Se il campanello non funziona, bussa alla porta più forte.

the door

Breakdown of Se il campanello non funziona, bussa alla porta più forte.

• non: not
• se: if
• più: more
• funzionare: to work
• forte: loud
• il campanello: the doorbell
• bussare: to knock

Questions & Answers about Se il campanello non funziona, bussa alla porta più forte.

What is the role of se at the beginning of this sentence?

Se means "if" and it introduces a conditional clause. It sets up a condition—in this case, if the doorbell isn’t working—that leads to the instruction in the main clause.

Why is non funziona expressed in the present tense instead of another tense?

In Italian, when expressing a real and likely condition, the present indicative is used. Non funziona (“doesn’t work”) describes a current or habitual situation rather than a hypothetical one.

Why is there a comma after non funziona?

The comma separates the conditional clause from the main clause. It clarifies that the condition (“if the doorbell doesn’t work”) is being provided before the instruction (“knock at the door louder”).

What is the function of the verb bussa in this sentence, and why is it in the imperative mood?

Bussa is an imperative form of the verb bussare (to knock). It gives a command or instruction that tells the listener what action to take when the condition is met.

What is the implied subject of bussa, and why isn’t it explicitly stated?

The implied subject is you (the second-person singular). In Italian, especially in imperative sentences, the subject pronoun is typically omitted because the verb conjugation already indicates the subject.

What does alla porta mean, and why is the preposition written as alla?

Alla porta translates as "at the door." The preposition a (meaning "at" or "to") combines with the definite article la (meaning "the") to form alla. This construction indicates the location where the knocking should occur.

How should più forte be understood in this context—does it mean knock harder or louder—and what is its grammatical role?

Più forte literally means "more strong." In the context of knocking, it implies doing so more forcefully, which can mean knocking louder or with extra strength. Grammatically, it functions as an adverbial modifier, describing how the action of knocking should be performed.

How is the overall sentence structured, and what are the roles of its two main parts?

The sentence is a complex, conditional one with two parts. The first part, introduced by se, is the condition (protasis: "if the doorbell doesn’t work"). The second part is the main clause (apodosis), which uses the imperative mood (bussa alla porta più forte) to give the consequent instruction.