Se il posto vicino a te è vuoto, poggia pure la borsa lì.

If the seat next to you is empty, feel free to set your bag there.

Breakdown of Se il posto vicino a te è vuoto, poggia pure la borsa lì.

• essere: to be
• vicino: near
• la borsa: the bag
• se: if
• vuoto: empty
• te: you
• lì: there
• il posto: the seat
• pure: just
• poggiare: to put

Questions & Answers about Se il posto vicino a te è vuoto, poggia pure la borsa lì.

What does posto mean in this context?

Here posto means a seat or space (for example on a chair, bench or train) next to you. It’s a noun meaning “spot” rather than the English verb “to post.”

Why is it vicino a te rather than vicino te?

In Italian, prepositions like vicino require another preposition (a) before a pronoun. After that you use the tonic (disjunctive) pronoun te. So you must say vicino a te, not vicino te.

Why is è needed before vuoto?

Vuoto is an adjective meaning “empty.” To state that something is empty, you need the verb essere (“to be”). Hence è vuoto means “is empty.” You cannot drop è in a predicate: unlike English, Italian doesn’t allow “the seat empty.”

What is the nuance of using poggia here?

Poggia is the second-person singular imperative of poggiare, which means “to rest” or “to place gently.” It’s a bit softer or more polite than the more general metti (“put”). It suggests placing your bag down carefully.

What does pure add in poggia pure?

Pure here conveys permission or encouragement—“go ahead” or “feel free.” It softens the command. Without pure, poggia la borsa lì is still correct but more direct.

Why is lì used instead of là?

Both lì and là translate as “there,” but lì usually refers to a spot close at hand or just indicated. Là can imply something farther away or more general. Since you’re pointing to the empty spot next to the listener, lì is best.

Why is the article la used in la borsa instead of una borsa?

Using la (“the”) refers to a specific bag that the speaker and listener both know about (your bag). Una borsa (“a bag”) would sound like any random bag, not the one you’re carrying.

Could I say metti la borsa lì instead of poggia pure la borsa lì?

Yes. Metti la borsa lì is grammatically correct and common. Mettere simply means “to put.” The choice between metti and poggia often comes down to register and nuance: poggia implies a gentle placement, and pure adds politeness.