Breakdown of Anziché procrastinare, preferisco lavorare subito.
lavorare
to work
subito
immediately / right away
preferire
to prefer
anziché
instead of / rather than
procrastinare
to procrastinate
Questions & Answers about Anziché procrastinare, preferisco lavorare subito.
Why use the infinitive procrastinare when the English translation says "procrastinating"?
In English, we usually use the "-ing" form after prepositions like "instead of". In Italian, when you want to express an action following anziché or invece di, you must use the present infinitive (the base dictionary form of the verb).
Can I use invece di in this sentence instead of anziché?
Yes, they mean the exact same thing and are completely interchangeable here. Just remember that invece must be followed by di, while anziché connects directly to the infinitive verb. You could just as easily say: Invece di procrastinare, preferisco lavorare subito.
Why isn't there a preposition like a or di between preferisco and lavorare?
The verb preferire (to prefer) connects directly to the infinitive verb that follows it. You don't need a preposition in between, much like how you would say voglio lavorare (I want to work).
I remember preferire is a bit tricky to conjugate. Why is it preferisco and not "prefero"?
Preferire is an -isc- verb. For these specific -ire verbs, you must insert -isc- between the verb root and the ending for the io, tu, lui/lei, and loro forms in the present tense.
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