Breakdown of Trovo un foglietto con un piccolo appunto sul comodino.
io
I
su
on
trovare
to find
con
with
l'appunto
the note
il comodino
the bedside table
piccolo
little
il foglietto
the slip of paper
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Questions & Answers about Trovo un foglietto con un piccolo appunto sul comodino.
What does foglietto mean and what does the -etto suffix do?
Foglietto is the diminutive of foglio (sheet of paper). The suffix -etto indicates smallness or endearment, so foglietto literally means “small sheet” or “scrap of paper.”
Why are both foglietto and appunto used? Don’t they both mean “note”?
They refer to different things: foglietto is the physical piece of paper, while appunto is the content written on it (the “note” or remark). Together, they clarify “a little piece of paper with a small note.”
What exactly does appunto mean here, and how is it different from nota?
Appunto means a brief note or memo, often something jotted down quickly. Nota can also mean “note,” but it’s a bit more general (e.g. a musical note, a formal note). Appunto emphasizes a quick, informal reminder or comment.
Why is con used in con un piccolo appunto instead of another preposition?
Here con simply means “with.” It links the object (un foglietto) to what it carries or contains (un piccolo appunto). It’s the most natural way in Italian to say “a small piece of paper with a small note.”
Could I say che contiene un piccolo appunto instead of con un piccolo appunto?
Yes. Che contiene un piccolo appunto (“that contains a small note”) is perfectly grammatical, but con is more concise and idiomatic for describing what something has on it.
How is sul formed, and what does sul comodino mean?
Sul is the contraction of su (on) + il (the). Comodino is “nightstand.” So sul comodino means “on the nightstand.”
Why is the indefinite article un used before foglietto instead of a definite article?
The speaker is introducing a new, unspecified object (“a little piece of paper”), so the indefinite article un is used. A definite article (il foglietto) would imply the listener already knows which sheet you’re referring to.
Why is trovo in the present tense? Could it be past?
Italian often uses the present tense (the “historical present”) to describe recent events vividly. You could also say Ho trovato un foglietto… (passato prossimo) to mean “I found a little piece of paper,” which is equally correct but shifts the narration slightly into the past.
Why is piccolo placed before appunto rather than after it?
Size adjectives like piccolo frequently come before the noun to stress smallness or endearment. Putting it after (appunto piccolo) is still grammatically okay but less common and may change the nuance or emphasis.