Learn Hardcore Italian: Al banco del check-in consegniamo il bagaglio e prendiamo le carte d’imbarco. - At the check-in desk we hand in the luggage and pick up the boarding passes.

Al is the contracted form of a + il, because banco is masculine singular. You never say a il banco; it becomes al banco. If the noun were feminine (for example stazione), you would say alla stazione (a + la).

In del check-in, why is it del and not della?

Del = di + il. In Italian, check-in is treated as a masculine noun (il check-in). So di + il contracts to del. You use della (di + la) only with feminine nouns.

What exactly does banco mean in this context and how is it different from sportello?

Here, banco means “counter” or “desk” (the check-in desk). You may also hear sportello, which refers more to a window or service booth (like a ticket window). In airport language, banco is the most common term for the check-in counter.

Why is bagaglio singular, even though I may have more than one bag?

In Italian, bagaglio can function as a mass noun meaning “luggage” in general, so it stays singular (il bagaglio). If you want to count individual items, you say i bagagli (“the bags”).

Why are carte d’imbarco plural and what does d’imbarco mean?

You usually receive one boarding pass per flight segment, so carte is plural. D’imbarco is the elided form of di + imbarco (boarding). Together carte d’imbarco means “boarding passes.”

Why is there an apostrophe in d’imbarco?

When di comes before a word starting with a vowel (here imbarco), Italian drops the i of di and replaces it with an apostrophe: d’ instead of di. This process is called elision.

What is the difference between consegnare and dare in this sentence?

Consegnare means “to hand over” or “to deliver” something in an official way—perfect for handing luggage to staff. Dare is more general (“to give”) and doesn’t carry that formal or procedural nuance you need at check-in.

Why are the verbs consegniamo and prendiamo in the present tense?

The present tense here describes a habitual or routine action: “When we check in, we hand over the luggage and take the boarding passes.” It’s also known as the historical present to make the sequence of actions feel immediate.

Could I use ritirare instead of prendere for getting the boarding passes?

Yes. Ritirare le carte d’imbarco (“to collect the boarding passes”) is completely correct and slightly more formal. Prendere (“to take”) is more colloquial and common in everyday speech.

Why isn’t the subject pronoun noi included before consegniamo and prendiamo?

Italian often drops subject pronouns because the verb endings already indicate who is performing the action. Adding noi (Noi consegniamo…) is grammatically correct but usually redundant unless you want to emphasize “we.”