Learn Hardcore Italian: Al mercato voglio vendere i miei vecchi libri, sperando che qualcuno li apprezzi. - At the market, I want to sell my old books, hoping someone will appreciate them.

Al mercato literally translates to “at the market.” It is a contraction of the preposition a (“to/at”) and the article il (“the”), used here to specify the location where the selling is intended to take place.

What is the meaning and structure of voglio vendere?

Voglio vendere means “I want to sell.” The construction uses voglio (the first-person singular form of volere, “to want”) followed directly by the infinitive vendere (“to sell”), which is a common Italian format for expressing desires or intentions.

How should we understand i miei vecchi libri in this context?

I miei vecchi libri translates as “my old books.” Here, i miei is a possessive adjective (with i as the definite article and miei meaning “my” for plural masculine nouns), and vecchi is an adjective that means “old.” Together, they describe the books that the speaker is planning to sell.

Why is the subjunctive mood used in the clause sperando che qualcuno li apprezzi?

The clause sperando che qualcuno li apprezzi (“hoping that someone appreciates them”) uses the subjunctive mood in apprezzi because it follows the expression of hope (sperando che). In Italian, when a verb expresses expectation, desire, or uncertainty, the subordinate clause typically takes the subjunctive to indicate the speaker’s wish or doubt about the outcome.

What is the function of the pronoun li, and how does it relate back to the earlier part of the sentence?

The pronoun li is a direct object pronoun that replaces libri (“books”) in the subordinate clause. Using li avoids repeating the noun and ensures the sentence flows smoothly. Since libri is masculine plural, li is the appropriate pronoun to refer back to it.