in
/in/
The English phrase "in" can be translated into Italian as in or dentro.
Meaning: contained by (prep)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| in | /in/ |
| dentro | /ˈden.tro/ |
Both in and dentro express being contained by something. dentro can be used to express "inside" when referring to the physical position of something. Meanwhile, in can be used figuratively to indicate a state or condition.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In Italian, the preposition in often combines with definite articles to form articulated prepositions. When in is followed by the definite article il, it combines into the articulated preposition nel. When in is followed by the definite article la, it combines into the articulated preposition nella.
How do you pronounce it?
/in/
Did you know?
- The phrase in gamba literally translates to 'on leg' or 'in leg', but it actually means that a person is capable, smart or reliable.
- Italian uses in for many destinations where English uses 'to', such as vado in Italia ('I go to Italy'), blending the concepts of 'to' and 'in'.
- When talking about being 'in love', Italians use the phrase innamorato, which transforms the preposition in into a prefix for a specific adjective.
Examples in context
- È in una band?Are you in a band?This example shows how to use in to talk about membership in a group.Tatoeba #1345036 by Guybrush88, translation #1345027 by CM
- Ho fede in te.I have faith in you.This example shows how to use in to express abstract faith.Tatoeba #1345047 by Guybrush88, translation #1345046 by CM
- Tom è in coma.Tom is in a coma.This example shows how to use in to describe a medical state.Tatoeba #2009104 by Guybrush88, translation #1868202 by CK
- Vivo in Italia.I live in Italy.
- L'immagine è incisa nella mia mente.The image is engraved in my mind.
- Il documento è dentro la cartella.The document is inside the folder.
- dentro il cassettoInside the drawer
- Abito nei pressi del centro.I live in the vicinity of the city center.
- Il gatto è nel giardino.The cat is in the garden.
- Sono nella squadra di calcio.I'm in the soccer team.
- Ho dimenticato l'ombrello nell'ufficio.I forgot the umbrella in the office.
- Vado in treno.I go by train.
- Vieni in macchina?Are you coming by car?
- Preferisco viaggiare in aereo.I prefer to travel by plane.
- Ho imparato ad andare in bicicletta in un'ora.I learned to ride a bicycle in one hour.
- Sarò pronto per la riunione in dieci minuti.I'll be ready for the meeting in ten minutes.
- Mi piace leggere i giornali in serata.I like to read newspapers in the evening.
- Sono innamorato/a in segreto.I am secretly in love.
- Mi trovo in un periodo di transizione.I am in a period of transition.
- In piediStanding up
- In ginocchioOn one's knees
- 9615 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Matteo are looking for some keys in the living room.
- GiuliaMatteo, sai se le chiavi sono in questa borsa?Matteo, do you know if the keys are in this bag?
- MatteoNo, non sono in questa borsa.No, they are not in this bag.
- GiuliaForse sono in quella scatola sul tavolo.Maybe they are in that box on the table.
- MatteoSì, le ho trovate in quella scatola!Yes, I found them in that box!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “in” translations and entries in, dentro, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
