Breakdown of Se ti perdi, segui i piccoli segnali gialli sugli alberi.
su
on
l'albero
the tree
giallo
yellow
piccolo
small
se
if
perdersi
to get lost
seguire
to follow
il segnale
the sign
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Questions & Answers about Se ti perdi, segui i piccoli segnali gialli sugli alberi.
Why is the verb perdersi used reflexively in se ti perdi?
Perdersi is a reflexive verb meaning “to get lost.” The reflexive pronoun ti indicates that you are losing yourself (getting lost), not losing an object.
Could we say Se perdi without ti?
No. Perdere without si means “to lose something.” To express “to get lost,” you must use the reflexive form perdersi, so se ti perdi is correct.
Why is se ti perdi in the present tense and not the past?
Italian uses the present indicative in a real or likely conditional (the first conditional). So se ti perdi corresponds to English “if you get lost.”
What is segui, and how is it formed?
Segui is the informal singular imperative of seguire (to follow). You take the tu form of the present indicative (segui) and drop the pronoun to form the command.
How would you give the same instruction to multiple people or formally to one person?
– Plural (voi) informal: seguite
– Formal (Lei) singular: segua (third-person imperative)
Why sugli alberi instead of sui alberi?
Sugli is the contraction of su + gli. You use gli (not i) before masculine plural nouns beginning with a vowel (like alberi), so su + gli alberi = sugli alberi.
Why are the adjectives piccoli and gialli masculine plural?
They must agree with segnali, which is a masculine plural noun. Hence piccoli segnali gialli.
Why is there a comma after se ti perdi?
When a subordinate se-clause (protasis) comes before the main clause (apodosis), it’s customary to separate them with a comma for clarity.
Can you invert the clauses, and what happens to the comma?
Yes. You can say Segui i piccoli segnali gialli sugli alberi se ti perdi. When the main clause comes first, the comma before the se-clause is usually dropped.
Where does the stress fall in perdi, segui and sugli?
– perdi: per-DI
– segui: SE-gui
– sugli: SU-gli