Questions & Answers about Quella sedia rotta è da buttare.
Why does this sentence use da buttare instead of just buttare?
The structure da + infinitive is used to show purpose or what needs to be done with something. While buttare means "to throw away," putting da in front of it gives it the meaning of necessity. So, è da buttare means "it is for throwing away" or "it needs to be thrown out."
The English translation says "to be thrown out," which is passive. But isn't buttare an active verb?
Yes, buttare is the active verb "to throw." However, when you use the da + infinitive construction to describe an object's function or fate, it naturally carries a passive meaning in English. Italian simply uses the active infinitive, so literally it's like saying "That broken chair is for to throw out."
Where does the word rotta come from?
Rotta is an adjective that means "broken," but it is actually the irregular past participle of the verb rompere (to break). Because it's acting as an adjective describing the feminine singular noun sedia, its ending changes to -a.
Quick refresher: why is it quella and not quell' or quel?