Topic: Italian

"What do you do before breakfast?"

Translation:Cosa fai prima di colazione?

April 16, 2013

22 Comments

https://www.duolingo.com/gohthiamhai

    Why do we need 'di' here?

    April 16, 2013
    https://www.duolingo.com/f.formica
    Mod
    • 2087

    When meaning "before something" (with that something following) it usually needs "di": "Arriverò prima di te" (I'll arrive before you), but "Arriverò prima" (I'll arrive before then) and "Arriverai prima tu" (you'll arrive first).

    April 16, 2013
    https://www.duolingo.com/trader224

      Think of prima as "ahead" or "in front" then the "di" makes sense in English. I arrive ahead of you.

      March 7, 2014
      https://www.duolingo.com/GuerraAmanda

        Why can't it be "cosa fai prima della colazione"?

        March 29, 2014
        https://www.duolingo.com/pearlyspan

          I put this too and lost a heart

          October 9, 2014
          https://www.duolingo.com/stephanie199599
          • 231

          My thoughts as well, since another sentence used is "il sabato viene prima della domenica."

          May 8, 2019
          https://www.duolingo.com/Diffal

            Surely "Cosa fa prima di colazione" in the sense of third person formal address is also correct?

            February 22, 2014
            https://www.duolingo.com/MarkHopman

              What if I want to use the formal form? :/

              June 30, 2014
              https://www.duolingo.com/SusanSchuur

                Again, why isnt' Cosa fa correct? It is the formal way to say it.

                April 6, 2014
                https://www.duolingo.com/GuerraAmanda

                  Maybe it's because we haven't passed through that lesson yet. Maybe if you'd write "Cosa fa Lei" it would be right?

                  April 6, 2014
                  https://www.duolingo.com/RCDCMagician

                    So do we not need a definite article combined with "di" in statements like this or is that only for specific statements?

                    April 2, 2017
                    https://www.duolingo.com/brose23

                      why is "tu fai" incorrect?

                      July 24, 2013
                      https://www.duolingo.com/Lloydo3000

                        Not sure, but I think I read in another comment it would have to be "Tu cosa fai ..."

                        September 26, 2013
                        https://www.duolingo.com/lollym11

                          I tried "Tu cosa fai prima di colazione?" and that didn't work either

                          October 18, 2018
                          https://www.duolingo.com/zzezzeante

                            Why is "...prima della prima colazione" wrong?

                            October 4, 2013
                            https://www.duolingo.com/Ariaflame
                            Plus
                            • 2171

                            Why use prima twice? Yes, prima colazione can be 'breakfast' but so far duolingo has just used 'colazione' for it. But I suspect it's because before is prima che or prima di and della doesn't match either of those.

                            January 13, 2014
                            https://www.duolingo.com/eventura7

                              why cant it be entro?

                              May 28, 2014
                              https://www.duolingo.com/AndyJamesM

                                why not 'prima di la colazione'??

                                October 25, 2014
                                https://www.duolingo.com/Ariaflame
                                Plus
                                • 2171

                                That I suspect would be for two reasons. One, is that it would specify a particular breakfast and two because di la is always put as 'della' (which apparently has already been tried and is incorrect).

                                October 26, 2014
                                https://www.duolingo.com/Wojtek75771

                                  Cosa tu fai prima di colazione - è sbagliato?!

                                  November 29, 2018
                                  https://www.duolingo.com/f.formica
                                  Mod
                                  • 2087

                                  Sì, ma sarebbe corretto in dialetto toscano :) In italiano si dice "tu cosa fai" o "cosa fai tu".

                                  November 29, 2018
                                  https://www.duolingo.com/Dan147569

                                    I thought prima di was used only with a verbal expression

                                    January 26, 2019
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