durante

§ Don't confuse "durante" with "per"

Many English speakers learning Italian will incorrectly use "per" when they should use "durante." This happens because "for" in English can mean both "for a duration of time" and "during." In Italian, these are distinct.

DEFINITION

Use "durante" when you're talking about something happening *at some point within* a period of time, or *all through* a period of time.

DEFINITION

Use "per" when you're stating the *total duration* of an action or event.

§ Not using the correct article after "durante"

"Durante" is a preposition. In Italian, prepositions are often followed by an article (like "il," "la," "un," "una"). Some learners forget this and drop the article, which sounds unnatural to a native speaker.

Incorrect:

While in English you might say "during dinner" without an article, in Italian, the article is usually necessary when referring to a specific instance of something, even if it's general.

§ Using "durante" with a specific point in time

"Durante" refers to a period or duration, not a precise moment.

Incorrect:

For specific times, you would use "alle" (at) or similar constructions.

§ Overusing "durante"

Sometimes, English speakers translate "during" literally in situations where Italian might use a different construction or imply the duration without a specific word.

• For example, instead of saying "durante la mia visita," you might simply say "nella mia visita" (in my visit) or just imply it depending on context.

• Another common case is when talking about a period where something is happening generally. "Durante l'inverno" (during winter) is perfectly fine, but often you could also simply say "in inverno" (in winter) or "d'inverno" (in winter/of winter) for a more idiomatic expression.