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La sicurezza viene prima di tutto quando si lavora in cantiere.

La sicurezza viene prima di tutto quando si lavora in cantiere.
Safety comes before everything when working on a construction site.
FromLesson 44inHardcore Italian

Questions & Answers about La sicurezza viene prima di tutto quando si lavora in cantiere.

Why is viene used instead of è in this sentence?
Because Italian often uses venire in expressions of ranking or precedence. Viene prima di tutto literally means “comes before everything,” which is more idiomatic than saying è prima di tutto (“is first of all”).
What does prima di tutto literally mean?
Literally prima = “before,” di tutto = “of everything.” So the phrase means “before everything,” i.e. “above all,” “first and foremost.”
Why is it di tutto and not del tutto?
Prima di tutto is a fixed idiomatic expression meaning “above all.” By contrast, del tutto means “completely,” so it would change the meaning.
What does the clause quando si lavora express?
It’s a temporal clause introduced by quando (“when”) plus the impersonal si. It means “when one works” or “when working.”
Why is the impersonal si used here?
Because the statement is general and doesn’t refer to a specific subject. The impersonal si + verb structure is used to say “people in general do X,” or “one does X.”
Why is there no article before cantiere (“site”)?
In Italian you often say in cantiere instead of nel cantiere when speaking about being “on a construction site” in a general sense. In cantiere becomes almost a fixed locution meaning “at a worksite.”
What exactly does cantiere mean?
Cantiere refers to a “construction site” or “building site.” It can also apply to “shipyard,” but here it means where you carry out building work.
Can I invert the clauses and say Quando si lavora in cantiere, la sicurezza viene prima di tutto?
Yes, that’s perfectly correct. Italian allows inversion of main and subordinate clauses without changing the meaning.
Are there synonyms for viene prima di tutto?

Sure. You could say:
• È la cosa più importante (“it’s the most important thing”)
• Viene prima di ogni altra cosa (“comes before every other thing”)
• È al primo posto (“is in first place”)

Could I rephrase using a gerund, e.g. Lavorando in cantiere, la sicurezza viene prima di tutto?
Yes, that’s also correct. The gerund lavorando creates a circumstantial clause: “Working on a construction site, safety comes first.” It sounds slightly more formal, but the meaning is the same.
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