Log inSign up

Abbiamo un problema grave. Lo risolva subito.

Abbiamo un problema grave. Lo risolva subito.
We have a serious problem. Resolve it immediately.
From Lesson 145:Formal commands with pronouns (lo faccia, mi scusi)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Abbiamo un problema grave. Lo risolva subito.

Why is it Lo risolva instead of attaching lo to the end of the verb?
Because this is a formal command directed at someone you address as Lei. With informal commands (tu, noi, voi), pronouns attach to the end of the verb (like risolvilo). But with formal commands, object pronouns like lo must always go before the verb.
Why does risolva end in -a when the verb is risolvere?
To give a formal command, Italian uses the present subjunctive form. For -ere verbs like risolvere, the formal Lei command ends in -a. If you were commanding a friend, you would use the informal imperative which ends in -i, making it risolvilo.
Since problema ends in -a, why do we use the masculine pronoun lo to refer to it?
Problema is a famous exception! It is a masculine noun despite ending in -a (a trait shared with several other words of Greek origin like programma and tema). Because it is masculine, it takes the masculine article un and the masculine pronoun lo.
Does subito mean suddenly?
No, subito means immediately or right away. If you want to say suddenly, you would use a phrase like all'improvviso. It is easy to mix them up because they both imply something happening quickly!

Learn Abbiamo un problema grave. Lo risolva subito and more in Italian

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Italian →