Breakdown of Avrei buttato il cartone ieri, ma il bidone era pieno.
io
I
essere
to be
ma
but
ieri
yesterday
pieno
full
il cartone
the cardboard
buttare
to throw away
il bidone
the bin
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Questions & Answers about Avrei buttato il cartone ieri, ma il bidone era pieno.
What tense is “Avrei buttato” and what does it express?
“Avrei buttato” is the past conditional (condizionale passato). It expresses an action that would have happened in the past but didn’t, because some condition prevented it.
How do you form the past conditional in Italian?
You use the present conditional of the auxiliary (either avere or essere) + the past participle of your main verb.
Example with buttare (a transitive verb):
– io avrei (conditional of avere) + buttato (past participle)
For intransitive/movement verbs you’d use the conditional of essere (e.g. sarei andato).
Why is the imperfect “era pieno” used in the second clause instead of a perfect tense?
The imperfect (era pieno) describes a background or ongoing state in the past (“the bin was full at that time”). A perfect tense (like è stato pieno) would present the fullness as a completed event, which doesn’t fit here: we need the continuous state.
Why not say “sarebbe buttato il cartone” instead of “avrei buttato il cartone”?
Because buttare is transitive (it takes a direct object: il cartone), the auxiliary is avere, not essere. You only use essere (sarei) with intransitive verbs, reflexives, or certain movement verbs.
Can you omit “via” after “buttare”? What’s the difference between “buttare” and “buttare via”?
Yes, in everyday speech buttare alone often means “to throw away.” Buttare via or gettare via simply adds emphasis (“to throw away completely” or “to discard”). There’s no real change in meaning here.
What does “il cartone” refer to in this sentence?
Il cartone generally means “the cardboard” or “the carton.” In context it’s the empty box or packaging—e.g. a milk or cereal carton.
Why is “ieri” placed between the participle and the conjunction?
Italian word order is flexible. Placing ieri right after the verb gives it slight emphasis (“I would have thrown away the carton yesterday”), but you could also say Avrei buttato ieri… or Ieri avrei buttato… with no change in meaning.
What exactly is “il bidone”? Are there synonyms?
Il bidone is a large outdoor bin or container for trash—what in English you might call a “dumpster” or “dustbin.”
Synonyms: cassonetto (communal street bin), secchio (smaller bucket/bin).