Aggiungo aglio alla zuppa di lenticchie.

I add garlic to the lentil soup.

Breakdown of Aggiungo aglio alla zuppa di lenticchie.

• io: I
• di: of
• aggiungere: to add
• a: to

Questions & Answers about Aggiungo aglio alla zuppa di lenticchie.

Why is there no article before aglio?

In Italian, aglio (garlic) is an uncountable noun when used in a general sense, so you omit the article. Saying Aggiungo aglio simply means “I add garlic.”
You can use the partitive to emphasize “some garlic”:
• Aggiungo dell’aglio = “I add some garlic.”

Why is it alla zuppa instead of just a zuppa?

When you combine the preposition a (to) with the definite article la (the) before a feminine singular noun, you fuse them into alla.
So alla zuppa means “to the soup,” because you’re adding garlic to a specific soup.

Could you say Aggiungo l’aglio? What would that mean?

Yes. Aggiungo l’aglio translates to “I add the garlic,” implying you’re referring to a specific garlic already mentioned or visible. Without the article (“Aggiungo aglio”), it’s more generic: “I add garlic.”

What’s the difference between di lenticchie and con lenticchie in zuppa di lenticchie?