Learn Italian: Non tocchiamo niente, è pericoloso! - Let's not touch anything, it is dangerous!

Non tocchiamo niente, è pericoloso!

Let's not touch anything, it is dangerous!

Breakdown of Non tocchiamo niente, è pericoloso!

Questions & Answers about Non tocchiamo niente, è pericoloso!

Why is it non tocchiamo and not non toccare?

The special rule of using non + the infinitive verb (like non toccare) only applies to the informal singular "you" (tu). For "we" (noi) and plural "you" (voi), you just put non in front of the regular present tense verb. Since tocchiamo is the "we" form used for "let's touch", non tocchiamo means "let's not touch".

Why is there an "h" in tocchiamo?

The base verb is toccare (to touch), which has a hard "c" sound, like a "k". If we just added the "we" ending (-iamo) to make tocciamo, the "i" would change the "c" to a soft sound, like in "cheese". We insert an h to lock in that original hard "k" sound: tocchiamo.

Doesn't non tocchiamo niente literally mean "let's not touch nothing"?

Yes, it does! Italian frequently requires a double negative. Whenever a negative word like niente (nothing/anything) comes after the verb, you must put non before the verb. Together, they translate perfectly to "not... anything" in English.

Where is the word for "it" in è pericoloso?