (preposizioni articolate) are single words made when di, a, da, in, or su meets a definite article: di + il = del, a + la = alla, in + i = nei. English keeps of the and in the as two words, but Italian must fuse them. Con and per stay separate in modern standard Italian.

Il libro è sul tavolo della cucina.

The book is on the kitchen table.

What it is

An articulated preposition is a simple preposition and a definite article written as one word. Whenever di, a, da, in, or su comes directly before il, lo, l', la, i, gli, or le, the two fuse. The article part keeps the form it would have on its own, so the choice still depends on the gender, the number, and the first sound of the next word.

di + il libro = del libro (of the book), a + lo stadio = allo stadio (to the stadium), in + l'acqua = nell'acqua (in the water).

How to spot it

Look for short words that begin like a preposition and end like an article: del, alla, dagli, nelle, sui. If you can split the word into a preposition and an article, it is an articulated preposition.

Vengo dalla stazione. (I'm coming from the station.)
Le chiavi sono nella borsa. (The keys are in the bag.)
Parliamo del film. (We're talking about the film.)
Ho telefonato ai miei genitori. (I phoned my parents.)

The articles that begin with l (lo, l', la, le) double the l when they fuse: dello, dell', della, delle. Il gives a single l (del), i gives none (dei), and gli simply attaches (degli).

Articulated Prepositions Quick Reference

Every simple preposition that fuses, combined with every definite article

Preposition	il	lo	l'	la	i	gli	le
di	del	dello	dell'	della	dei	degli	delle
a	al	allo	all'	alla	ai	agli	alle
da	dal	dallo	dall'	dalla	dai	dagli	dalle
in	nel	nello	nell'	nella	nei	negli	nelle
su	sul	sullo	sull'	sulla	sui	sugli	sulle

Common Articulated Prepositions Examples in Italian

Articulated prepositions in everyday sentences, grouped by preposition:

Di: Of, About

il colore del mare: the colour of the sea
la casa degli zii: the aunt and uncle's house

Di changes to de- when it fuses: del, dello, della, degli.

A: To, At

Vado al mercato.: I'm going to the market.
Siamo all'aeroporto.: We're at the airport.

Al is the form you will use most: al bar, al cinema, al mare.

Da: From, At Someone's Place

Torno dall'ufficio alle sei.: I get back from the office at six.
Vado dal medico.: I'm going to the doctor's.

Da with a person means their home or workplace, so dal medico is the doctor's surgery.

In and Su: In, On

Il latte è nel frigorifero.: The milk is in the fridge.
Ci sono due gatti sul divano.: There are two cats on the sofa.
Ho letto la notizia sul giornale.: I read the news in the newspaper.

In changes to ne- when it fuses: nel, nella, negli. Where English reads something in the newspaper, Italian uses su: sul giornale.

How Italian Articulated Prepositions Are Formed

Choose the article first, then fuse it. Four rules cover almost every case.

The Noun Chooses the Article, Not the Preposition

Decide which article the noun takes on its own (lo zaino, l'albero, gli studenti), then join it to the preposition. If you know the article rules, you already know which articulated form to use.

Ho messo il telefono nello zaino.

I put the phone in the backpack.

lo zaino → nello zaino.

Di Becomes De- and In Becomes Ne-

A, da, and su keep their shape: al, dal, sul. Di and in change shape before the article attaches: di becomes de- and in becomes ne-, which gives del and nel.

Il nome della via è nel messaggio.

The name of the street is in the message.

di → de-, in → ne-.

Con and Per Stay Separate

In modern standard Italian, con and per are written as two words with the article: con il, con la, per il, per gli. You will still hear col and coi in speech, but forms such as colla and pel are old-fashioned.

Parlo con il direttore.

I'm speaking with the manager.

con il, per il: always two words.

No Article, No Fusion

Many phrases use a simple preposition with no article at all: a casa, in Italia, di sera, da Marco. With no article to fuse, the preposition stays as it is. The indefinite articles un, uno, and una never fuse either.

Stasera resto a casa.

I'm staying home tonight.

Only a definite article triggers the fusion.

Common Mistakes with Articulated Prepositions

Incorrect: Il libro è su il tavolo. (The book is on the table.)

Correct: Il libro è sul tavolo. (The book is on the table.)

Su and il must fuse into sul. Leaving them as two words is never correct in running Italian, even though English keeps on the as two words.

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

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

A + il is always al. The same applies to di, da, in, and su with every definite article.

Incorrect: Ho messo le chiavi nel zaino. (I put the keys in the backpack.)

Correct: Ho messo le chiavi nello zaino. (I put the keys in the backpack.)

Zaino starts with z, so its article is lo, not il. The articulated preposition follows the article: in + lo = nello.

Incorrect: Ho telefonato alla mia madre. (I phoned my mother.)

Correct: Ho telefonato a mia madre. (I phoned my mother.)

Singular family nouns with a possessive take no article, so there is nothing for a to fuse with.

When the Preposition Stays Simple and When It Fuses

Most uncertainty comes from whether the noun takes an article at all. These three groups decide it.

Possessives with family members

A singular family noun with a possessive takes no article, so the preposition stays simple: a mia madre, di mio padre. In the plural the article returns, and the preposition fuses.

Ho scritto a mia sorella.: I wrote to my sister.
Ho scritto alle mie sorelle.: I wrote to my sisters.
È la macchina di mio padre.: It's my father's car.
Parlo spesso dei miei nonni.: I often talk about my grandparents.

Loro is the exception: it always takes the article, so you say alla loro madre.

Countries

Most singular countries take plain in with no article: in Italia, in Francia, in Giappone. Plural country names and names built on a noun take the article, so in fuses.

Vivo in Italia.: I live in Italy.
Lavora nel Regno Unito.: He works in the United Kingdom.
Sono stati negli Stati Uniti.: They have been to the United States.

If you would say l'Italia on its own, you still say in Italia after the preposition.

Clock times and years

Clock times use the feminine plural article, because ore (hours) is understood, so they fuse with a and da. Years take il, so in becomes nel.

Il negozio apre alle nove.: The shop opens at nine.
Lavoro dalle nove alle cinque.: I work from nine to five.
Sono nato nel 1995.: I was born in 1995.

One o'clock is singular: all'una, dall'una.

Quick Check: Articulated Prepositions

Fill each gap with the correct form. The parts to combine are in brackets.

1. Il gatto dorme ___ (su + il) divano.

Answer: sul

su + il = sul

2. Questa è la casa ___ (di + gli) zii.

Answer: degli

zii takes gli, so di + gli = degli

3. Stasera andiamo ___ (a + lo) stadio.

Answer: allo

stadio starts with s + consonant, so lo

4. Esco ___ (da + l') ufficio alle sei.

Answer: dall'

ufficio starts with a vowel, so l'

5. Metti il latte ___ (in + il) frigo.

Answer: nel

in + il = nel

6. Parlo ___ (con + il) professore.

Answer: con il

con does not fuse in modern standard Italian (col is possible in speech)

Articulated Prepositions FAQs

What are articulated prepositions in Italian?: They are single words formed by a simple preposition and a definite article: di + il = del, a + la = alla, in + gli = negli. Italian requires the fused form whenever one of these prepositions comes directly before a definite article.
Which Italian prepositions combine with the article?: Five: di, a, da, in, and su. Each combines with all seven definite articles (il, lo, l', la, i, gli, le), which gives 35 forms. Di becomes de- (del, della) and in becomes ne- (nel, nella).
Do con and per combine with the article?: Not in modern standard Italian. You write con il, con la, per il, per le. Col and coi are still common in speech and informal writing, but forms such as colla, pel, and pei are old-fashioned.
When do you not use an articulated preposition?: When the noun has no definite article. This happens with many fixed phrases (a casa, in Italia, di sera), with singular family members after a possessive (a mia madre), with names of people and cities (da Marco, a Roma), and before un, uno, or una.
How do I choose between del, dello, and dell'?: Use the same rule as for the article. Del goes where you would say il (del libro), dello where you would say lo (dello studente, dello zio), and dell' where you would say l' (dell'amico, dell'acqua).