Learn Italian: Chi vi presta i soldi? - Who is lending you the money?

Chi vi presta i soldi?

Who is lending you the money?

Breakdown of Chi vi presta i soldi?

Questions & Answers about Chi vi presta i soldi?

Why is vi used here instead of ti?

Vi is the plural 'to you' (like 'to you all' or 'to you guys'). If the speaker were asking who is lending money to just one person, they would use ti.

Does vi mean 'you' or 'to you' in this sentence?

Here, vi means 'to you'. The verb prestare means 'to lend'. In Italian, you lend something to someone. Because vi is an indirect object pronoun, the 'to' is already built into the word.

Why is the verb presta in the 'he/she' form?

The subject of the sentence is Chi (Who). Just like in English ('Who is lending...'), Chi is treated as a singular subject, so it takes the 'he/she' form of the verb. Vi is just the person receiving the money, not the subject doing the lending.

Why is 'money' translated as plural (i soldi)?

In English, 'money' is a singular word. In Italian, the everyday word for money is soldi, which is plural. You must use the plural word for 'the' (i) and treat it as a plural noun.