Breakdown of Non buttare via il disegno colorato.
non
not
colorato
colorful
il disegno
the drawing
buttare via
to throw away
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Questions & Answers about Non buttare via il disegno colorato.
How is the negative imperative for tu formed in this sentence?
In Italian, the negative imperative for tu uses non + the infinitive. So instead of saying butta via, you keep the verb in its infinitive form and add non in front: Non buttare via.
What does buttare via mean, and why not just buttare?
Buttare alone means “to throw,” without specifying direction or purpose. Buttare via is a phrasal verb where via (an adverb) adds the sense of “away,” so buttare via means “to throw away” or “to discard.”
What part of speech is via, and why is it placed after buttare?
Via is an adverb meaning “away.” In Italian, adverbs of direction or manner typically follow the verb:
• buttare via = “to throw away.”
You could also say butta via il disegno or even butta il disegno via, though the first is most common.
Why is disegno masculine, and why does colorato agree with it?
Most Italian nouns ending in -o are masculine; disegno (“drawing”) is masculine singular. Adjectives (including past participles used as adjectives) must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Therefore, colorato is also masculine singular.
Why is the adjective colorato placed after the noun instead of before it?
In Italian, descriptive adjectives—and past participles used adjectivally—usually come after the noun. That’s why you say disegno colorato rather than colorato disegno.
How can I replace il disegno colorato with a direct object pronoun?
Use the masculine singular pronoun lo. When you have an infinitive like buttare, you attach the pronoun to the end:
• buttarlo via
In the negative imperative it becomes: Non buttarlo via.
Are there other verbs I could use instead of buttare via to say “throw away”?
Yes. Common alternatives include:
- gettare / gettare via (to throw away)
- scartare (to discard)
- cestinare (to put in the trash bin; slightly more formal)
All convey the idea of disposing of something.