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Il drone non può volare al di là del fiume.

Il drone non può volare al di là del fiume.
The drone cannot fly beyond the river.
From Lesson 439:Complex spatial prepositions (al di)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Il drone non può volare al di là del fiume.

Why do we need del after al di là? Can I just say al di là il fiume?
No, you must use the preposition di to link the complex spatial preposition al di là to the noun that follows it. Because fiume takes the masculine singular article il, di combines with it to form the articulated preposition del.
Could I use oltre instead of al di là in this sentence?
Yes, oltre il fiume means essentially the same thing (beyond the river). However, al di là del tends to emphasize the physical boundary or being exactly on the other side of it, which fits perfectly when describing a drone's flight limits.
Why does là have an accent mark?
The accent mark distinguishes the spatial adverb là (there) from the feminine definite article or pronoun la (the/her/it). It does not change the pronunciation, but it is strictly required in written Italian to avoid confusion.
Can al di là be used on its own without naming the river?
Yes! If the river was already established in the conversation, you could just drop the noun phrase and say Il drone non può volare al di là (The drone cannot fly to the other side). You only add del (or another form of di + article) when you specify exactly what the boundary is.

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