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Italian verbs that need no preposition

When you learn Italian, you will quickly notice that some common verbs do not behave like their English equivalents. In English, we often need a preposition to connect a verb to its object. We listen to the radio, wait for a friend, and look at a picture.

In Italian, many of these actions are expressed with verbs that take a direct object. This means the verb connects directly to the object without any preposition. If you try to translate the English preposition into Italian, you will end up with an incorrect sentence.

Word list
ascoltareA1 to listen ascoltare la radio = listen to the radio aspettareA1 to wait aspettare l'autobus = wait for the bus guardareA1 to look guardare una foto = look at a photo incontrareA1 to meet incontrare un amico = meet with a friend indicareA2 to point indicare la porta = point at the door pagareA2 to pay pagare il conto = pay for the bill ascoltareB1 to listen ascoltare i genitori = listen to one's parents attendereB1 to wait attendere il treno = wait for the train attraversareB1 to experience attraversare una crisi = go through a crisis cercareB1 to search cercare le chiavi = look for the keys chiedereB1 to ask for chiedere aiuto = ask for help frequentareB1 to date frequentare qualcuno = go out with someone prendere in giroB1 to make fun of prendere in giro qualcuno = make fun of someone richiedereB1 to ask for richiedere un documento = ask for a document rispettareB1 to respect rispettare qualcuno = look up to someone salutareB1 to say goodbye salutare gli amici = say goodbye to one's friends sfogliareB1 to leaf through sfogliare una rivista = leaf through a magazine ammirareB2 to look up to ammirare qualcuno = look up to someone attraversareB2 to cross attraversare la strada = go across the street disapprovareB2 to disapprove disapprovare una scelta = disapprove of a choice fissareB2 to stare fissare il muro = stare at the wall investireB2 to run over investire un pedone = run over a pedestrian mettere sottoB2 to run over mettere sotto un gatto = run over a cat piangereB2 to mourn piangere una persona = grieve over someone tradireB2 to cheat tradire il partner = cheat on one's partner affrontareC1 to stand up to affrontare qualcuno = stand up to someone disprezzareC1 to look down on disprezzare qualcuno = look down on someone guardare dall'alto in bassoC1 to look down on guardare qualcuno dall'alto in basso = look down on someone incendiareC1 to set fire incendiare una casa = set fire to a house
Everyday actions without prepositions

Some of the most common verbs you learn early on fall into this category. The verbs ascoltare, aspettare, attendere, and guardare take a direct object. You do not need to add words like a or per after them.

Ogni mattina ascolto la radio.
(Every morning I listen to the radio.)
Aspetto l'autobus da venti minuti.
(I have been waiting for the bus for twenty minutes.)
Guardo le foto sul mio telefono.
(I am looking at the photos on my phone.)

Similarly, when you want to look for something or ask for something, you use cercare, chiedere, or richiedere. Again, no preposition is needed.

Cosa fai? Cerco le mie chiavi.
(What are you doing? I am looking for my keys.)
Se non capisci, devi chiedere aiuto.
(If you do not understand, you must ask for help.)
Verbs for specific situations

This rule applies to many other verbs across different contexts. For instance, when you pay for a meal, stare at a wall, or leaf through a magazine. The verbs pagare, fissare, and sfogliare are direct.

Oggi pago il conto io.
(Today I am paying for the bill.)
Perché mi fissi in quel modo?
(Why are you staring at me like that?)

You will also see this with relationship and emotional verbs, such as tradire, piangere, and incontrare. You cheat on someone or grieve over someone directly.

Non puoi tradire il partner.
(You cannot cheat on your partner.)
La donna piange il marito.
(The woman mourns for her husband.)
Replacing English phrasal verbs

English is full of phrasal verbs like looking up to someone, standing up to someone, or looking down on someone. In Italian, these concepts are often expressed with a single verb that takes a direct object, such as ammirare, rispettare, affrontare, disprezzare, or the expression guardare dall'alto in basso. You also use attraversare to go across a street, or frequentare to go out with someone romantically.

I bambini ammirano i genitori.
(Children look up to their parents.)
Devi affrontare i tuoi problemi.
(You must stand up to your problems.)
Summary

When using verbs like ascoltare, aspettare, and cercare, do not translate the English prepositions to, for, or at. Connect the verb directly to the noun it acts upon.