Learn Italian: L'illusionista impara a nascondere il coniglio. - The illusionist learns to hide the rabbit.

In English, the word 'to' is just part of the infinitive 'to hide'. But in Italian, when you connect a conjugated verb (like impara) to an infinitive (like nascondere), the first verb decides if you need a linking preposition. The verb imparare (to learn) is one of those verbs that always requires the preposition a to connect it to the next action.

Is the word illusionista masculine or feminine?

Nouns ending in -ista can be either! They change gender depending on the person you are talking about. Because it starts with a vowel, l'illusionista could refer to a man or a woman. You would only see the difference in the plural: gli illusionisti for men (or a mixed group) and le illusioniste for women.

I often confuse coniglio (rabbit) with a similar Italian word. What is it?

You are likely thinking of consiglio (advice or suggestion). They look very similar and are a common mix-up for learners! Just remember that consiglio has an extra s in the middle.