Prendo il secchio e lo riempio d’acqua, poi bagno lo straccio.

I take the bucket and fill it with water, then wet the rag.

Breakdown of Prendo il secchio e lo riempio d’acqua, poi bagno lo straccio.

• io: I
• prendere: to take
• di: of
• l'acqua: the water

Questions & Answers about Prendo il secchio e lo riempio d’acqua, poi bagno lo straccio.

In "lo riempio," what does "lo" refer to, and why is it "lo"?

It’s the direct object pronoun meaning "it," referring back to il secchio (the bucket). You use lo because secchio is masculine singular. So: Prendo il secchio e lo riempio (d’acqua) = I take the bucket and fill it.

• Feminine singular would be la: Prendo la bacinella e la riempio.
• Plural masculine: li; plural feminine: le.

Why is it "d’acqua" and not "con acqua"?

With verbs like riempire, Italian normally uses di to express the content: you fill something "of" a substance: riempire d’acqua, d’aria, di sabbia.

• Con can also appear, but it’s less idiomatic for contents and is more common when emphasizing the means/source or contrasting options: riempire la vasca con acqua piovana. In everyday Italian, prefer riempire d’acqua.

What’s the difference between the "lo" in "lo riempio" and the "lo" in "lo straccio"?