Breakdown of Io prendo il cappotto e esco di casa, perché fa molto freddo.
io
I
prendere
to take
di
of
molto
very
la casa
the house
e
and
freddo
cold
perché
because
il cappotto
the coat
uscire
to leave
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Questions & Answers about Io prendo il cappotto e esco di casa, perché fa molto freddo.
Why is the subject pronoun Io included even though Italian often drops it?
In Italian, the verb endings usually indicate the subject, so using Io isn’t required for clarity. However, it can be added for emphasis or to make it explicitly clear that the speaker is referring to themselves.
What is the meaning of prendo il cappotto, and why is prendere used here instead of a verb like mettere?
Prendo il cappotto literally translates as “I take the coat.” It indicates that the speaker is picking up or grabbing the coat, presumably in preparation for wearing it. Although in English we might say “put on” when referring to clothing, Italian often uses prendere to indicate the act of taking an item before performing further actions.
What does esco di casa mean, and why is the preposition di used after esco?
Esco di casa means “I leave the house.” The phrase is an idiomatic expression in Italian where di casa indicates leaving one’s home. While you might also hear uscire da casa in conversation, di casa is a traditional and commonly used formulation in this context.
In the sentence, how does perché function?
Perché serves as a causal conjunction meaning “because.” It connects the two parts of the sentence by providing the reason for the actions in the first part: the speaker takes his coat and leaves the house because it is very cold.
Why is the impersonal verb fa used in fa molto freddo instead of a form of essere?
In Italian, weather expressions are typically impersonal and use the verb fare. Fa molto freddo literally means “it makes very cold” but is understood as “it is very cold.” This is a fixed and idiomatic way to describe the weather in Italian.
What role does the adverb molto play in the sentence?
The adverb molto means “very” and is used to intensify the adjective freddo (cold). Its placement before freddo emphasizes the extreme cold, underscoring the reason for the speaker’s actions.