Preferirei uscire adesso, altrimenti rischio di arrivare tardi all’appuntamento.

I would prefer to go out now, otherwise I risk arriving late to the appointment.

Breakdown of Preferirei uscire adesso, altrimenti rischio di arrivare tardi all’appuntamento.

• di: of
• adesso: now
• altrimenti: otherwise
• arrivare: to arrive
• l'appuntamento: the appointment
• preferire: to prefer
• tardi: late
• uscire: to go out
• a: to
• rischiare: to risk

Questions & Answers about Preferirei uscire adesso, altrimenti rischio di arrivare tardi all’appuntamento.

What does preferirei mean, and how is it formed in this sentence?

Preferirei is the conditional form of the verb preferire. It translates to “I would prefer” or “I would rather,” expressing a polite or hypothetical preference in Italian.

Why is uscire used in its infinitive form right after preferirei?

In Italian, when you express a preference using a modal or conditional verb like preferirei, the following verb is placed in the infinitive form. Here, uscire means “to go out” or “to leave,” clearly stating the action being preferred.

What function does the adverb altrimenti serve in this sentence?

Altrimenti means “otherwise.” It connects the preferred action with its potential consequence by indicating that if the action is not taken (i.e., if we don’t go out now), the negative outcome (risking being late) might occur.

How is the structure rischio di arrivare formed, particularly with the use of di?

The verb rischiare (“to risk”) is followed by the preposition di and the infinitive arrivare (“to arrive”). This structure is common in Italian to indicate the risk of an action occurring, much like saying “I risk arriving” in English.

Why is there an apostrophe in l’appuntamento?

The apostrophe in l’appuntamento indicates the elision of the definite article lo before a vowel-starting word. Instead of saying lo appuntamento, Italian contracts it to l’appuntamento for smoother pronunciation.

What is the purpose of the comma before altrimenti in this sentence?

The comma separates two related but distinct parts of the sentence. The first part states the preference to leave now, and the second part (introduced by altrimenti) explains the consequence—risking being late for the appointment—if that preference isn’t followed.