Breakdown of Giro a sinistra al semaforo.
a
to / at
al
to the / at the
il semaforo
traffic light
girare
to turn
la sinistra
the left (a sinistra = to / on the left)
Questions & Answers about Giro a sinistra al semaforo.
I've seen the phrase fare un giro before. Is giro a noun or a verb in this sentence?
Why do we use the preposition a in a sinistra?
In Italian, indicating left or right is a fixed expression that always takes the preposition a. You will always say a sinistra (to the left) and a destra (to the right).
Why does the sentence use al semaforo instead of just a semaforo?
al is a combined word made from the preposition a (at/to) and the masculine singular "the", which is il. Because you are talking about a specific traffic light, you must include "the". In Italian, a + il always combines into al.
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