La zuppa è così bollente che aspetto qualche minuto prima di assaggiarla.

(The soup is so boiling hot that I wait a few minutes before tasting it.)

Breakdown of La zuppa è così bollente che aspetto qualche minuto prima di assaggiarla.

• io: I
• essere: to be
• di: of
• assaggiare: to taste
• così: so
• il minuto: the minute
• aspettare: to wait
• che: that
• prima: before
• la: it
• la zuppa: the soup
• bollente: boiling
• qualche: a few

Questions & Answers about La zuppa è così bollente che aspetto qualche minuto prima di assaggiarla.

What does the così ... che construction mean in this sentence?

The così ... che structure in Italian works like “so … that” in English. In the sentence, it emphasizes that the soup is so hot which causes the speaker to wait a few minutes before tasting it.

How does the phrase qualche minuto function, and why is the noun singular after qualche?

Qualche minuto translates as “a few minutes.” In Italian, qualche is always followed by a singular noun even though it implies a plural amount. This is a common grammatical rule in Italian.

Why is the pronoun la attached to the infinitive assaggiare in the sentence?

The pronoun la is attached to assaggiare to replace the noun la zuppa. Instead of repeating “the soup,” Italian uses the attached pronoun to form assaggiarla, meaning “to taste it,” streamlining the sentence.

What does the phrase prima di assaggiarla indicate about the order of actions taken?

Prima di assaggiarla means “before tasting it.” This phrase tells us that because the soup is extremely hot, the speaker deliberately waits a few minutes before attempting to taste it, highlighting the sequence of actions.

Why is the verb aspetto in the present tense, and what does that imply about the speaker’s habit?

Using the present tense aspetto implies that the speaker is stating a general or habitual action rather than a one-time event. It suggests that whenever the soup is very hot, the speaker routinely waits a few minutes before tasting it.