Mia sorella ama truccarsi con calma prima di uscire.

In Italian, with most singular family members, you normally do not use the article before a possessive adjective.

So:

• mia sorella = my sister
• mio fratello = my brother
• mia madre = my mother

This is why mia sorella is correct here, not la mia sorella.

A common exception is when the family noun is modified or used in a special way, or with some plural forms:

• la mia sorella maggiore = my older sister
• i miei fratelli = my brothers

Ama is the third-person singular present tense of amare = to love.

The subject is mia sorella, which is she / my sister, so the verb must be third-person singular:

• io amo = I love
• tu ami = you love
• lei ama = she loves

So:

• Mia sorella ama... = My sister loves...

In this sentence, ama is followed by an infinitive phrase, so it means something like likes/loves to...

Truccarsi is the reflexive infinitive of truccare, and it means to put on makeup, to do one’s makeup, or to get made up.

Compare:

• truccare qualcuno = to make someone up / apply makeup to someone
• truccarsi = to put makeup on oneself

So in this sentence, the idea is that the sister is doing makeup on herself, which is why the reflexive form is used.

Because the action is being done to herself.

Italian often uses reflexive verbs where English may say:

• to wash oneself
• to dress oneself
• to put makeup on oneself

Here:

• truccare = to apply makeup to someone/something
• truccarsi = to apply makeup to oneself

Since my sister is the one doing the action and also the one receiving it, Italian uses the reflexive form.

After verbs like amare, Italian commonly uses an infinitive.

So the structure is:

• ama
  • infinitive

Here the infinitive is truccarsi:

• Mia sorella ama truccarsi = My sister loves to put on makeup

This is very similar to English:

• She loves to get ready
• She loves doing her makeup

The reflexive ending -si stays attached to the infinitive:

• lavarsi, vestirsi, truccarsi

Con calma literally means with calm, but in natural English it usually means:

• calmly
• without rushing
• taking one’s time
• at a relaxed pace

So in this sentence, it suggests that she likes to do her makeup slowly and without hurry before going out.

It is a very common Italian expression:

• Fallo con calma. = Do it slowly / Take your time.
• Arrivo con calma. = I’ll come without rushing / I’m in no hurry.

Italian often prefers prepositional expressions where English might use a single adverb.

So instead of one word meaning exactly calmly, Italian very naturally says:

• con calma

This is common in everyday Italian and sounds very natural. It focuses not just on manner, but also on the idea of taking time and not being in a rush.

Prima di uscire means before going out or before leaving.

The pattern is:

• prima di
  • infinitive

So:

• prima di mangiare = before eating
• prima di partire = before leaving
• prima di uscire = before going out

Italian uses the infinitive here because no separate subject is introduced. The understood subject of uscire is the same as the main subject: my sister.

Yes. Prima di uscire and prima d’uscire are both possible.

Because di comes before a word beginning with a vowel, it can contract in writing to d’:

• prima di uscire
• prima d’uscire

Both are correct, though prima di uscire is often clearer for learners and very common in standard writing.

The sentence breaks down like this:

• Mia sorella = subject
• ama = main verb
• truccarsi = infinitive complement
• con calma = adverbial expression of manner
• prima di uscire = time expression

So the structure is:

Subject + main verb + infinitive phrase + adverbial phrase + time phrase

A very literal breakdown would be:

• My sister
• loves
• to make herself up
• calmly / taking her time
• before going out

When a reflexive verb is in the infinitive, the pronoun attaches to the end:

• truccarsi
• lavarsi
• vestirsi

But when the verb is conjugated, the reflexive pronoun usually goes before the verb:

• Mia sorella si trucca = My sister puts on makeup
• Io mi trucco = I put on makeup
• Tu ti trucchi = You put on makeup

So compare:

• ama truccarsi = loves to put on makeup
• si trucca = she puts on makeup

Sometimes, yes, depending on context.

The most direct meaning of truccarsi is to put on makeup or to do one’s makeup. However, in some contexts it can suggest getting made up more generally, especially as part of preparing to go out.

Still, if you want the most precise interpretation, think of it first as:

• to put on makeup
• to do one’s makeup

Yes. The whole sentence sounds very natural in everyday Italian.

Several parts are especially common:

• ama + infinitive
• truccarsi
• con calma
• prima di uscire

So this is the kind of sentence a native speaker could easily say in normal conversation. It has a very everyday rhythm and describes a routine or habit in a natural way.