Io tolgo la sciarpa prima di entrare in casa.

I take off the scarf before entering the house.

Breakdown of Io tolgo la sciarpa prima di entrare in casa.

• io: I
• entrare: to enter
• in: in
• la casa: the house

Questions & Answers about Io tolgo la sciarpa prima di entrare in casa.

Why is the subject pronoun io included? Is it necessary?

Italian is a pro-drop language, so the verb ending -o already tells you the subject is “I.” You can—and most often do—omit io unless you want to add emphasis:
– Neutral: Tolgo la sciarpa prima di entrare in casa.
– Emphatic: Io tolgo la sciarpa prima di entrare in casa.

What exactly does tolgo mean?

Tolgo is the 1st person singular present tense of togliere, meaning “to remove” or “to take off.” So tolgo la sciarpa literally means “I remove the scarf,” i.e. “I take off my scarf.”

Why isn’t it reflexive (mi tolgo la sciarpa) here?

You can use togliere transitively (tolgo la sciarpa) or reflexively (mi tolgo la sciarpa). The reflexive mi tolgo highlights that you remove it from your own body. Both are correct; Italians often prefer the reflexive with clothing, but the simple transitive is perfectly acceptable.

Why is the article la used before sciarpa? In English we say “my scarf,” not “the scarf.”