Il visitatore è vicino al fiume.

to be

Breakdown of Il visitatore è vicino al fiume.

• vicino: near
• il visitatore: the visitor
• il fiume: the river

Questions & Answers about Il visitatore è vicino al fiume.

Why do we say al fiume instead of a il fiume?

In Italian, when the preposition a (to/at) is followed by the definite article il (the), they contract to form al. So a il fiume becomes al fiume, meaning to the river or at the river (in this context, it’s near the river).

What is the function of vicino here? Is it an adjective or part of a prepositional phrase?

Vicino in this sentence functions as part of a prepositional phrase vicino a, which means near. However, note that because it combines with the article, it becomes vicino al fiume (near the river). The construction is: essere + vicino + a + [article/noun].

Why does the sentence use the definite article il in Il visitatore?

In Italian, nouns generally need an article unless there’s a specific reason not to use one (e.g., certain proper names, certain idiomatic expressions). Here, Il visitatore indicates we’re talking about a particular visitor. In English, sometimes you’d say simply Visitor, but in Italian, you almost always use Il visitatore.

Could I say Un visitatore è vicino al fiume instead?

Yes, you could. That would translate to A visitor is near the river. Using il specifies a particular visitor you have in mind, while un indicates any visitor in general. Both are grammatically correct but convey slightly different contexts.

How would I say The visitor is near the river in Italian without contraction?

You would have to keep the required contraction when a and il combine, so a il fiume is never used on its own. Il visitatore è vicino al fiume is the only correct version. In standard Italian, you can’t separate a and il when they appear together; they must contract into al.