Breakdown of Quando la temperatura sale, tolgo la sciarpa e la metto nella borsa.
io
I
mettere
to put
in
in
la borsa
the bag
e
and
quando
when
la
it
la sciarpa
the scarf
la temperatura
the temperature
salire
to rise
togliere
to take off
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Questions & Answers about Quando la temperatura sale, tolgo la sciarpa e la metto nella borsa.
What tense is used in this sentence and why is it the present indicative instead of the future?
The sentence uses the present indicative (sale, tolgo, metto). In Italian, when you describe a general truth or habitual action (“whenever the temperature rises, I take off the scarf…”), you normally use the present tense in both clauses—even if the events might happen in the future. Using the present makes it sound like a routine.
What does sale mean here, and could I use aumenta instead?
sale is the 3rd person singular present of salire (“to go up, rise”). It conveys a physical increase (temperature going up). You can indeed say aumenta (from aumentare, “to increase”), but sale often feels more vivid for things that “rise” or “climb,” like temperature, prices, water level, etc.
What does tolgo mean here? Is it the same as mi tolgo?
tolgo is the 1st person singular present of togliere, meaning “I remove” or “I take off.”
- tolgo la sciarpa = “I take off the scarf.”
- mi tolgo la sciarpa is the reflexive form (“I take the scarf off myself”). Both are correct; mi tolgo emphasizes that you’re removing something from your own body, but Italians often drop the reflexive pronoun if context is clear.
Why is la used before sciarpa and again in la metto?
- In tolgo la sciarpa, the first la is the definite article (“the scarf”). Italian almost always uses an article with singular countable nouns.
- In la metto, the second la is a direct object pronoun (fem. sing.) replacing la sciarpa. So la metto means “I put it (the scarf).”
How does the direct object pronoun la work in la metto?
Italian direct object pronouns (mi, ti, lo, la, ci, vi, li, le) must precede a finite verb. Here, la (her/it) stands for “the scarf,” so la metto literally means “I put it.” If the verb were an infinitive, you could attach the pronoun (e.g. metterla).
What is nella, and why not write in la?
nella is the contracted form of in + la (preposition + definite article). Italian requires these contractions to be spelled as one word:
- di + il = del
- a + la = alla
- in + la = nella, etc.
How do you pronounce sciarpa, and why is it feminine?
sciarpa is pronounced [ˈʃarpa], where sci sounds like English “sh.” It’s a feminine noun (hence la sciarpa, una sciarpa). Gender is mostly arbitrary and must be memorized; accessories ending in -a are often feminine.
Could we rephrase this sentence using the future tense?
Yes. A more “future-oriented” version is:
Quando la temperatura salirà, toglierò la sciarpa e la metterò nella borsa.
Grammatically correct, but Italians typically prefer the present for habitual or general conditions.
Can we change the word order, for example saying Quando sale la temperatura instead of Quando la temperatura sale?
Absolutely. Both Quando la temperatura sale and Quando sale la temperatura are acceptable. The first is more neutral; the second slightly shifts emphasis onto the action of rising before naming the temperature.