Articulated prepositions: nel, nella, etc.

Interesting fact: you'd think to say in il ristorante, and you would be right. However, whenever you combine in and il, this becomes nel!

This also works for in la, which becomes nella!

Italian frequently uses contractions, combining prepositions with definite articles. Here are some common examples:

• a + il = al
• a + lo = allo
• a + la = alla
• a + l' = all'
• di + il = del
• di + lo = dello
• di + la = della
• di + l' = dell'
• da + il = dal
• da + lo = dallo
• da + la = dalla
• da + l' = dall'
• su + il = sul
• su + lo = sullo
• su + la = sulla
• su + l' = sull'

Italian contractions make sentences more fluid and are a key part of the language. By combining prepositions with definite articles, you create smoother, more natural phrases. But please don't try and memorize these contractions. At some point you will start to "feel" them! Because from a speaking perspective, they really make sense.

Learn Italian for free