Learn Hardcore Italian: Se cammino a lungo sotto il sole, sento subito la sete. - If I walk for a long time under the sun, I immediately feel thirsty.

In this sentence, se functions as a conditional conjunction meaning if. It introduces the condition under which the consequence described in the main clause occurs.

Why are both verbs (cammino and sento) in the present tense even though the sentence expresses a conditional idea?

Italian uses the present indicative in both the condition and the result when expressing general truths or habitual actions—commonly referred to as a zero conditional. In this case, cammino (I walk) and sento (I feel) are in the present tense to indicate that whenever you walk for a long time under the sun, you always feel thirsty.

What does the phrase a lungo mean, and how is it used here?

A lungo translates to for a long time. It modifies the verb cammino, specifying the duration of the walking. This detail underscores that it is only after walking for an extended period under the sun that the feeling of thirst becomes immediate.

What is the role of the adverb subito in the sentence?

Subito means immediately or right away. It is placed after sento to emphasize that the sensation of thirst comes on without delay. This placement helps to clearly link the cause (walking a long time under the sun) with its immediate effect (feeling thirsty).

Why are the subject pronouns like io (I) omitted in this sentence?

In Italian, subject pronouns are often dropped because the verb conjugations indicate the subject clearly. Both cammino and sento are in the first-person singular form, so it is understood that io (I) is the subject, making the explicit inclusion of the pronoun unnecessary.

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