Learn Italian: Si amano, anche se abitano lontano. - They love each other, even though they live far away.

Si amano, anche se abitano lontano.

They love each other, even though they live far away.

Breakdown of Si amano, anche se abitano lontano.

himself, herself, themselves (reflexive)

Questions & Answers about Si amano, anche se abitano lontano.

Why is there a si before amano?

Si is a reflexive pronoun. While it often means 'oneself', when used with a plural verb like amano (they love), it acts as a reciprocal pronoun meaning 'each other'. So si amano translates directly to 'they love each other'.

Could si amano also mean 'they love themselves'?

Grammatically, yes! It can mean either 'they love each other' or 'they love themselves'. Italians rely on context to tell the difference. If they really needed to emphasize 'themselves', they would add extra words like loro stessi.

Is anche se a fixed phrase?

Yes, anche se translates to 'even if' or 'even though'. It is a very common pair of words used together to introduce a contrasting idea, and it is followed by a normal present tense verb like abitano here.

Why does the sentence use lontano instead of lontani for a plural subject?

In this sentence, lontano is acting as an adverb describing the verb abitano (telling us where they live). Adverbs are invariable, meaning their endings never change to match gender or number like adjectives do.