Breakdown of Il treno scompare davanti alla stazione.
davanti a
in front of
il treno
the train
la stazione
the station
scomparire
to disappear
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Questions & Answers about Il treno scompare davanti alla stazione.
What is the conjugation and meaning of scompare?
Scompare is the third-person singular present indicative of the verb scomparire, which means “to disappear” or “to vanish.”
The s at the beginning of scompare—is that a reflexive pronoun?
No. In scomparire, the s- is part of the verb root, not a reflexive pronoun. This verb is intransitive and does not take a separate si.
Why is the definite article il used before treno?
Italian normally requires an article before a singular countable noun. Here we’re referring to a specific train, so we use the masculine singular article il.
How does davanti alla stazione work? Why alla and not al?
Davanti is a preposition meaning “in front of.” When followed by a noun it requires a. Because stazione is feminine singular, a + la contracts to alla.
Could we use di fronte alla stazione instead of davanti alla stazione?
Yes. Di fronte a and davanti a are largely interchangeable locative prepositions, both meaning “in front of,” though di fronte a sometimes implies a direct facing.
Can we change the word order for emphasis?
Certainly. Placing the location first—Davanti alla stazione il treno scompare—emphasizes where the train vanishes. The original order (Il treno scompare davanti alla stazione) is neutral.