Verb and Adjective Preposition Patterns

In brief

In Italian, many verbs and adjectives pair with a particular preposition before a person or thing. The choice is part of the expression: pensare a means ‘to think about,’ dipendere da means ‘to depend on,’ and essere interessato a means ‘to be interested in.’ English prepositions are not a reliable guide.

Form

verb or essere + adjective + required preposition + person/thing; e.g., pensare a qualcuno, dipendere da qualcosa, essere interessato a qualcosa.

Usage

• Use pensare a for someone or something you are thinking about.
• Use dipendere da for the factor that something depends on.
• Use essere interessato a for something that interests you; change interessato to agree with the person described.
• Use essere bravo a for a skill or activity; a can combine with the article, as in bravo alla guida.

Examples

• Penso spesso ai miei amici. — I often think about my friends.
• Il prezzo dipende dalla stagione. — The price depends on the season.
• Mia sorella è interessata alla fotografia. — My sister is interested in photography.
• Luca è bravo a tennis. — Luca is good at tennis.

Common mistake

❌ Sono interessato in questo corso.

✅ Sono interessato a questo corso.

English uses ‘interested in,’ but Italian uses interessato a before the thing that interests you.

Remember

Learn the preposition together with the verb or adjective, not as a translation of the English preposition.