Verbs of motion

Halfway down the list one entry carries its preposition with it, and the preposition is the whole lesson: inciampare in. English sees the obstacle as something you pass over, which is why the verb here is followed by « over » — over a cable, over a step, over your own feet. Italian sees the same obstacle as something you go into, and says in. So sono inciampato in un cavo is the ordinary sentence, and nothing built on sopra will do. The same in returns wherever somebody meets something without meaning to: imbattersi in un vecchio amico is to run into an old friend, incorrere in una multa is to pick up a fine. What has to be learned along with the preposition is what it does to the article behind it. In never stands beside a definite article: the two fuse into a single word, nel, nella, nei, negli. Somebody who writes in il cavo has chosen the right preposition and still produced a form no Italian ever puts on paper.