Learn Italian: Ricevo una lettera dal direttore della banca. - I receive a letter from the bank manager.

Ricevo una lettera dal direttore della banca.

I receive a letter from the bank manager.

Breakdown of Ricevo una lettera dal direttore della banca.

Questions & Answers about Ricevo una lettera dal direttore della banca.

How is the word dal formed in this sentence?

Dal is an articulated preposition, which means it is a combination of the preposition da (from) and the definite article il (the). We use il here because direttore (manager) is a masculine, singular noun that starts with a consonant.

Why does the sentence use della instead of just di?

Just like dal, della is an articulated preposition. It combines di (of) with the feminine singular article la (the) to match banca. You need the article because Italian structures this phrase as 'manager of the bank' rather than just 'manager of bank'.

The English translation says 'bank manager'. Why does the Italian sentence use three words (direttore della banca)?

In English, we often put one noun in front of another to describe it, like using 'bank' to describe the 'manager'. Italian doesn't do this. Instead, you must link the two nouns using the preposition di (or its articulated forms). Literally, you are saying 'manager of the bank'.

Where is the word for 'I' in this sentence?

In Italian, you don't usually need to include the subject pronoun io (I). The verb ending already tells you who is doing the action. Because the verb ricevere (to receive) ends in -o in this sentence (ricevo), it can only mean 'I receive'.