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'In estate', 'd'inverno': how to say 'in summer' and 'in winter'

To say when something happens in a season, Italian usually puts a small preposition straight in front of the season's name: in estate (in summer), d'inverno (in winter), in primavera (in spring), d'autunno (in autumn). There is normally no article in between.

English speakers often trip here because English happily says both in summer and in the summer. So learners translate in the summer word for word and produce nell'estate, which sounds odd in everyday sentences. The good news: the pattern is the same for all four seasons, with one small spelling detail.

Word list
autunnomA1 autumn in autunno / d'autunno = in autumn estatefA1 summer in estate / d'estate = in summer invernomA1 winter in inverno / d'inverno = in winter primaverafA1 spring in primavera / di primavera = in spring
How it works

You have two ways of saying in + season, and both leave out the article:

  • in + season: in estate, in inverno, in primavera, in autunno
  • di + season: d'estate, d'inverno, di primavera, d'autunno

In most sentences the two mean the same thing. The version with di has a slightly more habitual, general feel (what usually happens in that season) and is very common in speech. The version with in is neutral and always safe. Before a vowel, di becomes d', which is why you write d'estate but di primavera.

In estate fa molto caldo.
(In summer it's very hot.)
D'inverno andiamo in montagna.
(In winter we go to the mountains.)
The words

estate (summer) is feminine and starts with a vowel, so you get in estate or d'estate.

D'estate mangiamo spesso il gelato.
(In summer we often eat ice cream.)

inverno (winter) is masculine and also starts with a vowel: in inverno or d'inverno. Many speakers prefer d'inverno because in inverno repeats the same sound.

In inverno le giornate sono corte.
(In winter the days are short.)

primavera (spring) starts with a consonant, so di stays whole: in primavera or di primavera. You may also hear a primavera, especially in speech.

In primavera il parco è pieno di fiori.
(In spring the park is full of flowers.)

autunno (autumn) is masculine and starts with a vowel: in autunno or d'autunno.

D'autunno mi piace camminare nel bosco.
(In autumn I like walking in the woods.)
Watch out

The bare pattern is for talking about a season in general. The article does come back in a few very normal situations.

When the season is the subject or object of the sentence, it takes its article like any noun: l'estate, l'inverno, la primavera, l'autunno.

La primavera è la mia stagione preferita.
(Spring is my favourite season.)

When you mean one particular season (last summer, next winter), Italian uses the article with no preposition, or a word like questa or quest'.

L'estate scorsa siamo andati in Grecia.
(Last summer we went to Greece.)
Quest'inverno voglio imparare a sciare.
(This winter I want to learn to ski.)

When the season is made specific by what follows, such as a year, in joins with the article: nell'estate, nell'autunno.

Nell'autunno del 2020 ho cambiato lavoro.
(In the autumn of 2020 I changed jobs.)

The typical mistake is using nell'estate or nella primavera for general, repeated situations. If you could say every summer or in summer generally in English, go with in estate or d'estate.

Summary

For a season in general, put in or di straight before the name, with no article: in estate or d'estate, in inverno or d'inverno, in primavera or di primavera, in autunno or d'autunno. Use the article only when the season is the subject (l'estate è calda), when you mean one specific season (l'estate scorsa) or when a year or other detail follows (nell'estate del 2025).