I see nel, nelle, and al , alle 9and their various forms) both used for "at" in the translations. How can I know which one to use?
nel, nelle vs. al, alle
CEHartman
August 10, 2019
caterina-rocket-italian-tutor
August 19, 2019
Hi cedch,
Thanks for your question!
All the terms you listed are referred to as "compound prepositions" and are the combination of a "preposition" and a "definite article". For example:
nel is the combination of in + il (in the + singular masculine noun)
nelle is the combination of in + le (in the + plural feminine noun)
al is the combination of a + il (at the + singular masculine noun)
alle is the combination of a + le (at the + plural feminine noun)
...and so on.
It might not be easy to understand when to use them, but you can take a few examples as reference and start using the right term in the right context.
Let's take the terms you mentioned and let's find some examples:
NEL
Non cadere nel pozzo. = (literally) Do not fall in the well.
We used "nel" (in + il) because the term "pozzo" is a singular masculine noun.
NELLE
Gli ospiti soggiorneranno nelle ville. = (literally) The guests will stay in the villas.
We used "nelle" (in + le) because the term "ville" is a plural feminine noun.
AL
Mangio una mela al giorno. = (literally) (I) eat an apple at the day.
We used "al" (a + il) because the term "giorno" is a singular masculine noun.
ALLE
Il ristorante chiuderà alle ore 23:00. = (literally) The restaurant will close at the hours 23:00.
We used "alle" (a + le) because the term "23:00" is a plural feminine noun when referring to "hours".
As you can see, not all of the compound prepositions can be translated as "at".
Please note that the above list is not complete: there are 12 prepositions in Italian, which can be combined with definite articles to create all the different compound prepositions. Here is another useful thread about this topic: https://members.rocketlanguages.com/members/forum/italian-grammar/compound-prepositions#forum-post-41174
Hope this helps :)
Thanks for your question!
All the terms you listed are referred to as "compound prepositions" and are the combination of a "preposition" and a "definite article". For example:
nel is the combination of in + il (in the + singular masculine noun)
nelle is the combination of in + le (in the + plural feminine noun)
al is the combination of a + il (at the + singular masculine noun)
alle is the combination of a + le (at the + plural feminine noun)
...and so on.
It might not be easy to understand when to use them, but you can take a few examples as reference and start using the right term in the right context.
Let's take the terms you mentioned and let's find some examples:
NEL
Non cadere nel pozzo. = (literally) Do not fall in the well.
We used "nel" (in + il) because the term "pozzo" is a singular masculine noun.
NELLE
Gli ospiti soggiorneranno nelle ville. = (literally) The guests will stay in the villas.
We used "nelle" (in + le) because the term "ville" is a plural feminine noun.
AL
Mangio una mela al giorno. = (literally) (I) eat an apple at the day.
We used "al" (a + il) because the term "giorno" is a singular masculine noun.
ALLE
Il ristorante chiuderà alle ore 23:00. = (literally) The restaurant will close at the hours 23:00.
We used "alle" (a + le) because the term "23:00" is a plural feminine noun when referring to "hours".
As you can see, not all of the compound prepositions can be translated as "at".
Please note that the above list is not complete: there are 12 prepositions in Italian, which can be combined with definite articles to create all the different compound prepositions. Here is another useful thread about this topic: https://members.rocketlanguages.com/members/forum/italian-grammar/compound-prepositions#forum-post-41174
Hope this helps :)
GerryS
August 28, 2019
Caterina,
Thank you for this information. Although I have not yet reached this level of learning having read what you have written about compound prepositions has added a little more understanding to how the Italian language is constructed.
Thank you for this information. Although I have not yet reached this level of learning having read what you have written about compound prepositions has added a little more understanding to how the Italian language is constructed.
Want to post a comment? Just take a free Rocket Languages trial
Select one of the languages below and sign up in 60 seconds. Join our user forum and experience Rocket Languages for yourself!
Most Popular Articles
Top 10 Italian hacks
If you've decided to give Italian a try and you're eager to start (or continue) learning the language of Dante, pizza, and colosseo, here are a few hacks to learn Italian fast and and optimize your efforts.
How Long Does It Take To Learn Italian
Learning a language is a complex process that is different for each individual based on several different factors. Let's take a look at these different factors and how they impact how fast you learn Italian.
Let's get you talking in Italian.
We love Italian people and Italian culture - from ancient amphitheaters and sunny vineyards to delicious pastas and captivating music! And there's no better way to connect with them than by learning l'italiano.