Breakdown of Ti passo una salvietta per asciugarti le mani.
tu
you
per
for
la mano
the hand
passare
to hand
asciugare
to dry
la salvietta
the napkin
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Questions & Answers about Ti passo una salvietta per asciugarti le mani.
Why is there ti at the beginning of the sentence in Ti passo una salvietta?
Ti is the clitic indirect-object pronoun meaning “to you.” It tells us who receives the towel. Italian places clitic pronouns before the conjugated verb in simple sentences.
Why is there a second ti attached to asciugarti? Aren’t two ti redundant?
They serve different roles. The first ti marks the indirect object of passare (“I pass you…”). The second ti is the enclitic reflexive pronoun of asciugarti, showing that “you” are drying yourself. In Italian, a per + infinitive construction requires enclisis (attaching the pronoun to the infinitive).
Why do we use the reflexive asciugarti instead of the non-reflexive asciugare?
In Italian, when you dry your own hands, you use the reflexive form asciugarsi (“to dry oneself”). The clitic ti attached to asciugare turns it into asciugarti, meaning “to dry yourself.”
Why is there per + infinitive (per asciugarti) rather than a finite clause like che tu ti asciughi le mani?
The per + infinitive construction expresses purpose in a concise way, equivalent to “so that you can dry your hands.” A finite clause (che) would be more formal or emphatic; everyday speech favors per + inf.
Could I drop the enclitic ti and say Ti passo una salvietta per asciugare le mani?
No. Since asciugare here needs to be reflexive, omitting ti would strip the meaning “dry yourself.” You could say Ti passo una salvietta per asciugarti le mani, but not per asciugare le mani without indicating who’s doing the drying.
What’s the difference between salvietta and asciugamano?
A salvietta is a small towel or wipe (think of a hand towel or wet wipe). An asciugamano is a larger towel used for drying the body after a shower or bath.
Why use passare here instead of dare or porgere?
Passare (“to pass”) emphasizes handing something across to someone, often when it’s within easy reach. Dare (“to give”) is more general (“to give you a towel, permanently or temporarily”), while porgere (“to hand over”) is a bit more formal or polite. Here, passare fits casual, everyday speech.