Breakdown of Cerco di sopportare il rumore di notte, ma a volte è davvero complicato dormire.
io
I
dormire
to sleep
essere
to be
di
of
ma
but
a volte
sometimes
la notte
the night
cercare
to try
davvero
really
il rumore
the noise
sopportare
to tolerate
complicato
hard
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Questions & Answers about Cerco di sopportare il rumore di notte, ma a volte è davvero complicato dormire.
What is the literal translation of the sentence "Cerco di sopportare il rumore di notte, ma a volte è davvero complicato dormire"?
The sentence translates as "I try to tolerate the noise at night, but sometimes it's really difficult to sleep." In this translation, "cerco" means "I try," "di sopportare" means "to tolerate/endure," "il rumore" stands for "the noise," "di notte" means "at night," "a volte" translates as "sometimes," "davvero" means "really," and "complicato" means "complicated/difficult."
Why is the verb "sopportare" in its infinitive form after "cerco di"?
In Italian, verbs that express actions like trying, wanting, or planning (for example, "cerco") are often followed by the preposition "di" plus the infinitive form of another verb. Here, "sopportare" is in the infinitive because it completes the expression "cerco di sopportare" (I try to tolerate). This is similar to English, where we say “I try to…” followed by the base form of another verb.
What role does the contrast word "ma" play in this sentence?
"Ma" means "but" and is used to introduce a contrast between two ideas. The first part of the sentence states the effort made to tolerate the noise, while the second part, introduced by "ma", emphasizes that despite this effort, sleeping is still very difficult at times.
Why is the clause "a volte è davvero complicato dormire" constructed with an infinitive (dormire) instead of a conjugated verb?
In Italian, when using impersonal expressions like "è complicato" (it is difficult), it is common to follow with an infinitive to indicate the action in general, without referring to a specific subject. Here, "dormire" (to sleep) is used in its infinitive form to express that the act of sleeping itself is difficult under the circumstances described.
What is the function of the adverb "davvero" in the sentence?
The adverb "davvero" means "really" and is used for emphasis. It intensifies the adjective "complicato" (complicated/difficult) in the phrase, indicating that sleeping isn’t just a little hard—it’s really difficult at times.