La stampante è rotta, devo contattare un tecnico.
The printer is broken; I must contact a technician.
Breakdown of La stampante è rotta, devo contattare un tecnico.
io
I
essere
to be
dovere
to have to
la stampante
the printer
Questions & Answers about La stampante è rotta, devo contattare un tecnico.
What does "la stampante" indicate about gender and definiteness in Italian?
La is the feminine singular definite article, and stampante is a feminine noun meaning "printer." The article and noun agree in gender, which is a key aspect of Italian grammar.
Why is the adjective "rotta" used instead of "roto"?
In Italian, adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Since stampante is feminine, the adjective takes the feminine form rotta, as opposed to the masculine roto.
What is the role of the verb "è" in the sentence?
Why is "devo" used in this context, and what does it express?
Devo is the first person singular form of dovere (to have to/must). It expresses an obligation or necessity. In this sentence, it indicates that, because the printer is broken, the speaker needs to contact a technician.
Why is the verb "contattare" in its infinitive form here?