Breakdown of Attento però, troppo zucchero non fa bene alla salute.
non
not
la salute
the health
bene
well
fare
to do
attento
careful
troppo
too much
però
though
il zucchero
the sugar
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Questions & Answers about Attento però, troppo zucchero non fa bene alla salute.
What does Attento però mean, and why is it placed at the beginning of the sentence?
Attento però literally translates to "Be careful, though." Here, Attento is an imperative form directing someone to be cautious, and però adds a nuance of contrast—almost like saying "but" or "however"—emphasizing that the following statement is an important warning.
Why is troppo placed before zucchero, and what role does it play in the sentence?
In Italian, adjectives like troppo (meaning "too much") typically come before the noun they modify. Thus, troppo zucchero means "too much sugar," with troppo stressing the excessive amount of sugar. This word order is standard in Italian and helps emphasize the idea of surplus.
What does non fa bene alla salute translate to, and why is the expression structured with fa bene?
Non fa bene alla salute literally translates to "does not do good for one's health." The construction fa bene is an idiomatic way in Italian to express that something is beneficial or healthy. By negating it with non, the sentence conveys that too much sugar does not have a positive effect on health.
How does non fa bene alla salute compare with a phrase like è cattivo per la salute? Are they interchangeable?
While both expressions relate to health, they are not exactly the same. Non fa bene alla salute focuses on the absence of a beneficial effect, implying that something does not contribute positively to health. On the other hand, è cattivo per la salute (meaning "it is bad for one's health") suggests that the ingredient actively harms your health. In everyday usage, non fa bene alla salute is more idiomatic when advising moderation.
Why is there no explicit subject pronoun in the clause troppo zucchero non fa bene alla salute?
Italian often omits subject pronouns when the subject is clear from the context. In this sentence, troppo zucchero is the subject responsible for the action (non fa bene), so including an extra pronoun isn’t necessary. This omission is common and natural in Italian sentence structure.