Breakdown of Prima preparo la cena, poi mangio con la mia famiglia.
io
I
con
with
preparare
to prepare
mangiare
to eat
la famiglia
the family
poi
then
la mia
my
la cena
the dinner
prima
first
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Questions & Answers about Prima preparo la cena, poi mangio con la mia famiglia.
What does prima indicate in this sentence?
Prima means “first” or “before.” It shows that the action of preparing dinner happens before the next action—eating the meal.
What does poi signify in the sentence?
Poi translates to “then” or “afterwards.” It links the two actions by indicating that eating follows after preparing dinner.
Why are the subject pronouns not explicitly stated in the verbs preparo and mangio?
In Italian, subject pronouns are often dropped because the verb conjugations include information about the subject. Both preparo and mangio are in the first person singular, so it is understood that “I” am performing the actions.
What tense are the verbs preparo and mangio in, and why is that choice appropriate here?
Both verbs are in the present tense. This tense is used here to describe a sequence of actions—as if narrating a routine or set of steps—even if they are not occurring at this exact moment.
What is the function of the phrase con la mia famiglia in the sentence?
The phrase con la mia famiglia is a prepositional phrase that explains with whom the speaker eats. Con means “with,” so it clarifies that the meal is shared with the speaker’s family.
How could you modify this sentence to talk about past events?
To express past events, you could change the verbs to a past tense. For example, using the passato prossimo: Prima ho preparato la cena, poi ho mangiato con la mia famiglia. Alternatively, in a literary context you could use the passato remoto: Prima preparai la cena, poi mangiai con la mia famiglia.