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La bigliettaia mi spiega quale treno arriva prima.

La bigliettaia mi spiega quale treno arriva prima.
The ticket clerk explains to me which train arrives first.
FromLesson 75inHardcore Italian

Questions & Answers about La bigliettaia mi spiega quale treno arriva prima.

Why is it la bigliettaia?
Bigliettaia is a feminine singular noun, so it takes the feminine singular article la. It refers to a female ticket clerk or ticket seller. The masculine form would be il bigliettaio.
What does mi mean here?
Mi means to me here. It is an indirect object pronoun, because the ticket clerk is explaining something to someone. With spiegare, Italian often works like explain something to someone.
Why is it mi spiega and not spiega mi?
Short object pronouns like mi, ti, gli, le, ci, vi normally come before a conjugated verb in Italian. So mi spiega is correct, while spiega mi is not. You do get pronouns attached to the end of a verb with forms like infinitives or imperatives, but not here.
What tense is spiega?
Spiega is the third-person singular present indicative of spiegare. It means he/she explains or, depending on context, is explaining. Italian often uses the simple present where English might use either the simple present or the present progressive.
What is the thing being explained in this sentence?
The thing being explained is the whole clause quale treno arriva prima. In other words, which train arrives first is the information being explained. So mi is the person receiving the explanation, and the clause is what is being explained.
What kind of clause is quale treno arriva prima?
It is an indirect question. The direct question would be Quale treno arriva prima? After verbs like spiegare, sapere, chiedere, dire, Italian often uses an indirect question like this instead of a separate quoted question.
Why is it quale treno and not quale il treno?
Quale here is an interrogative adjective meaning which. When it comes directly before a noun, it usually does not take an article: quale treno, quale libro, quale strada. So quale treno is the normal structure.
Why is quale singular?
Because it goes with treno, which is singular. Quale changes for number: singular quale, plural quali. So if you were talking about more than one train, you would say quali treni.
Could you say che treno instead of quale treno?
Sometimes yes, especially in informal speech, because che can also mean what/which before a noun. But quale treno is the clearer and more standard choice for which train. For learners, quale is usually the safest option in this kind of sentence.
Why is arriva singular?
Because its subject is treno, which is singular. Italian verbs agree with their subject in number and person, so treno arriva is singular. If the subject were plural, you would say i treni arrivano.
What does prima mean here exactly?
Here prima means first or earlier than the others. It is working as an adverb, modifying arriva. That is why it stays prima and does not change form.
Why is the indicative used in arriva, not the subjunctive?
Because this is an indirect question about a factual piece of information: which train arrives first. After spiegare, Italian normally uses the indicative in this kind of clause. The subjunctive is more likely in clauses expressing doubt, emotion, uncertainty, or opinion, not here.
Could the sentence also be La bigliettaia spiega a me quale treno arriva prima?
It could, but it sounds marked or emphatic. Mi spiega is the normal, neutral way to say explains to me. A me would usually be used for emphasis or contrast, as in a me, non a lui.
Could I also say La bigliettaia mi spiega qual è il treno che arriva prima?
Yes, that is also possible. It is a little longer and more explicit, while quale treno arriva prima is more compact. Both are natural, but the original sentence is very straightforward and idiomatic.
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