Breakdown of Riempio l’annaffiatoio con acqua fresca per le piante.
io
I
con
with
per
for
fresco
fresh
riempire
to fill
la pianta
the plant
l’acqua
the water
l’annaffiatoio
the watering can
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Questions & Answers about Riempio l’annaffiatoio con acqua fresca per le piante.
Why is riempio used instead of riempire?
Riempio is the first-person singular of the verb riempire in the present indicative. In other words, riempio means “I fill,” while riempire is the infinitive form “to fill.”
What does l’annaffiatoio mean, and why is there an apostrophe?
Annaffiatoio is a masculine noun meaning “watering can.” The apostrophe shows the elision of the article il before a vowel-starting word:
il annaffiatoio → l’annaffiatoio.
Why is con used here, and can we use di instead?
When you say “fill something with something,” Italian normally uses riempire qualcosa con qualcosa. Example: riempio l’annaffiatoio con acqua fresca.
You can also express the same idea with the partitive di, contracting it to d’: riempio l’annaffiatoio d’acqua fresca (d’ = di + acqua). Both are correct; con is simply very clear.
Why isn’t there an article before acqua fresca?
When referring to an uncountable substance in a general sense (“fresh water”), Italian often omits the article: con acqua fresca = “with fresh water.” If you said con l’acqua fresca, you’d be pointing to a specific water you already mentioned.
Why does the adjective fresca come after acqua?
Qualitative adjectives in Italian typically follow the noun: acqua fresca. Placing fresca before acqua would be unusual in neutral speech—often reserved for poetic effect or emphasis.
What does per le piante express, and is it necessary?
Per le piante indicates purpose or beneficiary: “for the plants.” It explains why you’re filling the can. You can drop it if context makes it obvious, but per is the standard preposition to show “for” in this kind of purpose clause.