Lancio il dado.

the die

Breakdown of Lancio il dado.

• lanciare: to roll (dice); throw

Questions & Answers about Lancio il dado.

What form is lancio?

Lancio is the 1st person singular, present indicative of lanciare, meaning to throw, to launch, or to cast.

So:

• io lancio = I throw / I am throwing
• tu lanci = you throw
• lui/lei lancia = he/she throws

In Lancio il dado, lancio means I throw.

Why is there no io in the sentence?

Italian often drops the subject pronoun when it is clear from the verb ending.

• Lancio il dado = I throw the die
• Io lancio il dado = also correct, but io adds emphasis, as in I throw the die

Because lancio already tells you the subject is I, io is usually unnecessary.

Does Lancio il dado mean I throw the die or I am throwing the die?

It can mean either one, depending on context.

The Italian present tense often covers both:

• I throw the die
• I am throwing the die

If you want to make the ongoing action especially clear, Italian can use:

• Sto lanciando il dado = I am throwing the die

But Lancio il dado is perfectly normal.