Italian grammar · Beginner
Da in Italian
Da is the Italian preposition for from, but it also means at or to someone's place, since or for with time that is still going on, by in the passive, and for in the sense of purpose (una tazza da tè). Before a definite article it fuses into dal, dallo, dall', dalla, dai, dagli, or dalle. Unlike di, da does not normally shorten before a vowel.
Studio italiano da due anni.
I've been studying Italian for two years.
What it is
Da starts from the idea of from, a point of origin. From there it covers someone's home or workplace (vado da Marco, vado dal medico), how long something has been going on (abito qui da tre anni), the agent of a passive verb (scritto da Calvino), and what an object is for (occhiali da sole).
Arrivo da Roma (I'm arriving from Rome), sono da Laura (I'm at Laura's), aspetto da un'ora (I've been waiting for an hour).
How to spot it
Ask whether English has from, since, by, or at someone's. A length of time with da goes with a present tense verb in Italian, where English uses have been.
- Il treno arriva da Napoli. (The train is arriving from Naples.)
- Stasera ceniamo da Paolo. (We're having dinner at Paolo's tonight.)
- Lavoro qui da cinque anni. (I've worked here for five years.)
- Il quadro è stato dipinto da un artista locale. (The painting was painted by a local artist.)
With people and with professionals, da means at or to their place: dal dentista, dal parrucchiere, dalla nonna.
Da Quick Reference
The main uses of da
| Use | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Origin, starting point | Torno da Parigi. | I'm coming back from Paris. |
| Someone's home | Vado da Giulia. | I'm going to Giulia's. |
| A professional's place | Sono dal medico. | I'm at the doctor's. |
| Time still going on (for) | Vivo qui da tre anni. | I've lived here for three years. |
| Time still going on (since) | Ti aspetto dalle cinque. | I've been waiting for you since five. |
| Agent in the passive | Il libro è stato tradotto da mia zia. | The book was translated by my aunt. |
| Purpose or function | una tazza da tè | a teacup |
| Range | da lunedì a venerdì | from Monday to Friday |
| Stage of life | Da bambino giocavo a calcio. | As a child I played football. |
| Something to do | Ho molto da fare. | I have a lot to do. |
Common Da Examples in Italian
Da across its main uses:
From a Place
- Sono appena tornata dall'ufficio.
- I've just got back from the office.
- Da dove vieni?
- Where are you from?
Da dove vieni? and Di dove sei? both ask where someone is from.
At Someone's Place
- Domani vado dal dentista.
- Tomorrow I'm going to the dentist's.
- Stanotte dormo dai miei genitori.
- Tonight I'm sleeping at my parents'.
Da covers both going to and being at the place, just as English 's does.
Since and For
- Ci conosciamo da dieci anni.
- We've known each other for ten years.
- Piove da stamattina.
- It's been raining since this morning.
Da covers both since and for. The verb is in the present because the action is still going on.
Purpose and Description
- Mi servono delle scarpe da ginnastica.
- I need some trainers.
- Ho ancora tre esami da preparare.
- I still have three exams to prepare for.
- una camera da letto
- a bedroom
Da between two nouns gives the purpose: una tazza da tè is a teacup, una tazza di tè is a cup of tea.
How Da Works
Five habits explain almost every appearance of da in a sentence.
Da Plus the Article Always Fuses
Whenever da comes before il, lo, l', la, i, gli, or le, the two become one word: dal, dallo, dall', dalla, dai, dagli, dalle.
Esco dalla stazione e giro a destra.
I come out of the station and turn right.
da + la = dalla.
Da With Time Takes the Present
For an action that started in the past and is still going on, Italian uses the present tense plus da. English uses the present perfect (have been, have lived). This is the single most important use of da for English speakers.
Aspetto l'autobus da venti minuti.
I've been waiting for the bus for twenty minutes.
present + da + time.
Da With a Person Means Their Place
Da plus a name or a profession means that person's home, shop, or office. Italian needs no word for house or shop: da Marco is at Marco's, dal macellaio is at the butcher's.
Sabato ceniamo da Marco.
On Saturday we're having dinner at Marco's.
da + person = at or to their place.
Da Does Not Normally Shorten
Di often becomes d' before a vowel, but da keeps its full form: da Anna, da otto anni, da oggi. A reader who sees d' will take it as di, so write da in full.
Ho ricevuto un messaggio da Anna.
I got a message from Anna.
da Anna, da oggi.
Noun Plus Da Plus Infinitive
After a noun or a word like qualcosa, niente, or molto, da plus an infinitive means something to do or something that needs doing.
Vuoi qualcosa da bere?
Would you like something to drink?
qualcosa da bere, niente da fare.
Common Mistakes with Da
Incorrect: Torno da il lavoro alle sei. (I get back from work at six.)
Correct: Torno dal lavoro alle sei. (I get back from work at six.)
Da and il must fuse into dal. The same is true for every definite article.
Incorrect: Ho vissuto qui per tre anni. (I've lived here for three years (and I still do).)
Correct: Vivo qui da tre anni. (I've lived here for three years (and I still do).)
If the action is still going on, Italian uses the present plus da. Ho vissuto qui per tre anni means the three years are over and you no longer live there.
Incorrect: Vado al medico. (I'm going to the doctor's.)
Correct: Vado dal medico. (I'm going to the doctor's.)
When you go to a person, not a building, Italian uses da. Compare vado all'ospedale (to the hospital) with vado dal medico (to the doctor).
Incorrect: Sono da Roma. (I'm from Rome.)
Correct: Sono di Roma. (I'm from Rome.)
Essere takes di for a hometown. Da goes with venire: vengo da Roma.
Da With the Definite Article
Da never stands next to a definite article in running Italian. The two fuse into one word, and da keeps its shape.
Da with each definite article
Choose the article the noun takes on its own, then attach it to da.
| Pronoun | il | lo | l' | la | i | gli | le |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| da | dal | dallo | dall' | dalla | dai | dagli | dalle |
In use: dal medico, dallo zio, dall'aeroporto, dalla stazione, dai nonni, dagli amici, dalle sei.
Fixed Expressions With Da
These phrases use da in ways that do not follow from from. Learn them as whole units.
Stage of life
Da plus a noun or adjective for a stage of life means when I was or as a: da bambino (as a child), da giovane (when I was young), da grande (when I grow up).
- Da piccola abitavo in campagna.
- When I was little I lived in the countryside.
- Cosa vuoi fare da grande?
- What do you want to be when you grow up?
The noun or adjective agrees with the person: da bambino for a boy, da bambina for a girl.
Everyday phrases
Several common phrases are built on da: da solo (alone, on your own), da vicino (close up), da lontano (from a distance).
- Vivo da solo.
- I live alone.
- Visto da vicino, è molto bello.
- Seen close up, it's very beautiful.
- Si vede da lontano.
- You can see it from a distance.
Solo agrees too: da sola, da soli, da sole.
Like or as
Da can mean acting as or in the manner of: comportarsi da amico (to behave like a friend), fare da guida (to act as a guide).
- Si è comportato da vero amico.
- He behaved like a true friend.
- Oggi faccio da guida.
- Today I'm acting as the guide.
Fare da always means to play the role of, even for a short time.
Worth doing
Da plus an infinitive after a noun can mean worth doing or that must be done: da vedere, da non perdere.
- È un film da vedere.
- It's a film worth seeing.
- È una mostra da non perdere.
- It's an exhibition not to be missed.
This structure is common in reviews and travel guides.
Quick Check: Da
Fill each gap with da or the correct fused form.
1. Abito a Torino ___ due anni.
Answer: da
still living there, so present + da
2. Stasera andiamo ___ (da + i) nonni.
Answer: dai
da + i = dai
3. Il treno ___ (da + l') aeroporto è in ritardo.
Answer: dall'
aeroporto starts with a vowel, so l'
4. Ho bisogno di un costume ___ bagno.
Answer: da
purpose: costume da bagno is a swimsuit
5. Questa foto è stata scattata ___ mio fratello.
Answer: da
the agent in a passive takes da
Da FAQs
- What does da mean in Italian?
- Mainly from. It also means at or to someone's place (da Marco, dal medico), since or for with ongoing time (da tre anni), by in the passive (scritto da Calvino), and for with purpose (una tazza da tè).
- How do you say for and since with time in Italian?
- For an action that is still going on, use the present tense plus da: lavoro qui da cinque anni (I've worked here for five years), aspetto dalle tre (I've been waiting since three). For a finished period, use per or no preposition: ho lavorato lì per cinque anni.
- How do you say at someone's house in Italian?
- Use da plus the person: sono da Laura (I'm at Laura's), vado da Laura (I'm going to Laura's). The same works for shops and professionals: dal medico, dal parrucchiere.
- What is the difference between da and di?
- Da marks movement from a place (vengo da Roma), someone's place, ongoing time, and the agent of a passive. Di marks belonging, material, and the hometown after essere (sono di Roma). Between two nouns, da gives the purpose (una tazza da tè) and di gives the content (una tazza di tè).
- What are the contractions of da?
- Da + il = dal, da + lo = dallo, da + l' = dall', da + la = dalla, da + i = dai, da + gli = dagli, da + le = dalle. The fused form is required whenever da comes directly before a definite article.