Breakdown of Laura usa una spugna per strofinare il lavandino.
per
for
usare
to use
il lavandino
the sink
la spugna
the sponge
Questions & Answers about Laura usa una spugna per strofinare il lavandino.
Why is it usa and not usare?
Usa is the third-person singular form of the verb usare (to use) in the present tense.
- usare = to use
- io uso = I use
- tu usi = you use
- lui/lei usa = he/she uses
Since Laura is she, the sentence uses usa.
What does per strofinare mean here?
Per + infinitive often means in order to or for the purpose of doing something.
So:
- per strofinare = to scrub, in order to scrub
In this sentence, it explains why Laura is using the sponge: she uses a sponge to scrub the sink.
Why is strofinare in the infinitive form?
It is in the infinitive because it comes after per.
A very common Italian pattern is:
- per + infinitive
Examples:
- per mangiare = to eat / in order to eat
- per studiare = to study / in order to study
- per strofinare = to scrub / in order to scrub
So strofinare stays in its basic dictionary form.
Why do we have una spugna but il lavandino?