Breakdown of Quando avrò carteggiato il legno, il tavolo sarà come nuovo.
essere
to be
nuovo
new
il tavolo
table
avere
to have
il legno
wood
quando
when
come
as (in comparisons)
carteggiare
to sand
Questions & Answers about Quando avrò carteggiato il legno, il tavolo sarà come nuovo.
The English translation says "When I have sanded". Why does Italian use the future perfect (avrò carteggiato) instead of the present perfect here?
In English, we often use present tenses after "when" to talk about the future (e.g., "When I am done"). Italian is strictly logical with its timeline: since both actions happen in the future, both need a future tense. Because the sanding must be completely finished before the table is like new, Italian uses the Futuro Anteriore (avrò carteggiato) for the first action, and the normal future (sarà) for the second.
Could I just use the regular future tense and say Quando carteggerò il legno...?
You could, but it changes the meaning slightly. Using the simple future (carteggerò) makes the actions sound simultaneous or parallel ("While I am sanding the wood, the table will be like new"). Using the Futuro Anteriore (avrò carteggiato) is necessary to emphasize the sequence: first the sanding is 100% completed, and only then is the table like new.
Where does the verb carteggiare come from?
It comes from carta, which means "paper". In this context, it refers to carta vetrata (sandpaper), so carteggiare specifically means "to sand" or "to rub with sandpaper".
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