Learn Hardcore Italian: Chiudo di nuovo la persiana quando il sole è troppo forte. - I close the shutter again when the sun is too strong.

di nuovo focuses on repeating the entire action (“I close it once more”).
ancora often implies a continuation or that something is still happening (“I’m still closing it”).
Example:
• Ho chiuso di nuovo la porta = I closed the door again (repeated action).
• Chiudo ancora la porta could suggest you keep closing it over and over, or you’re in the process of closing it.

Where should di nuovo be placed in the sentence?

di nuovo is an adverbial phrase modifying the verb. The most common positions are:
1) Immediately after the verb: Chiudo di nuovo la persiana
2) After the object (less common but possible): Chiudo la persiana di nuovo
Putting di nuovo before the verb (Di nuovo chiudo la persiana) sounds more marked or emphatic.

Can I use a prefixed verb like richiudere instead of chiudere di nuovo?

Yes, richiudere exists and means “to close again,” but:

It’s less common in everyday speech.
It often implies “closing something that was just opened.”
So chiudere di nuovo la persiana is more neutral and widely used.

Why do I need the article la before persiana?

In Italian, definite articles (il, la, lo, i, le) are generally required before common nouns when you talk about specific objects. Here you’re referring to the shutter, so you say la persiana. Skipping the article (Chiudo persiana) would be ungrammatical in standard Italian.

Why is chiudo in the simple present tense if this is something I do repeatedly?

Italian uses the present tense for both actions happening now and habitual actions.
• Chiudo di nuovo la persiana can describe what you do right now or what you do regularly whenever the sun is too strong.

Why is forte used instead of fortemente in troppo forte?

forte here is an adjective modifying the noun sole (the sun). You need an adjective, not an adverb.
• Il sole è forte (the sun is strong).
An adverb like fortemente would modify a verb (e.g. colpire fortemente = hit strongly).

Could I say quando c’è troppo sole instead of quando il sole è troppo forte?

Yes. Italians often say c’è troppo sole (literally “there is too much sun”) to comment on the weather. Both versions work:
• Chiudo di nuovo la persiana quando c’è troppo sole.
• Chiudo di nuovo la persiana quando il sole è troppo forte.

Could I use fa troppo sole to talk about the sun being too strong?

Absolutely. Weather expressions with fa + noun are common.
• Fa troppo sole = The sun is too strong/It’s too sunny.
So you could say:
• Chiudo di nuovo la persiana perché fa troppo sole.

Is quando here expressing a condition (if) or a time (when)?

In this sentence, quando introduces a temporal clause (“whenever/when the sun is too strong”). It tells you when you perform the action. If you wanted a conditional sense (“if the sun ever becomes too strong”), you’d more likely use se.