Learn Hardcore Italian: Se qualcuno decide di mentire al proprio amico, rischia di rovinare la fiducia reciproca. - If someone decides to lie to their friend, they risk ruining mutual trust.

Se translates to if in English. It introduces the conditional clause, setting up the situation in which someone’s action (deciding to lie) leads to a possible consequence.

Why is the preposition di used after decide and rischia in the sentence?

In Italian, many verbs that are followed by an infinitive require the preposition di. Hence, we say decide di mentire (decides to lie) and rischia di rovinare (risks ruining). This is a standard grammatical construction in Italian.

What does proprio indicate in the phrase al proprio amico?

Proprio is used to emphasize possession. In this context, it clarifies that the friend in question is the subject’s own friend, similar to saying one’s own in English.

How does the contraction al function in al proprio amico?

Al is the contraction of a + il, which means to the. It connects the indirect object (amico) to the action, indicating to whom the lie is told.

What does fiducia reciproca mean, and why is the adjective reciproca placed after the noun?

Fiducia reciproca means mutual trust. The adjective reciproca comes after the noun fiducia to highlight that the trust is shared between both parties. This word order is common in Italian, especially when the adjective specifically qualifies the nature of the noun.

Why are the verbs decide and rischia in the present tense even though the sentence describes a conditional scenario?

Italian often uses the present indicative to express general truths or habitual actions. In this sentence, the present tense is used in both the conditional clause and the main clause to state a general rule about the consequences of lying, rather than referring to a specific past or future event.