Gli offro un pezzo di torta, perché so che a lui piace molto.

I offer him a piece of cake, because I know he likes it a lot.

Breakdown of Gli offro un pezzo di torta, perché so che a lui piace molto.

• io: I
• di: of
• piacere: to like
• perché: because
• che: that
• molto: a lot
• offrire: to offer
• a: to
• sapere: to know
• la torta: the cake
• gli: him
• il pezzo: the piece
• lui: him

Questions & Answers about Gli offro un pezzo di torta, perché so che a lui piace molto.

What does the indirect object pronoun gli refer to in this sentence?

In this sentence, gli functions as an indirect object pronoun that means “to him.” It indicates that the piece of cake is being offered to a specific male individual, which is later clarified with a lui.

Why is the phrase a lui repeated later in the sentence even though gli already indicates the indirect object?

The repetition with a lui serves to provide emphasis and clarity. While gli already tells you “to him,” using a lui reinforces the identity of the person being referred to, helping to avoid any potential confusion—especially in contexts where more than one person might be involved.

How does the clause perché so che a lui piace molto explain the reason behind offering the piece of cake?

The clause begins with perché, which means “because.” It introduces the reason for the main action: the speaker is offering a piece of cake because they know that the person likes it very much. The structure clearly establishes a cause-and-effect relationship between knowing his preference and the act of offering.

What does the verb form offro reveal about the subject of the sentence?

Offro is the first-person singular form of the verb offrire, meaning “I offer.” The conjugation tells us that the speaker is performing the action. In Italian, it is common to omit the explicit subject io (“I”) because the verb form itself indicates who is acting.

How is the phrase un pezzo di torta constructed, and what does it mean?

The noun phrase un pezzo di torta is built by combining the indefinite article un (“a”), the noun pezzo (“piece”), and the prepositional phrase di torta (“of cake”). Together, it translates directly to “a piece of cake,” referring to the portion being offered.