Quando il sipario si apre, tutti smettono di parlare.
When the curtain opens, everyone stops talking.
Breakdown of Quando il sipario si apre, tutti smettono di parlare.
aprire
to open
parlare
to talk
quando
when
tutti
everyone
smettere
to stop
il sipario
the curtain
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Italian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Quando il sipario si apre, tutti smettono di parlare.
Why are both verbs in the present indicative even though the curtain opening may refer to a future event?
In Italian, subordinate time clauses introduced by quando, appena, finché, etc. use the present indicative when referring to future or scheduled events. English says “when the curtain opens” in the future, but Italians still say quando il sipario si apre. It’s a standard rule, and it makes the sentence feel general or habitual rather than tied to a specific future moment.
Why do we say il sipario si apre instead of just il sipario apre?
The verb aprire is normally transitive (it needs an object: “aprire qualcosa”). To express that the curtain opens by itself, you use the pronominal/intransitive form aprirsi. The si is part of the verb here and signals that the action happens to the subject itself. Without si, the verb would require an object and wouldn’t make sense in this context.
Is il sipario si apre an example of the passive voice?
No. A true passive would be il sipario viene aperto (da qualcuno). Here, il sipario si apre is simply the intransitive/pronominal use of aprire. It doesn’t specify an agent, but it’s not a passive construction.
What kind of curtain is il sipario? Can I use it for a window curtain?
Il sipario refers specifically to a theater or stage curtain. For a window you’d say la tenda; for a roller shutter la tapparella, and so on. Sipario is reserved for performances.
Why is there a di before parlare in smettono di parlare?
The verb smettere always takes the preposition di before another infinitive: smettere di fare qualcosa. So you say smettere di fumare, smettere di studiare, smettere di parlare, never smettere a or smettere da in this structure.
What part of speech is tutti, and why is the verb plural?
Tutti is an indefinite pronoun meaning “everyone” or “all (people).” It’s grammatically plural, so it takes a third-person plural verb: smettono. You cannot say tutti smette because number agreement is required.
Can I drop the article il and say Quando sipario si apre?
In everyday Italian, no. You need the definite article: il sipario. You might see article-less headings or headlines for brevity (e.g. Sipario apre stasera), but in normal prose you always include il.
Can I invert the clauses and write Tutti smettono di parlare quando il sipario si apre? Do I still need a comma?
Yes, you can start with the main clause. In that position the comma before the subordinate clause is optional. Most speakers would omit it:
Tutti smettono di parlare quando il sipario si apre.
If you want to emphasize a pause, you can keep the comma, but it’s not required.
Could I use ognuno instead of tutti, as in Quando il sipario si apre, ognuno smette di parlare?
You could, but it changes the nuance. Tutti treats the audience as a collective “everyone,” while ognuno (“each one”) stresses individuals one by one. Also, ognuno is singular, so the verb becomes smette. In this theatrical context, tutti is more natural.