How do you say "a, al, ai, alla, allo" in Italian?

Word

a, al, ai, alla, allo
How Do You Say "a, al, ai, alla, allo"?

ah, aye, ahl, AHL/lah, AHL/loh
Audio Examples and Explanations

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
What is "a, al, ai, alla, allo"?

‘A, al, alla’ are the various forms of the Italian preposition ‘a’, which has various meanings including ‘to’, ‘in the style of’, ‘of’, and ‘at’. A comprehensive explanation is beyond the scope of this site – this is a broad overview. Examples are:

  • a piacere – to taste (ie a steak is cooked ‘a piacere’)
  • The masculine plural of ‘a’ is ‘ai’ – which is why you get ‘ai ferri’ which means ‘grilled’, or more literally ‘on the irons’ (grill)
  • alla griglia is another term for ‘grilled’ – more literally ‘on the grill’. ‘Griglia’ is a feminine noun which is why you use the feminine version of the preposition: ‘alla’      
  • all’italiana means ‘in the Italian style. ‘Alla’ is contracted to ‘all’-’ because the word that follows it (italiana) starts with a vowel (i)
The Spanish forms of the equivalent preposition are ‘a, al, a la’, and the French forms are ‘à, au, à la, aux’.

 

 

 

 

 a, al, alla, allo

 

 ah, ahl, AHL/lah, AHL/loh

Note that ‘allo and alla’ are two syllable words, so the stress falls on the first syllable.

 
Branded?NO
LanguageGroupLocation
Copy & paste this HTML into your blog or website:
Subscribe to Comments
Add a Comment