Prima di preparare l’insalata, lavo il cetriolo e la rucola.

Because prima di means before when it is followed by an infinitive verb.

• prima di preparare = before preparing
• prima di mangiare = before eating
• prima di uscire = before going out

In Italian, you normally need di after prima when another verb follows.

After prima di, Italian uses the infinitive, just like English often uses before + -ing or before + verb in a general sense.

So:

• Prima di preparare l’insalata... = Before preparing the salad...

The subject of preparare is understood from the sentence. Here, the speaker is the one doing both actions: washing and preparing.

L’ is the shortened form of la before a word beginning with a vowel.

• la rucola
• la mela
• but l’insalata
• l’acqua

So l’insalata means the salad, with la becoming l’ for smoother pronunciation.

Lavo is the first person singular present tense of lavare.

The verb lavare = to wash

Present tense:

• io lavo = I wash
• tu lavi = you wash
• lui/lei lava = he/she washes
• noi laviamo = we wash
• voi lavate = you all wash
• loro lavano = they wash

Since the sentence means I wash, lavo is the correct form.

Italian often leaves out subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• lavo already means I wash
• lava means he/she washes
• laviamo means we wash

So Io lavo il cetriolo is possible, but usually just Lavo il cetriolo sounds more natural unless you want emphasis.

Italian uses definite articles more often than English, especially with specific items being talked about in context.

Here:

• il cetriolo = the cucumber
• la rucola = the rocket/arugula

Even when English might sound natural without the, Italian often keeps the article. This is very common with food and everyday objects.

Because nouns in Italian have grammatical gender.

• cetriolo is masculine, so it takes il
• rucola is feminine, so it takes la

This does not always match biological sex or English logic. It is simply something you learn with each noun.

A good habit is to memorize nouns together with their article:

• il cetriolo
• la rucola
• l’insalata

Yes. Rucola is the Italian word for the leafy green called arugula in American English and often rocket in British English.

So depending on the variety of English:

• la rucola = the arugula
• or the rocket

Italian word order is often similar to English here: verb + object.

• lavo = I wash
• il cetriolo e la rucola = the cucumber and the rocket/arugula

So the structure is straightforward: I wash the cucumber and the arugula.

Italian can sometimes change word order for emphasis, but this sentence uses the most neutral and common order.

Yes. The comma separates the introductory time phrase from the main clause.

• Prima di preparare l’insalata, = Before preparing the salad,
• lavo il cetriolo e la rucola. = I wash the cucumber and the arugula.

This works much like English punctuation. The sentence is easier to read with the comma, especially because the opening phrase is fairly long.

Yes. Even though Italian uses the infinitive preparare, in English you may translate it naturally as either:

• before preparing the salad
• before I prepare the salad

Both capture the idea well in context. Italian often uses the infinitive where English may choose a full clause.

A simple pronunciation guide:

• l’insalata ≈ leen-sah-LAH-tah
• cetriolo ≈ cheh-tree-OH-lo

A few helpful points:

• ce in Italian usually sounds like che in chess
• gli / gn are tricky in Italian, but they do not appear here
• the stress in insalata is on la
• the stress in cetriolo is on o

Yes, that is possible in many contexts.

• preparare l’insalata = to prepare the salad
• fare l’insalata = to make the salad

Both can sound natural, though preparare is a little more specific and slightly more formal or careful in tone. Fare is very common in everyday speech.

It is the present indicative.

In Italian, the present tense can often cover both:

• I wash
• I am washing

So lavo can mean either, depending on context. In this sentence, the most natural English translation is usually I wash or I wash ... before preparing the salad, but context could make it feel like I’m washing as part of a sequence of actions.

Italian does not need one here. The phrase prima di already shows the sequence clearly:

1. wash the cucumber and arugula
2. prepare the salad

So the order of events is understood without adding then. If you wanted, you could add extra words in a longer sentence, but this version is perfectly natural and complete.