Non devi sorpassare vicino alla curva.

You must not overtake near the bend.

Breakdown of Non devi sorpassare vicino alla curva.

• tu: you
• vicino a: near
• non: not
• sorpassare: to overtake

Questions & Answers about Non devi sorpassare vicino alla curva.

What does non devi mean here?

Devi is the second-person singular form of dovere = to have to / must.

So:

• devi = you must / you have to
• non devi = you must not / you shouldn’t

In this sentence, non devi sorpassare means something like:

• you must not overtake
• you shouldn’t overtake

A useful note: in Italian, non devi often sounds like a prohibition or strong advice, not just the absence of necessity.

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Why is sorpassare in the infinitive?

Because after a modal verb like dovere (must / have to), the next verb normally stays in the infinitive.

So the pattern is:

• dovere + infinitive
• potere + infinitive
• volere + infinitive

Examples:

• Devi studiare = You must study
• Puoi entrare = You can come in
• Vuoi mangiare? = Do you want to eat?

So in your sentence:

• devi sorpassare = you must overtake
• non devi sorpassare = you must not overtake

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What exactly does sorpassare mean?