Nel bosco trovo un’ombra piacevole e riposo per qualche minuto, prima di tornare dalla mia famiglia.

In the woods I find a pleasant shade and rest for a few minutes, before returning to my family.

Breakdown of Nel bosco trovo un’ombra piacevole e riposo per qualche minuto, prima di tornare dalla mia famiglia.

• io: I
• trovare: to find
• e: and
• per: for
• tornare: to return
• riposare: to rest
• mia: my
• la famiglia: the family
• il bosco: the wood
• l'ombra: the shadow
• piacevole: pleasant
• qualche: some
• il minuto: the minute
• prima di: before

Questions & Answers about Nel bosco trovo un’ombra piacevole e riposo per qualche minuto, prima di tornare dalla mia famiglia.

Why do we say nel bosco instead of in bosco?

In Italian, nel is a contraction of in + il, meaning in the. So nel bosco translates directly to in the forest (or woods). Using in bosco would sound unnatural because in standard Italian you almost always need an article before a noun like bosco.

Why is there an apostrophe in un’ombra?

The word un’ombra comes from una + ombra. In Italian, the indefinite article una drops the final -a before a vowel (like the o in ombra) and is replaced by an apostrophe. So una ombra becomes un’ombra.

What is the meaning of riposare here?

Riposare means to rest. In the sentence, riposare is used in the first-person present tense (ripos(o) = I rest). It indicates taking a short break or pause, in this case for a few minutes in the shade.

Why do we use per qualche minuto instead of per alcuni minuti?

Qualche (meaning some or a few) is typically followed by a singular noun in Italian, even though the sense is plural. So you say qualche minuto, not qualche minuti. Meanwhile, alcuni minuti is also correct but would slightly change the nuance. Qualche is more common for an approximate short duration.

What does prima di tornare mean?

Prima di tornare translates to before returning. It’s a prepositional phrase where prima di (before) is followed by the infinitive of the verb (tornare). This indicates an action happening immediately prior to the return.

Why do we say dalla mia famiglia and not alla mia famiglia?

The preposition da can indicate motion towards a person or place of belonging. Dalla mia famiglia literally means to (the place of) my family. In contrast, alla mia famiglia would more likely be interpreted as to my family in a sense of giving something to them, so it doesn’t fit the context of returning home.

Is there any difference between tornare and ritornare?

Both tornare and ritornare generally mean to return. Ritornare is slightly more emphatic, sometimes stressing coming back again, but in everyday speech, tornare is more common and neutral. Here, tornare simply conveys going back to one’s family.