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Spengo lo schermo del computer quando finisco di lavorare.

Spengo lo schermo del computer quando finisco di lavorare.
I turn off the computer screen when I finish working.
FromLesson 27inHardcore Italian

Questions & Answers about Spengo lo schermo del computer quando finisco di lavorare.

Why is the present tense spengo used here, even though the action happens after I finish working?
In Italian, the present indicative can express habitual or future events when paired with time-clauses like quando. So Spengo lo schermo… quando finisco di lavorare literally means “I turn off the screen… when I finish working” as a general habit or a regular sequence of actions.
Why do we say lo schermo instead of il schermo?
Italian has two masculine singular definite articles: il before most consonants, and lo before words starting with s+consonant, z, ps, gn, pn, x, or y. Since schermo begins with sch (an s+consonant cluster), the correct article is lo.
What does del mean in lo schermo del computer?
Del is the contraction of di + il, meaning “of the.” So lo schermo del computer literally translates to “the screen of the computer.”
Why is computer masculine in Italian, and do I have to use the English word?
Computer is a loanword from English, adopted as a masculine noun: il computer (plural i computer). You can use the fully Italian term il calcolatore, but in everyday speech Italians almost always say computer.
Why “finisco di lavorare” and not “finisco a lavorare” or just “finisco lavorare”?
After verbs like finire, Italian requires the preposition di before another verb in the infinitive. The pattern is finire di + [infinitive], so only finisco di lavorare is correct.
Could I rephrase the sentence as Dopo aver finito di lavorare, spengo lo schermo del computer?
Yes. Dopo aver finito di lavorare (“After having finished working”) is a perfectly natural way to express the same idea. It’s slightly more formal and uses the past infinitive structure dopo aver + past participle.
What’s the difference between spegnere and chiudere when talking about a computer screen?
Spegnere means “to turn off” (cut the power to a device). Chiudere means “to close” (e.g., a window, a door, or an application on the screen). You spegni the monitor or the whole computer; you chiudi a program or a file.
Can I drop the article and say Spengo schermo del computer?
No. Italian almost always uses a definite article before singular countable nouns. Omitting lo would sound ungrammatical. Always say spengo lo schermo.
Why use the simple present “finisco” instead of a future tense like “finirò”?
In time-clauses introduced by quando, the simple present (quando finisco) stands in for a future meaning. Using finirò (“when I will finish”) would actually violate Italian grammar: after quando you don’t use the future tense but the present.
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