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La fermata è davanti alla stazione.

La fermata è davanti alla stazione.
The bus stop is in front of the station.
From Lesson 77:Prepositions of place (vicino a, davanti a)·Italian

Questions & Answers about La fermata è davanti alla stazione.

Why is it alla instead of just la after davanti?
The phrase for "in front of" is davanti a. Because stazione is a feminine noun, it uses the article la. In Italian, you must combine the preposition a and the article la into one word: alla.
Does la fermata always mean "bus stop"?
La fermata literally means "the stop." It is most commonly used for a bus stop or tram stop. You could say the full phrase, la fermata dell'autobus, but Italians usually just say la fermata because it is clear from context.
Could I use di fronte alla instead of davanti alla in this sentence?
Yes! Davanti a and di fronte a both mean "in front of" or "opposite." They are usually interchangeable, so La fermata è di fronte alla stazione means exactly the same thing and is perfectly natural.
If a usually means "to" or "at", why is it used here for "of"?
Prepositions rarely translate word-for-word between English and Italian! While a often means "to" or "at" on its own, in this case it is simply the mandatory linking word that goes with davanti. It is best to memorize davanti a as a single fixed package meaning "in front of".

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