Breakdown of Io faccio una copia del documento.
io
I
di
of
fare
to make
il documento
the document
la copia
the copy
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Questions & Answers about Io faccio una copia del documento.
Why is the subject pronoun Io used here? Is it necessary?
In Italian, the subject pronoun is optional because the verb ending already indicates the subject. Io can be included for emphasis or clarity, but you can just say Faccio una copia del documento without losing any meaning.
What does the verb faccio mean in this sentence?
Faccio is the first person singular present tense of fare, which means “to do” or “to make.” Here, faccio una copia literally means “I make a copy.”
Why is there an indefinite article una before copia?
Italian nouns usually require an article. Una copia means “a copy,” indicating one unspecified copy. Omitting the article (Faccio copia del documento) would sound unnatural.
What is the role of del in del documento?
Del is the contraction of di + il, meaning “of the.” So del documento translates as “of the document,” showing possession or origin.
Can I use a different verb like stampare here?
Yes. Stampare means “to print.” If you want to emphasize the printing action, you can say Stampo una copia del documento, which means “I print a copy of the document.”
Is it correct to say Faccio la copia del documento instead of una copia?
You can say Faccio la copia del documento if you’re referring to a specific copy already known to the listener. But if you’re making one copy in general, una copia is more natural.
How would I express the same idea in the past tense?
Use the passato prossimo: Ho fatto una copia del documento means “I have made a copy of the document” or simply “I made a copy of the document.”
Why don’t we say copio il documento instead of faccio una copia del documento?
You could use copiare: Copio il documento means “I copy the document.” However, that focuses on the action itself. Saying faccio una copia del documento emphasizes the result, i.e. “making a separate copy.” Both are correct but slightly different in nuance.