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Questions & Answers about Trovo un amico in piazza.
Why isn’t the subject pronoun io included before trovo?
Italian is a pro‑drop language: the verb ending -o in trovo already tells you the subject is io. Including io is grammatically correct but redundant unless you want to add emphasis.
What exactly does trovo mean here? Is it “I find” or “I meet”?
Trovo is the 1st‑person singular present of trovare, literally “I find.” In everyday use, it can also mean “I meet (by chance).” If you want the neutral “I meet,” you could use incontro from incontrare.
Why do I need un before amico? In English you say “I meet friend.”
In Italian, singular countable nouns normally require an article. So you need un amico (“a friend”). Omitting the article (Trovo amico) would sound ungrammatical.
Why is it in piazza and not a piazza or alla piazza?
When you talk about being “in/at” a public place in a general sense—town square, church, school—you use in + the place name without an article: in piazza, in chiesa, in centro.
What if I want to say “in a square” or “in the square”?
To specify “in a square (one among many),” say in una piazza. To refer to a particular square you’ve already mentioned, use nella piazza (in + la = nella).
Can I change the word order, for example In piazza trovo un amico?
Yes. Placing in piazza at the start stresses the location: In piazza trovo un amico (“It’s in the square that I find/meet a friend”). The meaning stays the same.
What’s the difference between trovo un amico and incontro un amico?
Trovo un amico often implies finding or coming across a friend, maybe unexpectedly. Incontro un amico focuses on the action of meeting, whether planned or unplanned, and is the direct equivalent of English “I meet a friend.”
Could I replace in piazza with the pronoun ci?
Yes. Once you’ve established “in piazza,” you can say Ci trovo un amico. Here ci (“there”) stands in for in piazza and keeps the sentence concise.