Learn Hardcore Italian: Gli passerai un gomitolo di lana per legare la tela al cavalletto. - You will hand him a ball of yarn to tie the canvas to the easel.

Gli is the 3rd-person singular indirect object pronoun, meaning to him. In Italian, indirect object pronouns precede a conjugated verb, so you say gli passerai (“you will hand him…”).

What tense and person is passerai, and why use the future instead of an imperative?

Passerai is the 2nd-person singular simple future of passare (“to pass/give”). The future tense here describes a planned action or instruction (“you will hand him”), whereas an imperative would be a direct command instead of a statement of intent.

What does gomitolo di lana mean?

A gomitolo di lana is a “ball” or “skein of wool.” Gomitolo comes from gomito (“elbow”) because yarn is often wound into rolls roughly that size.

Why is per legare followed by the infinitive legare? What does per indicate?

Per plus an infinitive expresses purpose or intention. Per legare means “in order to tie,” so per legare la tela al cavalletto is “to tie the canvas to the easel.”

What does tela refer to here? Can it mean something else?

Here tela means “canvas,” the fabric used by painters. More broadly, tela can mean “cloth” or “fabric,” for example sails or tents.

What is a cavalletto?

A cavalletto is an “easel,” the stand that holds a painter’s canvas. You might also hear cavalletto da pittore (“painter’s easel”).

If I replace la tela with a pronoun, where does it go?

You attach the direct object pronoun to the infinitive: per legarla al cavalletto would mean “to tie it (the canvas) to the easel.”

How do I express “Hand him a ball of wool to tie the canvas to the easel” as a command?

Use the 2nd-person singular imperative of passare with the pronoun attached: passagli un gomitolo di lana per legare la tela al cavalletto.