Breakdown of Come principiante trovo difficile correre sul sentiero scivoloso.
io
I
correre
to run
su
on
trovare
to find
difficile
difficult
come
as
scivoloso
slippery
il sentiero
the path
il principiante
the beginner
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Questions & Answers about Come principiante trovo difficile correre sul sentiero scivoloso.
What does Come mean in this context?
In Come principiante, come means as or in the role of. It indicates that you’re speaking as a beginner, not asking a question.
Why is there no article before principiante?
After come when indicating status or role, Italian typically drops the indefinite article. Instead of come un principiante, you say come principiante.
Could principiante be feminine or plural?
Yes. Principiante ends in -e and is invariable in form for masc./fem. singular. To specify gender or number you add the appropriate article or adjective, for example una principiante (fem. sing.), dei principianti (masc. pl.) or delle principianti (fem. pl.).
Why is trovo difficile correre structured like this?
Italian often uses the pattern trovo + adjective + infinitive to express “I find it [adjective] to [do something]”. So trovo difficile correre literally means “I find running difficult.”
Do I need di before correre, like trovo difficile di correre?
No. Some adjectives require di before an infinitive, but difficile in this construction does not. You simply follow it directly with the verb: trovo difficile correre.
Why is correre in the infinitive form?
Because it names the action you’re finding difficult. In Italian, when you use adjective + verb to talk about how you find an action, the action remains in the infinitive.
Why is the preposition su used, and what is sul?
Su means on. When it combines with the definite article il, it contracts to sul. So su il sentiero becomes sul sentiero, meaning on the path.
Why does scivoloso follow sentiero, and why does it end in -o?
Descriptive adjectives in Italian normally follow the noun. Sentiero is masculine singular, so the adjective agrees in gender and number, taking the ending -o: scivoloso.
Could I say È difficile correre sul sentiero scivoloso instead?
Yes. That version is a more impersonal statement—“It is difficult to run on the slippery path.” Using trovo makes it explicitly your personal opinion—“I find it difficult…”.