Preleviamo contanti prima di entrare in città.

to enter

Breakdown of Preleviamo contanti prima di entrare in città.

• in: in
• la città: the city
• noi: we

Questions & Answers about Preleviamo contanti prima di entrare in città.

What does preleviamo mean in this sentence, and how is it used?

preleviamo is the first-person plural present tense of prelevare (“to withdraw”). In Italian, the noi form of the present indicative can double as the equivalent of English “let’s.” So Preleviamo contanti… can mean either “We withdraw cash…” or “Let’s withdraw cash…” depending on the context.

Why is there no article before contanti?

When talking about something in a general or non-specific sense, Italian often omits the article. Contanti here is used generically (“cash” in general). You could say Preleviamo dei contanti (“Let’s withdraw some cash”) or Preleviamo i contanti (referring to specific cash), but dropping the article is most natural for a general instruction.

What’s the difference between contanti and soldi?

Both words translate as “money,” but contanti specifically refers to physical cash (coins and banknotes). Soldi is more general and can include any form of money (cash, electronic transfers, etc.). Here you’re emphasizing the need for physical cash.

Why do we say prima di entrare instead of just prima entrare?