Breakdown of Il gatto si nasconde fra le sedie.
Questions & Answers about Il gatto si nasconde fra le sedie.
In simple tenses (like the present indicative nasconde), reflexive pronouns stand before the conjugated verb:
• Il gatto si nasconde.
They only attach to the end in non-finite forms:
• Nascondersi (infinitive)
• Nascondendosi (gerund)
No, because nascondersi is inherently reflexive in this context. Omitting si would leave you with nascondere (to hide something), changing the meaning:
• Nasconde il topo = “He hides the mouse.”
• Si nasconde = “He hides himself.”
There is no difference in meaning—fra and tra are fully interchangeable prepositions for “between” or “among.” You can say either:
• Il gatto si nasconde fra le sedie
• Il gatto si nasconde tra le sedie
You would use the singular feminine article and noun:
• Il gatto si nasconde fra la sedia.
• Il – definite article, masculine singular
• gatto – noun, masculine singular
• si – reflexive pronoun
• nasconde – verb (3rd sg. present of nascondersi)
• fra – preposition (“between/among”)
• le – definite article, feminine plural
• sedie – noun, feminine plural
It’s a single syllable [fra].
• f as in English “fun”
• r rolled or tapped (Italian alveolar)
• a like the “a” in “father”