Breakdown of Il medico consiglia che io faccia stretching perché la schiena rimanga forte.
io
I
consigliare
to advise
che
that
fare
to do
rimanere
to stay
il medico
the doctor
forte
strong
la schiena
the back
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Questions & Answers about Il medico consiglia che io faccia stretching perché la schiena rimanga forte.
Why is faccia used instead of faccio or fare?
Because the verb consigliare introduces a subordinate clause with che that requires the subjunctive mood. Here you need the present subjunctive of fare, which is faccia. If you preferred to avoid the subjunctive, you could rephrase with an infinitive: Il medico mi consiglia di fare stretching.
Could I say Il medico mi consiglia di fare stretching instead?
Yes. That construction (consigliare + di + infinitive) is very common and entirely correct. It means exactly the same but uses the infinitive fare instead of the subjunctive.
Do I have to include io in che io faccia?
No. Italian usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the person. You can say ...che faccia stretching and it’s perfectly natural.
Why is rimanga used instead of rimane?
Here perché means “so that,” expressing purpose. In Italian, purpose clauses require the subjunctive, so you use the present subjunctive rimanga. If perché meant “because” (a causal clause), you would use the indicative rimane.
Can I replace perché with affinché?
Yes. Affinché always introduces a purpose clause and likewise requires the subjunctive. You’d get affinché la schiena rimanga forte, with no change in meaning.
Why is there no article before stretching?
In Italian the borrowed noun stretching is treated as an uncountable activity, and the standard collocation is fare stretching without any article.
Is stretching really Italian?
It’s an English loanword, but it’s widespread in Italian for flexibility exercises. The more Italian alternatives are allungamenti or esercizi di stretching, but most speakers just say stretching.
Could I use a different verb instead of consigliare?
Yes. For example, raccomandare works the same way: Il medico raccomanda che io faccia stretching (subjunctive) or Il medico mi raccomanda di fare stretching (infinitive).
Why is la schiena singular? Could I say le schiene?
When referring to a body part in general, Italian uses the singular. Le schiene would be used only if you literally meant “the backs” of several people, not in a general health recommendation.