The preposition per is one of Italian's busiest. It covers what English fragments across multiple words: for (per te — for you), through / via (per Milano — through Milan), by (per posta — by mail), in order to (per studiare — in order to study), because of (per amore — out of love). This breadth makes per enormously useful — but it also makes it easy to misuse, especially for English speakers who reach for per whenever they would reach for "for" in English.
This page walks through per's nine major uses, gives you the per + infinitive purpose construction (Italian's primary way to express "in order to"), explains why per never contracts with definite articles in modern Italian, and addresses the contrast with a (purpose), da (origin / duration), and di (cause). By the end, you should be able to use per fluently in everyday speech and recognize all of its less obvious uses in writing.
1. Purpose: per + infinitive
This is per's most important and most universal use. Per + infinitive expresses purpose — "in order to do X." It is Italian's standard way to express the goal of an action, and it is mandatory: there is no Italian equivalent of bare "to + infinitive" for purpose.
Studio per imparare l'italiano fluentemente.
I'm studying in order to learn Italian fluently.
Mangio per vivere, non vivo per mangiare.
I eat to live, I don't live to eat.
Sono andato dal medico per fare un controllo.
I went to the doctor to have a check-up.
Ho preso il treno delle sei per arrivare in tempo.
I took the six o'clock train in order to arrive on time.
The structure is mechanically simple: verb (in any tense) + per + infinitive (bare). No preposition between per and the infinitive. Per always governs the bare infinitive directly.
A common English-speaker error is to translate "in order to" as per a + infinitive or per di + infinitive, by analogy with English. Both are wrong:
❌ Studio per a imparare.
Incorrect — 'per' takes the bare infinitive directly.
❌ Studio per di imparare.
Incorrect — same problem.
✅ Studio per imparare.
I study in order to learn.
The English collapse of "to" (purpose) and "to" (infinitive) creates this trap. Italian keeps them separate: voglio studiare (I want to study — bare infinitive after the modal), studio per imparare (I study to learn — purpose with per). The two constructions are distinct.
2. Beneficiary: for someone or something
The second major use of per is for someone's benefit — the recipient of an action when the action is aimed at them rather than given to them.
Lo faccio per te, non per me.
I'm doing it for you, not for myself.
Ho comprato un regalo per mia madre, è il suo compleanno domani.
I bought a gift for my mother — it's her birthday tomorrow.
Cucino per i bambini ogni sera, non possono mangiare al ristorante.
I cook for the kids every evening — they can't eat at restaurants.
Una lettera per Marco è arrivata stamattina.
A letter for Marco arrived this morning.
The contrast with a is subtle but real. A marks the direct recipient in indirect-object constructions (do un libro a Marco — I give a book to Marco; Marco gets the book). Per marks the beneficiary (compro un libro per Marco — I'm buying a book for Marco, on his behalf or for his use). The question to ask: is Marco the one receiving the action, or the one benefiting from it?
| Italian | English | Why this preposition |
|---|---|---|
| do un regalo a Marco | I give a gift to Marco | Marco is the direct recipient — a |
| compro un regalo per Marco | I'm buying a gift for Marco | Marco is the intended beneficiary — per |
| scrivo una lettera a Marco | I write a letter to Marco | Marco is the addressee — a |
| scrivo una lettera per Marco | I'm writing a letter on Marco's behalf | Marco is the beneficiary — per |
The contrast is meaningful: scrivo a Marco means "I write to Marco" (he gets the letter); scrivo per Marco means "I'm writing on Marco's behalf" (someone else gets the letter, but I'm writing it for Marco's benefit).
3. Destination and direction (with movement verbs)
A frequent use of per with verbs of movement: it marks the intended destination of a journey, often emphasizing the journey rather than the arrival.
Il treno per Milano parte alle nove.
The train to Milan leaves at nine.
Domani parto per Roma in macchina.
Tomorrow I'm leaving for Rome by car.
Il volo per New York è in ritardo di tre ore.
The flight to New York is three hours delayed.
Una nave per la Sardegna salpa ogni sera dal porto.
A ship for Sardinia sails every evening from the port.
The contrast with a (direction) is small but real: vado a Milano emphasizes the destination as a point you arrive at; parto per Milano emphasizes the journey itself. With trains, planes, and ships specifically (the labeled-destination contexts), Italian strongly prefers per: il treno per Milano, il volo per Tokyo. With personal travel verbs (vado, vengo), a is more common: vado a Milano (I'm going to Milan).
4. Duration: completed actions
A specific time use of per: it marks the duration of an action, usually one that is completed or planned as a contained period. This is Italian's "for + duration" preposition for finished events.
Ho lavorato in quell'azienda per cinque anni, poi me ne sono andato.
I worked at that company for five years, then I left.
Per due ore non ho fatto altro che leggere.
For two hours I did nothing but read.
Resterò a Roma per tre settimane, poi torno a Milano.
I'll stay in Rome for three weeks, then I'm going back to Milan.
Hanno parlato per tutta la notte senza fermarsi.
They talked for the whole night without stopping.
The crucial distinction with da: per + duration is for completed or contained actions; da + duration is for ongoing actions that started in the past and continue into the present.
| Italian | English | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| ho studiato italiano per tre anni | I studied Italian for three years | completed — I'm done now |
| studio italiano da tre anni | I've been studying Italian for three years | ongoing — still studying |
| ho lavorato qui per dieci anni | I worked here for ten years | finished — no longer here |
| lavoro qui da dieci anni | I've been working here for ten years | still here |
The English "for" hides this distinction; Italian forces you to choose. If the action is over, use per; if it's still going, use da.
Vivo qui da cinque anni e voglio restare per altri dieci.
I've been living here for five years and I want to stay for another ten. (da — ongoing; per — planned future duration)
5. Through / via: route and trajectory
Another core use: per marks the route or path through which something moves.
Sono passato per Milano per arrivare a Torino.
I went through Milan to get to Turin.
Per andare a Bologna in treno, si passa per Firenze.
To get to Bologna by train, you go through Florence.
Ho fatto una passeggiata per il centro storico.
I took a walk through the historic center.
Il fiume scorre per la valle, attraversando tre paesi.
The river flows through the valley, crossing three towns.
L'ho incontrato per strada quasi per caso.
I ran into him on the street almost by chance.
The expression per strada ("on the street, while out and about") is fixed and very common. L'ho visto per strada means "I saw him out and about" — not on a specific street, but in the general "out in public" sense.
6. Exchange and price: in exchange for
Per marks what is given in exchange — for sales, transactions, and rate calculations.
Ho comprato la macchina per ventimila euro.
I bought the car for twenty thousand euros.
Ho venduto il vecchio telefono per cinquanta euro.
I sold my old phone for fifty euros.
Te lo do per dieci euro, non meno.
I'll give it to you for ten euros, not less.
Per metà prezzo è un affare, ti consiglio di comprarlo.
At half price it's a deal — I recommend you buy it.
The contrast with a for prices: a is more common for rates per unit (a tre euro al chilo — at three euros a kilo), while per is more common for total amounts (per ventimila euro — for twenty thousand euros). There is overlap, but the rate / total distinction is usually visible.
7. Cause and reason
A productive use of per is to mark the cause or reason behind an action or state.
Per questo motivo ho deciso di cambiare lavoro.
For this reason I decided to change jobs.
Lo faccio per amore, non per soldi.
I do it out of love, not for money.
Per colpa tua siamo arrivati in ritardo.
It's your fault we arrived late.
È stato licenziato per motivi disciplinari.
He was fired for disciplinary reasons.
Per il troppo lavoro, sono sfinito.
From all the work, I'm exhausted.
The contrast with di and da for cause is finely grained:
- Di marks a categorical or generic cause: morire di fame (die of hunger — categorically), morire di vecchiaia (die of old age).
- Per marks a specific reason or motivation: morire per amore (die for love — as a motivation), morire per la patria (die for one's country).
- Da marks an immediate physical or emotional source: tremare dal freddo (shiver from the cold — direct source), piangere dalla rabbia (cry from anger).
The lines blur in practice. Morire di fame and morire per la fame both exist; the first is the standard categorical use, the second emphasizes the cause as a specific event. For most learners, the safest defaults are: di for generic / categorical causes, per for specific reasons or motivations, da for direct physical or emotional sources.
8. On behalf of
Per also marks acting on behalf of someone — voting, speaking, working in their name.
Voto per Marco alle prossime elezioni, è un buon candidato.
I'm voting for Marco in the next elections — he's a good candidate.
Sto parlando per tutti noi, non solo per me.
I'm speaking for all of us, not just for myself.
Lavoro per una multinazionale americana.
I work for an American multinational.
Lui combatte per la giustizia, io combatto per la mia famiglia.
He fights for justice, I fight for my family.
The "work for" use (lavorare per) is the standard way to express employment in Italian — lavoro per una banca (I work for a bank). The alternative lavorare in (lavoro in una banca) emphasizes the workplace as a location rather than the employer-employee relationship.
9. Numerical and mathematical uses
Per has specialized roles in numerical contexts:
| Italian | English | Use |
|---|---|---|
| tre per quattro fa dodici | three times four is twelve | multiplication |
| diviso per | divided by | division |
| per cento | per cent | percentage |
| il 30 per cento | 30 percent | percentage value |
| uno per uno | one by one | distribution |
| due per volta | two at a time | distribution |
| per tre giorni di seguito | for three days in a row | repetition |
Cinque per sette fa trentacinque.
Five times seven is thirty-five.
Il venti per cento degli italiani vive al sud.
Twenty percent of Italians live in the south.
Salgo le scale due per volta, è più veloce.
I take the stairs two at a time — it's faster.
10. Fixed expressions with per
A long list of high-frequency fixed phrases use per. Memorize them as units:
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| per favore / per piacere / per cortesia | please |
| per esempio | for example |
| per caso | by chance |
| per niente / per nulla | not at all |
| per ora | for now |
| per sempre | forever |
| per fortuna | luckily |
| per sbaglio | by mistake |
| per scherzo | as a joke |
| per davvero / sul serio | for real, seriously |
| per primo / per ultimo | first / last (in order) |
| per via di | because of |
| per il resto | for the rest, otherwise |
| per il momento | for the moment |
| per l'amor del cielo / per l'amor di Dio | for heaven's sake |
| per un pelo | by a hair, just barely |
| per filo e per segno | in detail, point by point |
| per quanto riguarda | as far as ... is concerned |
| per quanto ne so | as far as I know |
| andare per funghi | to go mushroom-picking |
| uscire per un caffè | to go out for a coffee |
Per favore, mi puoi passare il sale?
Please, can you pass me the salt?
Per fortuna ho preso l'ombrello, sta cominciando a piovere.
Luckily I took the umbrella — it's starting to rain.
Non mi piace per niente questo film, è noiosissimo.
I don't like this film at all — it's terribly boring.
L'ho fatto per sbaglio, scusami davvero.
I did it by mistake — I'm really sorry.
Per quanto ne so, Marco è ancora a Roma.
As far as I know, Marco is still in Rome.
11. Per never contracts in modern Italian
A clean rule: per never contracts with the definite article in modern Italian. Per il libro, per la casa, per i bambini, per gli amici, per le ragazze — always two words.
The historical contractions — pel (per + il), pello (per + lo), pell' (per + l'), pella (per + la), pei (per + i), pegli (per + gli), pelle (per + le) — are archaic. You may encounter them in 19th-century literature (Manzoni, Leopardi, Verga) but should never produce them yourself. Modern editions of those texts often modernize the spelling; older editions preserve the contractions.
❌ Pel libro che ho letto, ho capito molto della storia italiana.
Archaic — modern Italian writes 'per il libro' as two words.
✅ Per il libro che ho letto, ho capito molto della storia italiana.
From the book I read, I understood a lot about Italian history.
This makes per (along with tra and fra) one of the simpler prepositions in terms of article handling — no contraction grid to memorize. The article just sits next to per unchanged.
12. Per + indefinite article: also no contraction
The same rule applies for indefinite articles: per un, per uno, per una, per un' — always separate.
Per un caffè ci vogliono tre minuti.
For a coffee it takes three minutes.
Per una volta, vorrei arrivare in tempo.
For once, I'd like to arrive on time.
13. Per with disjunctive pronouns
After per, pronouns take their tonic (disjunctive) forms — me, te, lui, lei, noi, voi, loro.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| 1sg | per me |
| 2sg | per te |
| 3sg m. | per lui |
| 3sg f. | per lei |
| 3sg formal | per Lei |
| 1pl | per noi |
| 2pl | per voi |
| 3pl | per loro |
Questo regalo è per te, l'ho scelto pensando ai tuoi gusti.
This gift is for you — I chose it thinking of your tastes.
Per me, l'italiano è la lingua più bella d'Europa.
For me, Italian is the most beautiful language in Europe.
Lui non lo farebbe mai per noi, lo sappiamo benissimo.
He'd never do it for us — we know that very well.
The per me + opinion construction is one of the most common conversational openers in Italian: per me, … = "in my opinion, …". A useful equivalent of English in my view.
14. The per / a contrast for purpose
A subtle distinction worth flagging: per + infinitive expresses purpose ("in order to"), but Italian also has a + infinitive after movement verbs to express the goal of the movement.
| Italian | English | Logic |
|---|---|---|
| vado a comprare il pane | I'm going to buy bread | movement verb + a + infinitive (the goal of the going) |
| vado per comprare il pane | I'm going in order to buy bread | per + infinitive (more abstract purpose, less common in this exact context) |
| esco a fare la spesa | I'm going out to do the shopping | movement verb + a + infinitive |
| vengo a salutarti | I'm coming to say hi | movement verb + a + infinitive |
| studio per imparare | I study to learn | per + infinitive (non-movement; pure purpose) |
| mangio per vivere | I eat to live | per + infinitive (non-movement; pure purpose) |
The pattern: with movement verbs (andare, venire, uscire, scendere, salire, tornare), Italian uses a + infinitive to express the goal of the movement. With non-movement verbs, Italian uses per + infinitive to express the purpose. The two are not interchangeable; vado per comprare il pane sounds slightly off to a native ear (it would suggest a more abstract or emphatic purpose), while vado a comprare il pane is the standard.
When in doubt: with andare and venire, use a. Otherwise, use per.
15. Common mistakes
The most predictable errors English speakers make with per.
❌ Ho aspettato per Marco per due ore.
Incorrect — 'aspettare' takes a direct object in Italian. No 'per' before the thing waited for. (The second 'per due ore' is correct — duration.)
✅ Ho aspettato Marco per due ore.
I waited for Marco for two hours.
❌ Studio per a imparare l'italiano.
Incorrect — 'per' takes the bare infinitive. No 'a' between 'per' and the infinitive.
✅ Studio per imparare l'italiano.
I study to learn Italian.
❌ Studio per di imparare l'italiano.
Incorrect — same problem. No preposition between 'per' and the infinitive.
✅ Studio per imparare l'italiano.
I study to learn Italian.
❌ Pel libro che ho letto, ho imparato molto.
Archaic — 'pel' is the contracted form of 'per il', not used in modern Italian. Modern Italian writes 'per il' as two words.
✅ Per il libro che ho letto, ho imparato molto.
From the book I read, I learned a lot.
❌ Studio italiano per cinque anni e continuo ancora.
Incorrect — for an ongoing action that started in the past, Italian uses 'da', not 'per'. 'Per' would imply the action is finished.
✅ Studio italiano da cinque anni.
I've been studying Italian for five years (and still am).
❌ Morire per fame in Africa è una tragedia.
Mostly incorrect — for the categorical / generic 'die of hunger' meaning, Italian uses 'di'. 'Per' is for specific motivations.
✅ Morire di fame in Africa è una tragedia.
Dying of hunger in Africa is a tragedy.
❌ Vado per Marco a comprare il pane.
Incorrect — with movement verbs, the goal is introduced by 'a'. 'Per' here would mean 'on Marco's behalf', a different meaning.
✅ Vado a comprare il pane per Marco.
I'm going to buy bread for Marco. (a + infinitive for goal of movement; per + person for beneficiary)
❌ Per io questo film è bellissimo.
Incorrect — pronouns after a preposition take the tonic form 'me', not the subject form 'io'.
✅ Per me questo film è bellissimo.
For me, this film is beautiful.
16. The full landscape of per
A consolidated summary:
| Use | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose (with infinitive) | studio per imparare | I study to learn |
| Beneficiary | lo faccio per te | I do it for you |
| Destination (transport) | il treno per Milano | the train to Milan |
| Duration (completed) | per due ore | for two hours |
| Through / via | passare per Milano | to pass through Milan |
| Exchange / price | vendere per 100 euro | to sell for 100 euros |
| Cause | per amore, per questo motivo | out of love, for this reason |
| On behalf of | voto per Marco | I'm voting for Marco |
| Multiplication / percentage | tre per quattro, per cento | three times four, percent |
| Fixed expressions | per favore, per esempio, per caso | please, for example, by chance |
17. The mental model
Three reflexes will get you 90% of per:
- Per + infinitive = "in order to." Studio per imparare. Mangio per vivere. The bare infinitive after per is mandatory — never per a, never per di.
- Per for completed duration, da for ongoing duration. Ho lavorato per cinque anni (I worked for five years, finished); lavoro da cinque anni (I've been working for five years, still going).
- Per never contracts with the article in modern Italian. Per il libro, per la casa — always two words. The forms pel, pegli are archaic.
Once these are automatic, per becomes one of the most useful prepositions in your toolkit — covering purpose, benefit, route, duration, cause, and dozens of fixed expressions.
Where to go next
- The Preposition A: Overview — the partner of per for goal-directed motion (vado a comprare vs. studio per imparare).
- The Preposition Da: Overview — the contrast partner for duration: da (ongoing) vs. per (completed).
- The Preposition Di: Overview — the contrast partner for cause: di (categorical) vs. per (specific motivation).
- Prepositions: Overview — the architectural map of the Italian preposition system.
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Open the Italian course →Related Topics
- Italian Prepositions: OverviewA1 — A map of the Italian preposition system — the nine simple prepositions, the obligatory contractions with the definite article, the prepositional phrases built on adverbs and nouns, and the lexical rule that towers over all of it: each verb and noun chooses its own preposition, and you must memorize them one by one.
- The Preposition A: OverviewA1 — A is the second most common Italian preposition — direction with cities, location with cities and certain places, indirect object marker, time of day, manner (a piedi, a mano), and the connector for verbs like cominciare a, andare a, riuscire a, imparare a. Plus the crucial fact: Italian has no personal a.
- The Preposition Da: OverviewA1 — Italian's most multifunctional preposition — origin, time-since, passive agent, 'at someone's place', purpose, and 'as / like'. Da has the widest semantic range of any Italian preposition.
- The Preposition Di: OverviewA1 — Di is Italian's most versatile preposition — possession, material, origin, topic, partitive, comparison, time, cause, authorship, and the connector between certain verbs and infinitives. The full inventory of uses, the contractions del / della / dei / degli / delle, and the elision di → d' before vowels.
- The Preposition In: OverviewA1 — In is Italian's preposition for interior space, abstract domains, countries, regions, vehicles, seasons, and years. The third most common Italian preposition — and the partner of 'a' in the location system.
- L'Infinito: OverviewA1 — The infinito is Italian's most flexible verb form — it serves as the dictionary entry, the second verb in chains, the form after prepositions, a noun in its own right, and the negative tu imperative. Here's the whole landscape.