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La segretaria chiede di firmare il foglio e di inoltrarlo subito all’ufficio principale.

La segretaria chiede di firmare il foglio e di inoltrarlo subito all’ufficio principale.
The secretary asks to sign the sheet and forward it immediately to the main office.
FromLesson 41inHardcore Italian

Questions & Answers about La segretaria chiede di firmare il foglio e di inoltrarlo subito all’ufficio principale.

What does chiede di mean, and why is di used here?
chiede di comes from the verb chiedere (to ask/request) followed by di plus an infinitive. It means “(she) asks to…” or “(she) requests someone to….” The preposition di is required after chiedere when you introduce an action in the infinitive rather than a subordinate clause with che.
Why are there two di in chiede di firmare il foglio e di inoltrarlo? Could I drop the second one?

The first di belongs to chiede, the second marks the parallel infinitive inoltrarlo. You can technically say chiede di firmare il foglio e inoltrarlo, but repeating di:

  • Improves clarity, especially when a pronoun is attached
  • Is stylistically smoother in formal/written Italian
Why is the pronoun lo attached to inoltrarlo? Could I write it separately?
In Italian, object pronouns attach (enclisis) to affirmative infinitives. So inoltrarlo = inoltrare + lo. You cannot separate them in this structure; lo inoltrare would be ungrammatical.
What role does subito play, and could I move it elsewhere in the sentence?

subito is an adverb meaning “immediately.” It modifies the action inoltrarlo. You could also say:

  • e inoltrarlo all’ufficio principale subito, though less common
  • subito inoltrarlo all’ufficio principale, but this placement feels more emphatic on subito
Why is it all’ufficio principale instead of a l’ufficio principale, and what does the apostrophe indicate?
all’ufficio is a contraction of a + il ufficio. The apostrophe replaces the i in il, making a + il → all’. Principale is an adjective (“main”) placed after the noun ufficio.
Why are the verbs in the infinitive (firmare, inoltrarlo) instead of using a subjunctive or imperative form?
Could I say La segretaria vuole firmare il foglio e inoltrarlo with the same meaning?

No. vuole firmare means “wants to sign” (the secretary herself), not “asks someone else to sign.” To keep the request meaning, use:

How would this sentence change in a more direct command form?

You’d drop chiede di and switch to the imperative:
Firma il foglio e inoltralo subito all’ufficio principale.

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