Se non prepari bene il progetto, può andare storto.

to prepare

Breakdown of Se non prepari bene il progetto, può andare storto.

• non: not
• se: if
• potere: to be able

Questions & Answers about Se non prepari bene il progetto, può andare storto.

Why is the present tense used in the “if” clause (“prepari”) even though the sentence talks about a future possibility?

In Italian, conditional sentences that express future possibilities use the present indicative in the if‑clause. Although in English you might say, “If you don’t prepare well, it will go wrong,” Italian uses “prepari” (present tense) to indicate a future condition. This is a normal and standard way to construct conditional sentences in Italian.

What does the phrase “può andare storto” literally mean, and how is it used idiomatically?

The phrase literally translates to “it can go wrong.” Here, “può” is the third-person singular form of “potere” (to be able to/can), and “andare storto” is an idiomatic expression meaning “to go wrong.” Together, they express the possibility that something may turn out badly if the condition isn’t met.

Why is there a comma after “Se non prepari bene il progetto”?

In Italian, when a conditional clause (introduced by “se”) comes at the beginning of a sentence, it is common practice to separate it from the main clause with a comma. This punctuation helps signal the structure of the sentence by clearly distinguishing the condition from the result.

What is the role of the adverb “bene” in this sentence, and is its placement typical?