Non versarne troppo, altrimenti il tavolo si bagna.

Don’t pour too much of it, otherwise the table gets wet.

Breakdown of Non versarne troppo, altrimenti il tavolo si bagna.

• il tavolo: the table
• non: not
• altrimenti: otherwise
• versare: to pour
• troppo: too
• ne: of it
• bagnarsi: to get wet

Questions & Answers about Non versarne troppo, altrimenti il tavolo si bagna.

Why is versarne in the infinitive form instead of the tu-imperative versa?

In Italian, negative commands addressed to tu are formed with non + infinitive, not with the imperative form.

• Affirmative “pour some (of it)” would be versane troppo (or simply versa)
• Negative “don’t pour too much of it” is non versare troppo
  When you attach the pronoun ne, it sticks to the end of that infinitive: non versarne troppo.

What is ne doing in this sentence, and what does it refer to?

Ne is a partitive pronoun meaning “of it” or “some (of it)”. It replaces di + noun (e.g. dell’acqua or della bevanda). In versarne, ne tells us you’re pouring some of that rather than naming the liquid again.

Why is troppo placed after versarne, and what role does it play?

Troppo is an adverb meaning “too much”. It modifies the verb phrase versarne: you’re warning “do not pour too much.” In Italian, adverbs generally follow the verb they modify, hence versarne troppo. If you dropped the pronoun ne, you’d simply say non versare troppo.

Why is there no subject pronoun before versarne in the first clause?

Imperative sentences in Italian usually omit the subject pronoun because the verb form (here, the infinitive after non) already makes clear that you’re talking to you (tu). Adding tu would be redundant and is rarely done in everyday speech.

What role does si have in il tavolo si bagna, and is this a passive form?

Here si is the reflexive/middle-voice marker of bagnare (“to wet”), turning it into bagnarsi (“to get wet”). Thus il tavolo si bagna literally means “the table gets wet.” This construction is often called a “si passivante” or reflexive passive, but it’s not the grammatical passive voice – it’s a reflexive form showing the table experiences the action.

Why is bagna in the present indicative, and could another tense or mood be used?

Bagna is third person singular present indicative, stating a general, factual consequence: “otherwise the table gets wet.” You could make the consequence more explicitly future-oriented by saying il tavolo si bagnerà, but using the present is very common in these “if not… then…” patterns.

What is the function of altrimenti, and can it be replaced by another expression?

Altrimenti means “otherwise” or “if not.” It introduces the negative consequence of ignoring the warning. You can replace it with the colloquial sennò:
• Non versarne troppo, sennò il tavolo si bagna.
Or even with o (more casual):
• Non versarne troppo, o il tavolo si bagna.