Io indico la strada per il mercato.

I indicate the way to the market.

Breakdown of Io indico la strada per il mercato.

• io: I
• il mercato: the market
• per: for
• indicare: to indicate
• la strada: the way

Questions & Answers about Io indico la strada per il mercato.

Why is the subject pronoun Io included in the sentence even though the verb ending already shows the subject?

In Italian, the verb ending makes it clear who is performing the action, so it’s common to omit the subject pronoun. However, adding Io can emphasize that it is specifically I who am indicating the route or provide extra clarity in certain contexts.

What does the verb indico mean, and how does it differ from similar verbs like mostro or guidare?

Indico is the first person singular present indicative form of indicare, meaning “to indicate” or “to point out.” While mostro (from mostrare) means “to show” in a broader visual sense and guidare means “to guide” or “to drive,” indico focuses on the act of showing the direction or highlighting the correct way to get somewhere.

Why is the preposition per used in the phrase per il mercato instead of another preposition such as a?

The preposition per is used here to express the idea of a destination or purpose – “to the market.” Although a can also indicate direction towards a place, per in this context emphasizes that the indicated route is meant for reaching the market, aligning well with the idea of directing someone along a path.

What tense is indico in, and how do we know it is the first person singular form?

Indico is in the present indicative tense. In Italian, regular -are verbs form the first person singular by replacing -are with -o. Thus, the ending -o in indico tells us that the speaker is referring to themselves (“I indicate”).

Can you explain the sentence structure of Io indico la strada per il mercato?

The sentence follows a standard Subject-Verb-Object structure with an added prepositional phrase. Io is the subject, indico is the verb, and la strada is the direct object specifying what is being indicated. The phrase per il mercato functions as a modifier that tells us the destination or purpose of that route—that is, it leads to the market.