HOW TO USE THE PREPOSITION FRA/TRA

The Italian prepositions “fra” and “tra” are often used interchangeably and both have the meaning of “between” or “among”. However, there are some subtle differences in their usage that are worth exploring. This post shows you an important topic in Italian grammar: HOW TO USE PREPOSITION FRA/TRA

These FRA and TRA prepositions are identical in meaning.

The only clear reason to prefer one over the other is to avoid unpleasant sound combinations:

fra tre ore ➤ is preferred to ➤ tra tre ore

tra fratelli ➤ is preferred to ➤ fra fratelli

Indicate the space you need to get to a place – DISTANCE-

L’ufficio è tra 300 metri

The office is 300 meters from here

Indicate the beginning of a period of time when an action is taken – INTERVAL OF TIME

Mario arriverà tra le 5 e le 6

Mario will get there between 5 and 6

Indicate when an action takes place – TIME

Esco fra un’ora

I’ll leave in an hour

Indicate something in the middle

Lo stretto di Messina è tra la Sicilia e la Calabria

The Strait of Messina is between Sicily and Calabria

More Examples:

Ho visto il cane tra le due macchine → I saw the dog between the two cars.
Ho trovato l’assegno fra i documenti.→ I found the check among the documents.
Arriveremo fra le due e le tre.→ We’ll get there between two and three.
Spero di finire il libro fra un mese .→ I hope to finish the book in a month’s time
Fra breve / tra poco / tra non molto → soon
Tra due chilometri c’è un benzinaio → there’s a petrol pump in two km
Arriverà fra venti minuti → she’ll be here in twenty minutes
Una discussione tra amici → a discussion among friends
Sei il migliore tra i miei amici → you’re the best of my friends
Tra amici e parenti ci saranno state cento persone → there must have been 100 people including friends and relatives
Tra lavoro e la famiglia non ho un momento libero → with work and the family I don’t have a free moment

This preposition occurs in useful expressions

Pensavo fra me/Pensavo fra me e me. –> I was thinking to myself. Che
Che rimanga fra me e te. –> Let’s keep it between you and me. fra/tra poco shortly
Fra/tra poco –> shortly
Tra l’altro → moreover, furthermore
Detto tra noi → between us
Parlava fra se (e se) → he was talking to himself
Distinguere tra caso e caso → to distinguish between one case and another

Idiomatic expressions

TRA CAPO E COLLO

Examples:

“Mi è arrivata tra capo e collo” o “mi è capitata tra capo e collo”:

This expression is used to express the discomfort due to an unexpected situation that requires modifying a program with consequent mix-ups and problems.

La notizia era proprio imprevedibile e mi e’ arrivata tra capo e collo.

detto tra/fra noi

Between you and me – Confidentially

Example:

Detto tra noi quella persona non mi piace (Between you and me I don’t like that person)

We use this phrase when we want to express a thought to someone confidentially

mettere i bastoni tra le route (put a spoke in somebody’s wheel)

Example:

Gianni vuole mettere i bastoni tra le ruote al nostro grande progetto (Gianni wants to put a spoke in the wheel of our great project)

The Italian prepositions “fra” and “tra” are very useful and versatile, but it is important to use them correctly in order to avoid misunderstandings. Remember that “fra” is used for a small number of things or people, “tra” is used for a larger number, “fra” indicates a future time point, while “tra” indicates a time span, “fra” is used for short distances, while “tra” is used for longer distances.