Learn Hardcore Italian: Per ottenere un buon risultato, devo studiare ogni giorno. - To obtain a good result, I must study every day.

per is a preposition that, when followed by an infinitive, expresses purpose (“in order to”). In Italian you often introduce a goal or intention with per + [infinitive].

Why is ottenere in the infinitive form rather than a conjugated verb?

After a preposition like per, Italian requires an infinitive. The structure per + infinitive indicates the purpose (“to obtain”). You never conjugate the verb immediately after a preposition.

What does un buon risultato mean, and why is it buon instead of buono?

un buon risultato literally means “a good result.” The adjective buono drops the -o before a masculine singular noun beginning with a consonant, becoming buon. This is an example of apocope (shortening) for smoother pronunciation.

Is the comma after risultato mandatory?

The comma separates the introductory purpose clause Per ottenere un buon risultato from the main clause devo studiare ogni giorno. It’s recommended for clarity, but in casual writing you can sometimes omit it if the sentence remains clear.

Why is devo studiare used instead of another tense or mood?

devo is the first-person singular present of dovere, expressing obligation or necessity (“I must”). Using the present tense here states a current, ongoing requirement. You could soften it with the conditional dovrei studiare (“I should study”), but that changes the nuance.

Could you use ho bisogno di studiare instead of devo studiare?

Yes. Ho bisogno di studiare ogni giorno means “I need to study every day.” Both convey necessity, but devo is more direct obligation, whereas ho bisogno di focuses on need or requirement.

What’s the difference between ogni giorno and tutti i giorni?

Both mean “every day.” ogni giorno is very common and slightly more formal; tutti i giorni is equally correct and emphasizes repetition (“all the days”). They’re interchangeable in most contexts.

Can ogni giorno move to a different position in the sentence?

Yes. You could say:

Devo studiare ogni giorno. (common)
Ogni giorno devo studiare. (focus on frequency)
Devo ogni giorno studiare. (less common, but acceptable)
It’s flexible since it’s an adverbial phrase.

Could the sentence be phrased without per at the beginning?

You can flip the clauses:

Devo studiare ogni giorno per ottenere un buon risultato.
The meaning stays the same; you’ve just placed the purpose clause second.

Is there any nuance between risultato and successo here?

Risultato refers to an outcome or result (e.g., a grade, a score). Successo means success in a broader sense. If you want to stress “success” rather than just a measurable outcome, you’d use successo, but risultato is standard for “result.”