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Breakdown of Riesco a camminare lentamente fino al fiume.
io
I
camminare
to walk
lentamente
slowly
il fiume
the river
fino a
to
riuscire a
to manage to
Questions & Answers about Riesco a camminare lentamente fino al fiume.
What does riesco a mean in this sentence?
Riesco is the first-person singular of the verb riuscire (“to succeed,” “to manage”). When you pair it with a + an infinitive, it means “I manage to…” or “I’m able to…”
Why is a used after riesco instead of di?
The verb riuscire always takes a before another verb in its infinitive form. It’s a fixed construction: riuscire a + [infinitive]. You do not say riuscire di + infinitive.
Why is camminare in the infinitive here instead of a conjugated form?
Because with riuscire a the action you “manage” remains in the infinitive. You need riesco a camminare, not riesco cammino.
What’s the difference between lentamente and piano?
Both mean “slowly,” but lentamente is more formal and literary (from Latin), while piano is colloquial and can also mean “softly” (e.g., in music or sound).
What does fino al mean and why is it written that way?
Fino a means “up to” or “as far as.” When a meets the masculine singular article il, they contract to al:
fino a + il fiume → fino al fiume (“up to the river’s edge”).
Could I use verso il fiume instead of fino al fiume?
Not exactly. Verso il fiume means “toward the river” (in the general direction), while fino al fiume implies you actually reach the river.
Can I place lentamente in a different position?
Yes. You could say Riesco a camminare fino al fiume lentamente, but Italian prefers manner adverbs right after the verb they modify: camminare lentamente.
Are there other ways to express this ability instead of riesco a?
Certainly. You can use posso (“I can”):
Posso camminare lentamente fino al fiume.
Or sono in grado di (“I’m able to”):
Sono in grado di camminare lentamente fino al fiume.
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