Learn Italian: Finiamo di preparare la scena. - We finish preparing the scene.

Finiamo di preparare la scena.

We finish preparing the scene.

Breakdown of Finiamo di preparare la scena.

to (linking a verb to a following infinitive)

Questions & Answers about Finiamo di preparare la scena.

Why is there a di before preparare?

In Italian, many verbs need a specific preposition to connect them to another verb in the infinitive (the basic dictionary form). The verb finire (to finish) always requires the preposition di when it is followed by an action. So, to finish doing something is always finire di followed by the infinitive.

The English translation uses the '-ing' word 'preparing'. Why does the Italian sentence use the infinitive preparare instead of a gerund?

In English, we usually say we 'finish doing' something. In Italian, when a verb connects to a second action, that second verb almost always stays in the infinitive (like preparare). You will rarely use the Italian gerund (words ending in -ando or -endo) right after another verb in this way.

Finire is an '-isc-' verb. Why isn't there an 'isc' in finiamo?

That is a great catch! finire is indeed a typical '-isc-' verb. However, the '-isc-' pattern only applies to the singular forms (I, you, he/she/it) and the 'they' form (finisco, finisci, finisce, finiscono). The 'we' and 'you all' forms behave like completely regular verbs, which is why we simply say finiamo.

Does la scena refer to a scene in a movie, or can it be used for other things?

Just like the English word 'scene', la scena is very versatile. It can mean a scene in a play or film, a physical setting where an event occurred (like a crime scene), or even a dramatic outburst (as in 'making a scene').