Prima di uscire, devo abbottonare la camicia; tu puoi abbottonare la giacca da sola?

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Breakdown of Prima di uscire, devo abbottonare la camicia; tu puoi abbottonare la giacca da sola?

• tu: you
• la giacca: the jacket
• potere: can

Questions & Answers about Prima di uscire, devo abbottonare la camicia; tu puoi abbottonare la giacca da sola?

Why is it prima di uscire and not something like prima uscire?

In Italian, prima di + infinitive is the normal way to say before doing something.

• prima di uscire = before going out
• prima di mangiare = before eating
• prima di dormire = before sleeping

So di is required here before the infinitive uscire.

If you use a full clause instead of an infinitive, Italian usually switches structure:

• prima che esca = before I go out / before he/she goes out

But in your sentence, the subject is understood and the infinitive is the natural choice.

Why is uscire used instead of a form like esco or uscendo?

Because after prima di, Italian uses the infinitive when the action is expressed in a general, non-conjugated way.

• Prima di uscire = Before going out / before I go out

You would use esco only in a fully conjugated clause:

• Prima che esco is not standard Italian here.
• Correct: prima che io esca or prima di uscire

And uscendo means going out or while going out, which gives a different idea, so it would not fit this sentence.