Italian “A” vs “IN”: Places, Time, and the Most Common Real-Life Expressions (with Examples)

English is happy with one preposition doing many jobs: to, in, at…

Italian is pickier. Two of the most confusing (and most frequent) are a and in.

In this guide you’ll learn the patterns Italians actually use for:

• going to places (vado a vs vado in)
• being in/at places (sono a vs sono in)
• common time expressions (a gennaio? in gennaio?)
• high-frequency fixed phrases you can memorize as chunks

Table of Contents

• The big idea: point vs “inside”
• Cities and small destinations: a
• Countries, regions, and big areas: in
• Places inside a city: a vs in (common nouns)
• Transport: a vs in
• Time expressions with a and in
• 5 common learner mistakes (and quick fixes)
• Mini-drills (practice)

The big idea: point vs “inside”

A practical way to remember the difference:

• a often feels like “to/at a point” (a city, a specific spot)
• in often feels like “in/inside an area” (a country, a region, a space)

This isn’t a perfect scientific rule (Italian has many fixed expressions), but it predicts a lot of real usage.

Cities and small destinations: a

With most cities (and many small destinations), Italian uses a:

• Vado a Roma. = I’m going to Rome.
• Domani andiamo a Milano. = Tomorrow we’re going to Milan.
• Sono a Firenze per lavoro. = I’m in Florence for work.
• Abito a Torino. = I live in Turin.

Same pattern with home (super common):

• Vado a casa. = I’m going home.
• Sono a casa. = I’m at home.
• Resto a casa stasera. = I’m staying home tonight.

Countries, regions, and big areas: in

With countries, regions, and other “big areas”, Italian usually uses in:

• Vado in Italia. = I’m going to Italy.
• Vivono in Francia. = They live in France.
• Siamo in Toscana. = We’re in Tuscany.
• Passo l’estate in Sicilia. = I spend the summer in Sicily.

Other common “areas” that take in:

• in Europa = in Europe
• in montagna = in the mountains
• in campagna = in the countryside
• in città = in the city (as a general area, not a named city)

Examples you’ll hear a lot:

• Andiamo in montagna nel weekend. = We’re going to the mountains on the weekend.
• Non mi piace guidare in città. = I don’t like driving in the city.

Places inside a city: a vs in (common nouns)

Here’s where learners feel the pain: you’re not saying a city/country name—you’re saying a place noun.

In practice, Italian tends to use:

• a with many “point” places (school, work, the gym, the beach…)
• in with “inside a building/space” places (the office as a room, the bank, the supermarket…)

Very common with a (memorize these as chunks)

• a scuola = at/to school
• al lavoro = at/to work
• al bar = at/to the café/bar
• al mare = at/to the seaside
• al ristorante = at/to the restaurant
• alla stazione = at/to the station

Examples:

• Vado a scuola in bici. = I go to school by bike.
• Sono al lavoro fino alle sei. = I’m at work until six.
• Ci vediamo al bar? = Shall we meet at the café?
• Quest’estate andiamo al mare. = This summer we’re going to the seaside.

Very common with in (inside/within a place)

• in ufficio = in/at the office
• in banca = at the bank
• in farmacia = at the pharmacy
• in biblioteca = in the library
• in centro = downtown / in the city center
• in cucina = in the kitchen

Examples:

• Oggi lavoro in ufficio. = Today I’m working at the office.
• Devo passare in farmacia. = I have to stop by the pharmacy.
• Ci sono due persone in cucina. = There are two people in the kitchen.
• Ci vediamo in centro alle 18? = Meet downtown at 6?

Note: Some nouns can take either preposition with a slight difference in meaning or emphasis.

• Sono al ristorante. = I’m at the restaurant (as a destination/event)
• Sono nel ristorante. = I’m inside the restaurant (more physical “inside”)

Transport: a vs in

Another high-frequency pattern:

• a + walking / bicycle / horse etc. (often “by”)
• in + car / train / plane / boat etc.

Common with a

• a piedi = on foot
• in bici / in bicicletta is also common, but a piedi is the classic fixed phrase

Examples:

• Vado a piedi. = I’m going on foot.
• Andiamo a piedi fino al centro. = Let’s walk to the center.

Common with in

• in macchina = by car
• in treno = by train
• in aereo = by plane
• in metro = by subway

Examples:

• Andiamo in treno a Venezia. = We’re going to Venice by train.
• Vado in macchina al lavoro. = I go to work by car.
• Se vuoi, ci vediamo in metro. = If you want, we can meet at the metro (station/area).

Time expressions with a and in

For time, the Italian choice is less about “point vs area” and more about set phrases.

Common time phrases with a

• a gennaio / a febbraio… = in January / in February… (common in everyday speech)
• a Natale = at Christmas
• a Pasqua = at Easter
• alle 8 = at 8 o’clock

Examples:

• Ci vediamo alle otto. = See you at eight.
• A Natale vado a casa dei miei. = At Christmas I go to my parents’ house.
• A febbraio fa ancora freddo. = In February it’s still cold.

Common time phrases with in

• in estate = in summer
• in inverno = in winter
• in settimana = during the week (weekdays)
• in un’ora = in one hour (from now)

Examples:

• In estate le giornate sono lunghe. = In summer the days are long.
• Torno in un’ora. = I’ll be back in an hour.
• In settimana sono sempre occupato. = During the week I’m always busy.

5 common learner mistakes (and quick fixes)

1. ❌ Vado in Roma. → ✅ Vado a Roma.

   Cities usually take a.

2. ❌ Vado a Italia. → ✅ Vado in Italia.

   Countries/regions usually take in.

3. ❌ Sono in casa. → ✅ Sono a casa. (most of the time)

   Sono in casa is possible, but it emphasizes “inside the house” (not outside). For the normal “I’m at home”, use a casa.

4. ❌ Vado in piedi. → ✅ Vado a piedi.

   A piedi is the fixed phrase.

5. ❌ Ci vediamo in bar. → ✅ Ci vediamo al bar.

   Many everyday meeting places use a + articolo: al bar, al ristorante, alla stazione…

Mini-drills (practice)

Choose a or in. (Answers in parentheses.)

1. Domani vado ___ Milano. (a)
2. Quest’anno andiamo ___ Italia. (in)
3. Ci vediamo ___ bar alle 19. (al)
4. Lavoro ___ ufficio oggi. (in)
5. Vado ___ casa. (a)
6. Andiamo ___ montagna nel weekend. (in)
7. Torno ___ un’ora. (in)
8. Vado ___ piedi. (a)

Speaking drill (say these fast as one chunk):

• Vado a Roma, ma vivo in Italia.
• Sono a casa, poi passo in farmacia.
• Ci vediamo al bar alle otto.
• Andiamo in treno a Firenze.