Learn Hardcore Italian: Sto per chiudere la porta.

Sto per is a periphrastic construction meaning “I am about to…” or “I’m on the verge of…”. It indicates that the action (closing the door) will happen immediately.

Why is chiudere in the infinitive form instead of a conjugated form?

After sto per, the main verb always stays in the infinitive. So you say sto per chiudere, not sto per chiudo.

How is sto per chiudere different from using the simple future tense, e.g. chiuderò la porta?

Sto per chiudere stresses that the action will happen right away (“I’m just about to close the door”). Chiuderò la porta is the neutral future (“I will close the door” at some point).

Can I express the near future in another way?

Yes. A common alternative is vado a chiudere la porta (“I’m going to close the door”), which is slightly more colloquial but still indicates a future action.

What’s the difference between sto per chiudere la porta and sto chiudendo la porta?

Sto chiudendo la porta is the present continuous (“I am closing the door” right now, the action is in progress). Sto per chiudere la porta means the action hasn’t started yet but will start immediately.