Connecting Verbs with "a"
When two verbs are used together in Italian, the second verb stays in its infinitive form. While some verbs connect directly, many common action verbs require the preposition a to link them.
Provare a (to try to)
| The magician tries to explain this trick. | Il mago prova a spiegare questo trucco. |
| I try to understand this magic trick. | Provo a capire questo trucco magico. |
Insegnare a (to teach to)
Use a before the infinitive, and also before the person being taught (like al pubblico, which combines a + il).
| I teach the audience to watch carefully. | Insegno al pubblico a guardare attentamente. |
Riuscire a (to manage to)
Riuscire a means to manage to or succeed in doing something.
| The illusionist manages to find the rabbit in the box. | L'illusionista riesce a trovare il coniglio nella scatola. |
| You do not manage to hide the wand in the pocket. | Non riesci a nascondere la bacchetta nella tasca. |
Other verbs taking "a"
You will also use a before the infinitive with verbs like iniziare (to start), aiutare (to help), and imparare (to learn).
| The illusionist starts to show the trick. | L'illusionista inizia a mostrare il trucco. |
| The old magician helps the illusionist to prepare the show. | Il vecchio mago aiuta l'illusionista a preparare lo spettacolo. |
| The illusionist learns to hide the rabbit. | L'illusionista impara a nascondere il coniglio. |
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