Portamelo domani a scuola se oggi non puoi.

Bring it to me at school tomorrow if you can’t today.

Breakdown of Portamelo domani a scuola se oggi non puoi.

• tu: you
• oggi: today
• non: not
• domani: tomorrow

Questions & Answers about Portamelo domani a scuola se oggi non puoi.

Why is portamelo written as one word, and how is it formed?

Portamelo comes from the verb portare in the 2nd person singular imperative (porta), plus the pronouns mi (indirect object “to me”) and lo (direct object “it”). In affirmative imperatives, unstressed pronouns attach to the verb in the order indirect + direct, giving porta + mi + lo = portamelo (“bring it to me”).

Why aren’t the subject pronouns (tu) shown before porta and puoi?

Italian verb endings already mark the person. Porta and puoi are unambiguously tu (you) forms, so you drop tu to keep sentences concise.

Why does mi come before lo? Could it be lo mi?

When combining two unstressed object pronouns, the indirect pronoun (mi, ti, ci, vi, gli/le) always precedes the direct pronoun (lo, la, li, le). You never say lo mi—the correct sequence is mi + lo = melo.

How come pronouns attach to an affirmative imperative but often precede a negative command?

By rule, unpaid pronouns (enclitics) attach to affirmative imperatives, infinitives, and gerunds. For negative tu commands, prescriptive grammar places pronouns before the verb:
• “Non me lo dire” (don’t tell me it).
Colloquially many say non dirmelo, but the standard form is non me lo dire.