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Spengo il bollitore quando l’acqua bolle.

Spengo il bollitore quando l’acqua bolle.
I turn off the kettle when the water boils.
FromLesson 57inHardcore Italian

Breakdown of Spengo il bollitore quando l’acqua bolle.

io
I
l'acqua
the water
quando
when
spegnere
to turn off
bollire
to boil
il bollitore
the kettle

Questions & Answers about Spengo il bollitore quando l’acqua bolle.

Why is it spelled “spengo” and not “spegno”?
The standard first-person singular of spegnere is spengo. You will hear or see spegno, but it’s considered nonstandard. Stick to spengo in correct Italian.
How do you conjugate “spegnere” in key forms?
Why is it “l’acqua” and not just “acqua”?
Italian typically uses the definite article with mass nouns in general statements. So you say l’acqua bolle, not “acqua bolle.” The apostrophe in l’acqua is the elision of la before a vowel.
What tense choice does “quando” require here?

Using the present in both clauses (Spengo… quando l’acqua bolle) expresses a habitual/general action. For a specific future event, Italian prefers the future in the “quando” clause:

  • Quando l’acqua bollirà, spegnerò il bollitore.
Could I use “appena” instead of “quando”?

Yes. Appena means “as soon as” and emphasizes immediacy:

  • Spengo il bollitore appena l’acqua bolle.
Why not use “mentre”?

Mentre means “while/during,” focusing on simultaneity, not a trigger point. You’d use quando (or appena) to mark the moment you act:

  • Natural: Spengo… quando l’acqua bolle.
  • Less natural here: Spengo… mentre l’acqua bolle.
Is “quando l’acqua sta bollendo” also correct?
Grammatically yes, but nuance differs. Quando l’acqua bolle means “when it reaches the boil.” Quando l’acqua sta bollendo describes the ongoing process; it’s fine if you mean “while it’s boiling,” but for the trigger point, bolle is crisper.
Can I move the “quando” clause to the front?

Yes, word order is flexible:

  • Quando l’acqua bolle, spengo il bollitore.
  • Spengo il bollitore quando l’acqua bolle. If the sentence starts with the subordinate clause, use a comma after it.
How would I replace “il bollitore” with a pronoun?

Use the direct object pronoun lo:

  • Lo spengo quando l’acqua bolle.
  • In the past: L’ho spento quando l’acqua bolliva/bolliva (habit) or quando l’acqua è bollita/ha bollito (less common; often rephrase).
Does “bollire” take the -isc- pattern?

No. Bollire is a regular -ire verb without -isc:

  • bollo, bolli, bolle, bolliamo, bollite, bollono
Is “bollitore” the same as “teiera”?
No. Il bollitore is a kettle (often electric) used to boil water. La teiera is a teapot used to brew and serve tea, not to boil water.
What’s the gender and plural of “bollitore”?
Masculine: il bollitore. Plural: i bollitori.
Would I say this if the kettle turns off automatically?

You’d use the reflexive/passive construction:

  • Il bollitore si spegne quando l’acqua bolle.
Are there good synonyms I should know?
  • To express “boil (something)”: far bollire — e.g., Faccio bollire l’acqua.
  • If using a stove, you might say Spengo il fornello (I turn off the burner) rather than the kettle itself.
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