Breakdown of Al nonno manca la sua vecchia casa, ma è felice di trascorrere del tempo con voi.
essere
to be
vecchio
old
del
some
con
with
felice
happy
ma
but
la casa
the home
il tempo
the time
mancare
to miss
di
to
al
to
trascorrere
to spend
il nonno
the grandfather
la sua
his
voi
you
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Questions & Answers about Al nonno manca la sua vecchia casa, ma è felice di trascorrere del tempo con voi.
How does the verb mancare function in this sentence, and why does it seem "reversed" compared to the English equivalent?
In Italian, mancare is used differently from how "to miss" is used in English. Instead of saying "Grandpa misses his old house," the construction implies that "his old house is missing to grandpa." Here, la sua vecchia casa is the subject that is absent, while al nonno (a contraction of a + il nonno) indicates who is experiencing that absence. This dative construction can feel reversed at first for English speakers.
What does the contraction al mean in this context, and why is it important?
Al is a contraction of a + il, which translates to "to the." It is used to indicate the indirect object of the sentence—in this case, specifying that the nonno (grandpa) is the one to whom his old house is missing. This helps signal the dative nature of the experiencer in the emotional context.
How is the phrase "è felice di trascorrere del tempo con voi" constructed, and what does it convey?
The phrase combines è felice (is happy) with the preposition di followed by the infinitive trascorrere (to spend). When combined with del tempo (time) and con voi (with you), it expresses that "he is happy to spend time with you." This construction is common in Italian, where an adjective indicating an emotional state is linked to an action through the preposition di plus an infinitive.
Why is nonno not the grammatical subject of the sentence even though he is the one experiencing the feeling?
Although nonno is the one who feels the loss, Italian structures sentences with mancare by making the thing that is missing—la sua vecchia casa—the subject. Nonno, as the one affected by this absence, is marked in the dative case with al nonno. This distinction is crucial in Italian grammar and can be confusing for learners transitioning from English where the subject typically performs the action.
How does the possessive adjective sua work in "la sua vecchia casa", and why is its placement significant?
The possessive sua means "his" and shows ownership, indicating that the old house belongs to nonno. In Italian, possessive adjectives generally come before the noun they modify. Additionally, sua agrees in gender and number with casa (a feminine singular noun), which reinforces clarity about whose house is being referenced.
Why does the sentence use ma to connect the two parts, and what effect does this contrast have?
Ma translates to "but" and is used here to introduce a contrast. The sentence shows that while nonno deeply misses his old house, he is simultaneously happy because he gets to spend time with you. This juxtaposition emphasizes that even though there is a sense of loss, there is also a positive aspect in his current experience, adding emotional depth to the overall meaning.