Le dispiace, signora, se apro la finestra? Fa caldo.

Ma’am, do you mind if I open the window? It’s hot.

Breakdown of Le dispiace, signora, se apro la finestra? Fa caldo.

• io: I
• la finestra: the window
• aprire: to open
• se: if
• fare caldo: to be hot
• la signora: the lady
• le: to you
• dispiacere: to mind

Questions & Answers about Le dispiace, signora, se apro la finestra? Fa caldo.

What does the bold pronoun in Le dispiace mean, and why is it sometimes capitalized?

Le is the formal indirect object pronoun meaning “to you” (addressing someone as Lei). So Le dispiace literally means “Is it displeasing to you…?” i.e., “Do you mind…?” The capital L is a courtesy capitalization; in modern writing you can also write it lowercase (le). Don’t confuse it with le = “the” (feminine plural article) or le = “to her”; context clarifies it here.

Why is dispiace in the third person singular?

Because dispiacere works like “to be displeasing.” The grammatical subject is the thing that might bother someone (understood as “it”), so Italian uses third person singular: (A Lei) dispiace se… = “Does it bother you if…?”

Could I make it even more tentative/polite with the conditional?

Yes: Le dispiacerebbe se aprissi la finestra? = “Would you mind if I opened the window?” Here you pair the conditional (dispiacerebbe) with the imperfect subjunctive (aprissi) for extra politeness/hypothesis. Another very polite option: Le darebbe fastidio se aprissi la finestra?

Why is it se apro and not a subjunctive like se apra?

With a real, immediate condition you use se + present indicative: se apro. If you switch to a more hypothetical structure with a conditional in the main clause, you use se + imperfect subjunctive: Le dispiacerebbe se aprissi la finestra? You can also say: Le dispiace che apra la finestra? (with che + subjunctive), but with se the indicative is the norm for the real present situation.

Why is it la finestra? Can I drop the article or replace the noun with a pronoun?

Italian normally requires the definite article: la finestra (“the window”). You can replace it with a direct object pronoun: Le dispiace se l’apro? (= “if I open it?”). Before a vowel, la is usually elided to l’: better l’apro than la apro.

Is the comma placement around signora correct? Can I move it?

Yes. Signora is a vocative and should be set off by commas: Le dispiace, signora, se… You can also put it at the start or end: Signora, Le dispiace se… / Le dispiace se…, signora? All are fine.

How does Le dispiace se apro la finestra? compare to alternatives like Posso/Potrei aprire la finestra?

• Le dispiace se…? = “Do you mind if…?” Very polite and deferential.
• Posso aprire la finestra? = “May/Can I open the window?” Direct request for permission.
• Potrei aprire la finestra? = “Could I open the window?” Softer/more tentative than “posso.”
• Very polite imperative from the other side: Apra pure la finestra.

Why is it Fa caldo and not È caldo or Ho caldo?

• Weather/ambient temperature: Fa caldo/freddo (“It’s hot/cold.”).
• An object’s temperature: Il caffè è caldo (“The coffee is hot.”).
• A person’s sensation: Ho caldo/freddo (“I feel hot/cold.”). Avoid Sono caldo for “I’m hot” about yourself—it tends to mean “I’m horny” or “I’m warm to the touch.”

How would this change for informal or plural address?

• Informal singular: Ti dispiace se apro la finestra?
• Plural (talking to several people): Vi dispiace se apro la finestra?
• Formal to a man: Le dispiace, signore, se apro la finestra?
• With a surname: Signora Rossi; with a surname for a man, use Signor (not “Signore”): Signor Bianchi.

Why not say Si dispiace se apro la finestra?

Because the construction for “mind” is with the verb dispiacere plus an indirect object: Le dispiace…? not a reflexive form. Si dispiace would mean “he/she is sorry” in a different (and uncommon here) reflexive sense, and it’s not how you ask “Do you mind…?”

Is Le spiace acceptable instead of Le dispiace?

Yes. Le spiace se apro la finestra? is a slightly shorter, equally polite variant you’ll hear in careful speech and writing.

Can I put the if-clause first, or ask the person to do the action?

Yes. Word order: Se apro la finestra, Le dispiace? is fine (though Le dispiace se… is more idiomatic). If you want the other person to do it: Le dispiace aprire la finestra? = “Do you mind opening the window (yourself)?”

How do people typically answer this politely?

To grant permission: No, affatto. Prego. / No, anzi, grazie. / Prego, apra pure.
To refuse politely: Sì, preferirei di no. / Mi scusi, preferisco di no.