Mescolo l'acqua con attenzione.

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Breakdown of Mescolo l'acqua con attenzione.

• l'acqua: the water
• con: with
• mescolare: to mix
• attento: careful

Questions & Answers about Mescolo l'acqua con attenzione.

Why is there an apostrophe in l’acqua instead of simply writing la acqua?

In Italian, when a feminine singular article (la) comes immediately before a noun that starts with a vowel, it is shortened to l’ for ease of pronunciation. Hence, la acqua becomes l’acqua.

What does mescolo mean in this context, and why do we use it?

Mescolo is the first-person singular present tense of the verb mescolare, meaning “to stir” or “to mix.” It signifies that the speaker is currently doing the action (“I stir” or “I am stirring”).

Can we say mescolo l’acqua attentamente instead of mescolo l’acqua con attenzione?

Yes, you can. Con attenzione literally means “with care,” while attentamente is an adverb meaning “carefully.” Both express a similar idea, though con attenzione sometimes emphasizes the manner more explicitly, as if the speaker is consciously doing something with care.

Why do Italians often use the present simple instead of the present progressive (like “I am mixing”)?

In Italian, the simple present tense can indicate actions happening in the current moment, just as the present progressive does in English. Although Italian does have a progressive form (e.g., sto mescolando), it is used less frequently than in English. Most of the time, mescolo is enough to convey “I am stirring.”

Do I need to use any preposition after mescolo to link it to l’acqua?

No, the verb mescolare takes a direct object in Italian, so you go straight from mescolo to the object noun without an added preposition. You only use con (as in con attenzione) to specify the manner or additional elements, such as “mixing with a spoon” (mescolo l’acqua con un cucchiaio).