italiano · A1 · vocabulary · 4 minutes

Places in town

Locate services relative to landmarks with articulated prepositions.

Understand the choice

Town words should form a route-ready map. Learn the articles and a few stable relations—davanti a, accanto a, tra, di fronte a—so each place can be found.

Core rule: Tra/fra means between or among and takes no article contraction of its own.

Notice it in context

La farmacia è tra la banca e la stazione.

The pharmacy is between the bank and the station.

Farmacia is the located subject; tra links banca and stazione symmetrically.

Il supermercato è di fronte alla posta.

The supermarket is opposite the post office.

Supermercato and posta are linked by articulated alla.

Dietro il museo comincia il parco.

The park begins behind the museum.

Museo is the landmark; parco is the subject after the fronted phrase.

What to remember

  • La posta is the post office/service; l’ufficio postale is explicit.
  • Banca means bank; panchina is a bench.

Common trap: Do not translate “in front of” as in fronte di; use davanti a or di fronte a.

Practice this lesson with recall