Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Italian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Accetto le tue scuse, però la prossima volta avvisami prima.
Why is scuse plural in le tue scuse, and how is it different from una scusa?
In Italian, scuse (plural) means “apologies.” When you apologize, you offer your “apologies” rather than a single “excuse.” By contrast, una scusa (singular) usually refers to “an excuse” in the sense of a reason or pretext. So:
- Le tue scuse = “your apologies”
- Una scusa = “an excuse/pretext”
How do Italian possessive adjectives work here, and why do we say le tue scuse instead of something like i tuoi scuse?
Italian possessive adjectives agree in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) with the noun they modify. Here, scuse is feminine plural, so “your” becomes tue, and you include the definite article le:
- scuse (feminine, plural) → le tue scuse
If it were a masculine singular noun, you’d use il tuo.
What’s the difference between però and ma, both meaning “but”?
Both ma and però translate as “but,” but there’s a slight nuance:
- Ma is the most neutral, common conjunction in both speech and writing.
- Però adds a touch of emphasis or contrast, often closer to “however” or “though.” It’s very common in spoken Italian to soften or highlight the turn in thought. In many contexts they’re interchangeable.
How is avvisami formed? It looks like a verb plus a pronoun—in English we’d say “let me know.”
Avvisami comes from the verb avvisare (“to notify/advise”) in the tu-imperative plus the direct object pronoun mi (“me”):
- Imperative for tu: avvisa (from avvisare)
- Attach the pronoun mi to the end: avvisami
This is standard for affirmative imperatives with object pronouns in Italian.
Why is prima placed at the end of the sentence, and what exactly does it mean here?
Prima means “before” or “earlier.” Placing it at the end (“avvisami prima”) emphasizes “let me know beforehand.” You could also say prima avvisami, but putting prima after the verb is more natural for spoken Italian.
Why is there a definite article la before prossima volta? In English we say “next time” without “the.”
In Italian set phrases like “the next time” require the definite article. So la prossima volta literally is “the next time,” even though in English we often drop “the.” Omitting la (“prossima volta”) sounds truncated or poetic, so the standard form uses la.
Could I use fammi sapere instead of avvisami? What’s the nuance?
Yes, fammi sapere (“make me know” → “let me know”) is a common alternative. Nuance:
- Avvisami focuses on “give me a heads-up” or “notify me,” often about a plan or schedule.
- Fammi sapere is more general “tell me” or “keep me posted” about any information. In many contexts they overlap, but avvisami hints at needing an alert or warning before something happens.