The next few posts will feature some highlights from our Piccola Guida series on prepositions. Prepositions are notoriously difficult to master in Italian, but, with some patience and practice, you will soon get the hang of them!

The preposition (la preposizione) di has a variety of uses in Italian.

It should be noted that prepositions do not always translate easily from Italian to English, and there can be many meanings depending on how the preposition is used.

It is helpful to understand and learn how they are used in particular contexts; this method will help you master their uses!

Here are some of the most common uses of di:

✦ possession

In Italian, the preposition di is used to convey possession. Whereas English often uses an “apostrophe + s” to convey possession (Marco's jacket), Italian uses di + possessor:

Questa è l'auto di mia sorella. Stai attento a non sporcarla, lei è una maniaca della pulizia!

This is my sister's car. Pay attention not to get it dirty, she is a neat freak!

✦ authorship

Use the preposition di to say that a book, article, poem, etc. is written by a particular person:

Il vecchio e il mare è un libro importante di Ernest Hemingway.

The Old Man and the Sea is an important book by Ernest Hemingway.