Stasera la famiglia si riunisce in giardino.

This evening the family gets together in the garden.

Breakdown of Stasera la famiglia si riunisce in giardino.

• in: in
• il giardino: the garden
• la famiglia: the family
• stasera: tonight
• riunirsi: to get together

Questions & Answers about Stasera la famiglia si riunisce in giardino.

Why is it si riunisce and not just riunisce?

Riunire is transitive: “to bring together” something or someone. Riunirsi is pronominal/reciprocal: “to get together (with one another).” Without si, the sentence would require a direct object: La famiglia riunisce i parenti (The family brings the relatives together). With si, the family members are gathering among themselves: La famiglia si riunisce.

If famiglia refers to many people, why is the verb singular (si riunisce)?

Because la famiglia is grammatically singular in Italian. Collective nouns take a singular verb: La squadra vince, Il pubblico applaude. If you want a plural verb, use a true plural like i familiari or i membri della famiglia: I familiari si riuniscono.

Why use the present tense (si riunisce) if it happens tonight (stasera)?

Italian commonly uses the present to talk about the near future when a time expression is present: stasera, domani, tra poco, etc. You could also use the future (si riunirà), but the present sounds natural and immediate in everyday speech.

Can I say questa sera instead of stasera?

Yes. Stasera and questa sera are interchangeable in most contexts. Stasera is a bit more colloquial/compact. Both mean “this evening/tonight.”

Why in giardino and not al giardino?

With many locations, in is used for being in/at a place: in giardino, in cucina, in ufficio. Al giardino is unusual for location and would more likely suggest movement (“to the garden”). If you need to specify a particular garden, nel giardino (“in the garden”) is common: nel giardino della nonna. Note that in giardino is a set phrase for a home garden.

What’s the difference between in giardino and nel giardino here?

• In giardino: general/idiomatic “in the garden,” often the one at home; no special focus on which garden.
• Nel giardino: explicitly “in the garden” with a definite, identified garden, often followed by a specifier: nel giardino di casa, nel giardino del palazzo. Both are correct depending on how specific you want to be.

Can I move the time or place around, like La famiglia si riunisce in giardino stasera?

Yes. Word order for time/place is flexible:

• Stasera la famiglia si riunisce in giardino (neutral, time first)
• La famiglia si riunisce stasera in giardino (neutral)
• La famiglia stasera si riunisce in giardino (slight emphasis on time) Putting stasera at the end can add emphasis on “tonight.” Keep the clitic + verb together.

How do you conjugate riunirsi in the present?

It’s an -ire verb of the -isc- type.

• io mi riunisco
• tu ti riunisci
• lui/lei si riunisce
• noi ci riuniamo
• voi vi riunite
• loro si riuniscono The -isc- appears in the three singular forms and in the third-person plural.

Why not ci riunisce since it’s “ourselves”?

Clitic pronouns agree with the grammatical person of the subject. Here the subject is third-person singular (la famiglia), so the reflexive is si. Ci is first-person plural and is used only when the subject is noi: Stasera ci riuniamo in giardino.

Is riunirsi really “reflexive” here, or is it “reciprocal”?

Semantically it’s reciprocal (the members gather with one another). Italian uses the same clitic si for both reflexive and reciprocal meanings; context disambiguates.

Can I use the progressive, like sta riunendosi?

Yes, but it indicates an action in progress, not a scheduled future:

• Near future (preferred): Stasera la famiglia si riunisce in giardino.
• Ongoing now: La famiglia si sta riunendo in giardino / La famiglia sta riunendosi in giardino. The clitic can go before the auxiliary (si sta riunendo) or attach to the gerund (sta riunendosi).

What are some alternatives to riunirsi, and how do they differ?

• Incontrarsi: to meet (neutral, often by arrangement).
• Ritrovarsi: to meet up/meet again; also “to end up” somewhere.
• Radunarsi: to assemble, often a crowd or formal gathering.
• Trovarsi: to be located; with people, can imply meeting in some regions. Example: Stasera la famiglia si ritrova in giardino is very natural.

Could I drop the article and say Famiglia si riunisce?

No. Italian normally requires an article with common nouns. Use La famiglia. Omitting it sounds like a headline or telegraphic style.

How would I say “The families are getting together” (plural)?

Use a plural subject and verb: Le famiglie si riuniscono in giardino stasera. If you mean “family members,” use I familiari: I familiari si riuniscono...

How do I make it negative?

Place non before the clitic: Stasera la famiglia non si riunisce in giardino.

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

• Stasera: sta-SE-ra (stress on SE).
• famiglia: gli is a palatal [ʎ], like “lli” in “million” said together: fa-MI-lya.
• si riunisce: pronounce riu smoothly “ree-oo”; stress on NI: ri-u-NI-sce; -sce sounds like “sheh.”
• giardino: soft gi = “ja”: jar-DEE-no.

Is there any nuance between stasera at the start vs at the end?

• At the start: sets the time frame; neutral and common.
• At the end: adds end-focus/emphasis on “tonight,” often contrastive (not on another day).

How would I say “at Grandma’s” instead of “in the garden”?

Use da for someone’s place: Stasera la famiglia si riunisce da nonna / da mia nonna. You can combine both if needed: ... nel giardino di mia nonna.

What happens to the clitic with modals like volere, potere, dovere?

It can go before the modal or attach to the infinitive:

• La famiglia si vuole riunire stasera.
• La famiglia vuole riunirsi stasera. Both are correct; attaching to the infinitive is slightly more common in speech.