Learn Hardcore Italian: Porto l’acqua alla torre antica.

Porto is the first-person singular present tense of the verb portare, meaning “I bring” or “I carry.” So in Porto l’acqua… you’re saying “I bring the water…”

Why does l’acqua have an apostrophe?

Because acqua begins with a vowel, the feminine singular article la elides (drops its a) and becomes l’.
la + acqua → l’acqua
This elision makes pronunciation smoother.

Why do we use alla instead of a la?

Italian prepositions often contract with definite articles. Here:
a (to) + la (the, feminine) → alla
Similarly:
• a + il → al
• a + i → ai
• a + gli → agli
etc.

What is the function of alla torre antica? Is it an indirect object?

No, it’s not an indirect object (which usually involves a person). Alla torre antica is a complement of motion toward a place (complemento di moto a luogo). It tells us where you bring the water.

Why is the adjective antica placed after torre, and could it go before?

In Italian, descriptive adjectives normally follow the noun: • torre antica = “old tower” (neutral description).
You can place some adjectives before for stylistic or emotional nuance: • la vecchia torre might feel more poetic or highlight its age.
But both orders are grammatically correct; the difference is in emphasis.

Why does antica end in -a?

Because torre is a feminine noun (ending in -e), the adjective must agree in gender and number.
Masculine singular: antico
Feminine singular: antica
Masculine plural: antichi
Feminine plural: antiche

Can we drop the article and say porto l’acqua a torre antica?

Generally no. With common nouns denoting places, Italian requires the definite article after a preposition: alla torre, not a torre.
Exceptions exist (proper names, some idioms like a scuola), but a torre antica would sound unnatural.

How do you pronounce Porto l’acqua alla torre antica?

IPA: /ˈpɔr.to lakˈkwa alˈla ˈtɔr.re anˈti.ka/
Syllable-by-syllable guide:
POR-to la-KWA AL-la TOR-re an-TEE-ka