Mi piace quel parrucchiere perché dona ottimi consigli per lo styling.

I like that hairdresser because he gives great styling advice.

Breakdown of Mi piace quel parrucchiere perché dona ottimi consigli per lo styling.

• io: I
• per: for
• piacere: to like
• perché: because
• donare: to give
• il parrucchiere: the hairdresser
• ottimo: great
• il consiglio: the advice

Questions & Answers about Mi piace quel parrucchiere perché dona ottimi consigli per lo styling.

How does the phrase Mi piace work in Italian, and why does it seem different from the English “I like”?

In Italian, piacere literally means “to please.” So when you say Mi piace quel parrucchiere, it translates more literally as “That hairdresser pleases me.” Instead of using a direct subject like in English (“I like…”), Italian uses an indirect object (mi) to indicate who is pleased by something, making the thing that pleases you the subject of the sentence.

Why is the hairdresser described with quel parrucchiere instead of using an indefinite article?

The word quel is a demonstrative adjective meaning “that.” It is used here to point out a specific hairdresser—the one the speaker has in mind. Using an indefinite article (like un) would mean “a hairdresser” without specifying which one, so quel helps narrow it down to a particular person.

What is the meaning and nuance of the verb dona in this context?

Dona is the third-person singular form of the verb donare, which means “to give” or “to bestow.” In this sentence, it conveys that the hairdresser not only gives advice but does so in a generous or commendable way. It adds a positive nuance, suggesting that the advice is offered in a valuable or refined manner.

How do the adjective ottimi and the noun consigli agree with each other in the sentence?

Consigli is a masculine plural noun meaning “pieces of advice” or “tips.” The adjective ottimi is the masculine plural form of ottimo (excellent). In Italian, adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify; hence, ottimi consigli correctly shows both words in the masculine plural.

Why is the expression per lo styling used, and what does the article lo indicate?

The phrase per lo styling means “for styling.” Although styling is an English word, it has been adopted into Italian as a masculine singular noun. According to Italian grammar rules, masculine singular nouns that begin with an s+consonant cluster (here, “st”) take the article lo instead of il. That is why we say lo styling.

What role does the conjunction perché play in this sentence?

Perché translates to “because” in English and functions as a subordinating conjunction. It introduces the reason why the speaker likes the hairdresser, connecting the main clause (Mi piace quel parrucchiere) to the subordinate clause that provides the explanation (dona ottimi consigli per lo styling).