Breakdown of Amo camminare sulla riva del mare al tramonto.
io
I
su
on
di
of
camminare
to walk
a
at
amare
to love
il tramonto
the sunset
il mare
the sea
la riva
the shore
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Questions & Answers about Amo camminare sulla riva del mare al tramonto.
Why is the verb camminare in the infinitive after amo?
In Italian, verbs that express feelings or preferences—like amare, piacere, preferire—are followed by an infinitive to indicate the action you love, like “I love to walk.” So amo camminare literally means “I love to walk.”
Can I use mi piace instead of amo here?
Yes. You could say Mi piace camminare sulla riva del mare al tramonto, which means “I like walking on the seashore at sunset.” The nuance is different: mi piace = “I like” (less intense), amo = “I love” (stronger).
What does sulla mean? Is it a contraction?
Yes. sulla is the contraction of su (on) + la (the feminine singular article). Together, sulla means “on the.”
Why is it sulla riva and not alla riva or in riva?
su expresses “on” (being on top of something). a expresses “to” or “at” (more general location), and in means “inside” or “within.” To say “on the shore,” Italian uses su, so sulla riva is the correct choice.
What’s the difference between riva del mare and spiaggia?
Riva means “shore” or “bank,” referring to the edge of a body of water (it could be rocky or grassy). Spiaggia specifically means “beach,” usually sandy. So riva del mare emphasizes the seaside edge, not necessarily a sandy beach.
Why is it del mare and not della mare?
Mare is a masculine singular noun, so its definite article is il. Del is the contraction of di (of) + il (the). If the noun were feminine (e.g., la casa), you would get della casa.
Why do we say al tramonto? Could you say a tramonto?
Tramonto is masculine, so “at” is a + il = al. You need the article here—a tramonto would sound ungrammatical. Al tramonto precisely means “at sunset.”
How do you pronounce tramonto, and where is the stress?
You pronounce it [tra-MON-to], with the stress on the second syllable MON.
Can I use passeggiare instead of camminare here?
Yes. Passeggiare means “to stroll” or “to take a walk” and is very common in this context. Amo passeggiare sulla riva del mare al tramonto sounds natural and conveys a leisurely walk.