Io voglio un gatto vicino alla finestra.

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Breakdown of Io voglio un gatto vicino alla finestra.

• il gatto: the cat
• la finestra: the window
• volere: to want
• vicino a: near

Questions & Answers about Io voglio un gatto vicino alla finestra.

Why do we sometimes use Io and sometimes leave it out in Italian?

In Italian, pronouns like Io (I) are often omitted because the verb itself (e.g., voglio) tells us who’s doing the action. However, you can use Io for emphasis or clarity—to make sure people know you’re talking about yourself, or to emphasize you as the subject.

What is the role of voglio in this sentence?

Voglio is the first-person singular present tense of volere, which means to want. So Io voglio translates to I want in English.

Why is un gatto used instead of il gatto?

Un gatto means a cat, indicating you don’t have a specific cat in mind. If you said il gatto, it would mean the cat, referring to a particular cat that both the speaker and listener already know about.

Why do we say vicino alla finestra and not just vicino la finestra?

In Italian, vicino often goes together with a, forming vicino a. Because finestra is feminine singular and requires the article la, in the combined form it becomes alla (a + la → alla). Hence, vicino alla finestra.

Could we say voglio un gatto accanto alla finestra instead?

Yes. Accanto alla finestra is another way to say beside the window. It’s slightly different in nuance but still indicates the cat is near the window. Both vicino alla finestra and accanto alla finestra are correct; it just depends on whether you prefer near or beside.