Breakdown of Io seguo il sentiero in giardino.
io
I
in
in
il giardino
the garden
il sentiero
the path
seguire
to follow
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Questions & Answers about Io seguo il sentiero in giardino.
Why is Io used at the beginning even though Italian often drops subject pronouns?
Italian is a pro-drop language: the verb ending already indicates the subject. Io is optional and used here for emphasis or clarity. You could simply say Seguo il sentiero in giardino and it would have the same meaning.
What does seguo mean here, and how do I pronounce it?
Seguo is the first-person singular present tense of seguire (to follow). Pronounce it like SEH-gwoh, with stress on SEH, a hard g as in the English word go, and uo sounding like wo.
Can seguo have other meanings besides to follow?
Yes. Seguire can also mean:
- to attend (e.g. seguo un corso = I’m taking a course)
- to watch or keep up with (e.g. seguo una serie TV = I follow a TV series)
- to pursue (e.g. seguire una carriera = to pursue a career)
Why is there a definite article il before sentiero? Could I say seguo un sentiero in giardino or omit the article altogether?
In Italian, singular countable nouns generally require an article. Il sentiero means the path. If you want to say a path, you must use un sentiero: (Io) seguo un sentiero in giardino. Omitting the article (e.g. seguo sentiero) is ungrammatical.
Why is it in giardino and not nel giardino? Could I also say sul giardino?
In giardino (no article) expresses being in a general or familiar space (“in the garden”). Nel giardino (in + il) specifies a particular garden (“in the garden”). Sul giardino (su + il) would mean “on the garden,” which doesn’t make sense here because you’re inside it, not on top of it.
What changes if I start with In giardino seguo il sentiero instead of placing the location at the end?
Putting In giardino first shifts the focus to where the action happens: In the garden, I follow the path. The meaning remains the same, but the emphasis is now on in giardino.
Could I say seguo il sentiero del giardino to emphasise that the path belongs to the garden?
Yes. Del giardino (di + il) indicates possession: the garden’s path. Seguo il sentiero del giardino literally means I follow the garden’s path, i.e. the path that belongs to that garden. By contrast, in giardino just tells you where you are walking.