The English word to in Italian has several translations. A is common for a destination such as a city or for a recipient: Vado a Roma, “I am going to Rome.” Other expressions use in, da, or per. Before an English infinitive, “to” may have no separate Italian word at all.
There is no universal Italian translation of “to.” Use a in a Roma, in in in Italia, and da in dal medico. The infinitive mangiare already means “to eat”; do not automatically put a before every infinitive.
- How Do You Say To in Italian?
- Different Italian Prepositions for To
- To in Italian: Quick Comparison
- How to Pronounce A, In, Da, and Per
- A with Articles: Al, Alla, and Other Forms
- To Before an Infinitive
- From One Time to Another
- Common Mistakes with To
- Example Sentences Using To in Italian
- Frequently Asked Questions About To in Italian
- Summary: How to Say To in Italian
How Do You Say To in Italian?
Begin with the meaning of the English phrase. “To Rome” describes a destination. “To Maria” may identify a recipient. “To learn” introduces an infinitive, and “from nine to five” describes a range. Italian handles these constructions differently.
A useful starting point is a, but learn it in complete phrases. Vado a casa means “I am going home,” while Do il libro a Maria means “I give the book to Maria.” The same preposition serves different grammatical purposes in those sentences.
Meaning: A city is the destination.
Different Italian Prepositions for To
The place or person following the preposition often determines the choice. Rather than memorizing “to = a” as an absolute rule, learn a few common destination patterns and then expand them with the vocabulary you actually use.
1. A — A Destination or Recipient
A is common with city names: a Milano, “to Milan,” and a Napoli, “to Naples.” With a motion verb, the phrase gives the destination: Andiamo a Milano, “We are going to Milan.”
It also marks a recipient or indirect object: Scrivo a Luca, “I write to Luca.” Questo regalo è per te, “This gift is for you,” is a different construction, so do not assume that every relationship involving a person uses a.
Common fixed place expressions include a casa and a scuola. A phrase can also indicate location: Sono a Roma means “I am in Rome.” The verb and context distinguish location from movement.
2. In — Countries and Certain Places
For many country names, use in: Vado in Italia, “I am going to Italy,” or Andiamo in Francia, “We are going to France.” The same phrase can indicate location with a different verb: Vivo in Italia, “I live in Italy.”
In also appears with many places and activities: in banca, “to the bank,” and in ufficio, “to the office,” in suitable motion sentences. These combinations should be learned as phrases rather than inferred only from the English article “the.”
3. Da — To a Person or Their Place
Da can indicate going to somebody or to the place associated with them. Vado da Marco means “I am going to Marco’s” or “I am going to see Marco,” depending on the situation.
For a professional, da combines with an article: Vado dal medico, “I am going to the doctor.” Dal combines da + il. The construction focuses on the person or their premises, rather than simply using the same pattern as a city name.
Da also has other meanings, including “from.” The sentence tells you which meaning applies. Do not treat it as exclusively a destination word just because it translates “to” in one example.
4. Per — Direction or Purpose
Per can indicate a destination in expressions such as il treno per Roma, “the train to Rome,” or “the train bound for Rome.” This is a particular phrase pattern, not a reason to replace a with per in every sentence containing Roma.
Before an infinitive, per can express purpose: Studio per imparare, “I study to learn.” Here English “to” means “in order to.” That purpose relationship is what makes per appropriate.
To in Italian: Quick Comparison
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| English Phrase | Italian | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| to Rome | a Roma | city destination |
| to Italy | in Italia | country destination |
| to Marco’s | da Marco | person / their place |
| to the doctor | dal medico | da + il |
| the train to Rome | il treno per Roma | bound for a destination |
| to learn, as a dictionary form | imparare | infinitive without a separate to |
| in order to learn | per imparare | purpose |
The examples demonstrate why translating a whole phrase is more reliable than replacing one English word. The same Italian expression can also translate different English prepositions. A Roma can mean “in Rome” with a location verb and “to Rome” with a movement verb.
How to Pronounce A, In, Da, and Per
A has a clear ah sound. In has a short Italian i sound, closer to “een” than the English word “in,” though English respellings are only rough guides. Da rhymes with a clear “dah.”
Per uses a short vowel and an Italian r. In natural speech, these short prepositions connect closely to the following word. Practice complete phrases such as a Roma and dal medico instead of stressing the preposition heavily.
The contracted forms should also be heard as whole words: al, alla, and alle. Clear articles and prepositions help the listener understand the grammatical relationship, even though they are small words.
A with Articles: Al, Alla, and Other Forms
When a is followed by a definite article, the two usually combine. A + il becomes al, and a + la becomes alla. For example, Vado al cinema means “I am going to the cinema.”
- a + il = al — al cinema
- a + lo = allo — allo stadio
- a + la = alla — alla stazione
- a + l’ = all’ — all’aeroporto
- a + i = ai — ai bambini
- a + gli = agli — agli studenti
- a + le = alle — alle persone
The article follows the noun’s gender, number, and initial sound. A city name such as Roma normally appears without an article in the basic phrase a Roma. A place such as la stazione uses its article, producing alla stazione.
To Before an Infinitive
An Italian infinitive already corresponds to English “to” plus a verb: mangiare, “to eat”; dormire, “to sleep”; essere, “to be.” Do not add a separate preposition just because the English dictionary translation contains “to.”
The preceding verb determines whether an Italian preposition is required. Voglio mangiare means “I want to eat,” with no preposition. Comincio a studiare means “I begin to study,” with a. Cerco di capire means “I try to understand,” with di.
Learn these as verb patterns: volere + infinitive, cominciare a + infinitive, and cercare di + infinitive. A purpose expression such as per imparare is a separate relationship. The English word “to” alone cannot tell you which pattern to choose.
From One Time to Another
In a time range, a can mark the endpoint. Dalle nove alle cinque means “from nine to five.” Dalle combines da + le, and alle combines a + le.
L’ufficio è aperto dalle nove alle cinque means “The office is open from nine to five.” Learn the complete range rather than translating the second English preposition separately and losing the articles used with the hours.
Common Mistakes with To
Do not use a before every destination or every infinitive. The basic country phrase is in Italia, and “I want to eat” is Voglio mangiare. These are ordinary patterns rather than exceptions to be ignored.
Also distinguish going to a person’s place from giving something to a person: Vado da Maria and Do il libro a Maria. The same person appears in both sentences, but the grammatical relationship differs.
Example Sentences Using To in Italian
Use: Using a for a city destination.
Use: Using dal for a professional and alle with the hour.
Use: Using per with an infinitive to express purpose.
Frequently Asked Questions About To in Italian
Tap a question below to see the answer.
What is the Italian word for to?
There is no single equivalent for every use. A is common, but in, da, per, or no separate word may be needed.
Is to Rome a Roma or in Roma?
The basic standard phrase is a Roma. Vado a Roma means “I am going to Rome.”
How do you say to Italy?
Use in Italia, as in Vado in Italia. Many country names follow this in pattern.
Why is it dal medico?
The phrase uses da with the professional’s article: da + il becomes dal. Vado dal medico means “I am going to the doctor.”
Do Italian infinitives need a word for to?
The infinitive itself can mean “to” plus the verb: mangiare, “to eat.” A preceding verb may require a or di, but the English word to does not determine that choice by itself.
How do you say from nine to five?
Say dalle nove alle cinque. This uses the contracted forms dalle and alle with the hours.
Summary: How to Say To in Italian
Translate to in Italian according to the whole construction. Learn a Roma, in Italia, da Marco, and dal medico as common destination phrases. Use per when the expression calls for direction or purpose.
For infinitives, learn the preceding verb’s pattern: voglio mangiare, comincio a studiare, and cerco di capire. These complete examples are a stronger guide than assuming that one Italian word replaces every English “to.”
