Learn Hardcore Italian: La finestra si rompe quando il vento è molto forte. - The window breaks when the wind is very strong.

In this sentence, si is part of the si passivante (often called the passive or middle voice). It turns the normally transitive verb rompere (“to break something”) into an intransitive construction meaning “to break” or “to get broken.” So “La finestra si rompe” literally means “The window breaks” or “The window gets broken” without specifying who or what breaks it.

Why is the present tense used in both clauses instead of the future tense?

Italian uses the present tense to express general truths or habitual actions: whenever the wind is very strong, the window breaks. It’s a universal statement, so both verbs stay in the present. You could switch to the future for a specific event (“La finestra si romperà quando il vento sarà molto forte”), but that changes the nuance to a particular future occurrence.

What does quando mean here? Can it be translated as whenever rather than just when?

Yes. In this context, quando introduces a general time clause, so both “when” and “whenever” work in English. It indicates that every time the condition holds, the main clause happens.

Why is there an article il before vento? Can’t we just say vento?

In Italian, nouns used in a generic or general sense typically take the definite article. “Il vento” here means “wind” in general. Omitting the article (“vento è molto forte”) would sound unusual or overly poetic in everyday speech.

What role does molto play in molto forte? Is it an adjective or an adverb?

Molto here is an adverb modifying the adjective forte. It intensifies forte, giving “very strong.” When molto modifies an adjective or another adverb, it stays invariable (no gender/number agreement).

Could we use the passive voice instead, like La finestra viene rotta dal vento?

Yes. “La finestra viene rotta dal vento molto forte” is a perfectly correct passive construction using venire. However, Italians often prefer the more concise si passivante (La finestra si rompe) in everyday language.

Is rompersi always the same as rompere? What’s the difference?

Rompersi is the intransitive/reflexive form meaning “to break” (the subject undergoes the action). Rompere is transitive, requiring a direct object (e.g. “Marco rompe il vetro” – Marco breaks the glass). With rompersi, the subject itself is what breaks: “Il vetro si rompe.”

Why is there no comma before quando in the sentence?

Italian punctuation doesn’t require a comma between the main clause and a subordinate temporal clause introduced by quando, especially when the subordinate follows directly after the main clause. A comma would be optional and used mainly for emphasis or in very complex sentences.

How do I pronounce finestra, rompe, vento, and forte? Where is the stress?

Here are the stress patterns:

finestra: FI-nes-tra (stress on FI)
rompe: ROM-pe (stress on ROM)
vento: VEN-to (stress on VEN)
forte: FOR-te (stress on FOR)