Breakdown of Il condomino si astiene mentre l'assemblea condominiale delibera.
mentre
while
l'assemblea condominiale
the condominium owners' meeting
il condomino
the condominium owner
deliberare
to pass a formal resolution
Questions & Answers about Il condomino si astiene mentre l'assemblea condominiale delibera.
What does condomino mean exactly? Is it like condominium?
Condomino means a co-owner / resident in a condo building, especially in the legal or administrative sense of someone who belongs to the condominium association.
It is not the same as condominio, which is the condominium building or condo association itself.
So:
- il condominio = the condominium / condo building / condo association
- il condomino = the individual condo owner or member
This is an important distinction, because English speakers can easily confuse the two.
Why is it si astiene and not just astiene?
Because the verb here is astenersi, which means to abstain or to refrain.
It is a pronominal verb, so it normally appears with a reflexive-style pronoun:
- mi astengo = I abstain
- ti astieni = you abstain
- si astiene = he/she abstains
- ci asteniamo = we abstain
- vi astenete = you all abstain
- si astengono = they abstain
So si is not optional here. You learn the verb as astenersi, not just astenere in this meaning.
What tense is si astiene?