Tutti i bambini appaiono affamati prima di cena, e chiedono di assaggiare qualcosa.

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Breakdown of Tutti i bambini appaiono affamati prima di cena, e chiedono di assaggiare qualcosa.

• il bambino: the child
• e: and
• assaggiare: to taste
• prima di: before
• la cena: the dinner
• qualcosa: something
• tutti: all
• chiedere: to ask
• affamato: hungry
• apparire: to appear

Questions & Answers about Tutti i bambini appaiono affamati prima di cena, e chiedono di assaggiare qualcosa.

Why is the verb appaiono used instead of simply saying sono to mean “are”?

Appaiono translates to “appear” and implies that the children seem to be hungry based on observation, rather than definitively stating they are hungry. This nuance is similar to the English distinction between “appear” and “are.”

What is the role of the adjective affamati in this sentence?

Affamati means “hungry” and functions as a descriptive adjective modifying tutti i bambini (all the children). It agrees in gender and number with bambini (masculine plural) to correctly describe their state.

Why is the preposition di used before the infinitive assaggiare in chiedono di assaggiare qualcosa?

The preposition di is used to link the verb chiedere (to ask) with the following infinitive, assaggiare (to taste). This construction is common in Italian when one verb governs another, similar to saying “ask to taste” in English.

What does the phrase prima di cena add to the sentence?

Prima di cena means “before dinner” and provides temporal context. It tells us when the children appear hungry and make their request, indicating that these actions occur prior to the evening meal.

How do you understand the phrase Tutti i bambini?

Tutti i bambini translates directly as “all the children.” Tutti means “all” and i bambini means “the children.” This phrase emphasizes that the statement applies to every child in the group mentioned.

What is the function of the word qualcosa at the end of the sentence?

Qualcosa is an indefinite pronoun meaning “something.” It completes the verb phrase by indicating that the children ask to taste an unspecified item rather than a specific object.