Learn Italian: Metto sempre il casco quando uso la bicicletta. - I always put on my helmet when I use the bicycle.

Metto sempre il casco quando uso la bicicletta.

I always put on my helmet when I use the bicycle.

Breakdown of Metto sempre il casco quando uso la bicicletta.

to put / to put on / play (music)

usare

to use

Questions & Answers about Metto sempre il casco quando uso la bicicletta.

Why does it say il casco (the helmet) instead of il mio casco (my helmet)?

In Italian, you usually drop possessive words (like mio) when talking about clothing, accessories, or body parts, as long as it is obvious who the owner is. Since the verb metto shows you are the one putting it on, il casco is enough!

Why is sempre placed after the verb? In English, we say 'I always put'.

Adverbs of frequency, like sempre (always) and spesso (often), generally go right after the conjugated verb in Italian. So, 'I always put' becomes Metto sempre.

Does mettere always mean 'to wear'?

Mettere literally means 'to put.' When used with clothing or accessories, it translates to 'to put on.' If you want to describe the ongoing state of wearing something, you would use verbs like indossare or portare.

How could I rewrite this to say 'One must always put on a helmet' using the new grammar from this lesson?

You would use the impersonal expression bisogna (it is necessary / one must) followed by the infinitive verb. You would drop the 'io' form metto and change it to bisogna mettere. The phrase becomes: Bisogna mettere sempre il casco.