Il bambino si addormenta presto.

The child falls asleep early.

Breakdown of Il bambino si addormenta presto.

• il bambino: the child
• presto: early
• addormentarsi: to fall asleep

Questions & Answers about Il bambino si addormenta presto.

Why is the reflexive pronoun si used in the sentence?

In Italian many actions, especially those relating to personal states or changes, are expressed with reflexive verbs. Addormentarsi means “to fall asleep,” and the pronoun si indicates that the subject (in this case, the child) performs the action on itself.

What is the infinitive form of the verb seen here, and what does it mean?

The infinitive form is addormentarsi. It means “to fall asleep.” When conjugated, the reflexive pronoun (here si) is placed before the verb, as seen in si addormenta.

What tense is used in Il bambino si addormenta presto?

The verb addormenta is in the present indicative tense, third person singular. This tense is used to describe current actions, habitual events, or general truths.

What role does the adverb presto play in the sentence?

Presto means “early.” It modifies the verb, indicating the timing of the action: the child falls asleep early.

How does Italian handle reflexive verb agreements with different subjects?

In Italian, reflexive verbs require a pronoun that matches the subject. For instance, for “I fall asleep” you say io mi addormento, for “you fall asleep” (informally) tu ti addormenti, and for “they fall asleep” loro si addormentano. In our sentence, since Il bambino is third person singular, the correct reflexive pronoun is si.

Why is the reflexive pronoun placed before the conjugated form of the verb?

In Italian grammar, reflexive pronouns always precede the conjugated verb. This is a strict rule, so in our sentence si comes right before addormenta, ensuring the correct reflexive construction is maintained.