Breakdown of Prendi la scopa e pulisci il pavimento in soggiorno, perché ci sono briciole di pane ovunque.
tu
you
essere
to be
prendere
to take
di
of
in
in
e
and
perché
because
il pavimento
the floor
il soggiorno
the living room
pulire
to clean
il pane
the bread
ci
there
la scopa
the broom
ovunque
everywhere
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Questions & Answers about Prendi la scopa e pulisci il pavimento in soggiorno, perché ci sono briciole di pane ovunque.
What do the verbs prendi and pulisci signify, and why are they in this form?
Both prendi (from “prendere”) and pulisci (from “pulire”) are in the imperative mood. They are used to give direct commands—in this case, instructing you to “grab” the broom and “clean” the floor. In Italian, when using the informal second person singular (tu), the subject is understood and therefore omitted.
Why is there no explicit subject like “you” before the verbs?
Italian often omits the subject because the verb ending clearly indicates who is being addressed. Here, the forms prendi and pulisci already signal that the command is directed to “tu” (you, singular informal), making the explicit subject unnecessary.
What role do the definite articles la and il play in the phrases la scopa and il pavimento?
The articles la and il specify that the nouns are definite. La scopa means “the broom” (with scopa being a feminine noun) and il pavimento means “the floor” (with pavimento as a masculine noun). This not only clarifies which broom or floor is meant but also maintains proper gender agreement in Italian.
What does the phrase in soggiorno mean, and why is the preposition in used here?
In soggiorno translates to “in the living room.” The preposition in indicates location. Although you might sometimes encounter nel soggiorno (a contraction of “in il”), in soggiorno is a common and acceptable way to denote that the action (cleaning) is taking place in the living room.
How should we interpret the phrase briciole di pane, and what function does the preposition di serve?
Briciole di pane means “bread crumbs.” The preposition di is used to show composition or material, equivalent to “of” in English. It explains that the crumbs are made from bread.
What is the function of perché in this sentence, and how do we know it means “because” rather than “why”?
In this context, perché acts as a conjunction meaning “because.” It introduces the reason for cleaning: the floor has bread crumbs everywhere. While perché can sometimes mean “why,” here the sentence clearly uses it to give an explanation.
What does ovunque mean, and what does it add to the sentence?
Ovunque means “everywhere.” It emphasizes that the bread crumbs are spread all over the place, reinforcing the idea that the living room floor is in need of a thorough cleaning.