Breakdown of Il mobile è ingombrante: dobbiamo separarlo.
Questions & Answers about Il mobile è ingombrante: dobbiamo separarlo.
What does il mobile mean here? Does mobile mean mobile phone?
No. In this sentence, il mobile means the piece of furniture or the cabinet/unit.
For an English speaker, this is a common false friend:
- il mobile = a piece of furniture
- il cellulare / il telefonino = mobile phone / cell phone
So here Il mobile è ingombrante is about furniture, not a phone.
Why is there il before mobile?
Why is it è with an accent?
What kind of adjective is ingombrante?
Why is it dobbiamo?
Why is there no word for to after dobbiamo?
Because in Italian, modal verbs like dovere, potere, and volere are followed directly by the infinitive.
So you say:
- dobbiamo separare
- possiamo andare
- voglio mangiare
Not:
- dobbiamo a separare
- dobbiamo di separare
English uses have to + verb, but Italian just uses dovere + infinitive.
Why is it separarlo all in one word?
Because -lo is a direct object pronoun meaning it, and in Italian object pronouns can attach to an infinitive.
So:
- separare = to separate
- lo = it
- separarlo = to separate it
This is very common with infinitives.
What does -lo refer to?
Could I also say lo dobbiamo separare?
Yes. That is also correct.
With a modal verb like dovere, the object pronoun can often go:
- attached to the infinitive
- dobbiamo separarlo
- before the conjugated verb
- lo dobbiamo separare
Both are grammatical. The version in your sentence is very natural.
Does separare here literally mean separate?
Literally, yes, but in context it may be better understood as:
- take apart
- split up
- separate into pieces
If the furniture is too bulky, the idea is probably that it needs to be separated into parts so it can be moved more easily.
In everyday Italian, if you specifically mean dismantle furniture, smontare is also very common:
- dobbiamo smontarlo
But separarlo is understandable as given.
Why is there a colon after ingombrante?
The colon introduces an explanation or consequence.
So the structure is roughly:
- The furniture is bulky: we have to take it apart.
It works a bit like:
- because of that
- so
- or an English colon/dash
It connects the two ideas very neatly.
Is mobile countable here? Can Italian use it for one item of furniture?
Yes. Un mobile is one piece of furniture, such as a cabinet, wardrobe, or similar item.
This can be surprising for English speakers, because English often uses furniture as an uncountable noun. Italian is different here:
- un mobile = one piece of furniture
- i mobili = pieces of furniture / furniture items
How would this sentence sound if the furniture were feminine or plural?
You would need to change the article, adjective agreement where necessary, and the pronoun.
Examples:
La sedia è ingombrante: dobbiamo separarla.
- The chair is bulky: we have to separate it.
I mobili sono ingombranti: dobbiamo separarli.
- The pieces of furniture are bulky: we have to separate them.
Le sedie sono ingombranti: dobbiamo separarle.
- The chairs are bulky: we have to separate them.
Notice the pronouns:
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