Prima di comprare i biglietti del treno, controllo l’orario sul tabellone.

Before buying the train tickets, I check the schedule on the board.

Breakdown of Prima di comprare i biglietti del treno, controllo l’orario sul tabellone.

• io: I
• su: on
• il biglietto: the ticket
• controllare: to check

Questions & Answers about Prima di comprare i biglietti del treno, controllo l’orario sul tabellone.

Why is it prima di comprare?

In Italian, prima di + infinitive means before doing something.

So:

• prima di comprare = before buying
• prima di partire = before leaving
• prima di mangiare = before eating

This is the normal pattern when the subject stays the same. In this sentence, the person who checks the timetable is also the person who buys the tickets, so prima di + infinitive is exactly right.

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When would Italian use prima che instead of prima di?

Use prima di + infinitive when the action is expressed with an infinitive, usually because the subject is the same.

Use prima che + verb when a full clause is needed, especially if the subject changes.

Examples:

• Prima di comprare i biglietti, controllo l’orario.
  = Before buying the tickets, I check the timetable.
  Same subject: I

• Prima che tu compri i biglietti, controllo l’orario.
  = Before you buy the tickets, I check the timetable.
  Different subjects: you and I

So in your sentence, prima di is the natural choice.

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Why is it comprare and not a form like compro?