Dopo la ricreazione, mi metto a studiare per l’interrogazione di storia.

After recess, I start studying for the history oral exam.

Breakdown of Dopo la ricreazione, mi metto a studiare per l’interrogazione di storia.

• io: I
• di: of
• per: for
• dopo: after

Questions & Answers about Dopo la ricreazione, mi metto a studiare per l’interrogazione di storia.

Why is it Dopo la ricreazione and not just Dopo ricreazione?

In Italian, dopo normally takes a noun with an article when you are talking about a specific event or time period: dopo la ricreazione = after recess / after the break.

Without the article, dopo ricreazione would sound unnatural in standard Italian. The article la is needed because ricreazione is being treated as a specific school period.

Does ricreazione really mean recreation?

Not usually in the English sense. In a school context, ricreazione means recess, break, or school break.

So this is a good word to watch out for, because it looks like English recreation, but here it refers specifically to the break students have between classes.

What does mi metto a studiare mean exactly?

Mettersi a + infinitive means to start doing something, to begin doing something, or to get down to doing something.

So:

• mi metto a studiare = I start studying
• more literally: I put myself to studying

Compared with just studio, this expression adds the idea of the moment when the action begins. It suggests a change: first I am not studying, then I begin.

Why is there mi in mi metto?