Breakdown of Faccio montare l'armadio al falegname.
fare
to do / to make
a
to / at
l'armadio
the wardrobe (m)
montare
to assemble
il falegname
the carpenter
Questions & Answers about Faccio montare l'armadio al falegname.
Why is it al falegname instead of just il falegname?
This is the key rule for the fare + infinitive construction! Because there is already a direct object in the sentence (l'armadio), the person actually doing the work (the carpenter) must be introduced with the preposition a to become an indirect object (a + il = al). This prevents the sentence from having two direct objects, which would be confusing.
Why are faccio and montare right next to each other?
Does faccio mean 'I make' or 'I have' in this context?
It can mean both depending on the situation! Italian uses this same fare construction whether you are forcing someone to do something ('making' them) or arranging for someone to do it ('having' them). Since a carpenter is a hired professional, 'I am having' is the most logical English translation here.
I thought montare meant 'to ride' or 'to mount'. Why is it used with a wardrobe?
While it can mean 'to ride' (like a horse) or 'to mount', montare is also the standard Italian verb for assembling or putting together furniture, equipment, or machinery.
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