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Breakdown of Ogni bambino indossa la propria giacca prima di uscire.
ogni
every
il bambino
the child
la giacca
the jacket
prima di
before
uscire
to go out
indossare
to wear
la propria
their own
Questions & Answers about Ogni bambino indossa la propria giacca prima di uscire.
Why is bambino singular after ogni?
In Italian ogni means every and always takes a singular noun. You never say ogni bambini – it’s always ogni + singular noun.
What’s the difference between ogni bambino and tutti i bambini?
- ogni bambino (singular) emphasizes each child individually and pairs with a singular verb.
- tutti i bambini (plural) refers to all the children as a group and uses a plural verb.
What is the difference between ogni and ognuno?
- ogni is an adjective that must precede a noun (ogni bambino).
- ognuno is an indefinite pronoun meaning everyone; it stands alone: ognuno indossa la propria giacca.
Why is the adjective propria feminine singular? Shouldn't it agree with bambino?
Possessive adjectives agree with the noun they modify, not with the subject. Here giacca is feminine singular, so we use propria (feminine singular) to match giacca.
Could we say la sua giacca instead of la propria giacca?
Yes. la sua giacca means his/her jacket, but la propria giacca specifically means one’s own jacket and avoids ambiguity, especially when multiple people are involved.
Why is there a definite article before propria giacca? Can we drop it?
In Italian, possessive adjectives (including proprio/a) normally require the definite article (il, la, i, le). You must say la propria giacca; dropping the article (propria giacca) is ungrammatical.
What’s the meaning of indossa? Can I use mette or si mette instead?
- indossa is the 3rd person singular present of indossare (“to wear” or “to put on clothes”).
- You can also use the reflexive mettersi: ogni bambino si mette la giacca, which means the same thing in a slightly more conversational style.
Why is prima di uscire used? How does prima di + infinitive work?
prima di + infinitive expresses “before doing something.” You always insert di before the infinitive verb (uscire). It indicates that one action (putting on the jacket) happens before the next (going out).
Could I use prima che esca instead of prima di uscire?
You could say prima che + subjunctive (e.g. prima che esca), but when both clauses share the same subject (ogni bambino), Italians prefer the simpler prima di + infinitive.
Can I change the word order to Prima di uscire ogni bambino indossa la propria giacca?
Yes. Moving prima di uscire to the beginning is perfectly grammatical and simply shifts the emphasis to “before going out.”
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