Questions & Answers about Suona il citofono, per favore.
What form is suona here—is it an imperative or a present-tense statement?
It’s the second-person singular imperative of suonare. For -are verbs, the tu imperative ends in -a: (tu) suona. The present indicative would be (tu) suoni, so with per favore it’s clearly a request.
Why is there no subject pronoun (like “tu”)?
Italian usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the subject. The implied subject here is tu. You can add it for emphasis: Tu suona il citofono or Suona tu il citofono.
How do I say it formally to someone I don’t know?
Use the formal Lei imperative: Suoni il citofono, per favore. You can also preface it with Scusi: Scusi, suoni il citofono, per favore. Note that suoni is the present subjunctive used as a formal imperative.
What if I’m talking to more than one person?
Use voi: Suonate il citofono, per favore.
Do I need the article il before citofono?
Yes. With a specific, known item Italians use the definite article: il citofono. You’d only “lose” the visible article when it’s absorbed into a preposition, e.g., al citofono (a + il). With a possessive you still keep it: il mio citofono.
Can I say suonare al citofono instead of suonare il citofono?
Both are common. Suonare il citofono treats it as a direct object (“ring the intercom”), while suonare al citofono means “ring at the intercom.” They’re interchangeable in most contexts. Similarly: suonare il campanello / suonare al campanello, and the idiom suonare alla porta.
What’s the difference between citofono and campanello?
- citofono: an intercom/buzzer you speak into, typical of apartment buildings.
- campanello: a doorbell (just rings). At a house you’d usually say suonare il campanello; at an apartment building, suonare il citofono.
Could I use the verb citofonare instead?
Yes. Citofona, per favore. is perfectly natural. With a person you use a: Citofonami quando arrivi (“Buzz me when you arrive”).
Where can I put per favore, and do I need the comma?
- Placement: beginning or end are both fine: Per favore, suona il citofono / Suona il citofono, per favore.
- Comma: optional; use it if you treat per favore as a parenthetical aside.
- Note: per favore is two words.
How can I make the request softer or more polite?
- Informal: Puoi/Potresti suonare il citofono, per favore?
- Formal: Potrebbe suonare il citofono, per cortesia?
- Other softeners: per cortesia, per piacere, or adding grazie at the end: Suona il citofono, grazie. Avoid using prego here; it usually means “you’re welcome” or “please, go ahead.”
How do I say “Don’t ring the intercom”?
- Informal (tu): Non suonare il citofono.
- Formal (Lei): Non suoni il citofono.
- Plural (voi): Non suonate il citofono.
With pronouns: affirmative attaches (Suonalo), negative can go before or attach (Non lo suonare / Non suonarlo).
How do I pronounce it?
- Suona: SWOH-nah (uo = w-oh; stress on the first syllable).
- il: eel.
- citofono: chee-TOH-foh-noh (stress on TO).
- per favore: pehr fah-VOH-reh (stress on VO).
Remember to roll the Italian r lightly.
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