Per favore, porta via la spazzatura prima di cena.

Porta is the informal singular imperative of portare (to bring / to take / to carry).

In commands, Italian usually uses a special verb form rather than the infinitive. So:

• portare = to take / to carry
• porta! = take! / bring!

In this sentence, the speaker is telling one person they know well to do something, so porta is the right form.

Here it means take or carry away.

By itself, portare can often mean to bring or to take, depending on context. The word via helps make the meaning clear here:

• portare via = to take away

So porta via la spazzatura means take the trash out / take the trash away.

Via adds the idea of away.

So:

• portare = to carry / bring / take
• portare via = to carry away / take away

This is a very common pattern in Italian. The little word via changes the meaning of the verb and makes it more specific.

In everyday English, take out the trash is often the most natural translation, even though the Italian literally looks more like take the trash away.

Italian often uses the definite article where English does not.

So even though English says:

• take out trash
• or more naturally take out the trash

Italian normally says:

• la spazzatura

That article sounds completely natural in Italian. In many everyday expressions, Italian prefers il / la / i / le with nouns more often than English does.

Yes, spazzatura is singular here.

It works like a mass noun, similar to trash or garbage in English. You usually refer to it as one general substance or category, not as separate countable items.

So:

• la spazzatura = the trash / the garbage

You could also hear other words depending on region or context, such as immondizia or rifiuti, but spazzatura is very common and natural.

Because Italian often omits subject pronouns when they are already clear from the verb form.

Here, porta already tells you the command is addressed to tu:

• (tu) porta via la spazzatura

Including tu is possible, but usually unnecessary unless you want emphasis, contrast, or emotional force.

So the sentence sounds natural without it.

It is informal singular.

Porta is the command form used with tu, so you would say this to:

• a friend
• a sibling
• a child
• someone you address informally

If you wanted the formal singular version, you would say:

• Per favore, porti via la spazzatura prima di cena.

If you were speaking to more than one person informally:

• Per favore, portate via la spazzatura prima di cena.

Per favore means please.

It can go at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence, depending on tone and style. In this sentence, putting it first is very natural:

• Per favore, porta via la spazzatura prima di cena.

You could also hear:

• Porta via la spazzatura, per favore.

Both are correct. The meaning stays the same, though the rhythm and tone may feel slightly different.

Prima di means before when followed by a noun or an infinitive.

So:

• prima di cena = before dinner
• literally: before dinner

Italian uses di after prima in this structure.

Compare:

• prima di cena = before dinner
• prima di mangiare = before eating

So prima di is the pattern to remember.

In expressions like before dinner, Italian often does not use an article.

So:

• prima di cena = before dinner
• not usually prima della cena unless you mean a more specific dinner

Prima della cena can be correct if you are talking about a particular dinner/event in a more specific way, but in an everyday household sentence like this, prima di cena is the most natural choice.

Yes. Porta fuori la spazzatura is also very common and often very natural.

The difference is roughly:

• portare via = take away
• portare fuori = take outside / take out

When talking about trash, both can work, and in many situations portare fuori la spazzatura may sound especially natural because trash is usually being taken outside.

So both are good, but porta via la spazzatura is perfectly understandable and correct.

It is a command form, but per favore makes it sound more polite.

Without per favore, it can sound more direct:

• Porta via la spazzatura prima di cena.

With per favore, it becomes softer:

• Per favore, porta via la spazzatura prima di cena.

So grammatically it is still an imperative, but pragmatically it sounds like a polite request.

Yes, Italian word order is flexible.

The original order is very natural:

• Per favore, porta via la spazzatura prima di cena.

But you could also say:

• Prima di cena, per favore, porta via la spazzatura.

That version puts more emphasis on the time phrase before dinner.

So the original sentence is the most neutral and natural, but other orders are possible for emphasis.