Breakdown of Il trackpad è vicino alla tastiera.
essere
to be
vicino
near
la tastiera
the keyboard
a
to
il trackpad
the trackpad
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Questions & Answers about Il trackpad è vicino alla tastiera.
Why do we use il before trackpad?
In Italian, il is the definite article for masculine singular nouns. Even though trackpad is an English borrowing, it’s treated as a masculine noun, so you say il trackpad (“the trackpad”).
Why is it alla tastiera instead of a la tastiera?
Alla is the contraction of the preposition a (“to”/“at”) + the definite article la (feminine singular “the”). In Italian you always merge a + la → alla.
Why can’t we drop the article and say vicino a tastiera?
When indicating the position of one object relative to another, Italian normally requires the definite article. So you use vicino alla tastiera, not vicino a tastiera, otherwise it sounds incorrect.
Can I use accanto instead of vicino?
Yes. Accanto also means “next to.” You can say:
Il trackpad è accanto alla tastiera.
What other verbs or constructions express “is near”?
Besides essere + vicino a, you can choose:
• Il trackpad si trova vicino alla tastiera.
• Il trackpad sta vicino alla tastiera.
Both mean “the trackpad is near the keyboard.”
How do I make this sentence plural?
You pluralize article, adjective and noun, and adjust the preposition+article contraction:
I trackpad sono vicini alle tastiere.
- i = masculine plural article
- trackpad often stays invariable (some add -s)
- vicini = masculine plural adjective
- alle = a + le (feminine plural)
- tastiere = feminine plural noun
How would you answer the question “Where is the trackpad?”?
You can invert and drop the subject for a brief reply:
Dov’è il trackpad?
Risposta: Vicino alla tastiera.