Ho chiesto aiuto a un istruttore in piscina.

I asked an instructor for help in the pool.

Breakdown of Ho chiesto aiuto a un istruttore in piscina.

• io: I
• in: in
• a: to
• chiedere: to ask
• l’aiuto: the help
• l’istruttore: the instructor
• la piscina: the pool

Questions & Answers about Ho chiesto aiuto a un istruttore in piscina.

Why is ho chiesto used here? What tense is it and why not chiedo or chiedevo?

Ho chiesto is the passato prossimo of chiedere (“to ask”). Italians use the passato prossimo to describe a single, completed action in the past.

• Chiedo is the present tense (“I ask”) – it would mean you are asking right now.
• Chiedevo is the imperfetto (“I was asking” or “I used to ask”) – it implies an action in progress or a habitual action in the past.

Why is there no article before aiuto? Why not un aiuto?

When aiuto means “help” in a general, uncountable sense, Italian drops the article: ho chiesto aiuto = “I asked for help.”
Using un aiuto would treat aiuto as countable (“a piece of help”), which is less common in this expression.

Why is the preposition a used before un istruttore? Could I say da un istruttore or per un istruttore instead?

With chiedere, you ask something to someone, so the recipient is an indirect object introduced by a:
chiedere aiuto a un istruttore

• da un istruttore would mean “from an instructor” (as in “I received help from…”).
• per un istruttore would mean “for an instructor” (helping on their behalf).
  Neither expresses “ask someone for help.”

Why is it in piscina and not alla piscina? Shouldn’t we use the definite article?

Italian often omits the article after prepositions of place (a, in, su) when referring to being at a facility for its usual purpose:
in piscina = “at the pool” (to swim).
Saying alla piscina is still correct but shifts the focus to the building/location itself (“to the pool,” as a destination) rather than the activity.

When would I use l’istruttore instead of un istruttore?

Use the definite article if both speaker and listener know which instructor you mean:
Ho chiesto aiuto all’istruttore = “I asked the instructor (that we both know) for help.”
Use un istruttore when referring to “an instructor,” without specifying exactly which one.

Is istruttore in piscina the same as istruttore di nuoto?

They overlap but aren’t identical:

• Istruttore di nuoto specifically means “swimming instructor.”
• Istruttore in piscina literally “instructor in the pool” could refer to any coach giving lessons or supervision in the pool (e.g. water aerobics, lifeguard instructor, etc.). Context will clarify.

Can I move in piscina to the front? For example, In piscina ho chiesto aiuto a un istruttore?

Yes. Italian allows you to place adverbial phrases like in piscina at the beginning for emphasis or style. The meaning stays the same; you’re just highlighting the location first.

How would I say this if the instructor was a woman?

Use the feminine form istruttrice and elide una before the vowel:
Ho chiesto aiuto a un’istruttrice in piscina.