Breakdown of Spesso si parla con il cassiere mentre si aspetta il resto.
con
with
parlare
to talk
mentre
while
aspettare
to wait
spesso
often
si
one
il cassiere
the cashier
il resto
the change
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Questions & Answers about Spesso si parla con il cassiere mentre si aspetta il resto.
What function does the impersonal si serve in si parla and si aspetta?
The si in both si parla and si aspetta is the impersonal or “passive” si. It means “people” or “one” without specifying who:
- Si parla con il cassiere → “People talk to the cashier.”
- Mentre si aspetta il resto → “While one waits for the change.”
Is si parla con il cassiere a passive construction or an impersonal one?
It’s both! In Italian grammar it’s often called si passivante (passive si) but functions like the impersonal si. You’re not focusing on who does the talking, only that talking happens.
Why are both verbs in the third-person singular?
Because the impersonal si always takes third-person singular. You never say “si parliamo” or “si aspettiamo” – it’s always parla and aspetta.
Could I rephrase the sentence in the first person instead of using impersonal si?
Yes. If you want to say “I often talk to the cashier while I wait for the change,” you’d write:
Spesso parlo con il cassiere mentre aspetto il resto.
Why is spesso placed at the beginning of the sentence?
As an adverb of frequency, spesso can appear before the verb to modify the whole action. You could also say Si parla spesso…, but putting it first is very common and natural.
Can I use durante instead of mentre here?
Not directly. Mentre is followed by a verb (a clause). Durante is a preposition and needs a noun. You could say:
- Durante l’attesa del resto (using the noun attesa),
but you can’t say durante si aspetta.
Why do we use the definite article in il resto?
In Italian, when you talk about a specific object in a general or habitual statement, you normally include the article. Here il resto refers to “the change” you always get back – it’s specific, so it takes il.
What gender is cassiere, and does it change?
Cassiere is masculine. For a female cashier you’d say cassiera. The article and adjective (if any) would also become feminine: la cassiera.
Can I drop the second si in mentre si aspetta if I keep the impersonal sense?
No. If you drop si, you’d be moving to a personal subject:
- Without si: mentre aspetto → “while I wait.”
- With si: mentre si aspetta → “while one waits.”
To maintain the impersonal meaning, you need that si.