Breakdown of Il mago prova a stupire il pubblico con la bacchetta.
con
with
a
to / at
provare
to try
il mago
the magician
il pubblico
the audience
stupire
to amaze
la bacchetta
the wand
Questions & Answers about Il mago prova a stupire il pubblico con la bacchetta.
Why is there an a between prova and stupire?
In Italian, certain verbs require a specific preposition before another verb in the infinitive (the dictionary form of a verb). Provare (to try) is one of those verbs that always needs the preposition a when it is followed by an action, like stupire (to amaze). So, "to try to do something" is always provare a fare qualcosa.
Could I use cerca di instead of prova a to say "tries to"?
Yes! Both cercare di and provare a mean "to try to do something" and they are often used interchangeably. Just remember the preposition rules: cercare takes the preposition di, while provare requires the preposition a. You could absolutely say Il mago cerca di stupire il pubblico and it would mean the same thing.
Is pubblico a false friend? The translation says "audience" rather than "public".
It is actually both! Il pubblico can mean "the public" in a general, everyday sense, but it is also the standard Italian word for "the audience" or "the crowd" at a show, theater, or magic act.
What does bacchetta mean outside of a magic show?
Bacchetta generally means a stick, rod, or a conductor's baton. A magic wand is often specifically called a bacchetta magica, but because we already mentioned a magician (il mago) in this sentence, just saying bacchetta makes perfect sense. Fun fact: in the plural, le bacchette is also the Italian word for chopsticks!
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