| Let's look at the sentence pattern. |
| This pattern is the structure that all of our examples will follow. |
| andare a (present tense) + infinitive phrase |
| "be going to (present tense) + infinitive phrase" |
| Let's look at andare a first. |
| Andare literally means "to go," but in this pattern, it translates as "be going." When conjugated in the present tense, it tells us who is going to do something. |
| A means "to." Together, andare a is used to say someone is going to do something. |
| After andare a is the infinitive phrase — that's the main action. This phrase starts with a verb in the infinitive form — the dictionary form — like fare qualcosa, "to do something." |
| So, the full pattern andare a + infinitive means someone is going to do something. |
| Let's see how a line from the dialogue follows this pattern. |
| Stasera vado a bere qualcosa con i miei amici alla Cantina. |
| "Tonight, I'm going to have a drink with my friends at La Cantina. |
| In this sentence: |
| Stasera means "tonight" and it's not part of the pattern. |
| Vado is the present tense form of andare, meaning "I go" or "I am going." |
| A bere qualcosa follows right after, with bere as the infinitive, meaning "to drink something." |
| Together, vado a bere qualcosa means "I'm going to drink something." or "I'm going to have a drink." |
| After it is con i miei amici alla Cantina, meaning " with my friends at La Cantina." |
| So Stasera vado a bere qualcosa con i miei amici alla Cantina translates to "Tonight, I'm going to have a drink with my friends at La Cantina." in natural English. |
| Now, you can use this pattern to discuss plans with others or tell them your own plans! |
| In Italy, socializing over drinks, especially aperitivo, is a beloved tradition. In the early evening, friends often meet at local bars or cafés to enjoy light drinks like spritz or wine, along with small bites called stuzzichini. |
| Now let's look at some speaking examples. |
| Vado a studiare in biblioteca. |
| "I'm going to study at the library." |
| Can you see how the pattern applies here? |
| Let's break it down: |
| Here, Vado is the verb andare in the present tense, meaning "I go" or "I'm going." This tells us the subject is "I." |
| A studiare follows right after. Studiare is the infinitive, meaning "to study." Together, vado a studiare means "I'm going to study." |
| In biblioteca adds extra information — "at the library." It tells us where the action is happening. |
| So, that is how Vado a studiare in biblioteca fits the pattern andare a (present tense) + [infinitive phrase] — "I'm going to study at the library." |
| Here's another example |
| Vado a vedere un film al cinema. |
| "I'm going to see a movie at the cinema." |
| Vado a vedere un film al cinema. |
| "I'm going to see a movie at the cinema." |
| Let's try one more, |
| Vado a fare una torta per la festa. |
| "I'm going to bake a cake for the party." |
| Vado a fare una torta per la festa. |
| "I'm going to bake a cake for the party." |
| Another one. |
| Vado a giocare a calcio al parco. |
| "I'm going to play football at the park." |
| Vado a giocare a calcio al parco. |
| "I'm going to play football at the park." |
| One last example. |
| Vado a lavare i piatti. |
| "I'm going to wash the dishes." |
| Vado a lavare i piatti. |
| "I'm going to wash the dishes." |
Comments
Hide