davanti a / accanto a / vicino a
Compound Prepositions of Place
Italian uses compound prepositions like davanti a (in front of), accanto a (next to), and vicino a (near) to express spatial relationships. Most of these require the preposition a before a noun or pronoun.
How It Works
These expressions are essential for describing your surroundings in Italian. Here is how they function:
- Davanti a: Means 'in front of'.
Example: Davanti alla scuola (In front of the school). - Accanto a: Means 'next to' or 'beside'. It implies lateral proximity.
Example: Siediti accanto a me (Sit next to me). - Vicino a: Means 'near' or 'close to'.
Example: Abito vicino al parco (I live near the park). - Dietro (a): Means 'behind'. While dietro can be used alone before a noun (dietro la porta), the form dietro a is preferred when used with verbs of movement.
Example: Il cane corre dietro alla palla (The dog runs after/behind the ball). - Lontano da: Means 'far from'. This uses da instead of a.
Example: Lontano dal centro (Far from the center).
Usage with Articles:
When these expressions precede a noun with a definite article, you must use the articulated form of the preposition: vicino al (a + il) ristorante, lontano dagli (da + gli) uffici.
Usage with Pronouns:
When followed by a person (pronoun), use the 'tonic' forms: me, te, lui, lei, noi, voi, loro.
Examples: vicino a te, lontano da noi, dietro di me (note: dietro often takes di before pronouns).
Examples (5)
- Il parcheggio si trova proprio davanti al cinema.
The parking lot is located right in front of the cinema.
Word by Word: The parking-lot itself finds right in-front to-the cinema.
Here, 'davanti a' combines with the article 'il' to become 'al'.
- La farmacia è accanto alla banca.
The pharmacy is next to the bank.
Word by Word: The pharmacy is next to-the bank.
'Accanto a' combines with 'la' to become 'alla'.
- Abito molto lontano dalla stazione.
I live very far from the station.
Word by Word: I live very far from-the station.
Remember that 'lontano' always requires 'da', which here becomes 'dalla'.
- C'è un gatto dietro di te!
There is a cat behind you!
Word by Word: There is a cat behind of you!
With pronouns, 'dietro' typically uses 'di' in standard Italian.
- La mia casa è vicino a un grande parco.
My house is near a big park.
Word by Word: The my house is near to a big park.
When followed by an indefinite article like 'un', the preposition 'a' remains separate.
Common Mistakes
Dropping the 'a' before a noun.
Abito vicino il centro.Abito vicino al centro.In standard Italian, 'vicino' and 'davanti' take the preposition 'a' (which usually merges with the article). Leaving it out is heard in casual speech but is not standard.
Using 'a' with 'lontano'.
Lontano a casa.Lontano da casa.While most other spatial expressions in this group use 'a', 'lontano' always requires 'da'.
Using 'di' with 'davanti' or 'vicino'.
Davanti di me.Davanti a me.Learners often confuse these with 'dietro di me'. However, 'davanti' and 'vicino' always take 'a' when referring to people.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn compound prepositions of place, you first need to understand simple prepositions, as they form the second half of these expressions. Additionally, because these prepositions often precede specific objects, you must be able to combine them with definite articles (articulated prepositions) to correctly identify locations.
- Articulated (Contracted) Prepositions
When these compound prepositions are followed by a noun with a definite article, the simple preposition component (like 'a' in 'davanti a') must contract into an articulated preposition.
Level 1 - qui / qua / lì / làHere and There
Understanding basic spatial adverbs and the concept of relative position is fundamental before learning more complex locative expressions.
Level 1
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
Practice davanti a / accanto a / vicino a in Bubblegum
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