Learn Hardcore Italian: Faccio le faccende di casa la mattina, così il pomeriggio riposo. - I do the house chores in the morning, so in the afternoon I rest.

Faccio is the 1st-person singular present indicative of fare (to do/make). Italian often uses the simple present for habits and routines, so here it means “I usually do.” If you mean “I am doing (right now),” you’d say Sto facendo.

Why is it le faccende and not something like “i faccendi”?

Because faccenda is a feminine noun; its plural is le faccende. There is no form “faccendi.” The set phrase is fare le faccende (di casa).

What does di casa add, and why is there no article (della)?

Di casa specifies the type of chores—household chores. In many fixed expressions with casa, Italian omits the article: faccende di casa, chiavi di casa, lavori di casa, andare a casa, stare in casa. It’s idiomatic; you don’t need della here.

Are there other natural ways to say “housework” in Italian?

Yes, with slight nuances:

le faccende di casa / le faccende domestiche: housework in general.
i lavori di casa: housework (very common).
le pulizie: cleaning (specifically).
sbrigare le faccende: to take care of the chores.

Why la mattina and not “di mattina,” “al mattino,” or “nella mattina”?

All can be correct, but they differ slightly:

la mattina: in the mornings (habitual, very common).
di mattina: also habitual; many speakers prefer it for routines.
al mattino: a bit more formal/literary, but fine.
nella mattina: only when referring to a specific morning (e.g., nella mattina di lunedì 12). Not for general habits.

Do I need the definite article with parts of the day?

Often yes, when speaking generally: la mattina, il pomeriggio, la sera, la notte. For habits, you can also use di: di mattina, di pomeriggio. English “in the morning” is commonly just la mattina or di mattina, not a direct “in” translation.

Is the word order il pomeriggio riposo normal? Could I say riposo il pomeriggio?

Both are correct. Italian frequently fronts time expressions: Il pomeriggio riposo (focus on “in the afternoon”). Riposo il pomeriggio is also fine.

Is riposo here a verb or a noun? And what about mi riposo?

Here riposo is the verb riposare in the 1st-person present (I rest). You can also say mi riposo (reflexive); both are natural for “I rest.” The non-reflexive verb is fine intransitively; the reflexive is very common when talking about oneself. As a noun, il riposo means “rest”: il giorno di riposo (day off).

Does così mean “so/therefore” or “like this/that” here?

Here it means “so/therefore,” introducing a consequence. Così can also mean “like this/that” in other contexts, but not in this sentence.

Can I replace così with other connectors like quindi or perciò?

Yes:

quindi: “so/therefore,” quite neutral.
perciò: “therefore/for that reason,” slightly more formal. All work here: ..., quindi/perciò il pomeriggio riposo.

If I want to express purpose (“so that I can rest”), is così still the best choice?

For purpose, prefer:

per (poter) riposare: Faccio le faccende di casa la mattina per poter riposare il pomeriggio.
così da + infinito: ... così da riposare il pomeriggio.
in modo che + congiuntivo: ... in modo che il pomeriggio possa riposare. In the original, così gives a consequence, not explicit purpose.

Is the comma before così required?

It’s standard and recommended because così introduces a new main clause with a consequence. You’ll often see a comma there: ..., così .... With quindi/perciò a comma is also common.

Could I say nel pomeriggio instead of il pomeriggio?

Yes, Nel pomeriggio riposo is acceptable. For habits, many prefer il pomeriggio or di pomeriggio, but nel pomeriggio is also used and understood.

Is there a difference between mattina and mattino?

They largely overlap. Mattina is very common in everyday speech; mattino can sound a bit more formal/literary. Some fixed pairings: la mattina/di mattina and al mattino are both idiomatic.

Is fare le faccende a fixed collocation?

Yes. Common collocations include:

fare/sbrigare le faccende (di casa)
fare i lavori di casa
For cleaning specifically: fare le pulizie

Can I replace the noun phrase with a pronoun, e.g., Le faccio la mattina?

Yes: Le faccio la mattina = “I do them in the morning” (le = direct-object pronoun for feminine plural, referring to faccende). Note that le can also be an indirect object meaning “to her,” so context usually clarifies. If you want to avoid ambiguity, keep le faccende explicit.

Can I drop the article and say Faccio faccende di casa la mattina?

It’s understandable but less idiomatic. Native speakers almost always say fare le faccende di casa. To be indefinite, you’d use something like faccio qualche faccenda di casa (“I do some chores”).

Could I make it explicitly “this morning/this afternoon”?

Yes:

This morning: Stamattina/questa mattina faccio le faccende di casa.
This afternoon: Questo pomeriggio mi riposo. That shifts the meaning from a habit to a specific day.

Does così need an accent?

Yes, always write così with the accent on the final ì. Without the accent (cosi) it’s a misspelling.