Learn Hardcore Italian: Domani mattina devo fare una visita in ospedale. - Tomorrow morning I have to have a checkup at the hospital.

Italian often uses the present for scheduled or planned future actions when there’s a time expression: Domani mattina devo… sounds perfectly natural.
You can also say Domani mattina dovrò fare una visita…; it’s equally correct but can sound a bit more formal or like you’re stating a future obligation you anticipate rather than a fixed plan. In everyday speech, the present (devo) is very common with future time markers.

Can I use domattina instead of domani mattina?

Yes. Domattina (spelled with double t) is a common contraction of domani mattina. Both are standard. Similarly, stamattina = “this morning.” For “the morning after tomorrow,” use dopodomani mattina (there’s no single-word contraction).

Can I move the time phrase to the end: “Devo fare una visita in ospedale domani mattina”?

Yes. Both orders are natural:

Domani mattina devo fare una visita in ospedale.
Devo fare una visita in ospedale domani mattina. Putting the time at the beginning slightly emphasizes when it happens.

Does fare una visita mean “to visit someone,” or is it medical?

By itself, fare una visita can mean either “to make a (social) visit” or “to have a (medical) check-up.” The context in ospedale makes it clearly medical here.

Medical: Devo fare una visita (medica).
Social: Domani faccio visita a mia zia.

What’s the difference between fare una visita and fare visita a?

Fare una visita (+ place/medical context) = have a medical examination/check-up.
Fare visita a (+ person) = pay a visit to someone (socially).
Note the article: you say fare visita a Maria (no article), but fare una visita when it’s medical.

Is visitare the right verb here?

Not for the patient. Visitare means “to examine” (what doctors do to patients) or “to visit a place.”

Doctor → patient: Il medico mi visita.
Tourist → place: Visito Roma.
Patient → doctor appointment: Faccio/Devo fare una visita. (not “visito il medico”)

Why in ospedale and not all’ospedale?

Both exist, but they’re used a bit differently:

in ospedale highlights the institution/being inside for its function (treatment, work): Lavoro in ospedale. Andare in ospedale.
all’ospedale (a + l’ospedale) can emphasize the physical location or a meeting point: Ci vediamo all’ospedale alle nove.
In this sentence, in ospedale is the most typical choice.

Do I ever use an article like nell’ospedale?

Yes, when you specify a particular hospital or stress the building:

Nell’ospedale di San Luca c’è un nuovo reparto.
All’ospedale San Luca ho una visita alle 9.
For general statements (work, treatment), in ospedale (no article) is most common.

Would Devo andare in ospedale per una visita sound more natural?

It’s very natural and common.

Devo fare una visita in ospedale = focuses on the exam itself.
Devo andare in ospedale per una visita = focuses on the trip/purpose.
Both are fine.

Can I say Ho una visita in ospedale domani mattina?

Yes. Ho una visita… emphasizes you have a scheduled appointment. Devo fare… emphasizes obligation/necessity. Use whichever fits your nuance.

Is visita the same as appuntamento?

Not exactly:

visita = the medical examination/check-up itself.
appuntamento = the appointment time/slot (any context, not just medical).
You might have both: Ho un appuntamento per una visita.

Do I need to say Io before devo?

No. Subject pronouns are normally dropped in Italian because the verb ending shows the subject. Io is added only for emphasis or contrast: Io devo, lui no.

Should there be a comma after Domani mattina?

No comma is needed. Domani mattina devo… flows naturally without one. A comma is possible for extra emphasis, but it’s not typical.

Where do I put words like presto or verso?

Early: Domani mattina presto devo fare una visita…
Around a time: Domani mattina verso le nove devo fare una visita…
Avoid verso domani mattina; use verso with a clock time or part of day like verso mezzogiorno.

How do I pronounce key words here?

domani: do-MA-ni (stress on MA)
mattina: mat-TI-na (stress on TI)
devo: DE-vo (stress on DE)
visita: VI-si-ta (stress on VI)
ospedale: os-pe-DA-le (stress on DA; the s in “os” is unvoiced)

What’s the difference between mattina, mattino, and mattinata?

mattina and mattino both mean “morning”; mattina is more common in this kind of expression: domani mattina.
mattinata means “the course of the morning / sometime during the morning”: Domani in mattinata = “at some point tomorrow morning.”

Is debbo acceptable instead of devo?

Yes, debbo is an older/regionally marked variant of devo. It’s correct but sounds old-fashioned; devo is standard in contemporary speech.

How would I negate this—does Non devo mean “I mustn’t” or “I don’t have to”?

Non devo usually means “I don’t have to / it’s not necessary.” To say “I mustn’t / I’m not allowed to,” Italians more often use Non posso or add emphasis: Non devo assolutamente…
Examples:

Lack of obligation: Domani mattina non devo fare una visita.
Prohibition: Domani mattina non posso andare in ospedale.