Breakdown of Quando divento arrabbiato, faccio un respiro profondo e cerco di rilassarmi.
io
I
e
and
quando
when
diventare
to become
rilassarsi
to relax
di
to
fare
to take
arrabbiato
angry
il respiro
the breath
profondo
deep
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Questions & Answers about Quando divento arrabbiato, faccio un respiro profondo e cerco di rilassarmi.
What does arrabbiato mean, and how does its form change with gender?
Arrabbiato means "angry." It is an adjective and must agree in gender with the noun or subject it describes. For instance, if a male subject is angry, you use arrabbiato; if a female subject is angry, it becomes arrabbiata.
Why is the reflexive pronoun attached to rilassarsi in this sentence, forming rilassarmi?
Rilassarsi is a reflexive verb meaning "to relax oneself." When using it in its infinitive form after another verb (in this case, after cerco di, meaning "I try to"), the reflexive pronoun for the first person singular (mi) attaches directly to the end, resulting in rilassarmi. This structure indicates that the speaker is performing the action on themselves.
In the phrase faccio un respiro profondo, why do Italians use the verb fare instead of a verb that might literally translate to "to take" as in English?
In Italian, many expressions use fare ("to do" or "to make") where English might use "to take." The idiomatic expression fare un respiro directly translates to "to take a breath" in meaning, even though the literal verb is fare. It’s a fixed expression that conveys the act of taking a deep breath.
What is the function of quando at the beginning of the sentence?
Quando is a subordinating conjunction that means "when." It introduces a temporal clause (Quando divento arrabbiato) that specifies the condition or time during which the actions in the main clause occur.
What tense is used throughout this sentence, and why is it appropriate for describing the actions?
The sentence is entirely in the present tense (with divento, faccio, and cerco). This tense is appropriate because it describes habitual or typical actions—the things the speaker generally does when they become angry.
How is the sentence structured in terms of clauses, and what does this structure communicate?
The sentence is divided into a subordinate clause and a main clause. The subordinate clause (Quando divento arrabbiato) tells us under what condition the subsequent actions occur, while the main clause (faccio un respiro profondo e cerco di rilassarmi) lists the actions taken. This clear separation helps emphasize that the breathing and relaxation techniques are a direct response to becoming angry.