Breakdown of Impermeabilizziamo la parete affinché l'intonaco non cada.
Questions & Answers about Impermeabilizziamo la parete affinché l'intonaco non cada.
What form is impermeabilizziamo?
Impermeabilizziamo is the 1st person plural form of impermeabilizzare, so it means we waterproof.
In a sentence like this, it is most naturally understood as the present indicative: We waterproof the wall so that the plaster does not fall.
Italian forms like impermeabilizziamo can sometimes also mean let's waterproof, because the 1st person plural is also used for the imperative. Usually, context tells you which meaning is intended.
Why is there no subject pronoun like noi?
What does la parete mean exactly? Why not il muro?
La parete usually means the wall in the sense of a surface/partition of a room or building.
Il muro often suggests a more solid wall structure, such as an exterior wall, boundary wall, or masonry wall.
In many contexts they can both be translated as wall, but parete is often the more natural choice when talking about the wall as a surface that is treated, painted, plastered, or waterproofed.
What does affinché mean, and how is it used?
Affinché means so that, in order that, or so as to ensure that.
It introduces a clause of purpose:
- Impermeabilizziamo la parete affinché l'intonaco non cada.
- We waterproof the wall so that the plaster does not fall.
It is a bit more formal than some other ways of expressing purpose, and it normally requires the subjunctive in the following clause.
Why is it cada and not cade?
Because affinché is followed by the subjunctive, not the indicative.
The verb cadere has:
- cade = present indicative, he/she/it falls
- cada = present subjunctive, that it fall
So:
This is one of the most important grammar points in the sentence: purpose expressions like affinché trigger the subjunctive.
Why is non placed before cada?
What is l'intonaco, and why is it l'?
Could I use perché instead of affinché here?
Sometimes yes, but there is an important nuance.
Perché can also mean so that / in order that, and when it has that meaning, it also takes the subjunctive:
That is grammatical.
- affinché is more explicitly and clearly a purpose conjunction
- perché can also mean because, so it can sometimes be more ambiguous
- affinché sounds more formal or careful in written Italian
So in this sentence, affinché is a very good choice.
Is impermeabilizzare followed directly by the object, or does it need a preposition?
It is used transitively, so it takes a direct object with no preposition:
- impermeabilizzare la parete = to waterproof the wall
That is why the sentence says:
- Impermeabilizziamo la parete...
and not something like alla parete.
Why is there an accent in affinché?
Can this sentence sound like Let's waterproof the wall so that the plaster doesn't fall?
Yes, it can, depending on context.
Because impermeabilizziamo can be either:
- we waterproof (present indicative)
- let's waterproof (1st person plural imperative)
Without more context, both are possible. In isolation, many learners first read it as we waterproof, but in a practical or instructional context it could easily mean let's waterproof the wall so that the plaster doesn't fall.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning ItalianMaster Italian — from Impermeabilizziamo la parete affinché l'intonaco non cada to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions