Learn Hardcore Italian: Ogni lunedì passo l’aspirapolvere nel soggiorno.

• ogni means every and is always followed by a singular noun without an article.
• You never combine ogni with il, lo, la, etc.
• Correct: ogni lunedì (“every Monday”), not il ogni lunedì.

What does passare l’aspirapolvere literally mean, and why is it used instead of aspirare la polvere?

• passare = “to pass/run”
• l’aspirapolvere = “the vacuum cleaner”
• Together: “to run the vacuum cleaner,” i.e. to vacuum.
• aspirare la polvere (“to suck up the dust”) is understandable but not the idiomatic way to say “vacuum” in Italian—use the set phrase passare l’aspirapolvere.

Why is it l’aspirapolvere with an apostrophe instead of lo aspirapolvere?

• In Italian, lo (the masculine article before s+consonant, z, or a vowel) contracts to l’ before a vowel.
• lo + aspirapolvere → l’aspirapolvere.

Why is it nel soggiorno instead of in il soggiorno?

• The preposition in + the definite article il regularly contracts to nel.
• So in il soggiorno becomes nel soggiorno.

What’s the difference between soggiorno and salotto?

• Both can mean “living room.”
• soggiorno is more general or formal, often implying a room for family gatherings or even dining.
• salotto traditionally refers to a more formal sitting room or parlor.
• In everyday speech the two often overlap, and regional usage varies.

Why is the subject pronoun io omitted before passo?

• Italian verbs carry person and number in their endings.
• passo ends in -o, indicating first-person singular (“I”).
• Adding io (“I”) is redundant unless you want extra emphasis.

Why is the simple present tense used to talk about a routine here?

• In Italian, the simple present (il presente) covers both actions happening now and repeated/habitual actions.
• passo l’aspirapolvere ogni lunedì naturally means “I vacuum every Monday.”