Learn Italian: C'è un bancomat qui vicino? - Is there an ATM near here?

C'è un bancomat qui vicino?

Is there an ATM near here?

Breakdown of C'è un bancomat qui vicino?

Questions & Answers about C'è un bancomat qui vicino?

Why is it qui vicino instead of vicino qui?

In Italian, when combining qui (here) or lì (there) with a distance word like vicino (near) or lontano (far), the exact spot (qui) comes first. So, the English phrase "near here" is phrased literally as "here near" (qui vicino).

I learned that "near" is vicino a. Why is there no a in this sentence?

You only use vicino a when you are linking it to a specific noun, like vicino alla banca (near the bank). Because this sentence just ends with "near here" and doesn't specify an object it is near to, you drop the a and just use vicino.

Where does the word bancomat come from, and is it masculine or feminine?

It is a masculine noun, which is why it uses un. Bancomat was originally a specific brand name for an ATM network in Italy, but it became so popular that Italians now use it as the everyday word for any cash machine.

If there were multiple ATMs, would bancomat become bancomati?

No. Nouns that end in a consonant in Italian (which are usually foreign words or brand names) do not change their spelling in the plural. To say "two ATMs", you would just say due bancomat.