Learn Italian: Scusi, Lei va alla stazione? - Excuse me, are you going to the station?

Even though the speaker is saying "you", they are using the formal polite pronoun Lei. In Italian, the formal "you" always takes the third-person singular (he/she) form of the verb. For the irregular verb andare (to go), that form is va.

Why is the word Lei capitalized?

Capitalizing Lei is how Italians distinguish the formal "you" from the regular word for "she" (which is also lei). It is a polite way to address a stranger, like when asking for directions.

Why is it Scusi and not Scusa?

Scusi is the formal version of "excuse me". Because the speaker is talking to a stranger and using the formal Lei, all parts of the sentence must match that formal, polite tone. You would use Scusa with friends or family.

How do we get the word alla?

The word alla is a combined word made by merging the preposition a (to) with the feminine definite article la (the). We use la because the word for station (stazione) is feminine.

How can I tell that stazione is feminine if it ends in an "e"?