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Se vuoi mantenere freschi i fiori, riempi il vaso ogni giorno con acqua pulita.

Se vuoi mantenere freschi i fiori, riempi il vaso ogni giorno con acqua pulita.
If you want to keep the flowers fresh, fill the vase with clean water every day.
FromLesson 15inHardcore Italian

Questions & Answers about Se vuoi mantenere freschi i fiori, riempi il vaso ogni giorno con acqua pulita.

What does se mean, and why is it placed at the beginning of the sentence?
Se means "if." It introduces a conditional clause, setting up the condition—wanting to keep the flowers fresh—before giving the instruction on what to do next.
Why is the adjective freschi in its plural form?
The adjective freschi is plural to agree with the noun fiori ("flowers"), which is plural as well. In Italian, adjectives must match the gender and number of the nouns they describe.
Why is the definite article i used before fiori?
The article i is the masculine plural definite article in Italian, equivalent to "the" in English. It specifies that the sentence refers to particular flowers, emphasizing that these are the ones that need to be kept fresh.
Why is the verb riempi in the imperative form?
Riempi is used in the imperative because the sentence is giving a direct instruction. It is the second-person singular imperative form of riempire ("to fill"), telling someone exactly what to do—fill the vase every day.
How is the sentence structured in terms of condition and instruction?
The sentence is divided into two parts. The first part, Se vuoi mantenere freschi i fiori, is a conditional clause ("if you want to keep the flowers fresh"). The second part, riempi il vaso ogni giorno con acqua pulita, provides the instruction ("fill the vase every day with clean water"). This structure clearly sets a condition followed by the corresponding action.
What does acqua pulita mean, and why is there no article before acqua?
Acqua pulita means "clean water." In this context, acqua is treated as a mass noun referring to water in general, so it doesn't require a definite article. This is common in Italian when speaking about substances in a general or non-specific sense.
How would you translate the whole sentence into English?
The sentence translates to: "If you want to keep the flowers fresh, fill the vase every day with clean water." This captures both the conditional setup and the clear instruction provided in Italian.
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