Dopo il punto non usare la minuscola.

not

Breakdown of Dopo il punto non usare la minuscola.

• dopo: after
• usare: to use
• il punto: the period

Questions & Answers about Dopo il punto non usare la minuscola.

Why is non usare used here? Shouldn’t an imperative be something like usa?

In Italian, the negative informal command for tu uses the infinitive:

• Usa = Use!
• Non usare = Don’t use!

So non usare is exactly what you expect for don’t use when speaking to one person informally.

Also, Italian often uses this kind of wording in instructions, rules, notices, and manuals, where the subject is left unstated.

What does punto mean here? Is it literally point?

Here punto means the punctuation mark period / full stop, not a geometric point.

So:

• il punto = the period / full stop

In other contexts, punto can mean point, dot, stitch, or even point/issue in an argument, but in this sentence the punctuation meaning is the one that fits.

Why is it dopo il punto and not just dopo punto?

Italian normally uses the definite article in expressions like this.

• dopo il punto = after the period
• dopo la virgola = after the comma

English often drops the article in these cases, but Italian usually keeps it. So dopo il punto is the natural form.

Why is it la minuscola? Isn’t minuscola just an adjective meaning ?