Questions & Answers about Marco ha una cravatta nuova e se la mette.
Why is it se la instead of si la?
When the 3rd person reflexive pronoun si (meaning "on himself") is followed by a direct object pronoun like la (meaning "it"), the i in si changes to an e. Therefore, si + la combines to become se la.
Why do we use the reflexive pronoun se here? The English translation just says "puts it on".
In Italian, the action of putting an item of clothing on yourself uses the reflexive verb mettersi. You are literally saying that Marco puts the tie "on himself" (se). If you just said la mette without the reflexive pronoun, it would mean he puts the tie down somewhere else, like on a bed or a table.
What exactly does the la refer to in se la mette?