Breakdown of Chiedo un passaggio a un collega.
un
a / an (masculine)
il collega
the colleague
chiedere
to ask
a
to / at
Questions & Answers about Chiedo un passaggio a un collega.
Why does the Italian say "a un collega" instead of just asking "un collega"?
The word "collega" ends in "-a". Doesn't that make it feminine?
Collega is a special noun that changes gender depending on the person. A male colleague is un collega (plural: i colleghi), and a female colleague is una collega (plural: le colleghe). Because this sentence uses the masculine word for "a" (un instead of una), we know the speaker is asking a male colleague.
How does "passaggio" translate to "a ride"?
While passaggio literally translates to a "passage" or "passing", it is the standard Italian word for a lift or ride in a vehicle. The everyday phrases you'll hear are chiedere un passaggio (to ask for a ride) and dare un passaggio (to give a ride).