Breakdown of Scusi, signore, apre la porta?
la porta
the door
il signore
gentleman, sir, Mr.
scusi
excuse me (formal)
aprire
to open
Questions & Answers about Scusi, signore, apre la porta?
Why is it apre and not apri if I'm talking directly to the man?
The English translation says "will you open", but isn't apre in the present tense?
Exactly! Apre is the present tense ("you open" or "you are opening"). In Italian, the present tense is frequently used for immediate future actions or polite requests. So asking "apre la porta?" right now naturally translates to "will you open the door?" in English.
Why use scusi here instead of scusa?
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