Italian Phrase
Vado a casa a preparare la cena.
Meaning
I’m going home to prepare dinner. The sentence combines a movement verb (vado) with a purpose infinitive (a preparare) to show why the speaker is heading home.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to tell someone your plan for the evening, especially in casual conversation with friends or family.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Vadoacasaaprepararelacena
Andare (Vado)
‘Andare’ is an irregular -are verb; ‘vado’ is the first‑person singular present indicative meaning ‘I go’.
Direction with ‘a’ + place
The preposition ‘a’ before a place (casa) indicates movement toward that location: ‘to home’.
Purpose infinitive with ‘a’
Italian often uses ‘a’ + infinitive to express purpose, similar to ‘to’ in English: ‘a preparare’ = ‘to prepare’.
Definite article with meals
Meals are preceded by the definite article: ‘la cena’ (the dinner).
🗨In Conversation
Cosa fai stasera?
What are you doing tonight?
Vado a casa a preparare la cena.
I’m going home to prepare dinner.
✕Common Mistakes
Vado a casa per preparare la cena.
‘Per’ can also express purpose, but with movement verbs Italian prefers the ‘a + infinitive’ construction; using ‘per’ sounds slightly more formal.
Vado a casa mia a preparare la cena.
Adding ‘mia’ is redundant unless you need to contrast with another house; simply ‘casa’ already means ‘home’.
Vado a casa a preparare il pranzo.
Don’t confuse ‘cena’ (dinner) with ‘pranzo’ (lunch); the time of day matters.
↔Alternatives
Torno a casa per preparare la cena.
I’m returning home to prepare dinner.
Mi reco a casa per cucinare la cena.
I’m heading home to cook dinner.
Vado a casa a cucinare la cena.
I’m going home to cook dinner.
Cultural Tip
In Italy dinner (la cena) is typically served later than in many other countries, often around 8‑9 pm. Preparing a home‑cooked dinner is a common way to gather family and friends, and mentioning that you’re ‘preparare la cena’ can signal hospitality and a relaxed evening.