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Prima di un esame sono sempre nervoso.

Prima di un esame sono sempre nervoso.
Before an exam I am always nervous.
From Lesson 118:Giving advice (potresti, dovresti)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Prima di un esame sono sempre nervoso.

Why is it prima di instead of just prima?
When prima (before) is followed by a noun or a pronoun, it must be paired with the preposition di. You can't just say prima un esame; it has to be prima di un esame (literally "before of an exam").
Why isn't there an apostrophe in un esame?
Esame is a masculine noun. The indefinite article un only takes an apostrophe when it comes before a feminine noun starting with a vowel (like un'amica). For masculine words starting with a vowel, it remains just un with no apostrophe.
If a woman is saying this sentence, does she need to change any words?
Yes, she would change the last word to nervosa. Adjectives must agree with the gender of the person they describe, so a male speaker says sono nervoso and a female speaker says sono nervosa.
Where exactly should sempre go in an Italian sentence?
Adverbs of frequency like sempre (always) and mai (never) typically go immediately after the conjugated verb. Here, it is placed exactly where it belongs: right after sono.

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