Indirect Questions with Infinitives
When you ask a question embedded inside another statement—like "I don't know what to do"—you use an indirect question. In Italian, if the subject of the main action and the embedded question are the same, use an implicit indirect question.
Simply combine a question word (like come, che cosa, dove, or quando) directly with an infinitive verb.
| The guitarist asked me how to tune the instrument. | Il chitarrista mi ha chiesto come accordare lo strumento. |
| The drummer does not know what to do without the sheet music. | Il batterista non sa che cosa fare senza lo spartito. |
Where and When
Use the same structure with dove (where) or quando (when) to discuss logistics.
| We were discussing where to put the amplifier and the speaker. | Stavamo discutendo su dove mettere l'amplificatore e l'altoparlante. |
| The band has to decide when to play the solo in the chorus. | Il gruppo deve decidere quando suonare l'assolo nel ritornello. |
To Do or Not to Do
If you are debating options or wondering "whether" to do something, use se (if / whether) followed by the infinitive.
| We did not know whether to connect the amplifier to the speaker. | Non sapevamo se collegare l'amplificatore all'altoparlante. |
Explaining Instructions
Implicit indirect questions are also the standard way to give instructions or explain how a technique is done. You will frequently hear this structure after verbs like spiegare (to explain) or mostrare (to show).
| The drummer showed us how to keep the rhythm. | Il batterista ci ha mostrato come tenere il ritmo. |
| He explained to me how to sing the chorus, that is, where to breathe. | Mi ha spiegato come cantare il ritornello, cioè dove respirare. |