Learn Italian: Faccio riparare i vecchi frigo. - I am having the old fridges fixed.

Faccio riparare i vecchi frigo.

I am having the old fridges fixed.

Breakdown of Faccio riparare i vecchi frigo.

Questions & Answers about Faccio riparare i vecchi frigo.

Why does frigo end in -o if it is plural here?

Frigo is short for frigorifero (refrigerator). In Italian, nouns that are shortened versions of longer words do not change their endings in the plural. You just change the article and adjectives to show the number, which is why we say il vecchio frigo for one, and i vecchi frigo for more than one.

Why use faccio riparare instead of a literal translation for 'I am having'?

When you arrange for someone else to do a task for you (like fixing an appliance or cutting your hair), Italian uses the verb fare (to make or let) followed immediately by an infinitive verb. Here, faccio riparare literally translates as 'I make to repair', which is the standard Italian way to express 'I am having [something] repaired'.

Why does the object (i vecchi frigo) come after both verbs?

In this fare + infinitive structure, the two verbs (faccio riparare) stick together like glue and act as a single unit. Because of this, the direct object of the action (i vecchi frigo) must come after the entire verb phrase, rather than being placed between the two verbs.

Could I say i frigo vecchi instead of i vecchi frigo?