Prepositions: indicating times of day

Le preposizioni: indicare momenti del giorno


Le preposizioni "a, in, su, con" indicano luogo o tempo.

(The prepositions "a, in, su, con" indicate place or time.)

The core idea: point in time vs. period of time

When you talk about time in Italian, first decide:

  • One exact moment (a point) → usually a
  • A duration / time period (a block) → often in, di, da, tra/fra, per
Question you ask yourself Typical Italian choice
When exactly? (time on a clock, deadline, end) a
Since when? (start point) da
During what period? (within a period) in
Between which times? (interval) tra/fra
Around what time? (approx. target time) per
Which part of the day? (morning/afternoon/evening) di

"Da": the start of a time period (since / from)

  • Use da to mark the beginning of a period.
  • Often translates as since or from.

Examples

  • Da domani sono in vacanza. = From tomorrow I’m on holiday.
  • Lavoro da lunedì mattina. = I work starting Monday morning.
  • Sono in Italia da domani a sabato. = I’m in Italy from tomorrow until Saturday.

Self-check: Can you answer “since when?” If yes, choose da.

"A": an exact time + the end point (at / until)

  • Use a for a precise moment (clock time) or a deadline/end point.

Examples (exact moment)

  • Mangio a mezzogiorno. = I eat at noon.
  • La riunione è alle 10. = The meeting is at 10. (a + le = alle)

Examples (end point)

  • Lavoro da lunedì a venerdì. = I work from Monday to Friday.
  • La riunione finisce a mezzogiorno. = The meeting ends at noon.

Common pitfall: Don’t use in with exact clock time.

  • La riunione è in 10.
  • La riunione è alle 10. ✅

"In": during a period (within the week / within a time block)

  • Use in when something happens within a period (not one exact moment).
  • Think: “during / in the course of”.

Examples

  • Studio in settimana. = I study during the week.
  • In giornata lavoro molto. = During the day I work a lot.

Self-check: If you can add “during” in English, in is often a good candidate.

"Tra / fra": an interval (between / in … minutes)

  • Tra and fra mean the same. Choose the one that sounds better to you.
  • Use them for between X and Y and for in (after) X time.

Examples

  • Tra le 9 e le 11 abbiamo una riunione. = Between 9 and 11 we have a meeting.
  • Arrivo tra cinque minuti. = I’ll arrive in five minutes.

Self-check: If you can draw two borders (start and end), use tra/fra.

"Per": approximate target time (around / by)

  • Use per for a target time you aim for (not a perfectly exact appointment time).
  • Often translates as around / by.

Examples

  • Mangio per le 12. = I eat around 12.
  • Possiamo finire per le 18? = Can we finish by around 6 pm?

Quick contrast

  • La riunione è alle 12. = fixed time
  • La riunione finisce per le 12. = approximately by 12

"Di": part of the day (in the morning / afternoon / evening)

  • Use di with periods of the day, especially when you mean “in the …” as a general time block.

Examples

  • Lavoro di pomeriggio. = I work in the afternoon.
  • Vado in palestra di mattina. = I go to the gym in the morning.
  • Studio di sera. = I study in the evening.

Tip: If your phrase is “morning/afternoon/evening” (not a clock time), think di.

Mini decision guide (fast and practical)

  1. Is it a clock time / a deadline?a (alle 9, a mezzogiorno)
  2. Is it the start point?da (da lunedì, da domani)
  3. Is it “during” a period?in (in settimana)
  4. Is it an interval or “in X minutes”?tra/fra
  5. Is it approximate “around/by”?per (per le 12)
  6. Is it a part of the day?di (di mattina, di pomeriggio)

What you should pay attention to: First choose the meaning (start / exact time / during / between / around / part of day). The preposition comes naturally after that.

  1. Use "da" to indicate the start of a period of time.
  2. Use "a" to indicate a specific point in time, and the end of a period of time.
  3. Use "in" to indicate a period of time during which something happens.
  4. Use "tra/fra" to indicate a time interval.
  5. Use "di" to indicate a part of the day.
Preposizione (Preposition)Esempio (Example)
DiLavoro di pomeriggio (I work in the afternoon)
AMangio a mezzogiorno (I eat at noon)
DaDa domani sono in vacanza (From tomorrow I am on vacation)
InStudio in settimana (I study during the week)
PerMangio per le 12 (I eat around 12 o’clock)
Tra/fraFra le 6 e le 12 è mattina (Between 6 and 12 it is morning)

Exercise 1: Multiple choice

Instruction: Choose the correct answer

1. Lavoro ___ mattina e spesso abbiamo una riunione a mezzogiorno.

I work ___ morning and we often have a meeting at noon.

2. ___ settimana studio italiano la sera, ma a mezzanotte dormo sempre.

___ week I study Italian in the evening, but at midnight I always sleep.

3. Domani i bambini vanno a scuola ___ mattina e al parco nel pomeriggio.

Tomorrow the children go to school ___ morning and to the park in the afternoon.

4. ___ le 9 e le 11 abbiamo molte telefonate, poi lavoriamo tranquilli di pomeriggio.

___ 9 and 11 we have many phone calls, then we work calmly in the afternoon.

Exercise 2: Rewrite the phrases

Instruction: Rephrase the sentences using the correct time preposition (di, a, da, in, per, tra/fra) indicated in parentheses.

Show/Hide translation Show/Hide hints
  1. Hint Hint (di) Lavoro il pomeriggio.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Lavoro di pomeriggio.
    (I work in the afternoon.)
  2. Hint Hint (a) Mangiamo il mezzogiorno.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Mangiamo a mezzogiorno.
    (We eat at noon.)
  3. Hint Hint (da) Domani sono in vacanza.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Da domani sono in vacanza.
    (Starting tomorrow I am on vacation.)
  4. Hint Hint (in) Studio la settimana.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Studio in settimana.
    (I study during the week.)
  5. Hint Hint (per) Pranzo verso le 12.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Pranzo per le 12.
    (I have lunch by 12.)
  6. Hint Hint (tra/fra) Le lezioni sono le 9 e le 11.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Le lezioni sono tra le 9 e le 11.
    (The lessons are between 9 and 11.)

Exercise 3: Grammar in action

Instruction: In pairs, compare your schedules and plan the week.

Show/Hide translation
Situation
Due colleghi organizzano la settimana di lavoro e il tempo libero insieme.
(Two colleagues organize the work week and free time together.)

Discuss
  • Quando lavori di mattina, di pomeriggio o di sera durante la settimana? (When do you work in the morning, in the afternoon, or in the evening during the week?)
  • A che ora di solito dormi la sera e a che ora ti svegli la mattina?','Cosa hai fatto ieri sera e cosa fai domani sera? (What time do you usually go to sleep in the evening and what time do you wake up in the morning?)

Useful words and phrases
  • Lavoro di mattina il lunedì e di pomeriggio il martedì. (I work in the morning on Monday and in the afternoon on Tuesday.)
  • Mangio a mezzogiorno; dormo la notte; studio in settimana. (I eat at noon; I sleep at night; I study during the week.)
  • Da domani sono libero venerdì sera e sabato pomeriggio. (From tomorrow I am free on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.)

Use in conversation
  • usare di per periodo della giornata (use di for a period of the day)
  • usare a, in, da, tra/fra per indicare il tempo (use a, in, da, tra/fra to indicate time)

Written by

This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

Profile Picture

Fabio Pirioni

Bachelor in Humanities

University of Udine

University_Logo

Last Updated:

Thursday, 16/04/2026 12:47