Can music make Italian grammar easier to understand and remember? In this lesson, you will learn Italian prepositions with a song by listening to Buon viaggio (Share the Love) by Cesare Cremonini.
Released in 2015, Buon viaggio is an uplifting Italian song about travelling, accepting change and finding the courage to begin a new journey. Its vocabulary and imagery make it particularly useful for practising prepositions connected with movement, place, time and direction.
This activity is suitable for students from approximately A2 to B1 level. You will listen to the song, identify simple and articulated prepositions and practise them through original exercises.
Before beginning, you can review our complete guide to Italian prepositions.
Listen to “Buon viaggio” by Cesare Cremonini
Listen to the song once without stopping. Concentrate on its general meaning and on the images connected with journeys, roads, distance and movement.
During the second listening, pay particular attention to the prepositions di, da, in, per and su.
Why Is This Song Useful for Learning Italian Prepositions?
The song uses prepositions in meaningful contexts rather than as isolated grammar rules. They connect ideas of time, origin, distance, position and purpose.
Here are five short expressions to observe:
| Expression | Preposition | Function |
|---|---|---|
| per sempre | per | Expresses duration |
| di casa | di | Connects and specifies two nouns |
| per ricominciare | per | Expresses purpose |
| da lontano | da | Indicates the point of observation or distance |
| nelle foto | in + le | Indicates position inside something |
Simple and Articulated Prepositions in the Song
The song contains both simple and articulated prepositions.
Simple prepositions
A simple preposition appears independently:
- di
- da
- in
- per
- su
For a more detailed explanation, read our guide to Italian simple prepositions.
Articulated prepositions
An articulated preposition is created when a simple preposition combines with a definite article:
- in + le = nelle
- su + il = sul
- di + il = del
- da + la = dalla
You can review all the combinations in our guide to Italian articulated prepositions.
Listening Activity
Listen to the song again and complete these tasks without reading the complete lyrics.
- How many times can you hear the preposition per?
- Can you identify a preposition expressing distance?
- Can you hear an articulated preposition formed with in?
- Which prepositions are connected with the idea of travelling?
- Which preposition introduces the purpose of an action?
Do not worry if you cannot identify every form during the first listening. Listen again and concentrate on one preposition at a time.
Exercise 1: Complete the Travel Sentences
Complete the following original sentences using di, a, da, in, con, su, per, tra or fra. Some answers may require an articulated preposition.
- Domani partiamo ___ Roma.
- Il biglietto è ___ valigia.
- Aspetto i miei amici ___ stazione.
- Il treno arriva ___ Francia.
- Parliamo ___ nostro prossimo viaggio.
- Osservo la città ___ un ponte.
- Viaggio ___ mia sorella.
- Le fotografie sono ___ tavolo.
- Il viaggio inizierà ___ due settimane.
- Andiamo in aeroporto ___ prendere l’aereo.
Check the answers
- per
- nella
- alla
- dalla
- del
- da
- con
- sul
- tra/fra
- per
Exercise 2: Simple or Articulated?
Decide whether the preposition in bold is simple or articulated.
- Partiamo per Venezia.
- Il passaporto è nello zaino.
- Viaggio con alcuni amici.
- Le valigie sono sul treno.
- Vengo da Milano.
- Arriviamo alla stazione.
- Parliamo del viaggio.
- Partiremo tra pochi giorni.
Check the answers
- Simple
- Articulated: in + lo
- Simple
- Articulated: su + il
- Simple
- Articulated: a + la
- Articulated: di + il
- Simple
Exercise 3: Choose the Correct Preposition
- Parto per / da Firenze domani mattina.
- Studio italiano da / per sei mesi.
- Resteremo a Milano da / per una settimana.
- Il telefono è nel / al bagaglio.
- Ci incontriamo alla / dalla stazione.
- Guardo il paesaggio dal / al finestrino.
- Il treno partirà tra / da dieci minuti.
- Viaggiamo in / a treno.
Check the answers
- per
- da
- per
- nel
- alla
- dal
- tra
- in
Speaking Activity: Plan an Italian Journey
Imagine that you are planning a journey through Italy. Answer the following questions in Italian and try to use at least six different prepositions.
- Dove vuoi andare?
- Da quale città vuoi partire?
- Con chi vuoi viaggiare?
- Come vuoi viaggiare?
- Per quanto tempo vuoi restare?
- Che cosa vuoi mettere nella valigia?
- Quali luoghi vuoi visitare durante il viaggio?
Example:
Vorrei partire da Milano per andare a Roma. Viaggerei in treno con due amici e resterei in città per quattro giorni.
Learn Italian Through Music
Songs help students recognise grammar in an authentic context, improve listening skills and remember new expressions more easily. Instead of studying prepositions only as a list, you can hear how they connect words and ideas in real communication.
Continue practising with our Italian prepositions exercises, or return to our complete guide to Italian prepositions.
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