Uso la macchinetta automatica per comprare i biglietti del treno.

I use the vending machine to buy train tickets.

Breakdown of Uso la macchinetta automatica per comprare i biglietti del treno.

• io: I
• comprare: to buy
• del: of
• usare: to use
• il treno: the train
• la macchinetta automatica: the vending machine
• i biglietti: the tickets

Questions & Answers about Uso la macchinetta automatica per comprare i biglietti del treno.

Why do we say Uso instead of Io uso?

In Italian, the subject pronoun (io) is often omitted because the verb form already indicates who is speaking. Including io is not incorrect, but it would sound more emphatic or formal.

Why is macchinetta in the feminine form?

Italian nouns have grammatical gender. The word macchinetta (literally a “small machine”) is a feminine noun, so it takes the feminine article la and corresponding adjectives or automatic references.

What does automatica agree with in the sentence?

Automatica is an adjective that must agree in gender and number with macchinetta, which is singular and feminine. Hence, it’s la macchinetta automatica rather than il macchinetta automatico.

Why do we say i biglietti instead of a singular form?

Since you're typically buying more than one train ticket, the plural form i biglietti makes sense. You could use the singular il biglietto if you're buying only one ticket.

What does del treno mean literally?

Del treno is a contraction of di + il treno and corresponds to “of the train” in English. It indicates that these tickets are specifically for the train, rather than for some other form of transport.