Breakdown of Apro il pacco con un coltellino tascabile.
io
I
con
with
aprire
to open
il pacco
the package
il coltellino tascabile
the pocket knife
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Questions & Answers about Apro il pacco con un coltellino tascabile.
What is the verb in Apro il pacco con un coltellino tascabile, and how is it formed?
The verb is apro, the first-person singular present indicative of aprire (to open). Italian drops the subject pronoun when it’s obvious from the ending, so io (I) is implied. Aprire is a regular ‑ire verb without the ‑isc- infix:
io apro, tu apri, lui/lei apre, noi apriamo, voi aprite, loro aprono.
Why is it il pacco and not la pacco?
Pacco is a masculine noun, so it takes the masculine singular definite article il. In Italian, most nouns ending in ‑o are masculine, and those ending in ‑a are feminine.
Could you use a different word than pacco for a smaller package?
Yes. Pacchetto is the diminutive form of pacco (adding the suffix ‑etto) and means “small package.” You could say apro il pacchetto if you want to emphasize it’s smaller.
Why does coltellino end with ‑ino, and how does it differ from coltello?
The suffix -ino is a diminutive, so coltellino literally means “little knife.” Coltello is a generic knife; coltellino usually refers to a small or pocket knife.
What is tascabile?
Tascabile is an adjective derived from tasca (pocket). It means “pocket-sized” or “pocketable.” As a singular adjective ending in ‑e, it works for both masculine and feminine nouns.
Why is the adjective tascabile placed after coltellino?
In Italian, descriptive adjectives typically follow the noun: coltellino tascabile. Only certain common adjectives (like bello, grande) often precede the noun; most come after.
What is the function of con in this sentence?
Con means “with” and introduces the instrument used to open the package: “I open the parcel with a pocket knife.”
Could you rephrase the sentence using another construction?
Yes. You can use the gerund: Apro il pacco usando un coltellino tascabile (“I open the package using a pocket knife”), but con is more concise for expressing the instrument.
Why is the subject pronoun omitted in Apro il pacco?
Italian verb endings indicate person and number, so the subject pronoun (io) is optional unless you want to add emphasis.
Is aprire a regular verb?
Yes. Aprire is a regular third-conjugation (-ire) verb without the irregular ‑isc- infix. Its present tense goes: apro, apri, apre, apriamo, aprite, aprono.