Learn Hardcore Italian: Chiudi bene il coperchio della pentola, altrimenti l’acqua esce. - Close the pot’s lid tightly, otherwise the water will spill.

Chiudi is the second-person singular imperative of chiudere (“to close”). It’s the form you use when directly telling someone tu to do something. Chiudere is the infinitive (“to close”), and chiude is the third-person singular present indicative (“he/she/it closes”).

Why is bene used after chiudi and not buono?

Bene is an adverb that modifies the verb chiudi, meaning “well” or “properly.” Buono is an adjective and would modify a noun, so it can’t describe how you close something.

What does della mean in della pentola? Why not di la pentola?

Della is the contraction of di (“of”) + la (the feminine singular article). Italian prepositions often merge with definite articles:
di + il → del
di + la → della
di + lo → dello
di + i → dei
etc.

Why is there an apostrophe in l’acqua?

This is elision: la (the feminine singular article) + acqua (water) becomes l’acqua before a vowel to make pronunciation smoother.

Why is esce in the present tense even though it’s talking about a future consequence?

Italian frequently uses the present tense to describe future events, especially in conditional or consequence clauses introduced by words like altrimenti. So l’acqua esce here really means “the water will come out.”

What does altrimenti mean, and can I use other words in its place?

Altrimenti means “otherwise.” You can also say sennò or the informal two-word version se no, both meaning the same thing.

Is the comma before altrimenti necessary?

While not strictly required, the comma clarifies the separation between the command clause and its consequence. It matches the pause you’d naturally make in speech.

Why is il coperchio (the lid) preceded by the definite article? Could you say just chiudi bene coperchio?

In Italian, when referring to specific objects (or body parts), you normally include the definite article. Omitting the article sounds unnatural: you need il coperchio.

Why use uscire (to exit) in l’acqua esce? Couldn’t you use scappare or another verb?

Uscire here means “to come out” or “to leak out” and is the standard choice for things escaping from containers. Scappare implies someone or something living is running away, so it wouldn’t work for water.