Breakdown of Quando ascolto la lezione, cerco di prendere appunti con cura.
io
I
con
with
quando
when
ascoltare
to listen
la lezione
the lesson
cercare di
to try
la cura
the care
prendere appunti
to take notes
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Questions & Answers about Quando ascolto la lezione, cerco di prendere appunti con cura.
Why is the indicative used after quando here, instead of the subjunctive?
In Italian, when quando introduces a clause that describes a habitual or real event, you use the indicative mood. The sentence says “When I listen to the lesson, I try to take notes carefully” as a fact. The subjunctive after quando would only appear in very special contexts where the action is hypothetical or depends on another subjunctive trigger, which is not the case here.
What’s the difference between ascoltare and sentire?
Both verbs relate to hearing, but ascoltare means “to listen” in an active, intentional sense—you focus your attention on the sound. Sentire simply means “to hear” (or “to feel” in other contexts), implying that the sound reaches your ears, whether you’re paying attention or not. Here you want to emphasize active listening, so you use ascolto.
Why do we need the preposition di after cerco when it’s followed by an infinitive (cerco di prendere)?
In Italian there are many verbs that require di before another verb in the infinitive—cercare di, decidere di, smettere di, etc. It’s part of the verb’s subcategorization. Without di (cerco prendere) the structure is ungrammatical. Think of it like a fixed pattern: cerco di + infinitive.
Why do we say prendere appunti instead of scrivere appunti or annotare appunti?
Prendere appunti is the standard idiomatic expression for “taking notes.” While scrivere appunti or annotare are understandable and grammatically correct, they sound more formal or less common in everyday speech. Prendere appunti is the collocation you’ll hear most in a classroom context.
Why is appunti in the plural, and why is there no article like degli before it?
You almost always take more than one note, so appunti is used in the plural. As for the missing partitive article, verbs like prendere often drop the article when you speak generally: prendere appunti (to take notes). You could say prendere degli appunti, but it feels slightly heavier and less idiomatic in this routine context.
What is the exact meaning of con cura, and can it be replaced by other expressions?
Con cura means “with care” or “carefully.” It emphasizes that you’re being meticulous. You can replace it with synonyms like con attenzione (with attention), accuratamente (accurately), attentamente (attentively), or scrupolosamente (scrupulously), depending on the nuance you want.
Is it possible to change the word order, for instance placing con cura before the verb or moving quando ascolto la lezione elsewhere in the sentence?
Yes. Italian word order is fairly flexible. For example:
- Cerco con cura di prendere appunti quando ascolto la lezione.
- Con cura cerco di prendere appunti quando ascolto la lezione.
- Quando ascolto la lezione cerco di prendere appunti con cura.
Each version is correct, but small shifts influence what you emphasize—starting with quando highlights the timing, while fronting con cura highlights the carefulness.
Could I use a synonym for prendere, like fare appunti, and would the sentence remain natural?
You might hear faccio appunti, but it’s less standard than prendo appunti. It’s not wrong, but prendere appunti is by far the most natural and widespread choice in both spoken and written Italian.