Breakdown of All’uscita, ho voluto baciare la mano di un’amica, ma lei ha sorriso per l’imbarazzo.
io
I
di
of
volere
to want
per
for
ma
but
lei
she
al
at
sorridere
to smile
la mano
the hand
baciare
to kiss
l'uscita
the exit
l'amica
the friend
l'imbarazzo
the embarrassment
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Questions & Answers about All’uscita, ho voluto baciare la mano di un’amica, ma lei ha sorriso per l’imbarazzo.
What does All’uscita mean in this sentence?
All’uscita translates to "upon leaving" or "as we were leaving." It sets the scene by indicating that the speaker’s actions occur at the moment of departure.
How is the verb phrase ho voluto baciare structured, and why is the infinitive used here?
Ho voluto is the passato prossimo (past tense) of volere ("to want"), meaning "I wanted." It is directly followed by the infinitive baciare ("to kiss") to express the intended action. In Italian, when expressing a desire or intention, the past auxiliary is combined with an infinitive verb rather than using a subordinate clause.
Why is there an apostrophe in un’amica instead of writing una amica?
The apostrophe in un’amica marks an elision. In Italian, the feminine indefinite article una loses its final vowel before a word that begins with a vowel (here, amica). Thus, una amica becomes un’amica for smoother pronunciation.
What does the contrast introduced by ma lei ha sorriso per l’imbarazzo imply about the friend’s reaction?
The clause ma lei ha sorriso per l’imbarazzo means "but she smiled because of the embarrassment." It implies that although the speaker intended a more formal or affectionate gesture (kissing her hand), the friend responded with a smile—likely reacting with a mixture of shyness and discomfort. The use of ma (but) emphasizes the contrast between the intended gesture and her lighthearted reaction.
How does the sentence handle the gender of the nouns mano and amica, and why is that important?
In Italian, all nouns are gendered. La mano uses the feminine article la because "mano" (hand) is feminine, even though it might seem counterintuitive to English speakers. Similarly, amica is a feminine noun, which is why it takes the feminine article (in elided form un’). Knowing these gender rules is essential for proper article and adjective agreement in Italian.
What is the function of per l’imbarazzo in this sentence?
Per l’imbarazzo functions as an explanation of the reason for the friend's reaction. It literally means "because of the embarrassment" or "out of embarrassment." This phrase clarifies that her smile was a response stemming from feeling embarrassed, rather than a simple, unmotivated smile.