Prima di uscire, abbottono il cappotto perché fuori fa freddo.

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Breakdown of Prima di uscire, abbottono il cappotto perché fuori fa freddo.

• perché: because
• fare freddo: to be cold
• il cappotto: the coat

Questions & Answers about Prima di uscire, abbottono il cappotto perché fuori fa freddo.

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

After prima (“before”), Italian normally uses di + infinitive when the subject is the same in both parts of the sentence.

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

So in this sentence, the person who buttons the coat is also the person who goes out.

If the subject changes, Italian usually uses prima che + subjunctive:

• Prima di uscire, abbottono il cappotto. = Before going out, I button my coat.
• Prima che tu esca, abbottono il cappotto. = Before you go out, I button the coat.

What exactly does uscire mean here?

Uscire means to go out, to leave, or to head outside, depending on context.

In this sentence, it most naturally means something like:

• to go out
• to go outside
• to leave the house/building

So prima di uscire is a very common everyday phrase.

Why is the verb abbottono? What form is that?