Breakdown of Prendo l’astuccio dal cassetto per scrivere un appunto.
io
I
prendere
to take
da
from
scrivere
to write
per
to
il cassetto
the drawer
l’appunto
the note
l’astuccio
the pencil case
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Questions & Answers about Prendo l’astuccio dal cassetto per scrivere un appunto.
Why is l’astuccio used instead of il astuccio?
In Italian, when a singular masculine noun begins with a vowel, the definite article il contracts to l’. This elision makes pronunciation smoother. So il astuccio becomes l’astuccio.
How do I know that astuccio is masculine?
Most Italian nouns ending in -o are masculine, while those ending in -a are feminine. Since astuccio ends in -o, it’s masculine (il astuccio). Good dictionaries also list the gender of each noun.
What does dal cassetto mean, and why do we use dal here?
Cassetto means “drawer.” Dal is the contraction of da (“from”) + il (“the”). You use dal cassetto to say “from the drawer,” indicating the origin of the action (you’re taking something out of it).
Could I say prendo l’astuccio nel cassetto instead?
No. Nel cassetto (in + il) would mean “in the drawer.” You want to express “from the drawer,” so you need da. Hence dal cassetto, not nel cassetto.
Why is there a per before scrivere, and what does it do?
The preposition per + infinitive expresses purpose (“in order to”). Here per scrivere means “in order to write.” It shows the reason why you take the pencil case.
Why do we say scrivere un appunto instead of scrivere appunti?
Un appunto is a single “note.” If you want to express “to take notes” in general you use the plural without an article (prendere appunti). Here the speaker plans to write one specific note, so they use the singular scrivere un appunto.
Why is the verb prendere used when grabbing an object like a pencil case?
In Italian, prendere means “to take” or “to grab” and is commonly used for physical actions (e.g., prendo l’autobus, prendo il libro). So prendo l’astuccio literally means “I take/grab the pencil case.”
How do I pronounce the double tt in cassetto?
The double consonant tt (called a geminate) is held slightly longer than a single t. You make a brief stop in your tongue position before releasing the t, so it sounds more distinct and lengthened than a single t.