Breakdown of In cucina lavo i piatti nel lavandino.
il piatto
the plate
in
in / made of (material)
lavare
to wash
nel
in the (in + il) / while / upon (doing something)
la cucina
the kitchen; the cuisine
il lavandino
the sink
Questions & Answers about In cucina lavo i piatti nel lavandino.
Why does the sentence use in cucina instead of nella cucina?
In Italian, certain common locations and rooms of the house—like cucina (kitchen), bagno (bathroom), or salotto (living room)—take the simple preposition in without the definite article. So, 'in the kitchen' is simply in cucina.
Why does the sink get nel (in the) if the kitchen only gets in?
Unlike the general rooms of a house, specific objects or fixtures like a sink (lavandino) usually require a definite article. Here, the preposition in combines with the masculine article il to create the joined word nel.
I have learned 'to wash' as mi lavo. Why is it just lavo here?
I sometimes see lavello translated as kitchen sink. Can I use lavandino in the kitchen?
Yes! While lavello specifically refers to a kitchen sink, lavandino is the general word for any sink in the house. It is very common for Italians to use lavandino for the kitchen sink too, as seen in this sentence.
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