Non dimenticarti di scrivermi appena arrivi.

Don’t forget to write to me as soon as you arrive.

Breakdown of Non dimenticarti di scrivermi appena arrivi.

• di: of
• non: not
• mi: me
• arrivare: to arrive
• scrivere: to write
• ti: you
• appena: as soon as
• dimenticarsi: to forget

Questions & Answers about Non dimenticarti di scrivermi appena arrivi.

What’s the difference between dimenticare and dimenticarsi, and why does the sentence use dimenticarti?

Dimenticare is a transitive verb (“to forget something”): you can say Ho dimenticato le chiavi (“I forgot the keys”).
Dimenticarsi is a pronominal (reflexive) or intransitive form used when you “forget to do something.” It always takes di + infinitive afterward. In the 2nd person singular informal negative command, Italian uses non + infinitive, so:

• Non dimenticare (di…)
• Non dimenticarti (di…)
  The -ti is the reflexive pronoun “yourself,” attached to the infinitive dimenticare because it’s a negative imperative.

Why is there a di before scrivermi? Could I say dimenticarti scrivermi?

Verbs like dimenticarsi, accorgersi, ricordarsi require di when introducing another verb in the infinitive. The pattern is:

• dimenticarsi di
  • infinitive
    So you must say Non dimenticarti di scrivermi, not dimenticarti scrivermi, otherwise it’s ungrammatical.

Why is the pronoun mi attached to scrivere (as scrivermi) instead of placed before the verb?

Because the governing verb here is in the infinitive (“di scrivere”), clitic pronouns (mi, ti, lo, ecc.) attach to the end of the infinitive: scrivere → scrivermi. In Italian:

• after an infinitive or with non-imperative forms you attach clitics (scrivermi, leggerlo, ecc.).
• with finite verbs (io ti chiamo, lui mi aspetta) the clitic precedes.

Why does the clause appena arrivi use the present tense for something that happens in the future? Can I use the future tense instead?

In Italian temporal clauses introduced by appena (“as soon as”), you normally use the present indicative to refer to future events. So appena arrivi = “as soon as you arrive.” You do not use the future (appena arriverai) in standard Italian.

What is the role of appena here? Do I need che after it? Could I say non appena?

Appena is a subordinating conjunction meaning “as soon as.” You don’t add che after it in modern usage (though older/written styles sometimes had appena che). You could replace it with non appena without changing the meaning:

• Non dimenticarti di scrivermi non appena arrivi.

Can I switch the word order and say Appena arrivi, non dimenticarti di scrivermi? Is that correct?

Yes. Italian allows you to front the temporal clause:

• Appena arrivi, non dimenticarti di scrivermi.
  Both orders are natural; fronting appena arrivi can add emphasis to the timing.

Should the dependent clause after appena ever use the subjunctive mood?

Generally no. With conjunctions like appena, quando, non appena you use the present indicative for future time. The subjunctive appears with prima che (“before”), not with appena. So stick with appena arrivi, not appena tu arrivi (subj.).