Breakdown of Prendo in prestito un libro giallo dalla biblioteca.
io
I
il libro
the book
da
from
giallo
yellow
la biblioteca
the library
prendere in prestito
to borrow
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Questions & Answers about Prendo in prestito un libro giallo dalla biblioteca.
What does prendo in prestito literally mean, and how does it differ from just using a verb like “borrow”?
Prendo in prestito literally breaks down as prendo (I take) + in prestito (on loan). Italian doesn’t have a single verb equivalent to English “to borrow,” so you express it as taking something on loan.
How do I say “to lend” in Italian, and how is that different from prendere in prestito?
“To lend” is prestare.
- Prestare means “to give something on loan” (Lui presta il libro a me – He lends me the book).
- Prendere in prestito means “to take something on loan” (Io prendo il libro in prestito da lui – I borrow the book from him).
Why is the adjective giallo placed after libro? Can I say giallo libro instead?
In Italian, descriptive adjectives normally follow the noun: libro giallo. If you move giallo before libro, it would sound poetic or emphatic, not neutral. So you should say un libro giallo, not un giallo libro.
What does giallo mean in this context? Is it the color yellow or something else?
Here giallo refers to the mystery/detective genre (derived historically from the yellow covers of early Italian mystery novels). Context matters: if you said un quaderno giallo, you’d mean a yellow-colored notebook.
Why is dalla used instead of da la?
Dalla is the contraction of da + la (from + the [feminine singular]). Italian regularly contracts prepositions with definite articles:
- da + il → dal
- da + la → dalla
- a + il → al, etc.
Is biblioteca the same as libreria?
No.
- Biblioteca is a library (where you borrow books).
- Libreria is a bookstore (where you buy books).
Can I omit in prestito and just say Prendo un libro giallo dalla biblioteca?
Yes, in casual speech you’ll often hear Prendo un libro giallo dalla biblioteca, and people understand you’re borrowing it. Adding in prestito makes it explicitly clear that it’s on loan.
Could I also say Prendo un libro giallo in prestito dalla biblioteca (switching the word order)?
Yes. Italian word order is relatively flexible:
- Prendo in prestito un libro giallo dalla biblioteca or
- Prendo un libro giallo in prestito dalla biblioteca
both are correct. The emphasis slightly shifts but the meaning stays the same.