Da bambino, passavo ore a giocare sulla sabbia vicino al mare.

As a child, I used to spend hours playing on the sand near the sea.

Breakdown of Da bambino, passavo ore a giocare sulla sabbia vicino al mare.

• io: I
• su: on
• vicino: near
• il bambino: the child
• giocare: to play
• passare: to spend
• l'ora: the hour
• la sabbia: the sand
• il mare: the sea

Questions & Answers about Da bambino, passavo ore a giocare sulla sabbia vicino al mare.

What does Da bambino literally mean?

It literally translates as As a child or When I was a child. In Italian, this phrase introduces a personal memory or something that happened during childhood.

Why is passavo in the imperfect tense instead of a past simple tense?

The imperfect tense in Italian (passavo) is typically used for habits or repeated actions in the past. It emphasizes that this was something done regularly over a period of time, rather than a single completed event.

Why do we say passavo ore a giocare instead of something like passavo ore di giocare?

In Italian, the verb passare often pairs with a plus the infinitive to mean spend time doing something. So you say passare tempo a fare qualcosa, not passare tempo di fare qualcosa.

Is there any difference in nuance between using sulla sabbia and nella sabbia?

Using sulla sabbia means on the sand, indicating playing on its surface. If you said nella sabbia (in the sand), it would suggest digging into the sand or being partly covered by it. The original phrase implies you are simply playing on top of the sand.

Does vicino al mare always translate directly to near the sea?

Yes, vicino al mare usually means near the sea. You might also hear vicino al mare used in other contexts like describing a location close to the coast or a seaside resort.