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Anna sta sistemando i libri e spolverando i mobili.

Anna sta sistemando i libri e spolverando i mobili.
Anna is tidying up the books and dusting the furniture.
From Lesson 90:Present progressive (stare + -ando, -endo)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Anna sta sistemando i libri e spolverando i mobili.

Why is there only one sta for two actions (sistemando and spolverando)?
Just like in English, you don't need to repeat the helping verb if the subject is doing both things at the same time. Instead of saying "Anna is tidying and is dusting," you just use sta once, followed by both gerunds joined by e (and).
How do we know to use the -ando ending for these verbs?
Both sistemare (to tidy/arrange) and spolverare (to dust) are regular -are verbs. To make the gerund form (the "-ing" equivalent), you drop the -are ending and add -ando. If they were -ere or -ire verbs, you would add -endo instead.
The translation says "the furniture", but i mobili looks plural. Is "furniture" plural in Italian?
Yes! In English, "furniture" is an uncountable singular noun (we say "the furniture is"). In Italian, a single piece of furniture is un mobile, and multiple pieces are plural: i mobili. Because Anna is dusting multiple items, we use the plural form.
Does sistemare always mean "to tidy up"?
It is a very versatile verb! Its core meaning is to put things in order or to arrange them. Depending on the context, sistemare can mean to tidy up a room, organize a bookshelf, fix something that is broken, or even settle a problem.

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