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Breakdown of L'infermiera prepara la colazione.
preparare
to prepare
la colazione
the breakfast
l'infermiera
the nurse
Questions & Answers about L'infermiera prepara la colazione.
Why is l'infermiera written with an apostrophe instead of using la?
In Italian, when a feminine noun begins with a vowel, the definite article la is elided to l' to ensure smoother pronunciation. Since infermiera starts with a vowel sound, la infermiera becomes l'infermiera.
What does the verb prepara mean, and why is it used in this form?
Prepara is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb preparare, which means "prepares". It agrees with the singular subject l'infermiera, indicating that the nurse is the one who is preparing breakfast.
Why isn’t there a subject pronoun like lei (she) before the verb?
Italian verb conjugations carry enough information about the subject, so it’s common to omit explicit subject pronouns. In this sentence, prepara clearly refers to a singular third-person subject, making the inclusion of lei redundant.
What does la colazione mean, and are there any special points about its usage?
La colazione translates to "breakfast" in English. It’s a feminine noun, as indicated by the article la. In Italian, definite articles are often used even in general contexts (such as meals), which differs slightly from English usage.
Can this sentence be translated word-for-word into English, and how does the sentence structure compare?
Yes, the sentence follows a subject-verb-object pattern similar to English. L'infermiera prepara la colazione can be translated directly as "The nurse prepares breakfast." Although the structure aligns closely, note that Italian typically uses the definite article with nouns more consistently than English might in casual speech.
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