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Italian Phrase

Sono rimasto a casa a leggere.

/ˈso.no riˈmat.to a ˈka.za a leˈdʒe.re/
Meaning"I stayed at home reading."
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Meaning

The sentence means “I stayed at home reading.” It uses the passato prossimo to describe a completed action in the recent past, emphasizing that the speaker remained at home for the purpose of reading.

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When to use

Use this phrase when you want to explain how you spent a period of time at home, especially when the activity (reading) is the focus. It works well in casual conversation, diary entries, or when answering a question like “Cosa hai fatto ieri?” (What did you do yesterday?).

✦Grammar Breakdown

Sonorimastoacasaaleggere

1

Essere + past participle

The verb 'rimanere' uses 'essere' as its auxiliary in the passato prossimo, so the past participle 'rimasto' agrees in gender and number with the subject.

2

Agreement of past participle

Because the subject is masculine singular (io), the participle stays 'rimasto'. For a female speaker it would be 'rimasta'.

3

Preposition 'a' for location

The preposition 'a' introduces the place where the action took place: 'a casa' = at home.

4

Infinitive of purpose

The second 'a' introduces the infinitive verb that explains what the speaker was doing while staying home: 'a leggere' = to read.

🗨In Conversation

A

Cosa hai fatto sabato pomeriggio?

What did you do Saturday afternoon?

Sono rimasto a casa a leggere.

I stayed at home reading.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Sono rimasto in casa a leggere.

    The correct preposition for location is 'a', not 'in'.

  • Sono rimasta a casa a leggere.

    Male speakers must use the masculine form 'rimasto'.

  • Sono rimasto a casa per leggere.

    While 'per' can be used, the idiomatic construction is 'a leggere' after 'rimanere'.

↔Alternatives

  • Sono rimasta a casa a leggere.

    I (female) stayed at home reading.

  • Ho passato il pomeriggio a leggere a casa.

    I spent the afternoon reading at home.

  • Mi sono dedicato alla lettura a casa.

    I devoted myself to reading at home.

it

Cultural Tip

In Italian, 'rimanere a casa' is a common way to say you stayed home, often implying you didn’t go out for social or work reasons. It’s more neutral than 'stare a casa', which can sound a bit more informal. Remember that the past participle must match the speaker’s gender, so women say 'rimasta'.