Breakdown of La mia sveglia suona alle sei, ma io vorrei dormire ancora.
io
I
dormire
to sleep
volere
to want
ma
but
la mia
my
suonare
to ring
la sveglia
the alarm clock
alle
at
sei
six
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Questions & Answers about La mia sveglia suona alle sei, ma io vorrei dormire ancora.
Why is there a definite article before mia sveglia? In English we say my alarm clock without the.
In Italian, you normally include the definite article before the possessive adjective: la mia sveglia. The article la agrees with the gender (feminine) and number (singular) of the noun sveglia. You only omit the article for singular, unmodified family members (for example mia madre, tuo padre).
Why is suona used instead of an infinitive or a different tense?
Suona is the third person singular present indicative of suonare. Since la sveglia (the alarm clock) is third person singular, you say la sveglia suona to mean the alarm rings or goes off right now.
What does alle sei mean and why do we use alle?
Alle is the contraction of a + le. In Italian time expressions you say a (at) plus the plural article le, because hours are treated as a plural noun (le sei). So suona alle sei means it rings at six o-clock. In informal writing you might see alle 6, but the logic is the same.
Why is io included in ma io vorrei? Aren’t subject pronouns often dropped in Italian?
Yes, Italian often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already indicates who’s doing the action. Here, however, io adds emphasis or contrast. Ma io vorrei stresses that it is you who would still like to sleep, in contrast with the alarm going off.
Why is vorrei used instead of voglio?
Vorrei is the conditional form of volere and translates to I would like. It’s softer or more polite than voglio (I want). Saying vorrei dormire ancora sounds more like a gentle wish than a firm demand.
Why is dormire left in the infinitive form?
After modal or volitive verbs such as volere, potere or dovere, you follow with the infinitive of the next verb. That’s why vorrei dormire keeps dormire unchanged: I would like to sleep.
What nuance does ancora carry in this sentence? Doesn’t it also mean again?
Ancora can mean still, yet, or again depending on context. In vorrei dormire ancora it means still or some more (I would like to sleep a bit more), not again.