Breakdown of Metto la busta nella cassetta delle lettere.
io
I
mettere
to put
in
in
la busta
the envelope
la cassetta delle lettere
the mailbox
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Italian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Metto la busta nella cassetta delle lettere.
What does Metto mean, and why isn’t mettere used here?
Metto is the first-person singular present tense of the verb mettere. It literally means I put. In Italian, verbs change form to show who is doing the action. Mettere is the infinitive (to put), while Metto is the conjugated form for I.
Why is there la before busta?
Italian requires an article before most singular nouns. La is the feminine singular definite article used with nouns ending in -a, like busta, giving the envelope. If you wanted to say an envelope, you would use una busta instead.
Why is it nella cassetta instead of in la cassetta?
Nella is a contraction of the preposition in plus the feminine singular article la. In Italian, prepositions often combine with definite articles:
- in + il = nel
- in + lo = nello
- in + la = nella
What does delle mean in cassetta delle lettere?
Delle is the combination of di plus the feminine plural article le, meaning of the. So cassetta delle lettere literally translates to box of the letters, which we call mailbox in English.
Why is lettere plural in cassetta delle lettere?
Because a mailbox holds multiple letters, the noun is naturally plural. The fixed expression cassetta delle lettere always uses lettere in the plural form.
Why is the subject pronoun io (I) not used in the sentence?
Italian often drops subject pronouns when the verb ending already tells you who performs the action. Metto clearly indicates the first-person singular, so io is unnecessary and usually omitted.
Could I use dentro instead of nella here?
Yes. You could say Metto la busta dentro la cassetta delle lettere, meaning I put the envelope inside the mailbox. However, using nella (in + la) is more concise and idiomatic.
Are there other ways to say mailbox in Italian?
Absolutely. Common alternatives include:
• cassetta postale – literally postal box
• buchetta delle lettere – colloquial for the little slot in a door
• casella postale – a post office box (PO box)