Learn Italian: Prima di salire, dobbiamo comprare i gettoni al chiosco. - Before getting on, we have to buy tokens at the kiosk.

Prima di salire, dobbiamo comprare i gettoni al chiosco.

Before getting on, we have to buy tokens at the kiosk.

Breakdown of Prima di salire, dobbiamo comprare i gettoni al chiosco.

before (doing something) / before (a noun / point in time)

Questions & Answers about Prima di salire, dobbiamo comprare i gettoni al chiosco.

Why is it prima di salire and not a past infinitive like the ones we're learning with dopo?

The lesson focuses on dopo (after), which uses the past infinitive (like dopo essere saliti - after having gotten on). However, prima (before) is always followed by di and the regular present infinitive. In Italian, you do something "before doing" it, but "after having done" it.

I thought salire meant "to go up". Why is it translated as "getting on"?

Salire literally means "to go up" or "to climb", but it is the standard verb in Italian for getting on a vehicle or ride (like a bus, train, or carousel). The opposite, "to get off", is scendere (to go down).

Why do we need the word di after prima?

When you use prima before a verb to say "before doing something", you must always connect them with the preposition di. You cannot just say prima salire.

Why is it al chiosco instead of nel chiosco?

Al is a combination of a (at) + il (the). While nel means "inside the", Italians usually use al when talking about being at a counter, bar, or kiosk. This focuses on being at the location's service area rather than being physically enclosed inside a building.