Learn the difference between the prepositions "da" and "di"
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Intro |
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| Hi everybody! Marika here. Welcome to Ask a Teacher, where I’ll answer some of your most common Italian questions. |
| The Question |
| The question for this lesson is: What’s the difference between da and di? |
| Explanation |
| Da and di are two Italian prepositions. They have multiple functions and meanings, and sometimes it’s not easy to choose the right one. |
| For example, both da and di can be translated as “from,” but they’re not interchangeable. Let’s see the difference. |
| Di specifies a feature or origin of something, usually with the verb essere (“to be”). |
| Da indicates movement from somewhere. |
| So you can say: |
| Di dove sei? (“Where are you from?”) |
| Sono di Roma. (“I’m from Rome.”) |
| But: |
| Da dove vieni? (“Where do you come from?”) |
| Vengo da Roma. (“I come from Rome.”) |
| This is because the verb venire (“to come”) is a verb of movement. |
| Da is also used to indicate movement toward a place or a person. For example: |
| Sono stato dal dottore. (“I’ve been to the doctor’s.”) |
| Sto andando da Paolo. (“I’m going to Paolo’s house.”) |
| Da also has the meaning of “at” or “to,” as in these examples. |
| Da Mario non c’è la televisione. (“At Mario’s place, there’s no television.”) |
| Sandra è dal parrucchiere. (“Sandra is at the hairdresser’s.”) |
| Many restaurant names also use this pattern. For example, da Michele (“Michele’s”). |
Outro |
| Pretty interesting, right? |
| If you have any more questions, please leave a comment below! |
| A presto! “See you soon!” |
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