Learn Italian: Voglio che lei faccia una commedia con questo costume. - I want her to do a comedy in this costume.

Voglio che lei faccia una commedia con questo costume.

I want her to do a comedy in this costume.

Breakdown of Voglio che lei faccia una commedia con questo costume.

Questions & Answers about Voglio che lei faccia una commedia con questo costume.

Why is the verb faccia used here instead of fa?

Faccia is the present subjunctive of the irregular verb fare (to do/make). You must use the subjunctive here because the sentence starts with voglio che (I want that), which expresses a desire or wish.

We normally drop subject pronouns in Italian. Why is lei included before faccia?

In the present subjunctive, the singular forms are all identical. Che io faccia, che tu faccia, and che lei faccia all share the exact same verb form. Including lei clarifies that you want her to do the comedy, rather than yourself or the person you are talking to.

The English translation says "in this costume", but the Italian uses con. Why?

When describing an outfit, accessory, or piece of clothing someone is wearing, Italian frequently uses con (with) rather than translating "in" directly. You are literally saying she should do the comedy "with this costume".

Is costume a false friend here?

Not in this specific sentence, as it translates perfectly to a theatrical costume. However, it is a very common false friend in other contexts! In everyday Italian, il costume usually means a swimsuit (short for costume da bagno), or a cultural habit or tradition.