Learn Hardcore Italian: Abbasso la tapparella e accendo l’aria condizionata. - I lower the roller shutter and turn on the air conditioning.

Italian is a pro‑drop language, so subject pronouns are usually omitted because the verb ending already shows the subject. Abbasso and accendo end in -o (1st person singular), so it’s clear that the subject is “I”.

How are abbassare and accendere conjugated in the present tense?

abbassare (regular): io abbasso, tu abbassi, lui/lei abbassa, noi abbassiamo, voi abbassate, loro abbassano.
accendere (irregular): io accendo, tu accendi, lui/lei accende, noi accendiamo, voi accendete, loro accendono.

Why is it la tapparella and l’aria condizionata? What do the articles tell me?

Both nouns are feminine singular, so they take la. Before a vowel, la elides to l’, hence l’aria. Italian normally uses definite articles with specific, known items in context (the blind in this room; the AC here).

What exactly is a tapparella? Are there other words I should know?

A tapparella is a roll‑down shutter (usually outside the window) that you lower/raise. Related terms:

persiana: hinged shutter with slats.
avvolgibile: another word for roll‑down shutter.
veneziana: Venetian blinds (indoor).
serranda/saracinesca: roll‑down shop shutter (metal).

Could I say chiudo la tapparella instead of abbasso la tapparella?

People do say chiudere with shutters, but with a roll‑down shutter the most natural verb is abbassare (lower) and alzare (raise). Chiudere is more neutral and common with windows/doors or hinged shutters (persiane).

Is accendo l’aria condizionata the most idiomatic way? What about accendo il condizionatore?

Both are common. Accendo l’aria condizionata focuses on the system/function, while accendo il condizionatore points to the device. In casual speech you may also hear accendo il clima (especially for cars).

Why is there an apostrophe in l’aria?

It’s elision: la becomes l’ before a vowel sound to make pronunciation smoother. So la aria becomes l’aria.

Can I use ed instead of e before a vowel, as in … e/ed accendo …?

Yes, ed is an euphonic variant of e and can be used before vowels. In modern usage, e accendo sounds perfectly natural; ed accendo is correct but a bit more formal/literary.

Can I reverse the order: Accendo l’aria condizionata e abbasso la tapparella?

Yes. Word order here simply reflects the sequence you want to imply; both versions are fine and mean the same thing except for the order of actions.

How would I express the action as ongoing right now?

Use the progressive with stare + gerund: Sto abbassando la tapparella e sto accendendo l’aria condizionata. That said, Italian often uses the simple present for near‑immediate actions, so the original sentence already works well in context.

How do I say this in the recent past?

Use the passato prossimo: Ho abbassato la tapparella e ho acceso l’aria condizionata. Note that acceso is the irregular past participle of accendere.

How do I negate it?

Place non before each verb: Non abbasso la tapparella e non accendo l’aria condizionata. If only one part is negated, put non only there.

Why does condizionata end in -a?

Because it agrees in gender and number with aria (feminine singular). Adjectives that follow the noun in Italian typically agree: aria condizionata, stanze climatizzate (plural, feminine).

What are some natural alternatives for the verbs?

For the shutter: tiro giù la tapparella (colloquial “pull down”), alzo/tiro su la tapparella (“raise”).
For AC: accendo il clima (informal), avvio il condizionatore (more technical/formal).

How would I replace the nouns with pronouns?

For la tapparella (fem. sg.): La abbasso; in writing you may also see the elided form L’abbasso.
For l’aria (condizionata) (fem. sg.): La accendo or L’accendo.
If you say il condizionatore (masc. sg.): Lo accendo (optionally L’accendo in more formal/literary style).
Plurals: le abbasso (tapparelle), li accendo (condizionatori).

Is there anything to watch out for in pronunciation?

tapparella: double consonants matter—tap-pa-rel-la (hold the pp and rr a bit).
aria: pronounce both vowels clearly: A-ree-ah.
condizionata: the z is usually voiced, like “dz” in “adze” (con-di-DZYO-na-ta); the c is hard “k”.

Does abbasso ever mean something else?

Yes. As an interjection, Abbasso! means “Down with…!” (e.g., Abbasso la guerra!). In your sentence it’s just the verb abbassare in the 1st person present.

How would I turn this into a request/command?

Informal imperative: Abbassa la tapparella e accendi l’aria condizionata, per favore.
Formal imperative: Abbassi la tapparella e accenda l’aria condizionata, per favore.
Very polite: Potresti/Potrebbe abbassare la tapparella e accendere l’aria condizionata?