Learn Italian: L'ingresso alla banca è aperto. - The entrance to the bank is open.

L'ingresso alla banca è aperto.

The entrance to the bank is open.

Breakdown of L'ingresso alla banca è aperto.

Questions & Answers about L'ingresso alla banca è aperto.

Why do we use alla here instead of just a or al?

alla is a combination of the preposition a (to) and the definite article la (the). Because banca (bank) is a feminine singular noun, it takes the article la, which blends with a to become alla.

banca is a feminine word, so why does aperto end in -o instead of -a?

In this sentence, aperto (open) is describing l'ingresso (the entrance), not the bank. Since ingresso is a masculine singular noun, the adjective describing it must also be masculine singular, which is why it ends in -o.

Why is the word for 'the' written as L' instead of Il before ingresso?

ingresso is a masculine singular word that starts with a vowel. Instead of using il or lo, Italian uses l' before vowels so the words flow together smoothly without a harsh pause when spoken.