Breakdown of Il ristorante è vicino all'angolo.
essere
to be
il ristorante
the restaurant
a
to / at
vicino
near / close
Questions & Answers about Il ristorante è vicino all'angolo.
Why is it all'angolo instead of just vicino a l'angolo?
In Italian, the preposition a must combine with the definite article that follows it. Here, the phrase vicino a meets l', which is the article for angolo. Together, a and l' merge to form the articulated preposition all'.
Can I just say vicino l'angolo and drop the a?
No, you need the a when vicino is followed by a noun. The phrase for 'near something' is specifically vicino a. Forgetting the preposition here is a common mistake for English speakers!
Would vicino change to vicina if the subject was feminine, like a pharmacy?