Breakdown of Stavo lavorando al mio computer quando sei arrivato.
essere
to be
mio
my
quando
when
lavorare
to work
arrivare
to arrive
a
to / at
stare
to stay, to feel, to be
il computer
the computer
Questions & Answers about Stavo lavorando al mio computer quando sei arrivato.
Could I just say lavoravo instead of stavo lavorando?
Why do we use al mio computer instead of sul mio computer for "on my computer"?
In English we say we work "on" a computer, but in Italian, you work "at" the computer. You use the preposition a (combined with il to make al). Using sul (on the) would sound like you are physically sitting or standing on top of the machine.
Why is stare in the imperfect tense (stavo) while arrivare is in the passato prossimo (sei arrivato)?
This sentence perfectly illustrates how to talk about interrupting actions in the past. The imperfect tense (stavo lavorando) sets the ongoing background scene, while the passato prossimo (sei arrivato) is used for the sudden, completed event that interrupts it.
Do I always need the article before mio computer?
Yes, in Italian, possessive adjectives generally require the definite article, hence il mio (which combines with the preposition a to make al mio). The main exception is with singular close family members, like mio padre, but everyday objects always need the article.
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