Breakdown of Sento suonare il violino e il tamburo, e sento l'applauso.
e
and
sentire
to hear
suonare
to play (an instrument)
il tamburo
the drum
il violino
the violin
l'applauso
the applause (m)
Questions & Answers about Sento suonare il violino e il tamburo, e sento l'applauso.
Why does this sentence use the infinitive suonare instead of the gerund suonando for "playing"?
In English, we typically use the "-ing" form after verbs of perception (like "I hear the violin playing"). In Italian, verbs of perception like sentire (to hear) and vedere (to see) trigger a different rule: they are followed directly by the infinitive of the action verb. Therefore, "playing" translates to the infinitive suonare.
Why is the word order sento suonare il violino instead of sento il violino suonare?
While both word orders are grammatically possible, Italian strongly prefers keeping the perception verb and the infinitive together (sento suonare). When the "doer" of the action is a full noun like il violino or il tamburo, it naturally tucks in right after this verb cluster.
Wait, is the violin doing the playing, or is someone playing the violin?
It translates best to "I hear the violin playing/sounding." The verb suonare means "to play an instrument," but it also means "to make a sound" or "to ring." Italian uses this active infinitive construction to describe the sound being produced by the instruments, without needing to specify the musician.
The verb sentire can also mean "to feel" or "to smell." How do we know it means "to hear" here?
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