Se la mia fidanzata finisse tardi, le terrei da parte un po’ di zuppa di ceci.

This sentence uses a common Italian pattern for a hypothetical situation:

• Se + imperfetto del congiuntivo
• condizionale presente

So:

• Se la mia fidanzata finisse tardi = If my girlfriend finished / were to finish late
• le terrei da parte... = I would keep aside... for her

This is often called the periodo ipotetico della possibilità or dell’irrealtà depending on context.

Why not finisce and terrò?

• Se finisce tardi, le terrò... would sound more like a real future possibility:
  If she finishes late, I’ll keep...
• Se finisse tardi, le terrei... is more hypothetical:
  If she were to finish late, I’d keep...

So the sentence is not talking about a certain plan, but a possible scenario.

Finisse is the imperfetto del congiuntivo of finire.

Here is the relevant part of the conjugation:

• che io finissi
• che tu finissi
• che lui/lei finisse
• che noi finissimo
• che voi finiste
• che loro finissero

In this sentence, la mia fidanzata is she, so we use finisse.

Even though it looks like a past form, here it does not mean simple past. In this structure, it helps express a hypothetical condition.

Terrei is the condizionale presente of tenere.

Relevant forms:

• io terrei
• tu terresti
• lui/lei terrebbe
• noi terremmo
• voi terreste
• loro terrebbero

In the sentence, terrei means I would keep / I’d save.

So:

• Se... finisse tardi, le terrei...
  = If... she finished late, I would keep...

Because le here means to her / for her, not her as a direct object.

Compare:

• la = her/it as a direct object
• le = to her as an indirect object

In this sentence:

• terrei da parte un po’ di zuppa di ceci = I would set aside some chickpea soup
• le = for her / to her

So le terrei da parte... literally means something like:

• I would keep aside some chickpea soup for her

You are not setting aside her; you are setting aside the soup for her.

Da parte means aside, set aside, saved, or kept for later, depending on context.

So:

• tenere da parte qualcosa = to keep something aside / to save something for someone

In this sentence:

• le terrei da parte un po’ di zuppa di ceci = I’d set aside some chickpea soup for her

This is a very common expression in Italian.

Examples:

• Ti tengo da parte una fetta di torta.
  = I’ll save you a slice of cake.
• Mi metti da parte questo libro?
  = Can you set this book aside for me?

Finire tardi literally means to finish late.

Italian often uses finire without explicitly saying what is finishing, when the context is understood. It could mean:

• finishing work
• finishing class
• finishing an appointment
• being done late in general

So Se la mia fidanzata finisse tardi... could mean:

• If my girlfriend got off late
• If my girlfriend finished late
• If she ended up being late finishing work

English usually spells out the context a bit more, but Italian often leaves it implicit.

Because in Italian, un po’ di is the normal pattern for a little/some of something.

So:

• un po’ di zuppa = some soup / a little soup
• un po’ di pane = some bread
• un po’ di tempo = a little time

Using di here is standard Italian grammar.

Also, po’ is written with an apostrophe because it comes from poco:

• poco → po’

So the correct spelling is un po’, not un pò.

Because di is commonly used to describe what something is made of or what kind of thing it is.

So:

• zuppa di ceci = chickpea soup
• torta di mele = apple cake
• insalata di riso = rice salad

Here di ceci means made with chickpeas / chickpea-based.

If you said dei ceci, it would sound more like some chickpeas rather than the usual name of the dish.

So zuppa di ceci is the natural way to say chickpea soup.

It can mean either, depending on context.

• fidanzata = girlfriend
• fidanzata = fiancée

Likewise:

• fidanzato = boyfriend / fiancé

Italian does not always make the distinction as clearly as English does. If needed, context clarifies it.

So in this sentence, la mia fidanzata could mean either:

• my girlfriend
• my fiancée

Both are possible unless the broader context makes one more likely.

In standard Italian, for this kind of hypothetical idea, the expected pattern is:

• Se + congiuntivo imperfetto
• condizionale presente

So the standard version is:

• Se la mia fidanzata finisse tardi, le terrei da parte...

However, in informal spoken Italian, some speakers do use the imperfetto indicativo in place of the subjunctive or conditional in certain conditional sentences. You may hear things like:

• Se finiva tardi, le tenevo da parte...

But for a learner, the safest and most correct model is the original sentence with finisse and terrei.

Yes: the indirect object pronoun le comes before the verb.

So the structure is:

• le = for her / to her
• terrei = I would keep
• da parte = aside
• un po’ di zuppa di ceci = some chickpea soup

Italian object pronouns usually go before the conjugated verb:

• Le preparo la cena. = I prepare dinner for her.
• Ti tengo da parte un dolce. = I’ll save a dessert for you.
• Le terrei da parte un po’ di zuppa. = I’d save some soup for her.

You could also rephrase with a noun instead of the pronoun:

• Terrei da parte un po’ di zuppa di ceci per la mia fidanzata.

That version is a bit more explicit, but the original is very natural.

Yes. A few common alternatives are:

• mettere da parte = to put aside / set aside
• conservare = to keep / save
• lasciare = to leave

For example:

• Le metterei da parte un po’ di zuppa di ceci.
• Le conserverei un po’ di zuppa di ceci.
• Le lascerei un po’ di zuppa di ceci.

But tenere da parte is very natural here because it gives the idea of keeping something reserved for someone.