Breakdown of Registrare i suoni del vento mi aiuta a rilassarmi prima di dormire.
dormire
to sleep
di
of
aiutare
to help
mi
me
il vento
the wind
il suono
the sound
prima
before
a
to
registrare
to record
rilassarsi
to relax oneself
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Questions & Answers about Registrare i suoni del vento mi aiuta a rilassarmi prima di dormire.
Why is Registrare used in the infinitive at the beginning with no article?
In Italian you can use an infinitive as a noun to serve as the subject of a sentence without an article. It corresponds to Recording in English.
How does i suoni del vento break down? Why is vento singular but suoni plural and why del?
i suoni means the sounds (plural of suono). del vento is the contraction of di + il vento, meaning of the wind. vento is singular because “wind” is treated as an uncountable phenomenon, while you talk about the many different sounds it makes.
Why are there two mis in mi aiuta a rilassarmi? Do they mean the same thing?
The first mi is the indirect-object pronoun for aiuta (it helps me). The second mi is the reflexive pronoun attached to rilassarmi (it helps me to relax myself). Both refer to the speaker, but they serve different grammatical functions.
Why do we need a before rilassarmi?
With aiutare + another verb, Italian requires the preposition a before the infinitive. So it’s aiuta a rilassarmi = helps me to relax.
Why is rilassarmi reflexive? What’s the difference between rilassare and rilassarsi?
rilassare (non-reflexive) means to relax someone or something else, whereas rilassarsi (reflexive) is to relax oneself. Since the subject of the infinitive is the same person who benefits, you need the reflexive form rilassarmi.
Why do we say prima di dormire (with di + infinitive) instead of prima a dormire?
After prima di, Italian always uses di + infinitive to express before doing something. You cannot replace di with a in this construction.
Can we replace prima di dormire with prima di andare a dormire? Are both correct?
Yes. prima di dormire is shorter (before sleeping), while prima di andare a dormire is more explicit (before going to sleep). Both are grammatically correct; choice depends on style.
What does the prefix ri- in rilassarmi do?
In rilassare, the prefix ri- is part of the verb and doesn’t necessarily imply repetition here. rilassare simply means to make calm. The ri- is just an element of the verb’s root.