Ti scrivo la lista della spesa prima che tu esca, così non dimentichi niente.

Ti means to you in this sentence.

So Ti scrivo la lista della spesa literally means I write you the shopping list, but in natural English we would usually say I’ll write you the shopping list or I’ll write the shopping list for you.

Here, ti is the indirect object pronoun:

• mi = to me
• ti = to you
• gli / le = to him / to her
• ci = to us
• vi = to you all
• gli = to them

Italian often uses the present tense to talk about the near future, especially when the context already makes the timing clear.

So:

• Ti scrivo la lista della spesa prima che tu esca
  can mean
• I’ll write you the shopping list before you go out

Using scriverò would also be possible in some contexts, but scrivo sounds very natural and common in everyday Italian.

It means the shopping list.

Literally:

• lista = list
• della spesa = of the shopping

Italian often uses this structure where English uses a noun as an adjective:

• lista della spesa = shopping list
• scarpe da tennis = tennis shoes
• bicchiere di vino = glass of wine

So della spesa is just the normal Italian way to specify what kind of list it is.

Because the sentence has a new subject after it: tu.

• prima che tu esca = before you go out

Use prima che + subjunctive when a whole clause follows and the subject may be different.

Compare:

• Prima che tu esca = before you go out
• Prima di uscire = before going out / before you go out

The second version uses an infinitive and is most natural when the subject is the same as the one in the main clause.

So in this sentence, prima che is used because we explicitly have tu esca.

Because prima che normally requires the subjunctive in Italian.

The verb uscire in the present subjunctive is:

• che io esca
• che tu esca
• che lui/lei esca
• che noi usciamo
• che voi usciate
• che loro escano

So:

• prima che tu esca = before you go out

If you said prima che tu esci, that would sound ungrammatical in standard Italian.

Not strictly. Italian often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the subject.

So both are possible:

• prima che tu esca
• prima che esca

However, keeping tu can make the sentence clearer or slightly more emphatic, especially for learners or in contexts where you want to highlight who is going out.

Here così means so, so that, or more literally that way.

So:

• così non dimentichi niente
  means
• so you don’t forget anything
• that way you won’t forget anything

This is a very common everyday use of così:

• Scrivilo, così te lo ricordi. = Write it down, so you remember it.
• Porta un ombrello, così non ti bagni. = Bring an umbrella, so you don’t get wet.

Again, Italian often uses the present tense where English would use will or another future form.

So:

• così non dimentichi niente
  literally looks like
• so that you do not forget anything

but in natural English it is often:

• so you won’t forget anything

This present tense is very normal in Italian when the future meaning is obvious from context.

Yes, but double negatives are normal in Italian.

In Italian, negative words often go together:

• non ... niente = not ... anything / nothing
• non ... mai = never
• non ... nessuno = nobody / no one

So:

• non dimentichi niente
  literally = you don’t forget nothing,
  but the real meaning is
• you don’t forget anything

This is called negative concord, and it is standard Italian grammar.

Yes. Niente and nulla can both mean nothing / anything, and in many cases they are interchangeable.

So you could also say:

• così non dimentichi nulla

Both are correct.
Niente is often a little more common in everyday speech, but the difference is small here.

Yes, but the structure changes slightly.

• Ti scrivo la lista della spesa prima che tu esca
  = I’ll write you the shopping list before you go out

You could also say:

• Ti scrivo la lista della spesa prima di uscire

But this version can be a little more ambiguous, because uscire has no explicit subject. It often gets understood from context.

As a general rule:

• prima di + infinitive = common when the subject is the same or obvious
• prima che + subjunctive = used when the following clause has its own subject

So the original sentence is especially clear because it explicitly says you are the one going out.

The comma separates the main idea from the result/purpose idea that follows.

Structure:

• Ti scrivo la lista della spesa prima che tu esca = main action
• così non dimentichi niente = result/purpose: so you don’t forget anything

In writing, this comma is very natural and helps readability.

Scrivere la lista della spesa is perfectly natural and correct.

But in real speech, Italians might also say things like:

• Ti faccio la lista della spesa = I’ll make the shopping list for you
• Ti preparo la lista della spesa = I’ll prepare the shopping list for you
• Ti scrivo cosa comprare = I’ll write down what to buy for you

So the original sentence is idiomatic, but there are several natural alternatives depending on tone and context.